After three successful days of practice for the 2013 Florida Winter Tour, the Rotax Max Challenge groups finally hit the track on to set their grid positions for both Saturday and Sunday’s race days. Completing the day with two rounds of intense qualifying, the FWT has once again attracted some of the worlds best Rotax competition, with many drivers who competed recently at the 2012 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portugal, competing in West Palm Beach, Florida, host of round #1 of the FWT.
Kevin Ludi (Birel) of Switzerland has qualified on the pole-position for both Saturday and Sunday in Rotax DD2, putting forth a dominating effort in a stacked Rotax DD2 field, even if there is only twelve entries.
In Sunday’s Qualifying session Ludi out-qualified reigning Rotax DD2 Grand Finals Champion and teammate Ben Cooper (Birel) by 9 hundredths of a second. Summit GP’s Darren White (Tony Kart) was third ahead of Belgium’s Xen De Ruwe (Formula K) and Karts & Parts’ Pearce Herder (LH Kart). 2012 Canadian Senior Max Champion Jesse Lazare (CRG) qualified in sixth in his return to PSL Karting, ahead of Prime Powersports Fred Woodley, and IndyCar’s James Hinchcliffe (Tony Kart) who is returning to karting roots this weekend. Pserra Racing’s James Vance Lousada (Tony Kart), and Venezuela’s Mario Iemma (Kosmic) completed the top ten.
In the afternoon session setting the grid for Saturday’s event, Ludi and Cooper once again qualified in first and second, ahead of De Ruwe. White qualified fourth followed by Lazare, IPK North America’s Marco Di Leo (Praga), Herder, Hinchcliffe, Woodley and Lousada completing the top ten.
Like DD2 Masters, there is some serious world-wide talent in Rotax DD2 and will definitely we a class to keep an eye on this weekend in Florida.
