Marsell, Neri, Formal, Orsolon, head all-star Pro Rotax class 

One of the award highlights comes courtesy of WR International, the U.S. and Canadian importer of MG Tires, who has joined with Formula Kart Productions to send four FWT drivers to the world renowned Granja Viana 500 endurance race near Sao Paulo, Brazil. Four drivers will earn expense paid rides that include airfare, lodging, equipment and support.

This weekend’s season finale will also feature the championship cash payout for the IAME Senior and Pro Rotax categories. With the lure of a guaranteed minimum $20,000 purse too good to resist, former FWT champions such as Stuart Marsell and Fabio Orsolon have signed up for the Ocala event.

Long-time series supporter Skip Barber Racing Schools maintains its relationship with the FWT; in 2010, the points champion in IAME Junior, plus one at-large pick, will receive Three Day Racing Schools and paid, guaranteed entries into the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out.

Further awards come courtesy of Russell Karting Specialties and On Track Promotions. RKS will reward the ultra-speedy with their “Fast Time” $100 Sales Certificates for all FK classes, awarded to the driver who turns the fastest lap in that class for that weekend. And, OTP is giving away almost $30,000 in high quality multi-media promotional materials, including web site vouchers, driver banners, and champions banners.

Exciting news for this weekend’s event is the debut of the FWT Honda GX Cup. For the first time, competitors in Junior, Senior, and Masters categories will have the opportunity to race the Honda GX platform in FWT competition. The Honda GX classes are some of the biggest and most competitive classes in Canadian karting, with some regional programs regularly drawing over 200 entries.

Awards for the Honda classes will include plaques for the top three of each class each race day and an FWT Honda Cup and an FWT Live! DVD for the Cup champion of each class. The big award in the category includes a seat on “Team FWT” at the Granja Viana 500, to either the FWT Honda GX Cup champion in Senior or Masters.

All Formula Kart class championships are on the line this weekend, and perhaps none bigger than the Ocala Gran Prix Pro Rotax category. Few might have thought that a pair of junior drivers making their senior debuts would come to Ocala having locked down the top two positions in the points, but upstarts Nick Neri and Daniel Formal have done exactly that. Neri’s pair of wins at Palm Beach give him the advantage in the standings, but Formal’s remarkable consistency puts him right in the thick of the title fight.

In the other pro category, Italian Motors Pro IAME Senior should see a titanic on-track battle for the class championship. Sean Meier and Sam Beasley sit a slender eleven points apart as they arrive in Ocala; Meier stands atop the leaderboard despite having logged no victories in 2010. Beasley’s sole victory came at the season-opener in Orlando, and he also has a pair of third place finishes to his credit. Only Caleb Loniewski has a realistic chance of overhauling either of them for the title. Italian Motors strongmen Andre Nicastro and Remo Ruscitti are also scheduled to fight for their portion of the $20,000 FWT Pro purse.

PSL Karting.com IAME Junior has undeniably provided the most highlight reel material throughout 2010. Three different winners in four races, margins of victory measured with micrometers, and thrilling last lap passes have been status quo for this class that’s laden with young talent. On the strength of her two wins, Alessandra Madrigal comes to Ocala with the points lead and a chance to repeat as a FWT champion. In her way is the determined Austin Self, whose four podium finishes in four races places him within close distance of the points leader. Behind them, Robby Seward, Dore Chaponick Jr. and Shawn Sharkey all have a mathematical chance of pulling an unexpected championship result.

In the shifter categories, it’s Jim Machul with an ever-tightening grip on the Stock Moto championship, though even at 100 points in arrears, don’t expect Butch Lander to just roll over and hand the title to his rival. In Masters Shifter, Robert Francis and fan favorite Ed Oberholtzer have distanced themselves from the pack and will settle the class title this weekend in Ocala. But the fly in the ointment comes in the form of returning FWT stalwart Rob Gore, who has dusted off his 2002 CRG / Moto and will make a celebrated return to karting when he lines up with the other Masters drivers.

And in the Alonso Kart-sponsored Formula Vortex Cadet category, it boils down to a two horse race between Lance Stroll and Kyle Kirkwood. Stroll has three wins and runner-up finish in 2010, giving him strong control of the points lead with two races to go. Kirkwood has a single victory and a pair of second place finishes that put him in the perfect position to capitalize should Stroll falter on Saturday or Sunday. As ever, the racing in this class has been nothing less than phenomenal throughout the season, and with the title on the line, expect more of the same during these Ocala rounds.

The Florida Winter Tour’s groundbreaking media coverage, FWT Live! powered by Supertune USA and DeFrancesco Racing, has now crushed its single season benchmarks for viewership. Over 70,000 audience members have been a part of the broadcasts which include live streaming video, live timing and scoring, and interactive blog.

As a further added value to the participants of the series, each of the top three points earners in all classes will receive a commemorative DVD with all six of their finals from the 2010 season. DVDs of all the 2009 and 2010 FWT Finals will also be available to the general public shortly after the conclusion of this year’s season.

Coverage continues Saturday with live coverage starting at 10:00 AM EDT (GMT -4).