DeFrancesco Racing – January Report

“I basically look at each racing series we are participating in like I do a company I get behind in the business world,” said team namesake Andy DeFrancesco. “If I see strong leadership and a solid model, I’ll try to assist where I can to enhance the experience for all competitors through sponsorship, not just for my family or our team. It’s rewarding to be involved with motorsport, and as most know, we’re a racing family and my boys are passionate about the sport! Most importantly, I think support should start at the club level and go from there. That’s what leads to great regional and national events!”

Starting at the base and expanding upward is a process DeFrancesco is familiar with, as he has gradually expanded his involvement in karting since being introduced to the sport, and now his DeFrancesco Racing operation is being cast much the same. Placed in the hands of American karting legend Bobby Wilson, DFR is growing from year to year, yet remains just a fraction of what he sees it being in the end.

“We are a budding race team with great talent, not only in terms of our drivers but in our team personnel as well,” Wilson said during a rare weekend off from racing. “I would have to say we are far, far away from the team that I envision us being, but we will eventually get there building one piece at a time. It takes dedication and a lot of hard work from everyone involved in an organization to realize team goals, but we are putting all the right people and programs in place. We had some bumps in the road to begin 2010, but we’ve had some great results as well, and things are very positive going forward from here.”

After three race weekends in January, the DFR February schedule will once again have three race weekends as the team returns to both Formula Kart and Rotax Max Challenge weekends of the FWT before running the second round of the CKI Florida Cup. One driver who can’t get back to action soon enough is Kyle Kirkwood. The Cadet/Mini-Max driver recorded four podiums from six starts in January, including a Rotax win at Orlando.

“Kyle has done an excellent job and has been a great addition to our team,” Wilson said in assessing the opening month for Kirkwood. “He is a very smooth and fluid driver, which makes him very easy to work with. Scott Schmidt has done a great job keeping him at the front, and he has been nothing but impressive in his last two outings. He always seems to stay cool and calculated, and that is what keeps him at the sharp end of the field.”

Beginning the season in FWT Vortex TaG Cadet, Kirkwood was on pole and ended the day second on the podium at Orlando. A retirement followed on Sunday, but a week later in Mini-Max action he was right back at the front in a field of 44. After a ninth on Saturday, he qualified third on Sunday, advanced to second in the prefinal and won the Final while setting the fastest lap in the field. Two more podiums followed as the Florida Cup opened at Homestead, and Kirkwood had a monthly tally of two poles and four podiums with a RMC win. It puts him firmly in the championship hunt in all three classes as a new month dawns. Junior driver Dore Chaponick Jr. also raced all three Florida events during the month and also began his 2010 from pole.

“Dore has been Mr. Excitement!” Wilson said. “The emotional roller coaster this boy has put us through is nothing short of Six Flags! He just wants to win and is always trying his hardest to bury the competition. He’s always quick and we have very high expectations for him. He is very good during briefings and applies things on track immediately. He’s very young in the junior ranks, but he still finds his way toward the front every race.”

The Florida driver battled through the stormy weather of opening day to take fourth at Orlando, and repeated the run on Sunday to take the Championship lead in IAME Junior. The Rotax weekend also began strong with a top ten, but Chaponick’s Sunday run ended early. At Homestead for Florida Cup, Chaponick was on the podium on Saturday and was sixth on Sunday in race two. Devlin DeFrancesco was the other team driver to make six starts, with a hospital stay thrown in between Orlando and Homestead! After a fifth and fourth to start the season, illness had him running less than his best from that point forward. Cole Glasson, Jack West and Andrew Hawkins also ran the FWT Rotax Max Challenge, but none dialled in the results they were working for.

DeFrancesco Racing returns to action this weekend at the second round of the Florida Winter Tour, with Kirkwood, Chaponick and DeFrancesco beginning the month for the team at Palm Beach International Raceway. Glasson will join in for the Rotax Max Challenge weekend. The team will close the month at Homestead and round two of the CKI Florida Cup.

DeFrancesco Racing January Results:

Florida Winter Tour Formula Kart Weekend
Kyle Kirkwood 2nd 12th P4 in Cadet Championship
Devlin DeFrancesco 5th 4th P5 in Cadet Championship
Dore Chaponick Jr. 4th 4th Junior Championship Leader

Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge Weekend
Kyle Kirkwood 9th 1st P4 in Mini-Max Championship
Devlin DeFrancesco 30th 33rd P32 in Mini-Max Championship
Cole Glasson 29th 11th P18 in Mini-Max Championship
Dore Chaponick Jr. 8th 31st P12 in Junior-Max Championship
Jack West 27th 18th P24 in Junior-Max Championship
Andrew Hawkins 31st 33rd P33 in Senior-Max Championship

Championship Karting International Florida Cup
Kyle Kirkwood 3rd 3rd P4 in Mini-Max Championship
Devlin DeFrancesco 18th 18th P17 in Mini-Max Championship
Dore Chaponick Jr. 3rd 6th P4 in Junior-Max Championship