The final stop of the 2014 Florida Winter Tour has arrived as round three is on track this weekend in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Kart Center has returned to the FWT schedule after a three-year absence and brings a refreshing outlook to the series finale after many years of wrapping up in Ocala.
Friday’s action saw drivers qualify for both Saturday and Sunday’s pre finals, in separate sessions, under very hot and sunny conditions at the central Florida circuit.
This weekends Rotax Junior Championship will come down to the wire as a pair
of drivers are neck and neck after Ocala, while a few others are in waiting for an opportunity to swoop in take it.
However in Qualifying it was a pair of drivers not in the championship hunt who took over as Canadian Gianfranco Mazzaferro (Ferrolati Corse/TonyKart) and Mexican Patricio O’Ward (SH Racing/FA Kart) who posted the fastest times.
O’Ward will lead the way on Saturday with championship hopefuls Pedro Cardoso (PSL/CRG), and Austin Garrison (OGP/TonyKart) second and third while Nicholas Brueckner (MRP/Birel) and Ryan Norberg (AM Kart) complete the top-five. Canadians will start sixth, seventh, and eighth with Mazzaferro ahead of Roman DeAngelis (Koene/TonyKart) and Nataël Cantin (KMS/Birel).
Further down the order, Samuel Lupien (SH Racing/FA Kart)
will start 15th, Austin Riley (Energy Kart Canada) 30th and Clay Van Eerd (TonyKart) 37th.
Things are shaken up for Sunday as Mazzaferro will lead the way with O’Ward beside him. Austin Versteeg (RPG/Kosmic) will start third beside Brueckner while Lupien rounds out the top-five. Cardoso will start seventh while Garrison is back in tenth.
Cantin just missed the top-ten and will start eleventh while DeAngelis is 20th. Austin Riley again posted the 30th best time while Van Eerd will start 33rd.
Series officials will start all 40 karts on Saturday and Sunday, meaning there will not be any Last Chance Qualifiers.
