Race day has finally come in Ocala, Florida as the 2013 Florida Winter Tour inches closer to completion. Saturday was round number five of the six race championship, and although the weather was in question all day long, the skies never opened up and every race was completed under dry conditions. The action was intense through every category as drivers looked to lock up or advance forward in their championship chases.
Kyle Kirkwood (TonyKart) took command early in the Rotax Junior Pre Final and he was followed closely by Austin Garrison (TonyKart). Championship leader Thomas Issa (Kosmic) was in the third position ahead of Trenton Estep (TonyKart). The battle for fifth was close as five drivers were making moves in every corner until Juan Manuel Correa (TonyKart) would eventually take the position, then look to catch up to Estep in front. With four laps to go Correa took the forth position away from Estep, but up front Kirkwood drove away with it with Garrison in tow.
Kirkwood and Issa both had a good start in the Final to hold the first two position. Plenty of action behind quickly allowed the two to pull away, while all the excitement happened for third. By the halfway distance in the race the leaders had a seven second gap to Ignacio Salvucci (TonyKart) in the third position, who had finally broke away from the group. Behind Salvucci would be Jordan Perry (TonyKart) and Jack Weprin (FA Kart), the two drivers would battle for much of the race. On Lap fourteen Weprin would take fourth from Perry as he would need to get as many points as possible this weekend to stay alive in the championship, especially with Issa in second position. But up in the lead of the race Kirkwood would go unchallenged by Issa as he pulled to a two second victory. Salvucci crossed the line in third ahead of Weprin and Perry.
Issa Looks set to take the Championship as he is 238 points ahead of Correa in second. Five drivers however all have a shot in taking second place in the Championship as drops bring Correa, Weprin, Salvucci, Ashley Rogero, and Kirkwood right together and with the unpredictability of Rotax Junior anyone driver has a chance to win.
