With a high successful 2016 season for the COMPKART brand, the staff transitioned immediately into the 2017 with its revised chassis line marked with ‘17-R’.  Ready to do battle the Race Department entered no less than ten official drivers during the season first month of racing, which cascaded across America from Florida to Arizona.  The team challenged in MSE hosted events where the Vortex RoK engine package and Rotax-BRP engine packages were utilized along with a myriad of tire manufactures; MoJo, Bridgestone and Vega Tires.

MSE RoK Cup – Location Homestead, FL USA

RoK Sr. – Austin Garrison – Lane Vacala

With a solid turnout of drivers both Garrison and Vacala utilized the homologated Covert 3.0 ’17-R’ model shod with Bridgestone tires.  Both driver’s qualified well with Garrison taking second and Vacala just outside the top ten.  The team work through the heat races developing the correct solution for Sundays final, which saw Garrison pounce and take the lead early to drive away to a solid win rewarding the team and the brand its first win of the New Year.  Vacala had very solid set of heats and pushed through in the final to twelfth place finish with a battle inside the top ten.  Garrison persevered after a solid run of heat races whereby the team received the last bit of data required to secure the setup for Sunday’s final whereby, Garrison went on to put the Fluo on the top step win with a commanding win!

RoK Jr. – Nicholas d’Orlando

Having ended the 2016 with a high note on the podium at the Super Nationals, d’Orlando started strong looking to take a front row qualifying spot, but catching slow traffic forced him to take qualifying spot outside the top five.  After a few solid heat races d’Orlando look to be a leader in the finals come Sunday, however, after a fight for second plane d’Orlando was forced to finish the final just off the podium in fourth place an impressive run in his first event of 2017.

MSE Rotax RD 1– Location Homestead, FL USA

Rotax Sr. – Austin Garrison – Max Hewitt – Calder McWhinney – Lane Vacala – Dante Yu

Loaded a talented group of senior driver the team showed great depth and speed throughout the event with McWhinney being sidelined with a rib injury forcing him to withdraw from the event early.  The remaining quartet of drivers kept the pressure on the competition through the events conclusion on Sunday as Garrison was able to back up his RoK win on the previous weekend with a 3^rd place finish in the final.  Dante Yu, making is senior debut kept it interesting by finishing 5^th just ahead of teammate Max Hewitt who put in a great performance taking home 6^th in Sundays final. Lane Vacala rounded out the teams efforts with an 8^th place finish in Sundays final putting all four drivers in the top ten underscoring the teams solid effort and depth.

Rotax Mini – Max Opalski

Team newcomer entered in Mini aboard the new Ranger 28 chassis with his first time at the Homestead Karting circuit. With some struggles due to the new engine regulations, Opalski familiarized himself with the team well and developed a good understanding of the materials, unfortunately his final was cut short on lap three, however Opalski will be back for the next round in Palm Beach.

Rotax Micro – Miles Hewitt

After a rough prior weekend at the RoK event, Hewitt looked improved at the Rotax event battling in the top ten throughout the heat races, however, his event was cut short much like McWhinney.  Hewitt will be back with the team in February at  Palm Beach.