Beautiful weather welcomed everyone to Ocala Gran Prix for Saturday’s competition of the 2014 Florida Winter Tour. It was round three of the sixth race championship setting the official halfway point and helping display some of the championship favourites.
The Rotax Senior Final got off to wild start as Zachary Claman DeMelo (Goodwood/Intrepid) made a mad dash to the inside at the drop of the green. The dart caught pole sitter Kyle Kirkwood (OGP/TonyKart) off his guard and resulted in DeMelo taking the lead as they exited turn one and Kirkwood falling down the order.
But it didn’t take long for Kirkwood and his OGP teammate Oliver Askew to overtake DeMelo and return to the front. Askew was able to squeeze by on lap three with Kirkwood coming on lap four and with that the final finishing order was set.
Behind, all kinds of action for sixth place on back kept everyone on their toes with Ben Cooper (KMS/Birel) holding the position at one point after starting from
the rear, but ultimately he would fade as the laps wound down.
Askew scored the win, his second of the season ahead of Kirkwood and DeMelo as all three are having a great start to the their year. Luke Varley (Anderson/Birel) was fourth at the line with Louie Pagano (DKC/Sodi-Kart) fifth.
It was a strong run for a few of our Canadians as Christophe Paquet (PSL/CRG), Steven Szigeti (SH Racing/FA Kart) and Zacharie Scalzo (KGK/TonyKart) finished eighth, ninth and tenth with Johnny Flute (Mosport/Kosmic) back in eighteenth. Tough luck for Cooper would see him result in a DNF, eight laps down.
Action resumes on Sunday with round four action where Kirkwood and Askew will lead the way in the prefinal.
