With the close of the 2014 racing season and the dawn of a new one, Ocala Gran Prix pilot Mathias Ramirez would be thrust into the spotlight as the lead junior driver on the powerhouse karting team. Scoring multiple wins and championships throughout 2014, Ramirez started the current year’s campaign off in fine form scoring a pair of main event victories, two heat race wins and one pole position over the opening two weekends of the Cold Stone Florida Winter Tour.
Taking place at the Homestead Karting facility on the grounds of the famed Homestead-Miami Speedway, Ramirez would enter the first weekend of competition with his Ocala Gran Prix prepared Vortex ROK Junior Tony Kart and quickly show why he will be the man to beat.
After showing his speed throughout the official test days, Ramirez would struggle in the opening round qualifying as he would be mired back in the 16th position and start his quest for a championship from outside row eight. Never giving up and playing it cautious through the heat race, the OGP competitor began to flex his muscles and show his speed. Gaining twelve positions in the prefinal, Ramirez then sliced and diced his way to the front of the main event to take the checkers and stand atop the podium.
Sunday would see a much easier day for the recent race winner as a second place effort in qualifying set up a performance that would see Ramirez never leave the top-three all day. Claiming the prefinal win and pole position for the main event, Ramirez went on to once again take the victory in dominating fashion. With his double victory, Ramirez is in control of the championship chase as he tops the Vortex ROK Junior point standings after rounds one and two.
“I am very happy with the weekend,” explained Ramirez. “This is a great way to start off the season and I am looking forward to the rest of the Florida Winter Tour.”
Back to the same Homestead Karting facility for the Rotax MAX Challenge weekend of the Florida Winter Tour, Ramirez would start where he left off the previous week’s competition, at the front of the field. With qualifying taking place on Friday afternoon for both Saturday and Sunday’s wheel-to-wheel action, Ramirez solidified his threat for the race wins by claiming a third place starting spot for Sunday’s prefinal and bettered in his second qualifying session to turn the quickest lap and steal the pole for Saturday’s heat race.
Looking to continue his winning ways, the Tony Kart driver did just that in the prefinal by scoring the win and front row starting spot for the day’s main event. With his competitors understanding his outright speed, they immediately attacked him at the start of the main event, forcing him wide in the fourth corner and taking advantage of his loss of momentum. Falling down the running order, Ramirez managed to secure a top-ten finish and would look to rebound on Sunday.
Sunday would be a tough day for the young competitor as an opening lap incident would once again relegate him down the running order before he would be forced to retire from the prefinal on lap twelve. Looking to salvage as many points as possible in the day’s main event, Ramirez drove from 31st to 14th gaining enough championship points to put him in the tenth position after the opening weekend of the popular winter karting series.
“I have so many people to thank for the help and support throughout 2014 and so far in 2015,” explained Ramirez. “None more than that of Ocala Gran Prix and all the staff who helps me succeed in karting. Thank you guys.”
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