Strong FWT Ending for Keane's Mini MAX Campaign
Tweetpress release
Coming off a championship run in the Vortex TaG Cadet class at the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour, up-and-coming pilot Darren Keane returned to the same Ocala Gran Prix circuit for the second consecutive weekend, recently taking on the Rotax Max Challenge portion of the tour. Switching out his Kosmic Kart chassis for a potent CRG chassis, Keane and his Darren Keane Racing crew would take on the stacked Rotax Mini Max field for the finale round of the 2012 series.
Above: Darren Keane finished his Florida Winter Tour campaign sixth in the overall Rotax Mini Max points
pic - Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Taking to the 6/10-mile circuit Friday, Keane starting off his finale campaign by clocking fourth quick out of 41 karts in the first qualifying session, which set the grid for Sunday's competition. Missing the mark during the second session later that afternoon, Keane's time would place him 20th for Saturday's prefinal. Directly transferring to the main events, Keane was left with some ground to make up once the wheel-to-wheel racing commenced.
Back on track for Saturday's action, Keane began his march forward as he improved six positions in the prefinal to take 14th at the stripe. Improving even more in the 16-lap final race, Keane jumped up several positions at the start. Battling for the eighth place for the majority of the run, Keane fell back to ninth before a last lap pass moved him up to finish in seventh place at the checkered flag.
Sunday would see the Deerfield Beach resident lose two positions during the opening laps of the prefinal. Holding station from there, Keane would end his race with a sixth place finish. With his outside third row starting position for the last Mini Max final of the Florida Winter Tour, Keane quickly moved up to fifth before being relegated back to tenth by the final flyer. Keane's solid effort during the entire series in the ultra-competitive class earned him sixth place in the final Rotax Mini Max championship tally.
