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| January 10, 2012 |
| Team News: Pole Positions and Podium for DeFrancesco Racing |
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In the opening weekend of the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour (FWT), DeFrancesco Racing pilot Devlin DeFrancesco was back in a familiar place, at the front of the field. Looking to start the season off right, the 11-year-old pilot competed in the TaG Cadet category at the ultra fast Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) in Jupiter, Florida and will do so again this weekend in Rotax Mini Max.
Saturday would start of very well for Devlin, as he would score the elusive pole position in the morning qualifying session. Keeping his competitors in check in the prefinal, the Floridian resident won the race to the checkered flag but received a three-position penalty for speeding at the drop of the green flag. With his goal to score a win on the day, Devlin's race would start out for the good but would end in disaster, as he and a fellow competitor would make contact ending his chances.
Back in the saddle on Sunday, the elder of the two brothers would look for redemption and strike in qualifying yet again. Taking the pole position and heat race win, DeFrancesco would line up on the inside of row one for the start of the main event. Leading early, Devlin became a victim of the draft at PBIR and was relegated back to eighth in the opening few laps. Battling hard and showing true grit to drive his way forward, the 11-year-old Supertune USA powered driver would come home second scoring the fastest lap of the race by almost two-tenths of a second.
"If Saturday's final would have gone a little better, we would have had a great start to the season," expressed Team Manager and Driver Coach Nick Mitchell. "We have a little catch-up to do in the championship but with the strength of our program, I think we are up for the challenge."
Devlin's younger brother, eight-year-old Lachlan, would also see battle in the TaG Cadet class. Using 2011 as a learning year as he was the youngest competitor in the class, Lachlan is expected to greatly improve in 2012. After qualifying ninth in his group in Saturday morning's session, Lachlan failed to complete the prefinal and was forced to start the main event from the tail of the field. With more than 34 competitors on track, Lachlan drove a smart and aggressive race to come home a solid 16th when the checkered flag had flown.
Sunday would prove to be the same sort of results for the future champion as a tenth place in his group in qualifying turned into a 19th place result in the prefinal. Looking to progress forward and crack the top fifteen, Lachlan would have to settle for a result just inside the top-twenty to start his 2012 campaign.
Both Devlin and Lachlan DeFrancesco will be back in action this coming weekend at PBIR. Competing under the DeFrancesco Racing banner, both pilots will compete in the Rotax divisions and look for race wins and podium results.
For more information on DeFrancesco Racing, please contact Andy DeFrancesco via e-mail to Info@DFRUSA.com or visit them online at http://www.DFRUSA.com |
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