FWT Group B Homestead preview

Event Preview: Florida Winter Tour - Homestead - Group B
Speed, Vorrath, Vincec head all-star Pro Shifter line-up

Homestead, FL (January 17, 2008) - The Formula Kart Racing Florida Winter Tour presented by Tony Kart Florida continues its tenth season this weekend, January 18-20 at the Homestead Karting facility at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With a full slate of shifter, spec racer, and junior classes on the schedule, almost 140 karters will take part in what is already a record-breaking season for the FWT.

Leading a star-studded cast of karters from around the Americas are names like Alex Speed, Jordy Vorrath, Michael Vincec, Fritz Leesmann, Keith Spicer, Stuart Marsell, and Cody Jolly, all of whom will take part in the PSL Karting.com Pro Shifter class that boasts a guaranteed minimum purse of $20,000 for the entire series.

One of the major talking points of the weekend will be the incredible depth in the Firstkart.com JICA class. With many of the standouts from the Cadet category now making the jump into JICA, there should be some undoubtedly superb on-track racing between Jarvis Jennari, Spencer Pigot, Sage Karam, Tristan DeGrand, Tyler Miinch, Nick Neri, and Gustavo Menezes. This class might just very well be the largest of the weekend with almost 30 karts. The winner of each day's JICA final at every FWT event weekend will receive a free press release from Autosports Media.

MRP/Birel America Spec Racer also looks to have a very large and competitive field of racers. Victor Cabrera, Brandon Adkins, AJ Codalata, Ben Searcy, Joey Wimsett, and Chris Wehrheim head another 30 kart field that will do battle around the Homestead Karting track.

Grand Products ICA, J3 Competition KF2 and Rysa Racing KF3 are shaping up to the be the least attended classes of the weekend. The low turnout in the pair of KF classes was anticipated, yet there are already signs that the class will witness a significant increase in participation at the upcoming Moroso and Ocala rounds. Also, both KF2 and KF3 points champions will receive Three Day Competition Courses from Skip Barber Racing School, an $8000 value. Because of the late announcement of these awards, and the introductory status of the KF classes, the FWT points championship for KF2 and KF3 awards will be a best 3 of 4 points championship beginning at the February Moroso rounds.

FA Kart Masters Shifter looks to be as closely contested as ever. 2007 series runner-up Jason Lee returns to take a crack at earning the points championship, while Great Lakes Pro Series regional director Terry Riggins has chosen to have some fun in the sun and will also be getting behind the wheel! And as ever, the indomitable Tim Heise returns for his tenth season of competing at the Florida Winter Tour, having competed in the very first FWT event back in December of 1998.

CMW Engines Stock Moto also looks to be a class on the rise, with defending champ Tom Mounce coming back in an attempt to make it two in a row. He'll face serious opposition from multi-time FWT champion Robert Cao Jr., Michael Winchester, and Jose Zanella, who won last week's Rotax Senior race on Saturday.

And the 25 kart field of S1 Racing Kart Cadets will as ever be expected to put on a great display of racing. Double Mini Max winner Dore Chaponick Jr. will square off against Austin Self, Carlos Abreu, and Jacques Saruvino. The winner of each day's Cadet final at every FWT event weekend will receive a free press release from Autosports Media.

-credit: www.floridawintertour.com