NOKC Award Winners Contest Final FWT Round
Tweetpress release
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Michael Taibi |
Through their lucrative prize offering, the Northern Ontario Karting Championship (NOKC) recently sent three series drivers to the final round of the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge event. Looking to expose their series drivers to international events, as well as different tracks and the opportunity to race against world-class competition, the Northern Ontario Karting Championship announced an incredible prize structure during their debut season as class champions would receive sponsorship to attend the Bridgestone Cup in Lonato, Italy. With Andrew Waring, the 2011 NOKC Rotax Senior champion attending the event in November, Michael Taibi, Chad Campbell and Stefan Semeraro elected to use their prize offering to contest the ultra-competitive and prestigious Florida Winter Tour series. Taking to the Ocala Gran Prix facility in Ocala, Florida for the final round, all three drivers had solid outings in their NOKC sponsored GP / Innisfil Indy rides.
Taking on the two-speed DD2 class in Ocala, NOKC DD2 class champion Michael Taibi would battle world-class competition during the weekend event. Posting lap times that put him P14 and P13 for Saturday and Sunday respectively, Taibi would look to move up during the wheel-to-wheel racing action. Saturday saw the Vaughn, Ontario resident move up to tenth in the prefinal and then hold station in the final with another tenth place result. Again moving up during Sunday's prefinal to finish 11th, Taibi's progress would be derailed after posting a DNF in the day's feature race.
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Stefan Semeraro |
Chad Campbell and Stefan Semeraro would both take on the challenging Rotax Senior class at the final Florida Winter Tour round. Battling a host of international, national and regional champions, including Rotax World Champions, in a field of 46 competitors, both NOKC drivers would look to make their series proud. With qualifying times relegating both drivers to the Last Chance Qualifiers both days, Campbell would emerge with a transfer position to the day's feature event on Saturday after his third place finish. Coming away with 25th place results for both the prefinal and final, Campbell held his own against the tough competition. Semeraro would go on to place third in the consolation final.
Sunday saw the roles reversed, as Semeraro earned a transfer position to the feature after a sixth place finish in the LCQ. Posting 30th in the prefinal, Semeraro ended his campaign with an improved 27th place finish in the final. After an unfortunate DNF in the LCQ for Campbell, the senior rookie was seen battling it out in the consolation final, coming away with a third place result.
The NOKC would also like to congratulate series driver Zach Meyer on his 2012 Florida Winter Tour Open Shifter Championship. The GP pilot earned two feature wins, as well as two second place finishes, to take the overall class championship during the Formula Kart weekend in Ocala.
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Chad Campbell |
The NOKC has announced they will award another sponsorship during their 2012 season, with prizes awarded to the two Junior and two Senior champions between the 125cc Shifter, DD2, Rotax Senior, Rotax Junior, Mini Max and Micro Max classes with the most points. The 2012 NOKC series kicks off in six weeks time at Innisfil Indy April 28-29. The full season schedule is available at www.nokc.ca.
The NOKC is a regional qualifying series for the Rotax Max Challenge.
