The final stop of the 2014 Florida Winter Tour has arrived as round three is on track this weekend in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Kart Center has returned to the FWT schedule after a three-year absence and brings a refreshing outlook to the series finale after many years of wrapping up in Ocala.
Friday’s action saw drivers qualify for both Saturday and Sunday’s pre finals, in separate sessions, under very hot and sunny conditions at the central Florida circuit.
One of the closest championship battles entering this week is in the Rotax Mini-Max class with more than five drivers all having a legitimate shot at the title.
Setting the tone in Qualifying, Canadian Matthew Latifi (Ferrolati Corse/TonyKart) and Mathias Soler (TonyKart) each earned pole-positions by setting the fastest time in their sessions.
The top-four in Saturday’s session all posted times within the same tenth with Soler besting Emiliano Richards (Birel), Caio Collet (Kosmic), Sebastien Rodriguez (TonyKart) and Latifi.
For the remaining Canadians, Michael and Nicholas d’Orlando (Koene/TonyKart) were 14th and 15th, Xavier Harris (Goodwood/Intrepid) and Matthew Barry (Praga) were 17th and 18th, while Ryan MacDermid (Energy Kart Canada/Energy) was 35th.
On Sunday Latifi will lead the way with Richards again sitting off-pole. Devin Boutot enjoyed a good session and will start with Rodriguez and Soler rounding the top-five.
Michael d’Orlando had a better run and will start ninth, with Barry and Harris positioned together again, this time 18th and 19th, two spots ahead of Nicholas d’Orlando while MacDermid will start 32nd.
All 38 Mini-Max’s will start the prefinal tomorrow with no LCQ’s scheduled.
Saturday and Sunday will each feature a Prefinal and a Final.
