EASYKART FLORIDA GRAND FINALS 10-12 SEPTEMBER 2009

A successful weekend event The Easykart Florida Grand Finals 2009 was run the past week at the Monticello Karting track designed by Pablo Montoya, just over one mile in length, 27 feet wide with all turns named after Formula One champions. Organized by Easykart Florida with the cooperation of Monticello Karting, the Grand Finals could count on the presence of 50 drivers representing 6 countries and 4 categories plus the training class reserved to the kids of the 50cc training class.

After two days of Free Practice the Saturday program saw a Warm Up section, two Qualifying Practices, one Pre-Finals section and the Finals.

The drivers playing in the 50cc training had a special place in the race day: two practices before two rounds of simulated race under a starting grid determined by draw, doing the launching lap with the support of a 60cc and 100cc kart as safety car. Leonardo Rinaldi, Lorenzo Bello, Sergio and Santiago Terife from Venezuela, and Hudson Jenkins, Kai Palomino, Colin Atteberry from Florida were all winner prized with a trophy dedicated to their category.

A big rainstorm menacing the finals started up just in time for the beginning of the finals. Justin Woods from Florida, kart # 73 in 60cc, leads the race from his first position in grid completing the 10 required laps in 12:25 winning the highest step of the podium, followed by Daniel Mori #12 from Venezuela who also won the prize for Pole Position and Fastest Lap in his category, Andy Parras from El Salvador #75 in 3rd place followed by Manuel Llorens from Venezuela kart #99, who did a great job reaching the 4th position from 11th in grid and Christopher Morrison #22 in 5th place. Bad luck for Sebastian Fernandez #21 who skidded from 2nd to 12th position due to engine problems, and Sebastian Sagarra #18 who got a very good 6th place in the grid but a tough accident didn’t let him complete the first lap. Kart #17 Mauricio Baiz from Venezuela DQ for using a not declared engine.

Wet race also for Alex Karabouniotis #99 ofthe Easykart 100cc class, who won the first place completing the 14 required laps in 17:29 and Pole Position with 1.00.84; 2nd place and Fastest Laps trophy for the # 107 italian Riccardo Geltrude who showed his talent during the all race season in Florida, 3rd and 4th place for Jorge Sagarra #108 and Oscar Caradonna both fighting and maintaining their grid position during almost the all race. 5th place for Ian Walter #24 who rose from 9th position up to the podium.
Henry Ferree # 99 of Easykart 125lite won the highest place of the podium completing the 18 required laps in 22:28 followed by Gianni Alessandria from Panama with # 48 at only 7.4 from the winner. Great performance of Michelle Hummel # 6 who climbed from 6th up to the 3rd place, followed by Nick Rickert with #38 who won the 4th place plus Pole Position and Fastest Lap, 59.95 in his category. 5th step of the podium dedicated to Curtis Morgan with #46.

First place and 16 laps completed in 19:57 for Brett Thompson #27 of Easykart 125heavy, who also won Pole and Fastest Lap, and returns to Italy for a World final as Champion for the second time, 2nd place for Albert Naon # 3 followed by JC Courreges with # 42, 4th place reached by Peter Pestano # 41 and Gordon Wheeler # 54 who completed the podium for his category.

An event full of prizes like never: a paid trip to the Easykart World Championship in Siena – Italy- for the 4 winner of each category of Easykart Florida Grand Final and for the 4 winner of the FKCS (Brian Lokwood 60cc, Eric Filgueiras 100cc, Dominique Lamanna 125lite, Jorge Sagarra 125heavy). A $500 voucher towards the purchase of a new Easykart to the winners of 2nd to 5th places for each category in both series. Impressive trophies to the drivers who won the podium and Pole and Fastest Lap. No one went back home without an award for having been a participant of the Easykart Florida Grand Final 2009, in fact during an emotional Drivers Parade every driver received a special gift: a steel statue representing a kart driver assembled on wood.

Sure a big effort for the organizer Easykart Florida to give a special shape to this event!! All the pictures of the Grand Final plus more info on up coming events on www.easykartflorida.com