The final rounds of the 2013 Florida Winter Tour are underway at the Ocala Gran Prix facility in the northern portion of the sunny state. This weekend seven Rotax Max class champions will be crowned, with many Rotax Grand Finals tickets also up for grabs. The short and flowing OGP track provides plenty of great racing, and with most championships wide-open it will surely be one to watch. Friday saw official qualifying for both Saturday and Sunday, setting the grids for the all important Pre Finals and Last Chance races.
Tadasuke Makino (Birel) put his KMS North America prepared entry on pole for Sunday’s Rotax Senior Pre Final. Behind the Japanese driver were the Ocala Gran Prix trio of Nick Neri (TonyKart), Oliver Askew (TonyKart), and Jonathon Kotyk (TonyKart) as the top four were separated by less that a tenth of a second! 2013 FWT TaG Senior Champion Daniel Formal (TonyKart) took the fifth position as he looks to double up with both TaG and Rotax Senior Championships.
In the second Qualifying session of the day Askew earned his third Pole Position of the year ahead of reigning Rotax Senior Grand Finals Champion Charlie Eastwood (TonyKart). Neri was third in the session ahead of another OGP driver Sam Beasley (TonyKart) who was able to rebound from his pour Sunday session earlier in the day. Kotyk would qualify in the fifth position having one of his best days at the tour so far.
Drivers to look for in Senior would be the Canadian Steven Szigeti (Zanardi) and Jesus Rios Jr. (CRG) as both drivers have had success at Ocala in the past and should be contenders for the win during the finals.
