Since the conclusion of the 2013 season, J3 Competition’s Race Department has been preparing for the start of the 2014 season. The team set out on its first mission of 2014, The Florida Winter Tour, Rotax rounds 1 & 2 held at Homestead Karting. With a solid line up, J3 Competition entered two drivers in Max Sr. with reigning FWT junior champion Thomas Issa and Alessandro Bressan while it entered a total of four drivers in Max Jr.; Theo Chick, Luis Forteza, David Ilavia, and Ethan Tyler. The team rounded out its entry list with Bressan doing double duty in DD2 where he was joined by team newcomer Michael Ilavia.
The team situated itself very well after the free practice sessions from Wednesday through Friday morning. For the DD2 category, Bressan was able to secure 4th place in both qualifying attempts. In Saturday’s final Bressan looked poised to get a solid result as a last lap dice with fellow top competitors put himself on the wrong side ending the day in 6th place while securing the fastest lap of the race. On Sunday, Bressan had a solid day as he was able to secure the final podium place, which now puts him squarely in the championship chase. Teammate Michael Ilavia improved all week adapting to his new material as he finished Sunday with a solid top fifteen finish giving good direction for the next round in Ocala.
The junior quartet anchored by Luis Forteza showed well as all four drivers successfully qualified for the final events on Saturday on Sunday. Forteza qualified 4th for both days and after a difficult DNF on Saturday, he was able to have a solid drive after first lap contact on Sunday to take home a well-deserved 5th place finish. Theo Chick contested well in his first full season in the junior ranks with a top twenty finish on Saturday. After missing the mark in qualifying, Tyler battled through the remainder of the weekend getting solid experience has he looks to improve heading into Ocala. Missing form action after qualifying was newcomer David Ilavia, after two stellar qualifying runs he was sidelined for all racing action with a hairline fracture in his ribs, which we all hope for a speed recovery.
The team ended each day with Rotax Sr. where the competition was at an extremely high level. Thomas Issa showed his step up from the junior ranks was not affecting his performance as he competed at the top of the field all weekend long. Issa took valuable points home on Saturday with a 6th place finish and looked poised for more on Sunday. After a very impressive pre-final where Issa finished 3rd, he entered the final ready for another great result. However, a technical issue caused him to lose some speed and, therefore, he finished the final in a respectable 13th place putting himself in a strong championship position heading to Ocala. Teammate Alessandro Bressan was on Issa’s heels all weekend in his first ever Rotax event. With a drive from last to 8th in Saturdays final, Bressan took that speed into Sunday’s event as well. Starting the final on Sunday from the top ten, Bressan was caught in a wild set of opening laps leaving himself with an unfortunate DNF.
“Our team members did a fantastic job in Homestead as we were on the cusp of a few very critical results. Regardless of the final tally, J3 Competition drivers were in podium positions in each of the three categories we entered (Max Sr., Max Jr. & DD2), therefore the depth and material we are offering is definitely there and we are looking forward to the next round in Ocala, FL.” – Team Management
J3 Competition is an industry leading Raced Department, which attends some of the world’s most challenging events. Interested parties are encouraged to contact J3 Competition at Technical@J3Competition.com or 814-864-1846 to realize a potential program fit.
About J3 Competition
J3 Competition Inc. is an undisputed leader in Race Services since 2004, providing the necessary tooling and management to take drivers to the next level. Starting in 2015 through its COMPKART ™ brand, J3 Competition will provide a full line of high-quality chassis and products designed and engineered for the Karting industry alongside it potent Race Department. J3 Competition will aim to deliver the COMPKART ™ chassis line to the North American market as well as customers globally in 2015 and beyond with unprecedented performance and service. With its content, B2B, and B2C websites presently under construction, please visit http://www.j3competition.com along with all its social media outlets to stay up to date on the latest releases and happenings regarding the COMPKART brand.
