Record numbers as series maintains status as worlds largest Rotax Max Challenge

The 2010 Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour recently concluded its twelfth season, after having visited three of Florida’s finest race tracks over a period of eleven weeks. The series staged its opening event of the year at the exciting new Orlando Kart Center, made a much-celebrated return to the revamped Palm Beach International Raceway karting facility, and wrapped up its year in traditional fashion at the superbly repaved Ocala Gran Prix facility.

The FWT also continued to be a global leader in the Rotax community, as the debut of new Rotax classes and important Rotax announcements are commonplace at the Florida Winter Tour. This year during the Orlando event, BRP-Rotax executive Christian Mundigler personally attended the FWT and divulged that there will be a new, separate Masters class for the 2010 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF). That revelation was accompanied by the news that the FWT Masters points champion would earn a direct transfer spot to the 2010 RMCGF, joining the direct transfer spots going to the FWT champions in Rotax Senior, Junior and DD2.

And with that announcement, the FWT will now send four drivers directly to the RMCGF to be held this November at La Conca, Italy. In cooperation with MRP Motorsports, SRA Karting and BRP-Rotax Austria, Formula Kart Productions confirmed that U.S. drivers Nick Neri (Junior) and Robby Mott (Masters), and Canadian drivers Pier-Luc Ouellette (Senior) and Daniel Morad (DD2) will represent their respective countries and the Florida Winter Tour at this year’s RMCGF.

The continued success of the FWT Rotax Max program inspired a new direction for the FWT Formula Kart Championship Series weekends, as the FK class configuration shifted towards single-make-engine classes with simple rules structure. As a result, Pro Rotax, IAME Senior, IAME Junior, Vortex TAG Cadet and Honda GX made their FWT debut in 2010.

Each class showed solid potential for the future, but none so much as the Honda GX categories. Low costs and high levels of talent are the hallmarks of this engine platform that is immensely popular in Canada. GX racers in three classes were welcomed to the FWT, and they delivered highly competitive racing marked by close drafting and multiple lead changes that quickly made them a paddock favorite. Darryl Timmers (Senior), Scott Nagel (Junior), and Steve Lyons (Masters) were the trio of FWT Honda GX Cup champions.

Lyons will join fellow FK points champions Brian McHattie (TAG Masters), Robert Francis (Masters Shifter) and Sam Beasley (IAME Senior) to form Team FWT at this year’s Granja Viana 500 annual karting extravaganza held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As part of the FWT’s extensive awards and prize structure, all four drivers have earned race entry along with airfare, lodging, equipment and support, courtesy of MG tire importer WR International.

Beasley, in particular, grabbed the lion’s share of the 2010 FWT awards program; along with the trip to Sao Paulo, his IAME Senior championship netted him a large chunk of the FWTs $20,000 pro cash purse. Furthermore, the Ohio driver was hand-picked by Skip Barber Racing Schools to receive a Three Day Competition Course and guaranteed paid entry into the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out. He’ll be joined by another at-large choice, Shawn Sharkey, whose season-long consistency and constant improvement contributed to his selection. And finally, IAME Junior champion Austin Self staged a come-from-behind victory at season’s end to snatch the final Skip Barber school and entry into the scholarship competition.

The FWT enjoyed an expanded relationship with Ferrari in 2010, as not only did the fabled marque renew its Ferrari Driving Experience award for the Rotax Masters class, but also a pair of scholarships aimed at the Rotax Junior competitors. Eduardo Martins was the winner of the Ferrari Driving Experience, and will get a two-day thrill ride to drive the new Ferrari 458 Italia, 430 Scuderia, and the 599 GTB Fiorano on the magnificent Circuit Mont-Tremblant. And, based upon their racing resumes and 300 word essays, Marc Antoine Cardin and Jesus Rios Jr. were the junior scholarship recipients, each receiving paid entry, tires, and oil for all six rounds of the 2010 FWT season.

In just its second year, FWT Live! powered by Supertune USA and DeFrancesco Racing eclipsed 100,000 viewers during the FWT’s six weekends of racing action. FWT Live! continues to offer an unparalleled level of karting media coverage, which includes live streaming video with as many as six cameras, live timing and scoring, instant results, and an audience interactive blog. During the 2010 FWT pre-finals and finals action, viewers tuned in from 49 of the 50 United States, and even more impressively, from 65 countries around the globe. Leading the way in international viewership were Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico.

Also unprecedented is the availability of all Florida Winter Tour finals races, recorded and archived within days of the conclusion of each event weekend. All 76 finals from the 2010 season are available, and can be viewed free-of-charge in the Multimedia/Archive Videos section of the FWT website. DVD’s of these races will be available for purchase in the near future.

Information on the 2011 Florida Winter Tour will be available in the forthcoming months.