PR: Energy Kart Canada Finishes Florida Winter Tour Strong

PR by: Race Tech Development / Energy Kart Canada

With the harsh Canadian winter coming to a close in the next few weeks, Energy Kart Canada would make their final trek to the Sunshine State to compete in the final round of the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour (FWT). Taking place at the spectator friendly Orlando Kart Center facility in Orlando, Florida, team drivers would finish the series strong and will now shift their focus back to karting north of the border.

Simas Juodvirsis would be the top ranking driver for the Energy brand as he took to the track on Friday for the first of two official qualifying sessions in the potent Rotax DD2 class. With the first run setting the grid for Sunday’s prefinal, Simas would lay it all on the line and secure the outside row two starting position with a fourth place effort. With the second session setting the grid for Saturday, a slight error in carburetion would only allow the 2013 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals champion to attain a seventh place result.

In Saturday’s prefinal, Simas did not waste any time and quickly moved forward from his seventh place starting position to fourth on the start and battled the leaders all race long. Holding station in the main event, Simas would end his day just off the podium in fourth. Sunday would prove to be a little better for the European driver as a fourth place starting position allowed him to attack the leaders early. Claiming the second position in the prefinal and front row starting spot for the main event, Simas was bound and determined to score the win.

After a bad start in the day’s main event, Simas would fall back to ninth before charging forward to second. Attempting a pass for the lead in which the leader drove a defensive line, Simas would fall back to seventh. As one of the quickest karts on the circuit, the champion drove back to the top three and would end his FWT with a podium result.

Austin Riley would make the Rotax Junior field both days in Orlando as he prepares for his Canadian karting season. Finishing 26th in Saturday’s prefinal, Riley would end the main event in 28th. Sunday, Riley would show a big improvement in both lap times, aggressiveness and race results as he drove from 30th to 19th in the prefinal and then gain four more positions in the main event to end his series with a 15th place effort.

“I am really happy for all the Energy Kart Canada drivers,” expressed Darren White, Canadian importer of the Energy Kart line. “They all showed improvement throughout the Florida Winter Tour and that is very promising heading into the remainder of 2014.”

Canadian Austin Riley showed progress throughout the entire FWT
(Photo: Cody Schindel – CanadianKartingNews.com)

In the talented Rotax Mini Max field, Ryan Macdermid would have some bad luck on Saturday. After finishing the prefinal in 29th, an incident would force him to retire from the event as he was classified in 38th. In Sunday’s wheel-to-wheel competition, Macdermid continued to show improvement driving from 32nd on the grid to finish 29th at the day’s end.

Energy Kart Canada will now shift their focus to the Canadian Karting scene and the opening of the 2014 season. With snow finally beginning to melt away, team drivers will look to be on track in the coming weeks as they begin to test for the Eastern Canadian Karting Championships as well as local club events throughout Ontario and Quebec.

For more information about the Energy Kart Canada, the race team, the Energy chassis line as well as product sales including Alpinestars, Holeshot Drive Systems and Tillett Racing Seats and arrive and drive programs, please visit their website www.EnergyKartCanada.com or contact them by phone at 905.377.5845.