As the harsh winter continues through most of the country, Team Koene USA is headed back to warmer climates for two big karting events. With a split squad that will see drivers at the Rotax Challenge of the Americas in Phoenix, Arizona, testing in Central Florida and the prestigious Florida Winter Tour in Orlando, Florida, Team Koene USA will be looking to continue and build upon their success from January.
While three drivers will test at the Orlando Kart Center in preparation for the Florida Winter Tour, Team Koene USA’s Payton Durrant will be looking for the top step of the podium at the second event weekend of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas. Taking place February 13 – 15th at the fast and tricky PKRA facility in Phoenix, Arizona, Durrant will look to overcome the bad luck that was presented to him in the first round of the series. Working with father and tuner Donny Durrant and tenting with Nicholas Bruckner, Team Koene USA’s Mike Maurini will make the trip west to offer his assistance.
“The Challenge of the Americas is a different program for us,” explained Mike Maurini. “Fabio Orsolon of Orsolon Motorsports and I have come together to run drivers in the west coast series. Though we are separate and competition to one another at every other event around the country, we worked together to bring drivers to the other side of the country while lowering the overall costs. We also need to thank Mike Rolison of Rolison Performance Group for their assistance in allowing us to purchase OTK components.”
Maurini continued, “Payton was fast at the first event, qualifying on the front row for both day’s wheel-to-wheel action. If it wasn’t for bad luck, he would have no racing luck at all and I am confident that he will turn that around in Phoenix.”
Making the cross-country trek back to Orlando, Florida, Team Koene USA will enter five hungry competitors in the third and fourth rounds of the Florida Winter Tour at the Orlando Kart Center over the February 20 – 22nd weekend. In the ROK Cup USA portion of the program, round one podium winner Roman DeAngelis will be back behind the wheel of his Tony Kart as he and Michael d’Orlando will see action in Vortex ROK Junior. Round one Vortex Mini ROK race winner Nicholas d’Orlando will lead the way in the Mini ROK category as class rookies Ugo Ugochukwu and Ryan Rackley will look to continue their learning curve and improve on their results from the first event weekend in Homestead.
With little time off, Team Koene USA will stay on site in Orlando and make the changeover for the following Rotax Max Challenge weekend of the Florida Winter Tour February 27 – March 1st with the team looking only slightly different from the prior weekend. Front runner Roman DeAngelis and Junior rookie Michael d’Orlando will trade in their ROK engines for Rotax Junior power plants while double heat race winner from rounds one and two Nicholas d’Orlando will enter the Rotax Mini Max category. Ugo Ugochukwu will be back in the Rotax Micro Max division looking to build upon his second place podium result in round two while Elliot Finlayson will join the team in Rotax Senior. Finalyson is battling some of the world’s top drivers in a stout field of competitors and will aim for the podium in Orlando.
For more information on Koene USA and their online store, please visit www.KoeneUSA.com or contact company representatives at 317.270.8723 or via e-mail to Info@KoeneUSA.com. Team Koene USA is also very active in social media and can be found on Twitter at @KoeneUSA or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/KoeneUSA.
For information on press releases or other media services offered by Race Tech Development, please contact Mike Maurini via e-mail at Info@RaceTechDevelopment.com or 317.270.8723. Race Tech Development can also be found on Twitter at @RaceTechDvlp as well as Facebook at their Race Tech Development Fan Page.
