Round five of the 2013 Florida Winter Tour hit the track at Ocala Gran Prix on Saturday under very sunny skies. Quite possibly the best weather the Tour has seen this year, and the drivers paid Mother Nature back by providing some very exciting racing.
Christian Munoz (Tony Kart) took the lead from the start of the first TaG Junior heat race ahead of Ferrolati Corse’s Gianfranco Mazzaferro (TonyKart) and Juan Manuel Correa (Praga). Pole sitter Jack Weprin (FA Kart) fell down to the thirteenth posiition in the early going of the race as he would start working his way back up to the front of the field. With four laps to go Weprin would get by Ignacio Salvucci (AM Kart) for fifth as he would try to catch up to the three way battle for second between Mazzaferro, Correa, and Pedro Cardoso (CRG). Christian Munoz would take the win ahead of Correa, and Cardoso who both got by Mazzaferro on the last lap.
Matt Solarczyk (Birel) benefited from the inverted heat two grid to take the early lead in the second TaG Junior Heat ahead of Michael McCarthy (Birel), Killian Keaveny (Top Kart), and Salvucci. On Lap five Antoni Ptak (Birel) would drive up to the second position ahead of Salvucci, Cardoso and Correa who both would come up to the top five. Next lap through Correa and Weprin would get by Cardoso for fifth and sixth. Although the race drivers were racing hard at the half way point, the top -five would change once again as Solarcyzk would hold the lead ahead of Salvucci, Weprin, Michael de Quesada (TonyKart) and Mazzaferro now completing the top-five. With five laps to go Solarczyk would lose his lead to Salvucci and Weprin and the next time by Weprin would take the lead on the outside of turn one from Salvucci. At the end Weprin took the win ahead of Salvucci, Solarczyk, Mazzaferro and de Quesada.
A great start from the outside saw Mazzaferro move into the lead as the Final got under way, and he was able to pull a small lead as Correa battled past Weprin for second.On lap six Weprin took the second away from Correa and he would start catching Mazzaferro in the lead. Weprin the took the lead from Mazzaferro two laps later as the young Canadian couldn’t match to power of Weprin’s Leopard motor. Past the halfway point of the race, Mazzaferro would retake the lead as Weprin went wide in the last corner. But Weprin would quickly recover and take the lead back as they would now be followed by Correa and Javier Gonzalez (TonyKart). With four to go Correa would lose the third position to Gonzalez as Cardoso would also catch Correa and pressure him for fourth. At the checkers Weprin took the win ahead of Mazzaferro, Gonzalez, Cardoso and Correa, who was passed on the final lap for the fourth position.
