FWT: Antoni Ptak wins in Rotax Junior as Thomas Issa takes home the Championship Glory

Championship Sunday. The final day of the 2013 Florida Winter Tour is in the books as series hit the track at Ocala Gran Prix under a wide mixture of weather, including very heavy winds and even an intense downpour, and heated action on track. Seven class champions were crowned, with six tickets awarded to the Rotax Grand Finals, held this November in New Orleans, USA.

Kyle Kirkwood (TonyKart) took the early lead in the Rotax Junior pre final ahead of last weekend’s TaG Junior winner Antoni Ptak (Birel), and William Myers (Kosmic) in third. Myers and Ashley Rogero (TonyKart) would overtake Ptak dropping the Polish driver to fourth in the order. Rogero would then take second away from Myers as she would start to gap the drivers behind her and match the times set by Kirkwood in the lead. Austin Garrison (Tony Kart) took third away from Myers as he would then fall down to the fifth spot.

Rogero would immediately take the lead of the wet Rotax Junior Final ahead of her OGP teammate Kirkwood as both drivers would look to take the victory at the teams home track. However Ptak would have something to say about that. Passing both drivers to take the lead early on. Ptak would lead by one-second over Kirkwood and Rogero at halfway.

The race would not be over however as past the halfway distance Rogero would get by the second place runner Kirkwood and she would start putting in some of the fastest laps in the race and started to catch Ptak inching closer every lap. On the last lap Rogero would be on the rear bumper of Ptak and would pass the leader for the top spot. Ptak however would not be denied victory as he came back and passed Rogero for the win of the race. Kirkwood would settle in for third as Jordan Perry (Tony Kart), who started last in the Final, finished fourth ahead of Austin Versteeg (CRG), both drivers having their best results of the championship in the last round. Another result worth mentioning is Canadian driver David Greco (Tony Kart) who was making his FWT debut also came from the back to finish in sixth.

Jamaican Thomas Issa (Kosmic) won the Rotax Junior Championship and earned his ticket to the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals in New Orleans, USA. With second in the final Rogero would also take second in the championship ahead of Kyle Kirkwood as great weekends in Ocala for the two OGP drivers resulted in a huge points hall. Jack Weprin (FA Kart) who came out of West Palm swinging took fourth in the championship after two disappointing results in Homestead. Juan Manuel Correa would complete the top five in the championship after he would slide down from second to fifth in the championship finale.

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From L to R, Ashley Rogero, Thomas Issa and Kyle Kirkwood (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)