The final day of the 2013 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals brought excitement and ambience to the NOLA Motorsports Park facility as Saturday played host to six Grand Finals, crowning world and Invitational Champions. It was the best weather New Orleans has given us all week with off and on sunshine throughout the day. After a great opening ceremony in which Aretha Franklin sang the American National anthem, followed by a flyover from the local US Air Force it was time to go racing.
All the drivers in DD2 Masters turned up their intensity for the final race day here in New Orleans. It was a fantastic start with most drivers getting into formation relatively clean. American driver Alan Rudolph was the favorite going into the Final even though he was starting P4. The South African driver Christiano Morgado grabbed the hole shot and the first few laps were a battle with the front running drivers. While making a move for first on lap four, Rudolph was clipped by the third place driver and sent spinning into the grass exiting corner two. This proved costly for Rudolph as he was sent to the very back of the field, (he recovered to finish 12th). The action continued up front when Fernando Guzzi (Brazil) mixed it up causing all kinds of commotion, ultimately promoting Scott Campbell into third and spreading apart the front five. Morgado was ultimately able to hold onto the lead and capture his fourth Grand Finals Championship Title. Campbell and Daniel Richert of Australia had a great battle in the closing laps that would see Richert take the position at the line, but his pass in the final corner would not stand as he passed under yellow, promoting Campbell onto the second step of the podium.
Overall the DD2 Masters put on quite a show for race fans at NOLA Motorsports park. A slight drizzle in the closing laps made things a little interesting, but it did not change conditions for the drivers but really added another aspect to the atmosphere of the race. The crowd was on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
