Ronnie Ierna has been racing go-karts since he was a young boy. After many years of hard work and dedication, today Ronnie is one of the top competitors in Florida and recently was recognized for his outstanding performance at The New Year Shootout Race at the Florida Dirt Motor Speedway on State Road 52.
“Ronnie has been focusing on winning this race for quite some time now, and we are so proud of his accomplishments,” said his mother, Charlene Ierna. “He sat on the pole for all three races, and led every lap of every race to earn three first-place wins!”
Ronnie’s father, Ron Ierna, along with his mother, Charlene, support their son’s racing ambitions with encouragement and commitment. The sport is truly a family affair, with practice and races taking place most weekends.
When Ronnie is not racing his go-kart, the 12-year-old is busy as a top student at Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes, where he is on the honor roll.
“Ronnie had volunteered at Lutz Elementary, before and after school as a safety patrol, and also helps out with community events, such as a recent trash collection drive,” said Charlene. “Most of Ronnie’s classmates have no idea that Ronnie is such an accomplished racer, because at school he is just a normal kid like everyone else.”
Ronnie is a member of the Lutz racing team, Team ERC (Eleanor Racing Chassis).
“He is fortunate to be part of a solid race team like Team ERC,” said Ron Ierna. “They set him up for success, week after week. Ronnie would not be where he’s at without his outstanding coaches.”
With his recent success at the New Year Shootout Race, Ronnie has moved up a class, and is now one of the youngest racers in this class. The entire Team ERC saw great success at this competition, with the team winning 10 out of 10 races.
“We really want to give a shout out to Team ERC, its coaches, pit crew, and all the parents and friends that support these young racers on so many levels,” said Charlene.
Because of his leadership and racing success, Ronnie has been featured as a guest on Last Lap Live, a live radio broadcast geared toward the go-kart racing sport.
Ron and Charlene Ierna are owners of local air conditioning companies. Both are very philanthropic and sponsor many local events. Since Ronnie was a preschooler, he has accompanied his parents and volunteered countless hours at chamber events, stuffing promo bags, collecting canned goods, trash pick-up operations, and many other charity activities.
Published March 03, 2021
