Louis Satterlee's Florida Championship Series Review
Tweetpress release
In a season that was filled with highs and lows, Floridian Louis Satterlee successfully completed the 2012 Florida Karting Championship Series, bringing home second place honors in the end of the year title chase. Competing on a Parilla Leopard powered Gillard kart, Satterlee scored his first career karting victory at Andersen Race Park and also stood on the podium on two other occasions.
Above: Louis Satterlee claimed his first career FKCS victory in 2012 en route to a second place result in the championship (Photo: Florida Karting Championship Series)
"This year has been a series of ups and downs. Homestead held so much promise with a great opening result and then it seemed I couldn't get a break with either mechanical failure or contact with another driver. I finally got it all to come together at Andersen, which is by far my favorite track for my first career win. After getting that I didn't sleep for four days after just replaying the whole thing in my head over and over to the point where my adrenaline would start pumping and giving me some sleep issues. Orlando was the only race that held some normality for a race weekend; nothing went wrong but didn't go my way at the same time."
Opening the season in South Florida at the Homestead Karting Complex, Satterlee scored a second place result to have a great start to the season. Overcoming a disqualification in qualifying and contact in the heat race, the Gillard pilot managed to keep his head in the game and claim a podium result.
On to round two, it was north to Ocala Gran Prix for an event preceding the infamous Florida Winter Tour program. With multiple drivers testing during the FKCS weekend, competition was high in all classes and Satterlee rose to the challenge. After circuiting the seven-turn facility with the fourth quickest lap in qualifying, Satterlee improved one position in the heat race to finish third. Looking like he had a shot for the victory in the main event, Satterlee and a fellow competitor would come together on the final lap battling for the second position, with the result causing the future race winner to lose his momentum and fall back to fourth.
The third round in the FKCS program would bring Satterlee and the series followers to Fort Myers, Florida for an event at the RaceComplex facility. One to forget for the Gillard driver, Satterlee started the day off right with a third place qualifying effort. Looking to maintain his position in the heat race, Satterlee would encounter an engine issue that caused him to retire from the heat. Lining up for the main event in the twelfth position and outside row six, the Florida resident would drive like a seasoned veteran as he drove his way forward to claim a sixth place result when the checkered flag had flown.
From his worst result of the year to his best, Satterlee would head to his favorite facility in the program for the fourth round. With championship battles heating up across the board, Satterlee turned his seventh place qualifying effort into a heat race win and pole position for the main event. Not wanting to give up and always going for more, Satterlee out dueled a five-time World Karting Association national champion to stand atop the podium. Not only was this Satterlee's fist career Florida Karting Championship Series victory, it was his first career karting victory.
In an uneventful round at the Satterlee's home facility, the newly renovated Orlando Kart Center, the Leopard powered driver would continue his momentum and stand on the podium yet again. A disappointing qualifying effort would see the talent come from the seventh position on the grid to drive forward and claim a third place result at the end of the day.
With only one round remaining, the Florida Karting Championship Series would travel to its furthest north event of the series as they would see action at the ultra-fast 103rd Street Motorsports Complex in Jacksonville, Florida. Disaster would strike for Satterlee in morning warm-up as a broken crank bearing would see his Gillard chassis engineless for the start of official qualifying. Making a last minute deal to borrow a kart to turn a lap and score points, Satterlee hopped behind the wheel of fellow Gillard driver Chris Grektorp's kart to solidify his position. Though not able to compete in wheel-to-wheel action, Satterlee would gain last place points virtue of his qualifying lap and garner second place in the overall points championship.
Satterlee continued, "Jacksonville, which is another one of my favorite tracks, unfortunately wasn't very kind to me this year with my crank bearing going out, causing the crank to damage the engine casing. Thankfully, I have great teammates who offered many different solutions, but due to my small racing budget, it finally came down to Chris Grektorp allowing me to use his kart. Running one lap and recording a time allowed me to score points for the race and helped me to secure second in the championship. It wasn't the way I wanted to end the season but you have to take the good with the bad sometimes and this season had everything. Certainly a character building year."
Louis Satterlee would like to thank all of his sponsors and supporters for a great 2012 Florida Karting Championship Series. A big thanks to The Online Racing Association, Higginbotham Insurance Companies Inc. Dennis Griffin, Chris Grektorp, Brad Sanders, Jeff and Jesse Grose as well as his Mom, Dad and grand parents.