After many days of testing this week in Homestead, Florida, it was finally race day for the 2014 Florida Winter Tour. Friday’s qualifying sessions set the grids for todays pre finals, setting up for a great day of action at Homestead-Miami Speedway under sunny skies and warm temperatures.
As a turn around from last year, the Rotax DD2 field has not only grown in numbers, but also in quality competition with many globally known talents on the grid this weekend in Homestead, with the FWT crew deeming it the headline class.
From his pole-position starting spot, Costa Rican Daniel Formal (PSL Karting/CRG) was unstoppable in the prefinal going flag to flag as he drove off into the distance. American Nick Neri (OGP/TonyKart) and Italian Paulo de Conto (KMS/Birel) enjoyed a great battle for second with de Conto claiming the spot at the line, while France’s Arnaud Kozlinski (Goodwood/Intrepid) ended up fourth, just ahead of Italy’s Alessandro Bressan (J3/Kosmic).
The Final was very much of the same up front as Formal nailed the holeshot to take the early lead. Although Neri did overtake and lead on lap two, it did not last long before Formal was back out in clean air and on his way to victory.
While Neri was all alone in second, de Conto found his hands full of Kozlinski as the laps wound down. The Frenchman put in a great effort and scored the final podium spot, leaving de Conto to finish fifth as he lost a spot to Canadian Jeff Kingsley (PSL/CRG) on the final lap as well. It was a stellar drive for Kingsley who moved up from Junior last season.
For the remaining Canadians, Fred Woodley (Maranello) was tenth, Alessandro Bizzotto (PSL/CRG) was thirteenth, Dominic LeGrand was eighteenth, while Max Preston (Goodwood/Intrepid) was a DNF.
