2025 ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour – Orlando Kart Center – Round 1 – Race Report
Daily Report by: RTD Media
Photos by: Canadian Karting News
Taking place at the Orlando Kart Center (OKC), the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour (FWT) completed their first round of track action this past weekend. With close to 200 entries, the on-track action was intense as drivers aimed to start the FWT off with a win in their hunt for a series title and accompanying prize package.
“It was a great start to the 2025 Florida Winter Tour, and we look forward to returning to Orlando in a few short weeks,” explained Mike Burrell. “Congratulations to all drivers who managed to find their way to the podium, and to all teams and competitors for a great event weekend. We will take any challenges from this weekend and adjust accordingly for round two and then work towards round three in Texas in March where we will crown our 2025 champions.”
Hitting the track for unofficial practice throughout the week, and official sessions on Friday, qualifying took place on Friday afternoon before the first of three heat races. Heats two and three rolled off the grid on Saturday with the results of the three heat races setting the grid for Saturday afternoon’s prefinals. The prefinal action was hot and heavy with results setting the gird for Sunday’s main events as all teams and competitors were aiming for their first ROK Cup USA victories of 2025. Sunday featured a big change in weather as storms rolled through the area putting a brief delay in the action in the early afternoon due to weather. After a delay lasting more than an hour, ROK Cup USA officials adjusted the schedule accordingly to complete the day’s racing action before 3:30pm.
Read about all of the weekend action below:
Briggs 206
Qualifying Results
- Dylan Amundsen – 1:04.96
- Stefano Morice – 1:06.49
- Luca Albanese – 1:06.88
- Eric King – 1:07.28
- Michael Gaulin – 1:07.39
Main Event Starting Grid
- Dylan Amundsen
- Luca Albanese
- Sam Philippe
- Michael Gaulin
- Blake Masche
Main Event:
The Briggs 206 Senior drivers hit the track Sunday morning as rain fell overnight, and a wet track greeted drivers for the first main event of 2025. Leading the field to the green was Dylan Amundsen courtesy of his prefinal win while Luca Albanese occupied the front row. Behind them, Sam Philippe was flanked by Michael Gaulin in row two. Amundsen, who has been the class of the field all weekend long, jumped to the lead and had a two-second gap by the end of lap one. Albanese and Philippe maintained their positions in second and third as Blake Masche jumped Michael Gaulin for fourth. In the 15-minute affair, lap times were well over a minute due to the wet conditions, as Amundsen opened his gap to over four seconds by the end of lap two. On lap three, Stefano Morice was able to sneak by Gaulin for the fifth position, taking advantage of the slick conditions. Masche, Morice, and Gaulin were engaged in an epic battle for the fourth position, but it was all Amundsen up front who was setting purple lap after purple lap and opened his gap to more than ten seconds. Morice moved by Masche for fourth on lap five, and at the mid-race distance, Amundsen led Albanese, Philippe, Morice and Eric King who was making his way forward after starting deep in the field. Up front, it was all Amundsen who was lapping more than two seconds quicker than his closest rival. On lap 12, Morice moved his way into a podium position as he slotted himself into third while King gained another position, following him through to fourth. King made a bid for third but was unsuccessful until a lap later when he jumped Morice for third. When the checkered flag flew, Amundsen took the win by thirty-six seconds over Albanese, King, Morice, and Philippe.
SodiKart / Velocity Racing ROK GP Pro
Qualifying Results
- Blake Nash – 52.28
- Caden Mcqueen – 52.49
- Diego Ardiles – 52.50
- Nicolas Fuca – 52.67
- Lucas Nanji – 52.77
Main Event Starting Grid
- Blake Nash
- Diego Ardiles
- Lucas Nanji
- Caden Mcqueen
- Nicolas Fuca
Main Event:
It was Blake Nash who took the prefinal win in ROK GP Pro and slotted himself in the premier starting position for Sunday’s main event. Diego Ardiles, who has been fast all weekend long, was to his left for the green flag while Lucas Nanji and Caden Mcqueen occupied row two and Nicolas Fuca and William Bouthillier in row three. The Pro drivers drove into the first corner hard, slipping and sliding with Nash holding on to the lead and Ardiles dropping down the running order from second to 12th. At the end of lap one, Nash led Nanji, Fuca, Arnaud Sabourin, and Bouthillier. Fuca slipped by Nanci on lap two as Mcqueen was by Bouthillier and back into the top-five after falling back early. Nash, Fuca, and Nanji ran lock step up front and the front three were separated by .88, more than three seconds ahead of the fourth-place runner of Sabourin. Nash dropped a wheel on the exit of turn seven driving through the grass and lost the lead to Fuca. Mcqueen drove by Sabourin for the fourth position by the end of lap four and was the quickest driver on track. Blake Nash was taken by surprise on lap five as the slick conditions caused him to spin in turn eight and ruin any chance of a podium result. Ardiles was making moves deep in the field moving from 12th after lap one to sixth after lap five. Fuca led by 1.98 at the conclusion of lap six over Nanji and Mcqueen who continued to make his way forward. Nanji went purple on lap seven to close the gap to Fuca to 1.50 as Ardiles was by Bouthillier for fifth. At mid-race distance, Nanji closed the gap down to .99 as he looked to attack Fuca for the win. The gap decreased even more a lap later as Nanji reset the fastest lap of the race. Behind them, Ardiles had closed the gap to Sabourin as he aimed to salvage a good result after the first lap miscue and the two were separated by only half a second. Nanjo had closed the gap and was on the rear bumper of Fuca with Ardiles getting by Bouthillier on lap 12 for the fourth position. With Fuca feeling the pressure from Nanji, he managed to pick up the pace and hold his competitor at bay. Bouthillier and Ardiles were in a heated battle with Bouthillier, moving to fourth on lap 14, but Ardiles was back by on lap 15. Blake Nash was on the charge as he rebounded from his early race spin, moving to fifth and disposing of Bouthillier. Fuca and Nanji were in a wheel-to-wheel battle on lap 19 as the pair made slight contact as they ran more than ten seconds ahead of the third-place driver. Fuca managed to hang on to the lead and drove to the win ahead of Nanji, Mcqueen, Nash and Bouthillier who were able to get by Ardiles on the final lap to round out the top-five. Following post-race technical inspection, Ardiles advanced to fifth and Nash to P6 after Bouthillier was relegated down the running order.
PSL Karting ROK GP Junior
Qualifying Results
- Alexander Vanchev – 53.29
- Edward Kennedy – 53.44
- Matheus Ramalho – 53.51
- Nathan Dupuis – 53.53
- Sarah Bradley – 53.54
Main Event Starting Grid
- Sarah Bradley
- Alessandro Truchot
- Alexander Vanchev
- Cole Medeiros
- Edward Kennedy
Main Event:
Next up was ROK GP Junior as female driver Sarah Bradley led the field to the green ahead of Alessandro Truchot. Alexander Vanchev secured the inside row two starting spot after finishing third in the prefinal with Cole Medeiros to his left in fourth. As drivers approached the green flag, the skies darkened with rain incoming as a weather system was moving across the state of Florida. Truchot jumped to the lead at the exit of the first corner as Bradley took the traditional rain line into turn two, losing several more positions. While Truchot led early, it was Medeiros who led lap one after some bold moves in turns nine and ten as he ran just ahead of Victor De Alencar and Vanchev. Truchot fell back to the fourth position, just ahead of Bradley in fifth and Nathan Dupuis in the sixth position. At the end of lap two, Vanchev found his way to the point as De Alencar followed him through as they were both by Medeiros. Dupuis was showing his wet weather skills and by the end of lap three, had moved into the fourth position. Vanchev and De Alencar were locked in a battle of their own as they were 2.59 seconds ahead of Medeiros at the end of lap five. The top two battled wheel-to-wheel throughout lap six, running side by side on several occasions with Vanchev holding the lead. Bradley had moved her way back into the top-five as the pole sitter looked to move her way forward with rain beginning to fall on the circuit. Dupuis was by Medeiros and into a podium position on lap seven as De Alencar took the lead over Vanchev on lap eight. De Alencar went purple on lap nine and opened his lead to 1.86 after only one lap out front as the field stayed consistent behind him. Rain began to fall heavier as the race wore on, and De Alencar continued to lead Vanchev, Dupuis, Medeiros, and Bradley. De Alencar was running laps more than half a second faster than the rest of the field as he had taken to the conditions and opened his lead to nearly five-seconds at the conclusion of lap 12. As the front of the field were evenly spaced, the best battle on track was just inside the top-ten as Matin Saa and Cameron Marsha were battling hard. When the checkered flag flew it was De Alencar who scored the win by 8.77 over Vanchev, Dupuis, early race leader Medeiros and prefinal winner Bradley. Following post-race technical inspections, the top-five results were changed as De Alencar scored the win ahead of Vanchev and Dupuis. Bradley advanced to fourth with Edward Kennedy in fifth with Medeiros falling outside the top-five to sixth.
Orsolon Racing ROK Micro
Qualifying Results
- Dutch Westbrook – 1:00.27
- Mauro Nario – 1:00.38
- Zev Godschalk – 1:00.42
- Aidan Go – 1:00.46
- Alvaro Medeiros – 1:00.50
Main Event Starting Grid
- Zev Godschalk
- Alvaro Medeiros
- Dutch Westbrook
- Cam Becker
- Lenox Lockhart
Main Event:
Zev Godschalk was looking for his first career Florida Winter Tour win as he led the ROK Micro field to the green flag for the main event. Mauro Nario started second ahead of Dutch Westbrook, who had scored all three heat race wins, but fell to third in the prefinal after a penalty, just ahead of Cam Becker and Lenox Lockhart who rounded out the top-five. With a rain-soaked circuit, ROK Micro drivers took the green as Godschalk managed it perfectly to maintain the point. Godschalk led lap one with Alvaro Medeiros second, Becker third, Aidan Go in fourth and Westbrook in the fifth position. Medeiros was by Godschalk on lap two for the lead and immediately began to push hard and open a gap of 1.12 after only one lap. Becker had moved to third with Nario back to fourth ahead of Westbrook. With drivers slip-sliding around, positions were changing corner after corner as drivers struggled to find grip. The top-two remained stationary after lap three but Nario was by Becker for third. A pileup on lap three took out three drivers that ran deeper in the field, as Medeiros was running a second faster than any driver in the field up front. Westbrook fell to seventh as Cesar Augusto Barradas and Grayson Powers moved to fifth and sixth. Medeiros led by 4.06 at the end of lap six as Godschalk was two seconds ahead of Nario in third. Rain progressed throughout the race, but Medeiros did not mind as he continued his torrid pace up front. The top-five remained unchanged through the middle part of the race as drivers continued to search for grip. Westbook, just outside the top-five, was the only driver advancing as he moved to sixth on lap nine. Jack Kotowski marched his way forward to the seventh position at the end of lap 12, but a spin relegated him down the running order after a strong run. When the checkered flag flew, it was Medeiros who scored the round one victory ahead of Godschalk, Nario, Becker and Barradas
AM Engines ROK Mini
Qualifying Results
- Santiago Orioli – 59.00
- Alex Chandler – 59.03
- Ludmila Ibarrra – 59.04
- Jayden Francisco – 59.13
- Dominic Gaddis – 59.14
Main Event Starting Grid
- Santiago Orioli
- Jayden Francisco
- Alex Chandler
- Cameron Johnson
- Ludmila Ibarra
Main Event:
With a delay due to lightning and a fresh dose of water on track, it was a chaotic start as for the ROK Mini drivers. With a shortened race to be only ten minutes plus two laps, it was Cameron Johnson who took the lead from his fourth place starting position at the exit of the first corner. As drivers fought hard for track position and looked for grip to drive them forward, Johnson led early over Jayden Francisco who moved to second past Santiago Orioli late in the opening lap. Francisco and Orioli battled hard on lap two and three as the two drivers lost time to the leader Johnson. Dominic Gaddis moved from fifth to fourth in turn eight sneaking by Cooper Lorenzo Lopez, but Lopez returned the favor two corners later. With standing water and slick conditions, the ROK Mini drivers were navigating treacherous conditions in the efforts to climb to a podium position. With positions remaining static up front for a few laps, by lap seven, Johnson continued to lead over Orioli by just under eight tenths of a second with Gaddis third, only one second behind the leader. Asher Pavan made a move on lap eight to get behind Cooper Lorenzo Lopez and immediately open a gap as he tried to catch the drivers in front of him with less than three laps remaining. With two to go at the line, Johnson controlled the pace and barring any major mistakes, looked like he would be on his way to the race win. With some bold moves on the final circuit as drivers fought tooth and nail for positions on track, it was Ludmila Ibarra who moved from ninth to sixth on the final lap. Up front, it was Johnson who scored the win over Orioli and Gaddis in third, who scored the fastest lap of the race. Pavan narrowly missed a podium result in the fourth position as Lorenzo Lopez rounded out the top-five.
Rocket Racing ROK VLR Masters
Qualifying Results
- Mark Pavan – 56.62
- Alexander Albon – 56.84
- Scott Falcone – 56.90
- Paul Elefonte – 56.94
- Gabriel Alvarez – 57.15
Main Event Starting Grid
- Alexander Dal Bon
- Gabriel Alvarez
- Scott Falcone
- Alfonso Santiago
- Paul Elefonte
Main Event:
In the 13 minute plus two lap ROK VLR Masters main event, Alexander Dal Bon was the driver who led the field to the green as all drivers continued to use the wet weather LeVanto Tires. With the first start aborted due to Dal Bon being a little anxious on the throttle, start two was perfect and the Masters drivers were off to the races. Dal Bon got a great jump into the lead as Elefonte was collected in a first corner incident as Dal Bon drove off circuit before arriving into turn three. Gabriel Alvarez was the big winner on lap one as he took the lead ahead of Scott Falcone with Dal Bon in third. Kevin Ye was up three positions from seventh to fourth during the opening lap, as Andrei Isac followed suit going from eighth to fifth. Elefonte was off track again on lap two as he fell well down the running order, and out of contention for the win. Alvarez and Falcone had opened a huge gap on the third-place runner which was now Kevin Ye, as they looked to make it a two-horse race up front. Falcone carried the momentum through turns three and four making a pair of over under moves to take the point from Alvarez as he aimed for a Florida Winter Tour victory. Behind the front duo, Ye ran third ahead of Mark Pavan in fourth and Sebastian Perez in the fifth position. Falcone stretched his lead to nearly three seconds by the end of lap six as Alvarez was five seconds ahead of Ye in third. Pavan was by Ye on lap eight for the third and final podium position. Falcone was leading by more than five seconds with three laps remaining as he was well on his way to victory. Falcone scored the win over Alvarez, Pavan, Ye, and Perez. Following the race, Alvarez was hit with three separate penalties that dropped him to eighth on the results sheet as the top-five were reshuffled to Falcone, Pavan, Ye, Perez and Andrei Isac.
Nash Motorsportz ROK VLR Senior
Qualifying Results
- Alan Isambard – 54.620
- Caden Mcqueen – 54.770
- Diego Ramos – 54.810
- Louis Westover – 54.820
- Kane Martin – 54.870
Main Event Starting Grid
- Alan Isambard
- Caden Mcqueen
- Diego Ramos
- Louie Westover
- Chace Gassiot-Lee
Main Event:
With a wet but trying track, all ROK VLR Senior drivers took to the Orlando Kart Center with wet weather tires as Alan Isambard controlled the pace into the first corner with ease. Defending into turn three and backing up the field behind him, Isambard led by a few kart lengths heading to the back straight as rain began to fall again. Isambard led Diego Ramos and Caden Mcqueen at the end of lap one with Gassiot-Lee and Finnegan Bayliff rounding out the top-five. Ramos was putting heavy pressure on Isambard and took the lead at the end of the long back straight as the two made slight contact. Mcqueen was a benefactor of the front two battling, moving to second as Isambard was off track a few corners later dropping a few more positions. Ramos led by nearly two seconds at the end of lap three over Mcqueen with Bayliff now in the third and final podium position. Louie Westover was making headway as he jumped to sixth in lap five as he aimed for a top-five result. Westover continued to climb forward as he moved to fourth, and then third with only a few minutes remaining. Ramos continued to lead up front, but Mcqueen was three tenths of a second faster on lap seven and eight as the gap began to close. Ramos responded on lap nine matching the pace of Mcqueen behind him. Westover ran third as Olin Galli and Isambard moved by Bayliff for fourth and fifth respectively. Isambard and Galli swapped positions twice on lap ten, with Galli getting the upper hand. Ramos went purple on lap 12 to open the gap to Mcqueen back up to 1.72 with Westover running alone in third. Ramos drove to the win with Mcqueen in second, Westover third, Galli fourth and Isambard rounding out the top-five. Mcqueen was promoted to the win after Ramos received a post-race penalty for a push back bumper and was dropped to the second position ahead of Westover, Isambard and Gassiot-Lee.
Rolison Performance Group ROK VLR Junior
Qualifying Results
- Alexander Vanchev – 54.830
- Alessandro Truchot – 55.030
- Eli Steinbruch – 55.110
- Ruben Gutierrez – 55.160
- Valentino Manta – 55.160
Main Event Starting Grid
- Alexander Vanchev
- Alessandro Truchot
- Ruben Gutierrz
- Nico Kotowski
- Theo Salomao
Main Event:
The final wheel-to-wheel race of the weekend was ROK VLR Junior with Alexander Vanchev and Alessandro Truchot leading the field into the first corner. Vanchev was able to control the pace on the opening lap to lead early as Truchot fell to third behind Nico Kotowski. Theo Salomao slotted into fourth ahead of Joaquin Gorlero Pizarro. Canadian Nathan Dupuis moved to fifth on lap two as Salomao went purple on lap two and then into the second position on lap three. Truchot was by Kotowski on lap four to take over the third position with Dupuis hanging tough in fifth. For the first time all race, and on lap five, the top-five remained unchanged as Vanchev led by 1.2 seconds. Dupuis was half a second faster than Kotowski and was able to catch and pass him to move to fourth as Vanchev earned the fastest lap of the race so far on lap seven and did so again on lap eight opening the gap to more than two seconds to P2. Vanchev was the class of the field and opened the gap to 3.20 after ten laps and barring any major mistakes, would take the round one win. Eli Steinbruch disposed of Kotowski on lap 11 to take over the fifth position as only a few laps remained, and the track was drying rapidly. With the top-five static, the battle for the seventh through tenth positions raged on as aggressive racing ensued. Vanchev went on to take the win ahead of Salomao, and Dupuis who was able to get by Truchot on the penultimate lap for third. Truchot was able to hang on for the fourth position ahead of Steinbruch in fifth.
Complete weekend results can be found HERE.
Round two of the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour will take place at the Orlando Kart Center over the February 13-16 weekend. Stay tuned to the ROK Cup USA social media pages and ROKCupUSA.com for registration and event information.
