FWT: Micro and Mini-Max Qualifying Reports

Weekend two of the 2014 Florida Winter Tour is officially underway with the Rotax classes getting their chance to hit the asphalt at Homestead-Miami Speedway. What started off as a cool day, heated up just as the Qualifying action hit the track. Friday’s action set the grids for both Saturday and Sunday’s prefinals with two separate qualifying sessions.

The Florida Winter Tour has been known as the grooming grounds for many future young stars as they progress through the Micro-Max and Mini-Max divisions. This weekend is no different, with two large fields hitting the track.

Micro-Max

American Reese Gold (TonyKart) topped the charts in both Qualifying sessions to set himself apart from the field in Micro-Max. The youngster will have Daniel Steven Chaverra Palacio (AM Kart) of Columbia beside him on Saturday with Arias Deukmedjian (AM Kart), Matheus Morgatto (Kosmic) of Columbia and Jeremy Fairburn (AM Kart) of Florida in the top-five.

Canadian Joshua Cunha (Goodwood/Intrepid) will start 15th, Justin Arseneau (PSL/CRG) was 19th, while Jeremy Tallon (KMS/Birel) didn’t post a lap and will start 25th.

On Sunday, Gold has Deukmedjian starting second and Fairburn third, while Jo Nuñez (TonyKart) and Palacio round the top-five. Cunha was much better in the session as he will start eighth, Justin Arseneau (PSL/CRG) was 18th, with Tallon down in 20th.

Sunday Results | Saturday Results

Reese Gold swept the Micro-Max Qualifying sessions
(Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)

Mini-Max

After his stellar run last weekend, scoring both TaG Cadet victories, it was no surprise to see Michael d’Orlando (Koene/TonyKart) up front in Mini-Max.

On Saturday Venezuelan Sergio Terife (AM Kart) grabbed the pole by 0.009 seconds ahead of d’Orlando, with Columbian Mathias Soler (TonyKart) and Gianluca Petecof (AM Kart) of Brazil also in the 51.1 second time range. Completing the top-five was defending FWT Mini-Max Champion Nicholas Brueckner (Birel).

Lachlan Defrancesco (DFR/Benik Kart) was sixth as he continues to impress, while Matthew Latifi (Ferrolati Corse/TonyKart) was 11th in his debut Mini-Max weekend. Nicholas d’Orlando (Koene/TonyKart) was 17th, while Matthew Barry (Praga) was 28th and Ryan

MacDermid (Energy Kart) 37th.

For Sunday, d’Orlando was the fastest with Brueckner starting alongside him. Row two has Petecof and Latifi with Terife and Solar stating on row three.

Nicholas d’Orlando had a better run and will start seventh, Barry was 24th, MacDermid 38th and Defrancesco will start from the rear of the LCQ after technical issues removed him after posting the fourth quickest time.

Micro-Max has 27 karts and will not need a Last Chance Race, while the 41 in Mini-Max will need to be cut down to 34 each morning.