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| February 03, 2012 News |
| Series News: Florida Karting Championship Series - Homestead Report |
| Article by: Tony Modica |
The Florida Karting Championship Series kicked off the 2012 at the renowned Homestead Karting circuit with record entries topping 250 and over 160 drivers participating in what is becoming one of the most prestigious WKA divisional series in the US. The competition level was second to none with live coverage and interviews broadcast to a worldwide audience. Again the series continues to provide the platform for many up and coming kart racers looking prove their capabilities to themselves and their competitors as they move up the motorsports ladder.
Kid Karts
The kid karts had a great turn out with eight karts in the field including Jeremy Fletcher, Chase Heffner, Lucas Rodriguez, Gabriella Ramirez, Akela Pacitto, Ralph Hendry,
Mathias Freebury, Dalton Heffner and Alessandro De Tullio. Several drivers made their first start with the FKCS while several other drivers continue work on their skills and prepare themselves for a move up into the sportsman class. It was an outstanding day of racing on Saturday for all of the kid kart drivers.
Box Stock Sr.
In the final ten karts took the green flag with Doug Moff starting on the pole. It was a nose to tail battle for most of the race with five lead changes. It wasn’t until lap twelve when Johnny Allen would gain some momentum and break away from the front to get the win. Second it was the 2011 Open Wheel Modified champion Doug Moff and third it was Jacksonville Florida driver Brad Farmer. In pre final it was Doug Moff taking the win, second going to Johnny Allen and finishing third it was Randy Balmer. In qualifying, fast time went to the 2011 runner up in the points standings Brad Farmer with a time of 58.491
Rotax Mini Max
In the final it was a repeat of the pre final with Christian Cole on the pole. Cole would pick up the win going wire to wire and pretty much unchallenged. Mathias Ramirez and Matthew Thomas where running nose to tail until lap ten when Thomas would make the pass for second and that’s how it would end, with Cole your winner by 4.8 seconds, Thomas second and third it was Ramirez. Thomas was disqualified in tech, giving second place to Ramirez and third it was Michael Benyahia. In the pre final Christian Cole went wire to wire scoring the win, with second going to Mathias Ramirez and coming in third it was Olivier Bellanger. In qualifying, quick time went to Christian Cole turning a lap time of 50.488
 | Rotax Micro Max drivers taking on the Homestead circuit
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
Rotax Micro Max
In the final, twenty karts took the green flag with Devin Boutot on the pole. It didn’t take long for Boutot to gain command of this race. He would go wire to wire for the win as he crossed the finish line by 2.118 seconds over second place finisher Aidan Keel. Keel made late pass on third place finisher Nicholas Brueckner with Brueckner getting a one position penalty dropping him to forth. This put Ricardo Villasmill on the podium for third position. In the pre final Devin Boutot took the win with second going to Aidan Keel and finishing third it was his brother Ian Keel. In qualifying fast time going to Ian Keel with a time of 54.657
Rotax Senior
Eighteen karts started the final with 2011 Rotax Grand National Champion Nick Neri on the pole. Neri showed why he’s ranked so high as a national level driver as he would be untouched the entire race. By the halfway point he would open up 3.9 second over the field and by the time that the checker flag would drop Neri would cross the line by a 6.7 second lead to wrap up a perfect day. A solid run was provided by Gianna Alessandria who would finish second and coming in third it was the world champion Jose Zanella who came from his ninth starting position. Bad news came in tech to both Zanella and Alessandria who both were disqualified putting Brandon Salyer into second and third it was Andrew Evans which gave Tony Kart a one, two, three finish. In the pre final it was Nick Neri going wire and scoring the win, finishing second it was Indiana driver Mark Dismore Jr and third it is was Gianna Alessandria. Nick Neri set a fast time of 48.515 in qualifying which was 4/10 of second faster than the second place kart.
KPP Jr.
In the fourteen lap final there was a light field in the KPP class but some exciting racing none the less. Derek Sobel was the pole and would jump out front early with Corey Towles on his heels. That would all change in lap six when Towles made the move off turn three to get the lead away with Sobel doing all he could to try to regain. Sobel was unable to get the lead back giving the hard earned win to Towles. Sobel would hang onto second and third it would be Austin Jordan. The Pre final win went to Derek Sobel and it was Corey Towles second and third it was Austin Jordon. In qualifying Jacksonville FL driver Corey Towles set fast time with 50.405
 | TAG Cadet drivers had some close racing
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
TaG Cadet
In the final, nineteen karts took the green flag with Olivier Bellanger starting on the pole and he wasted no time putting Nicholas Brueckner and Jason Yarbrough behind him. By the halfway point Bellanger would have 2.4 second lead with Brueckner and Yarbrough running nose to tail for second. In lap eight Yarbrough would take the position for second which only lasted one lap. With a very fast Brueckner getting right back into second one lap later. When the checkered flag dropped it was Bellanger who would give up the top spot with a one position penalty for taking his hands off the wheel at the finish line and giving the win to Brueckner. Second it would be Bellanger and third it was Jason Yarbrough. In the pre final Olivier Bellanger scored the win going wire to wire with second going to Jason Yarbrough and third it was Nicholas Brueckner. Olivier Bellanger set fast time in qualifying with a lap time of 52.890
TaG Jr.
A very large and strong field of drivers with twenty three karts took the green flag, with Oliver Askew starting on the pole next the Canadian driver Zachary Clayman Demelo. Lap one went to Askew after getting off to a good start and he was quickly under the gun with Demelo right on his tail. Demelo was able get into the lead by lap two which only lasted for one lap as Askew would get the lead back until lap five when Demelo would get around Askew for the final time to go on to get the victory by 1.1 seconds. Askew would keep the heat on the leader for the remaining laps taking home second and third it was Corey Towles. The pre final win went to Oliver Askew going wire to wire with Demelo finishing second and third it was Dominic Tesoro. In qualifying Oliver Askew had fast time with a 48.531
TaG Masters
The fourteen lap final had a nice turnout with fourteen karts taking the green. John Dalton started from the pole and certainly looked like the driver to beat when he got off to a good start, leading the first five and a half laps. That’s when the defending champion Brad Sanders would work his way around Dalton for the lead and would show his great handling skills and why he is the champion, holding on for the win. Dalton would hang on for second and third it was Scott Roberts. The pre final win went to John Dalton going wire to wire with Francois Brun-Wibaux for second and third it was your 2011 FKCS champion Brad Sanders. John Dalton set fast time in qualifying with a time of 49.481, one of two drivers that were able to break into the 49 second bracket.
 | Sanders pressures 911 Dalton for the lead in TaG Masters
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
Box Stock Jr.1
The eight kart field had a very good group of drivers. In row one Jordan Fowler started on the pole, with A J McKinney outside of row one. McKinney quickly grabbed the lead in lap one and would be your early leader By lap three we would see another lead change with Hunter Padilla up front. Padilla, making his first start in this class, proved he was up for the challenge and would get his first box stock victory. Second it was AJ McKinney and third going to Nash Duyn who started seventh. In the pre final Hunter Padilla picked up the win but lost it a ten second penalty, giving the victory to Jordan Fowler, second it was AJ McKinney and Padilla was scored third. Qualifying going to Hunter Padilla making his first start in the Box Stock class with 56.149
Box Stock Jr.2 and Jr
In the final, all three box stock classes ran together with Dezso Kovi doing a great job with traffic and proving he is ready for the new season scoring the win. Finishing second it was James Jackson. Kovi was your pre final winner with second going to Jackson. In qualifying Kovi turned quick time with a 58.387. In Box Stock Jr Benjamin Withers would take the win and click off a fast lap of 59.945 as he crossed the finish line.
Rotax Masters
In the final, Pole sitter John Dalton was the kart to beat on race day. With a very fast Scott Roberts lined up outside of row one once the green dropped Dalton would jump out into lead for the first two laps until Roberts would over power Dalton. Roberts would put the distance between him and Dalton carrying a 2.1 second lead by the halfway point and on his way for his first win of the season. Dalton would drop out in lap eleven with mechanical issues leaving second place to George Gamble and third it was Jerry Brown. In the pre final John Dalton took the win with second going to Scott Roberts and finishing third it was Jason Heffner. In qualifying fast time went to John Dalton with a 50.362
 | Demelo came from the back of the field to win Rotax Junior
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
Rotax Jr.
The final brought twenty karts to the green flag with Ashley Rogero on the pole. Rogero would get off to a good start leading without being contested by a very strong field of junior drivers. Rogero looked like she would go wire to wire for the win but with just one problem. That problem would be the driver that started twenty first, Canadian racer Zachary Clayman Demelo who was on a mission after only completing one lap in the pre final. Demelo was just flying through the heavy field of karts and the crowd would see Demelo get into second place by lap six and quickly put the heat on Rogero. Demelo was able to overtake her in lap nine for the lead and would build up a 7/10th of a second lead which would be enough for the victory. Rogero would hold on to second and third it was Oliver Askew. In the pre final, the winner was Ashley Rogero, finishing second Oliver Askew and third going to Austin Garrison. In qualifying Oliver Askew set fast time with a 48.538
TaG
The final brought twenty one karts to the green flag with Nick Neri starting on the pole. Neri had the kart to beat all day and showed it from the start. By lap eight Neri would open a 1.3 second lead over Andrew Evans who was running hard against his Tony Kart teammates Brandon Salyer and Jonathan Kotyk who were all battling for a podium finish. Evans would take commend of second late in the race breaking away from Kotyk and Salyer. Kotyk and Salyer would race nose to tail for the third place position going back and forth as the laps clicked off. When the dust settled Neri would end up going wire to wire untouched, Evans would finish second and Kotyk would muscle his way into a third place finish. In the pre final Nick Neri scored the win with Salyer finishing second and third it was Andrew Evans. Fast qualifier was Nick Neri with a time of 47.653
Yamaha Jr.
The fourteen lap final saw a great battle right from the start, with row one Corey Towles inside and Derek Sobel outside. They would take off from the field with Sobel doing the chasing for the first three laps when he would take the lead away from Towles coming off of turn four. Sobel had enough to score the win over Towles who finished second but Towles was penalized ten seconds for a starting lane violation. The penalty would put Austin Jordan into second with Towles settling for third. Corey Towles picked up the win in the pre final followed by Derek Sobel and third going to Austin Jordan. In qualifying Derek Sobel set fast time with a time of 52.083
 | Derek Sobel with Yamaha Junior win
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
Cadet Sportsman
Nineteen karts started in the final with Seve DePinto on the pole and Vincenzo Sarracino outside row one. At the drop of the green flag we would see a four kart battle with Devin Bowerman and Jason Yarbrough battling with DePinto and Sarracino with all four drivers breaking away from the rest of the field going nose to tail. In lap eight Yarbrough would make a move on third place Bowerman and take the position. Yarbrough would then go to work on DePinto for second until lap fourteen when Yarbrough spun giving third back to Bowerman. DePinto was able to take the win from Sarracino who came in second with third going to Bowerman. Pre Final victory went to Seve Depinto, second it was Vincenzo Sarracino, and third going to Jason Yarbrough. Fast qualifier was Vincenzo Sarracino with a time of 55.068.
Shifters ICC
With renewed interest in the class nine karts were in the field with Chase Wilsey starting on the pole. Wilsey was under the gun early with Ryan Smith and Brad Sanders staying with your leader and seeing some good side by side racing the entire race. Both Sanders and Smith did all they could to gain ground on Wilsey, who would prove to be just too strong. Wilsey would go on to score the victory with second going to Smith and third going to Sanders. Pre final win went to Chase Wilsey, second going to Chris Grektorp and third it was Ryan Smith. Chase Wilsey set fast time in qualifying 47.854
Shifters Masters
The final had just three karts in the field, in which would turn out to be a pretty good race with pole sitter David Levy getting out front early with Chad Waldron trying to bring him in as they would go nose to tail. By the halfway point Levy would have a half a second lead which was enough to carry him to the number one spot on the podium. Second it was Chad Waldron and third it was Michael Gesser. Pre final winner was David Levy and second going to Chad Waldron. David Levy set fast time in qualifying 48.524
Shifters Stock Moto
In the final Tony Kart factory driver Nick Neri would make it a perfect sweep of the day taking the win in the final having come from the pole. Second it was Richard Cormier and third it was Chris Bany. Pre Final winner was Nick Neri with second going to Richard Cormier and third it was Chris Bany. Nick Neri set fast time in qualifying 47.541
 | Seve Depinto takes the Cadet win
(Photo: Eydie Evans) |
TaG Heavy
In the final seven karts took the green flag with John Dalton starting on the pole. Dalton would be just way too strong for the field and by lap seven he would open a twelve second lead over second running Louis Satterlee. Satterlee who would stay in second the entire race finishing by some twenty seven seconds behind Dalton and third it was George Metcalf. In the pre final John Dalton scored the win with second place going to Louis Satterlee and third it was George Metcalf. Fast time qualifying went to John Dalton with a time of 49.762
Yamaha Sportsman
In the fourteenth lap final there would be three very fast karts in the field with Mathias Ramirez on the pole, Jason Yarbrough outside row one and Seve DePinto starting inside of row two. Once the green dropped Yarbrough would take the early lead going into turn one but that would only last into lap two when your pole sitter Ramirez would get the lead. Yarbrough would keep up the heat going nose to tail and providing spectators with a great race lap after lap. As the laps came to an end your leaders would pull up on slower traffic when Ramirez would make the right move which left Yarbrough getting hung up. All he could do is watch Ramirez break away crossing the finish line by 8.6 seconds over Yarbrough and coming in third it was DePinto. In the pre final Mathias Ramirez got the win with second Jason Yarbrough and third going to Seve Depinto. In qualifying Jason Yarbrough locked in fast time with a lap of 55.162
Next up will be race #2 at Ocala Gran Prix in beautiful Ocala Florida the weekend of February 25 and 26. FKCS continues to be one of the longest and oldest running regional karting series in the country. Our mission is to provide a series that is competitive and testing of all drivers’ skills for a reasonable fee, while continuing to offer a fun, family environment. The organization is membership owned and run by an elected board of directors. More information is available at http://www.flwkasprintseries.com |
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