NOKC AWARD WINNERS CONTEST FINAL ROUND OF THE 2012 FLORIDA WINTER TOUR

"Michael Taibi, Chad Campbell and Stefan Semeraro represent NOKC in Ocala"  

Gilford, Ontario - March 26, 2012 - Through their lucrative prize offering, the Northern Ontario Karting Championship (NOKC) recently sent three series drivers to the final round of the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge event. Looking to expose their series drivers to international events, as well as different tracks and the opportunity to race against world-class competition, the Northern Ontario Karting Championship announced an incredible prize structure during their debut season as class champions would receive sponsorship to attend the Bridgestone Cup in Lonato, Italy. With Andrew Waring, the 2011 NOKC Rotax Senior champion attending the event in November, Michael Taibi, Chad Campbell and Stefan Semeraro elected to use their prize offering to contest the ultra-competitive and prestigious Florida Winter Tour series. Taking to the Ocala Gran Prix facility in Ocala, Florida for the final round, all three drivers had solid outings in their NOKC sponsored GP / Innisfil Indy rides.

Taking on the two-speed DD2 class in Ocala, NOKC DD2 class champion Michael Taibi would battle world-class competition during the weekend event. Posting lap times that put him P14 and P13 for Saturday and Sunday respectively, Taibi would look to move up during the wheel-to-wheel racing action. Saturday saw the Vaughn, Ontario resident move up to tenth in the prefinal and then hold station in the final with another tenth place result. Again moving up during Sunday's prefinal to finish 11th, Taibi's progress would be derailed after posting a DNF in the day's feature race.

Chad Campbell and Stefan Semeraro would both take on the challenging Rotax Senior class at the final Florida Winter Tour round. Battling a host of international, national and regional champions, including Rotax World Champions, in a field of 46 competitors, both NOKC drivers would look to make their series proud. With qualifying times relegating both drivers to the Last Chance Qualifiers both days, Campbell would emerge with a transfer position to the day's feature event on Saturday after his third place finish. Coming away with 25th place results for both the prefinal and final, Campbell held his own against the tough competition. Semeraro would go on to place third in the consolation final.

Sunday saw the roles reversed, as Semeraro earned a transfer position to the feature after a sixth place finish in the LCQ. Posting 30th in the prefinal, Semeraro ended his campaign with an improved 27th place finish in the final. After an unfortunate DNF in the LCQ for Campbell, the senior rookie was seen battling it out in the consolation final, coming away with a third place result.

The NOKC would also like to congratulate series driver Zach Meyer on his 2012 Florida Winter Tour Open Shifter Championship. The GP pilot earned two feature wins, as well as two second place finishes, to take the overall class championship during the Formula Kart weekend in Ocala.

The NOKC has announced they will award another sponsorship during their 2012 season, with prizes awarded to the two Junior and two Senior champions between the 125cc Shifter, DD2, Rotax Senior, Rotax Junior, Mini Max and Micro Max classes with the most points. The 2012 NOKC series kicks off in six weeks time at Innisfil Indy April 28-29. The full season schedule is available at www.nokc.ca.

The NOKC would also like to remind competitors to register for their numbers online at the NOKC website. Log on to www.nokc.ca and click the "2012 NOKC # Reservation" link at the top of the page.

The NOKC is a regional qualifying series for the Rotax Max Challenge. The 2012 NOKC series will host six events at Innisfil Indy, Sutton and Shannonville and is operated by the Innisfil Kart Club. For more information on the NOKC, visit www.nokc.ca or call 905-775-4686.

Innisfil Indy Karting is pleased to announce a new and exciting kart leasing program for the 2012 season. Karters looking to compete at the club level can now lease an Innisfil Indy Karting-prepped, complete kart package starting from $199.99 (+HST).

This new lease program is available for all club level drivers competing in 4-cycle classes starting at just $199.99 (+HST). 2-cycle lease packages are also available starting at $499.99 (+HST). Perfect for seasoned veterans or those looking to get into kart racing for the first time, Innisfil Indy Karting's new cost-effective program is designed to cater to every karter's needs. Please contact Innisfil Indy Karting at 905-775-4686 for more details and pricing.

More information on the lease program will be available during the Innisfil Kart Club/Northern Ontario Karting Championship General Meeting, scheduled for this Sunday, January 29 from 1:00-3:00pm at Grange Hall. Details and directions are available on both the IKC website ( http://www.innisfilkartclub.ca ) and NOKC website ( http://www.nokc.ca ). Any parties interested in the lease program are asked to attend this important meeting.

Innisfil Indy Karting is the home track of the Innisfil Kart Club, and will host two rounds of the Northern Ontario Karting Championship is 2012. Featuring sales & service of GP and CMP chassis and specializing in 2-cycle engine modifications and dyno services, as well as arrive & drive series, kart rentals, corporate programs and much more, Innisfil Indy Karting has something for everyone, at all skill levels. For more information on Innisfil Indy Karting, please visit http://www.innisfilindykarting.com , email racing@innisfilindy.com or call 905-775-4686

After a successful debut season in 2011, the Northern Ontario Karting Championship (NOKC) is once again set to host the best karters in Ontario regional racing and award some of the best prizes karting has to offer. With class champions last year receiving the amazing prize package of fully sponsored trips to the Bridgestone Cup, this year the NOKC will again award a trip to either the Bridgestone Cup or the Rok Cup International Final, both set for October in Italy. A Northern Ontario Karting Championship/ Innisfil Kart Club General Meeting is scheduled for 1:00pm January 29, 2012 at Grange Hall, with attendees voting on which amazing trip will be awarded in 2012.

NOKC Senior Rotax Championship winner Andrew Waring attended the Bridgestone Cup in 2011, with the other champions electing to use their sponsorship to run at the 2012 Florida Winter Tour. After an incredible experience by Waring in Italy, the NOKC has decided to continue to award a trip to Italy for the 2012 season. The Bridgestone Cup is set for October 26-28, 2012 in Lonato, Italy while the Rok Cup International Final is scheduled for the weekend prior, October 19-20, 2012 at the same South Garda facility. This unprecedented award package will see NOKC champions compete in Italy against some of the best drivers in the world. The prize will be awarded to the two Junior and two Senior champions between the 125cc Shifter, DD2, Rotax Senior, Rotax Junior, Mini Max and Micro Max classes with the most entries.

The 2012 NOKC schedule will see six rounds contested at three of the most popular tracks in Ontario. The opener is set for April 28-29 at Innisfil Indy, followed by round two June 1-3 at Sutton. Round three is still to be determined, but will lead up to a doubleheader weekend at Shannonville over Canada Day, June 30-July 1. The series will then wrap up with the sixth round at Innisfil September 15-16. The NOKC is an official regional qualifying series for the Rotax Max Challenge, with competitors requiring three events before the ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Championships, set for August 24-26 in Mont-Tremblant, Québec. One drop will be allowed only if competitors attend all six events, with the driver with the most accumulated points deemed the overall class champion. Classes offered in 2012 will be DD2, Senior Rotax, 125cc Shifter, Mini Max, Micro Max, Junior Rotax, Senior Honda, Junior Honda and Masters. Cash prizes will also be awarded in the Honda classes.