• All dogs must be kept on a leash at all times
• All dogs must be must clean up after
• NO Skateboards, bicycles, rip-sticks, heelies, etc are allowed to be used (pits included)

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Announcements, Local Series Points Results, Newsletter

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Announcements, Local Series Points Results, Newsletter

Announcements, Local Series Points Results, Newsletter

“A way to say thank-you to Florida karters for a great summer season”

Ocala, Florida – August 29, 2011 – Always looking to give back to the karting community, Ocala Gran Prix’s Jorge Arellano has opened up his facility in central Florida for a free day of practice on Labor Day weekend. With no charge for practice or to be on the property, attendee’s will need to sign a waiver before entering the main gate and the track will go hot for practice from 10:00am to 8:00pm on Saturday, September 3, 2011.

“This is a good way to give back to the karting community,” expressed OGP’s Jorge Arellano. “We have had a great year at our track as our local series and track action continues to grow. This is just a way that I can say thank you to the karting community. Everyone is invited to come out on that Saturday.”

Participants looking to attend the Saturday, September 3 free day will still need to sign the insurance waiver before entering the main gate at Ocala Gran Prix. At that point, each and every person entering the property will be required to pick up his or her insurance wrist band free of charge and enter the track.

Arellano added, “With a lot of drivers taking advantage of the great weather the past few weekends, we hope to have a packed house on Labor Day weekend.”

The Ocala Gran Prix facility is located at:
4121 NW 44th Avenue
Ocala, Florida 34482
352.291.0600

For more information on Ocala Grand Prix, OGP race team opportunities and info on how to get into karting, please visit Ocala Gran Prix online at www.OcalaGranPrix.com or contact them at 352.291.0600 (Info@OcalaGranPrix.com) or Mike Maurini at 317.270.8723 (Mike@RaceTechDevelopment.com).

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“Neri wins Senior Max while Askew impresses in Junior”

Neri has now claimed National Championships in Mini Max, Junior and Senior (Photo: Autosports Media)

Ocala, Florida – July 27, 2011 – After staying out of the national karting scene since the end of the Florida Winter Tour in March, the Ocala Gran Prix (OGP) race team came back with a vengeance last weekend at the United States Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals. Taking place at the challenging Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, several OGP drivers could be seen at the front of the field taking pole positions, heat race wins and main event victories throughout the weeklong event.

Leading the way was multi-time national champion Nick Neri who was on fire in the Rotax Senior class. After scoring the elusive pole position, a heat race win and two other results in the top five, Neri would go on to claim a dominant race win in the main event leading from the drop of the green flag and never looking back.

“It is great to be a national champion yet again,” expressed Neri. “I managed to win the Mini Max and Junior championships in previous years and now Senior. Next year I would like to try and make a sweep and score the DD2 title.”

Fellow Senior Max drivers would be Floridian pilots Andrew Evans, Jonathon Kotyk, Anne Hayden and Brandon Salyer. While Hayden and Salyer ran into some bad racing luck in the heat races and did not advance to the final, Evans and Kotyk would battle in the front half of the field. After overcoming incidents and minor issues in the heats, Evans would score a solid 19th place result while Kotyk would come home 24th.

Askew was a threat for the win all week long (Photo: Autosports Media)

Two drivers dominated Rotax Junior all week long and one of them came from the OGP stable as Florida driver Oliver Askew was the only driver to out pace the eventual race winner. After qualifying in the second position and scoring two heat race wins, Askew was poised to attack for the national championship before deliberately being taken out in the first corner of the final. After dropping to the thirty-fourth position, Askew put on a clinic passing an astounding 27 karts in the 20 lap main. While going on to score the fastest lap of the event, Askew crossed the stripe with a very impressive seventh place result.

Fellow junior pilot Alex Hornborg also had his best weekend of national racing action to date. Consistently running in the top ten throughout the week, Hornborg began to turn heads as it looked as if he would challenge for a top five result in the main event. Only an on track incident could slow the young up and comer down as he would eventually be classified in the 25th position at the drop of the checkered flag.

Mathias Ramirez scored a solid top five (Photo: Autosports Media)

Despite being nearly fifteen pounds overweight for the Micro Max class, Mathias Ramirez wouldchallenge for the race win from day one of official action. After qualifying a disappointing ninth, Ramirez moved forward in two of three heat races and eventually finished the main event in fifth. After battling with the lead karts until the mid race point, Ramirez would lose touch of the draft and race the gap for the remaining ten laps. Joining Ramirez in Micro Max was Lucas Sobczak in his first career race outside the state of Florida. After coming to grips with the track, Lucas would run consistently in the top twenty to score a solid 17th place finish.

Mini Max would see a pair of OGP front-runners struggle throughout the race week. After looking good in unofficial practice, both drivers would show signs of speed on race day but could not attain the elusive results. Oliver Bellanger would claim the 14th position in the main event while Sebastian Sierra would cross the stripe in 17th.

Texan pilot DJ Ortiz would battle in the Rotax DD2/DD2 Masters class scoring a solid 11th place result in the combined divisions. Racing against drivers nearly half his age, Ortiz ran in the top ten throughout the weekend and would score a solid top five in the Masters class.

Heading to Utah for a weekend of racing and fun is what OGP’s Master’s drivers had in store as Eddie Gennaro and Scott Kalb would compete in the over thirty-five class. Gennaro would claim the 21st place result while Kalb would head back to Florida being classified 28th.

“I am very happy with the entire team’s results,” expressed OGP Team Manager Nate Grindell. “Under the tent, every driver and tuner worked together to ensure they were getting the best out of their equipment.”

For more information on Ocala Grand Prix, OGP race team opportunities and info on how to get into karting, please visit Ocala Gran Prix online at www.OcalaGranPrix.com or contact them at 352.291.0600 (Info@OcalaGranPrix.com) or Mike Maurini at 317.270.8723 (Mike@RaceTechDevelopment.com).

 

 

Announcements, Newsletter

“Multiple race weekends combine for hectic travel and possible delays”

Ocala, Florida – July 13, 2011 – During the busy summer months, multiple race weekends and series events get placed on conflicting weekends throughout North America. On other occasions, event weekends prove to be impossible logistic wise and some opportunities need to be passed upon. With the focus of the upcoming weeks on the United States Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals in Tooele, Utah, Ocala Gran Prix (OGP) officials have decided that team drivers will forgo the final Florida Karting Championship Series (FKCS) event.

“The demand on our crew and the cross country travel is going to make it very hard on both tuners, drivers and their families,” expressed Jorge Arellano, President of Ocala Gran Prix. “We can’t be guaranteed that all of our equipment will make it back to Florida and be prepped in time so as a company, we have decided not to attend the last race.”

The round trip from Ocala, Florida to Tooele, Utah is nearly 5000 long miles. The shipping company will not guarantee the arrival date of equipment returning from Utah in time for Ocala Gran Prix to prepare for the next event. Ocala Gran Prix has come to the conclusion that it would be better to not attend the last race of 2011 Florida Karting Championship series.

For more information on Ocala Grand Prix, OGP race team opportunities and info on how to get into karting, please visit Ocala Gran Prix online at www.OcalaGranPrix.com or contact them at 352.291.0600 (Info@OcalaGranPrix.com) or Mike Maurini at 317.270.8723 (Mike@RaceTechDevelopment.com).

Announcements, Newsletter

“Multiple drivers vying for a spot on Team USA”

Ocala, Florida – July 14, 2011 – Just as they did for the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour Rotax weekends, Ocala Gran Prix will head west to Tooele, Utah with a large contingent of drivers. Competing at the challenging Miller Motorsports Park facility, team drivers will all be vying for the coveted podium positions and the invitation to compete at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals as part of Team USA.

“We have a total of fourteen drivers under the Ocala Gran Prix tent,” expressed OGP President Jorge Arellano. “They range from rookies to veterans and we have at least one driver in each racing division. A few of these drivers also include the top two podium award winners from the North Florida Rotax Max Challenge in which they received a free registration, tires and fuel from the series.”

The largest contingent of drivers will be in the Rotax Senior class, as five drivers will look to stand atop the podium. Leading the way will be multi-time champion Nick Neri as he looks to head back to the World Finals for the third consecutive year, this time as a senior. Neri will be joined by fellow Florida drivers Andrew Evans, Brandon Slayer and Jonathon Kotyk who have all been competing in Florida’s regional competition to prepare for this event.

Arellano continued, “Some of our senior drivers names aren’t the most recognizable, but believe me, they are fast. Couple them with some of the top tuners in the country, we should see them all in the front of the field.”

Only a pair of pilots will enter the Rotax Junior class as Oliver Askew and Alex Hornborg will work towards podium results. Askew has been tearing up the junior ranks as of late scoring two Florida Winter Tour victories and countless Florida Karting Championship Series and North Florida Rotax Max Challenge wins. Hornborg continues his to hit his stride and has proven to be very fast on most weekends and will look to continue that speed in Utah as he works with longtime tuner Tony Loniewski.

Noticeably absent from the Ocala Gran Prix driver list is two-time United States Rotax DD2 national champion Cody Hodgson who is forced to miss the event due to prior racing obligations. Looking to follow in Hodgson’s footsteps and getting behind the wheel of his two-speed machine will be Texan pilot DJ Ortiz. Ortiz has been pounding out laps throughout the United States with great success and recently completed a test with members of Ocala Gran Prix.

Two drivers will see action in the Rotax Masters division as both were awarded free trips due to their championship runs at the North Florida Rotax Max Challenge. Both Scott Kalb and Eddie Genarro hail from Florida and will look to conquer the Miller Motorsports Park facility.

In the younger Rotax divisions, Ocala Gran Prix will have a quartet of drivers doing battle. The duo of Sebastian Sierra and Oliver Bellanger will be a threat for the win in the Mini Max division while Mathias Ramirez and Lucas Sobczak will look to the front of the field in Micro Max.

For more information on Ocala Grand Prix, OGP race team opportunities and info on how to get into karting, please visit Ocala Gran Prix online at www.OcalaGranPrix.com or contact them at352.291.0600 or via e-mail to Info@OcalaGranPrix.com.

Announcements, Newsletter