Cruise America Grand Prix Racing’s Jason DiSalvo closed out his 11-month-long 2001 racing season with mixed results, competing in the final two rounds of the Spanish National 250cc Grand Prix Championship on November 18 and 25.

DiSalvo qualified 12th at Valencia on November 17 after having been as high as eighth before crashing out on the damp track. Racing in a field of World Championship regulars, 17-year-old DiSalvo finished 11th on his A-kitted Honda RS250, moving into 12th in the Spanish Championship points standings.

The next weekend it was off to Jerez for the New York teenager. DiSalvo quickly got up to speed with top-10 practice times early in the event before qualifying 11th for the final race of the season. DiSalvo hoped to finish well enough in the final race to move up into the top 10 in points in the Spanish series. Unfortunately, DiSalvo was collected in a first-corner pile-up, crashed and was forced to retire with bike damage.

“It was tough luck but that’s all part of racing, I guess,” said DiSalvom quoted in a press release issued by his team. “It’s been a long season but I’ve enjoyed it and learned a lot. I’d like to say a big thanks, not only to my parents and my team, but to all our sponsors who’ve made it possible. Roll on 2002!”

Team owner Jim DiSalvo was quoted in the same release as saying, “We set out on a huge learning curve this year and we’ve achieved a lot of our goals in our first season on 250s. We have a number of options for next season, one of which is to go to the World GPs and we are in positive negotiations with those authorities at present.”