02/12/2007

Kart Mini racer Chaves puts on passing clinic at Homestead

Kart Mini racer Chaves puts on passing clinic at Homestead
 
Miami, FL - Kart Mini factory driver Gabby Chaves put in a breakthrough performance this weekend at the Homestead Miami Speedway karting facility in the Rotax Junior Class of the 2007 Florida Winter Tour.  

After dirt in his carburetor halted his qualifying run, Gabby was forced to start from thirty-fourth on the pre-final grid. But he was determined to make it into the finals, and showed it as he passed twenty-three competitors to take eleventh for the final. In the twenty-lap final feature, Gabby managed to set the fastest times of the race for over half the race laps despite fighting for position at every corner as he reeled in the lead pack of karters. After starting from eleventh, Gabby was on the leader’s rear bumper as the white flag flew.
 
But a win was not in the cards for young Gabby as he was forced to settle for third at the finish after one of his friends, Thomas Silva, passed him on the final lap to secure second position as Gabby finished with a strong podium result.
 
After getting a glimpse of the lead, Gabby was disappointed to have finished third, but after having to race his way into the final and then moving up to contest for the win on the final lap, it felt very much like a victory.
 
“It was a very tough weekend by it paid off at the end!” said Chaves, who recently set a record as the youngest driver to win a scholarship from Skip Barber Racing at just 13 years of age. “I am very grateful for all the support I had this weekend from  my personal friend and best known kart tuner of the US Daniel Villa, and my driving coach and mental tutor Oswaldo Negri. Hopefully I made them both proud this weekend!”
 
Gabby won the Mini Max class in the 2006 Winter Tour in a Kart Mini, as well as piloting his Kart Mini to championships in the  Florida Rotax Challenge, East Coast Regional championship and closed out the season with 2nd in the Grand Nationals. Gabby  also took the 2006 Stars of Karting East Coast Championship in the Cadet class.
 
Gabby will get the chance to find the top step of the podium once again next weekend as he makes his Junior ICA Class debut at the Homestead Miami Speedway karting facility.
 
The young Colombian karting dynamo will also be competing in the Skip Barber Eastern Championship this summer after securing scholarship support in the Karting Run-Off at Sebring in January.

Contact:
media@sundaymanagement.com
317.722.1838