Orlando, FL (January 9, 2010)

Morning qualifying was a chilled affair with the mercury in the high 30's and a light but steady rain. While the precipitation had stopped by early afternoon, all the pre-finals were run under wet conditions, with most of the finals following suit until a dry line appeared late in the day. 

With a strong emphasis on single-engine classes in 2010, the Formula Kart championship series started off with its Ocala Gran Prix-sponsored Pro Rotax final. Dominic Legrand, having cruised to a 13 second pre-final win, started from the pole but couldn't match the torrid pace of his rivals. In no time at all, Kenneth Hildebrand and his Arrow/BTK Motorsports entry were off into the lead, with teammates Victor Pedrosa and Sam Beasley in close pursuit. On a day of mostly close competition, Hildebrand made this one a laugher and crushed the field with a wet-weather ten second victory. It was a one-two-three for the Arrow/BTK outfit, and sent a clear notice to the karting world that the team is primed for a strong showing in the FWT Rotax Max Challenge series. 

TaG Masters was the story of three drivers: Brian McHattie, Christopher Rock and Francois Brun-Wibaux. Pre-final action hinted that Brun-Wibaux had the early advantage when he took the checkered ahead of Rock and McHattie. Come the final and the storyline changed. McHattie and his Energy chassis took control early on, while Chris and Francois staged a highly spirited battle for second. Spirited enough that there was contact between the two; Rock got the worst of it while Brun-Wibaux scampered ahead. Undaunted, Chris gathered it up, dusted off the eye of the tiger and went to work closing the gap once again. This time, Rock made short work of Francois but it was too late to catch McHattie, who held on for a 2.777 second victory. 

PSLKarting.com-sponsored IAME Junior was up next, a class ripe with young stars such as Austin Self, Dore Chaponick, Luca Forgeois, Matt Tifft, Shawn Sharkey, Alessandra Madrigal and Santino Ferrucci. This final was a cage match that came down to the final corners of the final lap. Having led most of the way, Ferrucci found his equal when Tifft snatched the top spot away just a few turns from the checkered. Santino threw it down the inside as they approached the next corner, and Tifft had the choice to relent or avoid a accident. Ferrucci further forced the issue on the exit, driving Matt all the way out to the barriers. Self, running third, had hopes of the runner-up position as Tifft was let off the gas to avoid Santino, but it was not to be. Ferrucci navigated the final three corners to the checkered flag, just .180 ahead of Tifft with Self another .142 behind. 

It was a breathless finish that blended nicely into the FWT debut of the Vortex TaG Cadet category, sponsored by Alonso Karts USA. By this point in the afternoon, drivers were taking long looks at the drying track and contemplating The Big Gamble. Ashley Rogero spun the wheel of fortune and came up bankrupt, as her dry-tire gamble failed. Up front, the Tony Kart of Lance Stroll and the Alonso Kart of Kyle Kirkwood were locked in combat; Stroll took the victory by a slim .265 second. 

Italian Motors Pro IAME Senior was the penultimate class of the day, as a select group of drivers made their early season bid for a piece of a $20,000 cash purse. By now the track had dried out enough that all drivers were on slicks, save Sam Beasley. The green flew and for an ever-so-brief spell, Beasley's wet tire choice looked inspired. Alas, it lasted but a few laps as he was soon overhauled by the field, now led by Victor Pedrosa and his new Arrow ride. Victor looked to be in control for the first half of the final, until longtime Italian Motors shoe David Jurca reeled him in and made a pass for the lead with complete authority. No more mystery as Jurca took the win by over three seconds. 

The Masters Shifter final was dominated by the PSL/CRG entry of Michel Legrand, whose early arrival for some pre-race testing proved to be a successful strategy. Legrand crushed the field by the better part of a lap and left no doubt as to his intentions for a series title. Butch Lander also made a strong statement in the Stock Moto final, romping to an 8.404 second victory aboard his Arrow chassis. 

The 2010 premier of the series' groundbreaking media coverage FWT Live! powered by Supertune USA and DFR was a resounding success. The free-of-charge live streaming video was watched by viewers in 34 U.S. states and almost 20 countries around the world, raising the bar again for global karting broadcasting. 

Action continues Sunday at the Orlando Kart Center; to tune into FWT Live! or for more information on the Florida Winter Tour, visit www.floridawintertour.com.