Daniel Formal wins Rotax Junior title

DANIEL FORMAL IS ROTAX JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPION
"Talented junior claims race win in Shawano"

Shawano, Wisconsin -- September 14, 2008 -- Advanced Karting team driver Daniel Formal claimed a very big victory this past weekend at the Rotax Max Challenge USA Grand Nationals in Shawano, Wisconsin. The talented junior pilot drove to victory in the Rotax Junior class showing incredible skill in wet weather competition.

After claiming the third quickest time in qualifying, Formal would shift his focus to the three upcoming heat races where he would start all three on the front row. Working with fellow Tony Kart pilots, Formal was quick right out of the box scoring three consistent heat race results to set up a solid starting position for the prefinal.

Saturday's action would cause for a little drama as after the morning warm-up sessions, constant rain began to fall on the USA International Raceway. With drivers scrambling to switch over to rain setup, Formal and his crew were at ease feeling very confident about their chances.

Starting the prefinal in P3, Formal moved forward quickly, taking advantage of his wet weather skills. With the quickest lap time of the race, Formal drove to victory claiming the pole position for the main event.

The final would be a carbon copy of the prefinal as Formal took the lead early. With a string of fast, consistent race laps, the Floridian pilot drew away from the field to score a 2.286 second victory over his nearest competition.

"I am very happy," stated Formal after the event. "I wanted to come here and win and prove that I am the best Rotax driver in the country and I did that."

Earlier in the year, Formal claimed the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Junior championship and just this past weekend won the USA Grand Nationals. Though Rotax rules states Formal is 45 days too young to attend the world finals in Italy later this year, he has definitely proven that he is one of America's youngest and brightest talents.

-credit: ak