|
 |
| March 20, 2012 News |
| Event News: Florida Winter Tour - Ocala - Rotax Max Challenge - Sunday Report |
| Article by: Ken Johnson and Bill Wright |
 | Lorenzo Mandarino celebrates Sunday's DD2 win
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
The final day of competition at the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour, presented by SPORTALITY, is a day full of world class racing action at the world’s largest Rotax Max Challenge. But it is also a day full of acknowledgement of the accomplishments of drivers, manufacturers and participants of both the FWT Formula Kart and Rotax Max Challenge programs. This day would answer not only who would claim podiums at the FWT RMC, but also who would win the prestigious FWT Manufacturers Cup and Nations Cup titles, who would win the unprecedented Skip Barber Racing Awards, and who would be the inaugural recipient of arguably the most prestigious FWT award of all, the Dan Wheldon / FWT Karting Ambassador Award.
The Florida Winter Tour is known as “THE Winter Place To Be” and this weekend provided a perfect example of one of the reasons why as warm sunshine greeted the competitors and spectators every day. The Ocala Gran Prix facility is a favorite among racers because its owner, Jorge Arellano, believes if it’s not done right, it’s not worth doing. As such, the facility is immaculate and constantly kept clean. No detail is left to chance. Even the signature breakfast croissants, served with a smile, are among the best you’ll ever find.
During the lunch break, many competitors dropped their wrenches and came out to witness the inaugural awarding of the Dan Wheldon/Florida Winter Tour Karting Ambassador Award. Dan was such a special man to be around and his presence touched many of us. After Formula Kart production’s Bill Wright outlined the purpose of the award, Mike Maurini, who shared a personal and professional relationship with Dan, shared some of his memories from time spent with the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. It’s never easy to lose a friend, and the emotion could be heard in both Bill’s and Mike’s voices as they shared who Dan was and what he meant to them.
 | Jean Valerio celebrates a dominant win in Sunday's DD2 Masters Final
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
In setting up the award, Bill Wright was emphatic that it was not a personality contest and that it was open to anybody; racer, dealer, tuner, importer, etc. The final choice was a man who is all those things and more, and embodied many of the same traits that made Dan Wheldon so special. That man is Jim Russell Jr.
Jim has been in karting for 30 years and in that time has seen and done it all. But, equally important, he’s helped others achieve the same level of success. He’s won in multiple disciplines of karting and is a fiercely competitive racer. Jim also runs a retail kart shop and a Championship winning race team. His business, Russell Karting Specialties, is the importer of chassis, tires and motors. Although there were a number of extremely qualified individuals for this award, Jim Jr. was the perfect choice. The Florida Winter Tour is humbled to offer this award in Dan Wheldon’s name and proud to have Jim Russell Jr. as the first name inscribed upon the perpetual trophy.
During the lunch break, we got to know a couple of the youngest Junior MAX competitors in the Florida Winter Tour, Austin Versteeg and Juan Manuel Correa. Both of these young men are 12-years-old, the minimum allowed for Junior MAX. And, both are in sixth grade.
Sandy, Utah’s Austin Versteeg has been racing karts since he was six years old. He was last year’s FWT Mini MAX champion and says that, so far, that has been the highlight of his karting career. He was careful to specify “so far” because, as a Junior MAX competitor now, he has a chance to qualify to be on Team USA when they go to Portugal this November. “If I could qualify to go to the Grand Finals as part of Team USA, that would be the highlight of my karting career,” he said with a tone of hope and confidence.
 | Harry Coulton celebrates a win in Sunday's Mini MAX Final
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
Austin says he would love to be a professional racing driver, but is unsure what path is best. “I think we may do Formula 3 after Junior MAX, but that’s still a few years away,” he said. One thing is sure, if practice makes perfect, Austin is getting close. When asked how many races he runs in a year, he seemed a bit lost for a second before saying, “A Lot!” with a smile and a laugh.
Making a name for himself at this year’s Florida Winter Tour is 12-year-old Juan Manuel Correa. The Junior MAX driver from Miami, Florida has spent five years in karting and has his sights set on Formula One. He says he’s a fan of a lot of professional drivers but rates Jay Howard as his favorite. Considering Juan currently races for the Indy Car driver’s team, that’s a good thing!
Juan says he likes competing in the Florida Winter Tour because of the high level of competition, the good organization, and, most of all he says, “It’s the main championship anyone would want to win.” This year Juan has been racing in both the Formula Kart Racing and Rotax Max Challenge programs, and wrapped up a fine third place last weekend in the Formula Kart TaG Junior championship. When back home in Miami, Juan stays busy with his schoolwork. He’s also fond of playing tennis and soccer as well as spending time with his younger brother and sister.
Once the lunch break had concluded and the inaugural Dan Wheldon / Florida Winter Tour Karting Ambassador Award had been presented, it was time to get back to racing. Some FWT classes are too large to allow everyone to race in the Finals. So, to make sure everyone gets their share of track time, certain classes will have their own Consolation Finals for those that did not make it into the final phase. After the Consolation Finals were complete, it was time to get the Prefinals underway.
The first class run was SH Karting sponsored DD2. This class has mostly been a battle between Nicholas Latifi (Canada) and Cody Hodgson (USA). But, in recent races, Lorenzo Mandarino (Canada) has been coming on strong and was a real force to be reckoned with at the OGP rounds. Like all Florida Winter Tour Rotax MAX Challenge classes, the DD2s qualified on Friday for the weekend’s action.
 | Eric Jones makes it two for two with a win in Sunday's MAX Masters Final
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
Nicholas Latifi used the advantage of his Prefinal pole position to perfection by solidifying the lead and winning the race. In the Final, Latifi led early but Mandarino was unstoppable and took the win for the newly introduced Vemme kart chassis. Behind Mandarino, Nicholas Latifi claimed second to wrap up the DD2 championship, thus earning a return trip to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals. Californian Cody Hodgson came home third.
Keane Racing sponsored DD2 Masters was the second class that would be sending their champion to the Grand Finals. In recent years, the Canadians have really embraced the two-speed classes but a quick glance at the entry sheet for the DD2 Masters shows that almost half the field comes from Venezuela. Could this be a future trend for other classes as well?
Costa Rican Jean Valerio arrived in Ocala intent on dominating the weekend. After a fast but troubled day on Saturday, Sunday was the day he would not be denied as he swept the pole, the Pre-Final and the Final. Rounding out the podium behind Valerio was Carlo Rinaldi (Venezuela) and Alan Rudolph (USA).
When all the points were counted, it was Alan Rudolph who took the invitation to the Grand Finals. This championship win has been in Alan’s sights all year and he will make an excellent addition to Team USA when they travel to Portimão, Portugal this November.
In the PSLKartingUSA.com sponsored Micro MAX class, the pole position was won by Ontario, Canada’s Antonio Serravalle by just 0.030 of a second over Dylan Tavella (USA). In the Pre-Final, these two would battle the entire distance and finished in the same order with Serravalle just 0.055 of a second in front of Tavella.
 | Christian Cole takes the win in Sunday's Mini MAX Final
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
In the Micro MAX Final, these same two drivers continued their battle and were joined by Justin Sirgany (Jamaica). Behind these three, Harry Coulton followed within striking range, but at a safe distance in case all heck broke loose at the front. As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened when, on the final lap, the top three all went for the same spot entering turn three. The resulting contact sent the three leaders off the track long enough for Coulton to slip by and take the win.
Sirgany regained momentum quick enough to come home second. This move helped him in the championship battle and enabled him to capture the 2012 Florida Winter Tour Micro MAX title over Coulton in second, and Serravalle third. Had Justin not had the presence of mind to keep everything pointed in the right direction, he very well could have lost more places and ended up without the championship. It was a very experienced bit of driving for such a young competitor.
In the MAX Masters class, nobody had anything for Eric Jones (USA) all weekend. The ultra-fast driver led qualifying, won the Pre-Final and walked away in the Final. This weekend was the first time in 2012 that Eric competed as a driver, but he’s been here every event taking care of his drivers in the Kart Sport North America tent. He said he decided to race so he could do a little testing. But, perhaps part of the reason was he just wanted to have a little “Serious Fun!” for himself!
Second in the Final went to Jason Bell (USA) with third going to Round Two winner Thomas Radivoy (Canada). Although Radivoy picked up some points on championship leader Jason Heffner, it wasn’t enough as Heffner took home the 2012 FWT MAX Masters championship. Behind Heffner, the top three in points featured Radivoy in second and Andres Grajales (Costa Rica) in third.
In qualifying for the Ocala Gran Prix Junior MAX class, Oliver Askew (USA) put his kart firmly on pole position with a time of 36.588 seconds. Like the day before, in the prefinal he jumped to an early lead but this time it would not last long. Starting the second lap, Ashley Rogero (USA) and Jordi Van Morsel (Holland) had great runs down the front straight. Going into turn one the young champions went three-wide with Jordi Van Morsel pulling off a fantastic third-to-first pass.
 | Ashley Rogero smoked 'em in Sunday's Junior MAX Final, letting the boys fight over second place
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
Not long after this, Askew started falling back with steering issues while Van Morsel and Rogero continued their battle for the lead. In the end it was Ashley taking the win by just a fraction of a second over Parker Thompson (Canada). For Askew and Van Morsel, the Pre-Final could have been deadly to their championship aspirations. Not long after the start Oliver fell out and Jordi was disqualified for a problem in post-race tech. That was bad for them. But, good for anyone that wanted to see two of the fastest kids on the planet storm through the field in the Final with so much on the line.
In the Final, Ashley Rogero used her top starting spot to take a stronghold on the lead and cruise to a much deserved victory. After the race she was commenting to OGP’s Jorge Arellano how she couldn’t believe she won because she felt like she was going really slow. All we can say is she must have been in the zone because she had the field covered.
Behind Ashley there was a lot going on as Jordi and Oliver were coming up through the pack. Jordi had nothing to lose and proved what he can do in a Rotax kart by coming from 34th to 4th! Needless to say this earned him the ULV Hard Charger award for the day. Oliver had a bit of a points lead to protect so he was a little more reserved. Yet, he still went from 33rd to 7th.
Kyle Kirkwood ran a very sharp race to earn second place points. This was enough to earn him the top spot in Skip Barber’s scholarship award. Later this year, Kyle will be attending a 3-day racing school, an additional 2-day advanced racing school and eight (8) races in the Skip Barber series he chooses. Ashley’s fine Sunday run helped her to second place in the Skip Barber standings worth $15,000 in “Skippy Bucks”.
With his seventh place run from the back of the pack, Oliver sewed up the race to be crowned 2012 FWT Junior MAX champion and will thus be making his second trip to the Grand Finals.
 | Ben Cooper dominated the OGP weekend to bring home the FWT Senior MAX championship
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
RYSA Racing sponsored Mini MAX class has been a hotly contested affair all season long. Early success went to Logan Sargeant (USA) who was not able to complete the season. That left the door open for others like Brazilian Pedro Cardoso, who seemed to run into the worst luck while Logan was winning races.
On this day, it was Christian Cole (USA) who once again had all the goods as he completed the trifecta of pole, Pre-Final win and a win in the Final. In fact, Cole won both races by three seconds over a close battle between Patricio O’Ward (Mexico) and Neil Verhagen (USA) for second with the spot going to O’Ward both times.
In the Mini MAX championship battle, things finally went right for Pedro Cardoso who won the championship for his team and for Brazil. With his strong late season runs Neil Verhagan was second and Logan Sargeant third.
The grand finale of the FWT Rotax MAX classes is Goodwood Kartways/Intrepid North America sponsored Senior MAX. The entry list for this class is like a who’s who of kart racing. Drivers like double Rotax MAX World Champions Ben Cooper (Great Britain) and Pier-Luc Ouellette (Canada) headline the names, but drivers like Steven Szigeti (Canada) Fritz Leesmann, (USA), Danny Formal (Costa Rica), Jesus Rios jr. (USA) and others are ready and able to win anywhere, anytime.
Returning from a successful stint in European Formula 3 racing, Jesus Rios jr. put his kart on pole with a lap of 36.655. Illustrating how competitive this class is, Andrew Palmer (USA) qualified less than a tenth of a second behind Rios but would line up all the way back in ninth on the Pre-Final grid.
Whenever Ben Cooper starts back in the field he’s worth watching, and this time was no exception. From the start of the race he steadily worked his way towards the front. With two laps to go he was in second and looked like he just might settle for that position by following Canadian Steven Szigeti home. Of course, looks can be deceiving and in the blink of an eye Cooper was in the lead in one clean quick strike.
In the final Cooper was never challenged for the lead beyond the first corner and drove a smooth and fast race to come home the winner by 1.519 seconds over Steven Szigeti. For a good number of laps Danny Formal was in third but Fritz Leesmann and Andrew Palmer caught and passed him dropping him to fifth. However, that was enough for Danny to claim third spot in the Skip Barber scholarship award which paid the Costa Rican a cool $10,000 in “Skippy Bucks”.
 | 2012 Champions: Back; (L-R) Jason Heffner (Masters), Ben Cooper (Senior), Alan Rudolph (DD2 Masters), Nicholas Latifi (DD2). Front; (L-R) Pedro Cardoso (Mini), Justin Sirgany (Micro), Oliver Askew (Junior)
(Photo: Ken Johnson - studio52.us) |
Before the race, Ben Cooper said all he could do for the championship was win and see where he stood. He did, and that was the difference. At the end of the day Ben Cooper is the 2012 Florida Winter Tour Senior MAX champion. Had he finished second and Szigeti won, then Szigeti would have been the champion, it was that close!
During the presentations and awards ceremony, two FWT championships we’ve been discussing this year were finally awarded. These Championships score points in both the Formula Kart and RMC programs. For the entire season the Manufacturer’s Championship fight was a tight battle between CRG and Tony Kart, with Intrepid a close third. Each days racing changed the points leader. As such the Manufacturer’s title went down to the last day. In the end it was Tony Kart taking the title, and fittingly at the home of the U.S. importer who proudly accepted the Championship trophy. The Nation’s Cup title went to the United States of America, with Canada a distant second and Venezuela a close third.
With that, the 2012 Florida Winter Tour season is in the books. Very soon it will also be online as the archives race footage from FWT LIVE! will be available through the FWT website at FloridaWinterTour.com. It’s been our pleasure to bring you some of the best racing you’ll ever witness in one of the world’s longest running, largest and most geographically diverse karting programs.
Stay tuned to FloridaWinterTour.com for information on the 2013 FWT season and make your plans for some Serious Fun at “THE Winter Place To Be!” |
|
|
Go Top
|
|
|
|
|
