DORE CHAPONICK JR. DOMINATES OPENING WEEKEND OF FLORIDA WINTER TOUR ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE

Florida teenager kicks off 2011 campaign with two impressive victories against North America's best

January 27, 2011

Orlando, FL - After a very unlucky and eventful opening weekend of the Florida Winter Tour last weekend in Orlando, Dore Chaponick Jr. returned to the Orlando Kart Center for the second of six stops of the 2011 Florida Winter Tour. Trading in his Leopard engine for his preferred Rotax powerplant, Chaponick Jr. took on most of North America's best Rotax Junior pilots, displaying a performance that he has been so close to in the past. The young Florida teenager erupted with two dominating victories that immediately stage him as a threat to win every event he attends in 2011.

"What an amazing weekend," exclaimed Chaponick Jr. following the trophy presentation in Orlando. "Both days we had to fight through the field in the pre-finals, but I never gave up, worked my way to the front and kept out of the trouble that has haunted me in the past."

With so many missed opportunities last season, Chaponick Jr. and his mechanic and driver coach, Mike Contreras, have set the bar high for the 2011 season, and so far they are right where they want to be.

With official qualifying set for Friday afternoon, Chaponick Jr. was forced to battle extreme cold and wet conditions for both qualifying sessions. The first session on the drying track challenged the drivers and mechanics for the right setup, but as Dore worked around his third lap of the session, he was forced to the sidelines with a broken rear axle hub. Using only his second lap on the cold track, Chaponick Jr. was able to post a time good enough for twenty-eighth, the last direct transfer spot the A Main. Returning the track later that afternoon, Dore delivered a much more respectable time as the rain returned. He would end up with a tenth place starting spot for Saturday.

A terrible start found Dore involved in an opening lap accident that forced him all the way down to twenty-seventh as he completed his first lap. Determined to return to the front, Dore put his head down and charged all the way to back to fifth place, setting the fastest lap in the process.

Not letting the same thing happen twice, Chaponick Jr. held steady through the start of the Saturday final and found himself in second place as he rounded lap one. Not wasting any time making his move to the lead, Chaponick jumped out from on lap six and distanced himself from the field as the sun disappeared off the Florida coast. Consistently running fast laps, Chaponick went untouched for the remainder of the twenty-lap final scoring his first victory of the season.

"It was great race, Mike had my kart setup to come in early in the race. I got out front quick and never looked back," continued Chaponick.

Starting from the twenty-eight spot in Sunday's pre-final, Chaponick Jr. put forth another impressive effort to once again advance all the way to fifth place and again set the fastest lap of the race.

Another great start helped Dore stay in touch with the leaders in the opening laps of the Sunday final. Moving into second place on lap three, Chaponick Jr. held steady behind the leader as the laps clicked by. Cruising through the mid portion of the race, Dore made his move on lap eighteen and never looked back earning his second victory of the weekend, and securing the all important Championship points lead heading into round two next month.

"It was just an incredible victory, I am so happy right now. I have to thank everyone at DFR and my parents for their support, as well as with my tuner Mike, he gives me the kart to win every time I go on the track."

Next up for Chaponick will be round two of the Florida Winter Tour, being held at Palm Beach International Raceway.