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| March 20, 2009 |
| Driver News: Devlin DeFrancesco - FWT Ocala Report |
 | DeFrancesco earned podium position on Saturday and Sunday
(Photo: Cody Schindel - Autosports Media) |
He came very close through races one and two, was knocked from having a shot at three and four, but when the Florida Winter Tour International Rotax Max Challenge reached its final round at Ocala Gran Prix last weekend, Micro-Max driver Devlin DeFrancesco finally took a spot on the podium Saturday. Then just for good measure, he hopped back up Sunday in making it back-to-back runs to the blocks.
After qualifying P6 for race number five of the championship, DeFrancesco came storming forward in the Saturday prefinal to finish second and earn a front row starting spot for the main event. He never took a backward step in the heat run, and in bettering his qualifying time, the dtb/firstkart driver set the fastest lap in the field. He was dialled in, and eyeing the podium for the third consecutive round. When the green flag waved for the feature, DeFrancesco slotted fourth from his outside starting position, but was back to third before the lap was out. He took second spot working lap number two, and began a race-long battle for the podium. A win became out of reach after the lead train scrambled through lapped traffic, and the same situation saw the eight-year-old driver fall to fourth in the second half of the race. Undaunted, he passed from fourth to second in one swoop, and after being shuffled down the train yet again, worked his way back to lead it. The Micro-Max racing from second to sixth was incredible, but DeFrancesco was determined to take his maiden podium, and after sixteen race laps that’s exactly what he did. After finally reaching the spot and running laps in clean air, the young Canadian earned a small gap and reached the checker unchallenged.
Getting a much better start to the day on Sunday, DeFrancesco qualified P3, and after the front row was put back after two false starts, he actually started from pole position for the first time at the Florida Winter Tour. He held the position from the wave of the green, and for the second straight day the action at the front of the Micro-Max field was intense. By the end of it, DeFrancesco was fifth and starting the final from the inside of row three. He took third at the start before settling fifth and racing into the late stages of the race where he looked to go from the back of the lead line to the front in the final laps. With four to go he was fifth, a lap later he was fourth, then third as the field took the two-to-go flags. He was second when the white flag was waving and coming out of the Ocala Gran Prix carousel the final time he was in a three-way race to the checker! He wound up third with the outside line, and for the second straight day was headed to the podium.
Two hundred event points from Ocala moved DeFrancesco to fourth overall in the Florida Winter Tour International Rotax Max Challenge. He was never outside the top ten, and earned four top-five finishes from six starts. He now returns to WKA and Florida Club racing, awaiting upcoming rounds in the Stars of Karting Championship, World Karting Association Manufacturer’s Cup, and select events in Canada. |
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