Rotax Pan Am: Phil DeLaO inherits Rotax Senior Victory

Another beautiful day welcome drivers and teams to the final day of action at the 2012 Rotax Pan American Championship Finals, held at the Track at Centennial in Colorado, USA.

The Rotax Senior pre final kicked off with a Daytona style wreck that involved more than twenty-five karts at the start. Pole sitter Louie Pagano (Birel/USA) was tagged just as he exited the first corner, and the mess began with nowhere for anyone to go.

Once the race was restarted, Phil DeLaO (Sodi-Kart/USA) checked out early, earning himself the pole position for the final.

The final race of the day in Colorado was a dandy. The outside line got a great start as the green flag waved, but it was just a little too good as outside pole sitter Jay Howard (Praga/UK) earned himself a 10-second penalty for a jumped start.

Howard and Pagano led early as the field behind jumbled for position. Pearce Herder (LH Kart/Canada) moved into third in corner one on lap two, and then into second only a couple corners later, but this allowed Howard to pull a slight lead.

Herder and DeLaO worked together to track down Howard, but on lap eight, and just as they had caught the leader, Herder would be forced wide in corner nine, allowing DeLaO and Pagano to pass. This again allowed Howard to pull away as he gained the lead he needed to comfortably cruise to victory, until being handed his penalty.

With DeLaO making his move to second on lap eighteen, and finally defend it, he would cross the finish line second, and inherit the victory. Pagano crossed second and would earn his ticket to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals since DeLaO has already qualified (Gatorz). Herder would complete the podium while Howard would fall all the way to twelfth in the results.

Marco DiLeo (Intrepid/Canada) crossed the finish line in eighth, but would be removed from results after weighing in light. Max Preston (Intrepid/Canada) eventually finish eleventh, while Kevin King’s horrific weekend ended in twenty-third.

For Full Race Results, click here!