The Formula Kart Racing Florida Winter Tour brings more than 200 drivers of all ages and locations to Palm Beach International Raceway, including 2005 IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon and IndyCar driver Jay Howard.

The tour is in its second weekend at the Palm Beach International Raceway/MRP Motorsport karting facility and the tour owner and promoter Bill Wright is pleased with way the event is going, including the changes to the track.

“The weekend is going great,” said Wright. “The facility has worked out fabulously. We were a little concerned coming in because of the new layout but we’ve been able to fit everyone in and we’re moving around well. The race track actually races considerably better than it has in the past. We’ve had probably the best racing we’ve ever had on the tour last weekend and we expect to see the same this weekend.”

For the younger karters racing this weekend, it’s all about gaining experience and a chance at winning the event. “I’ve been racing for a year or two,” said 8 year old David Malukas (pictured upper left), who is racing in the Micro Max class. “I get kind of nervous before races still but I’m getting better. I think I’m starting 6^th so I’m going to try to pass some people.”

11 year old Grant Quinlan(pictured right) has been racing for three years. “It’s really exciting for me to be racing here, I like it a lot,” said Quinlan, who is racing in the Mini Max class. “I qualified 18^th, we’ve made some changes to the kart since then and put some grip in the front end.”

Florida driver Nick Neri sits on the pole with his Ocala Gran-Prix sponsored kart. “We went out a little bit later than everyone else and we got a good draft off of someone that I caught and it just went really smooth for us,” said Neri about his qualifying run. “It’s a really fun track, I’ve been here a few times before this and it just keeps getting better and better every time I come. I hope to do well, but I think it’s gonna be a close race.”

For the older competitors and IndyCar drivers Dan Wheldon and Jay Howard, it’s more about having fun with the kids than anything.

“This is obviously a lot of fun for me,” said Wheldon. “This particular weekend was a little bit more difficult than most. I’ve been in Indianapolis with the race team, we’re getting very close to the start of the Indy Car season and Brazil is in about 3 or 4 weeks, so we’ve got a test coming up but luckily they let me sneak out of the race shop to be here and I love it.”

Jay Howard agrees with Wheldon, “I just want to have fun here really,” said Howard. “Sometimes you go to these events and you have a target on your back, everyone wants your job and they’re out here to beat me but for the most part its good fun. I’m just going to enjoy it and hopefully win, if not they’ll be ragging on me pretty good. I’ve got the fastest kart engines in the world, Ogden USA Racing Engines, on board with me so we have a great chance. ”

It’s easy to think that karting is fun and simple, but like everything else in motorsports it has a physical aspect as well. The two veteran drivers – Wheldon and Howard – are reminded that they’re not teenagers anymore.

“I don’t know if age is an advantage or disadvantage in karting, because I’m hurting pretty bad,” said 29 year old Howard. “Old age kicks in and these kids are pretty young and fast.”

“These young guys beat and bash on me, I’ve got the rib protectors,” said 31 year old Wheldon. “It gives me a lot of pleasure to do it though. It’s something that I feel I can give back to the sport. When I was younger I always used to like racing against people from Formula One and IndyCars that would come to the tracks that I happened to be racing at and I enjoyed that a lot.”

For more information on the Florida Winter Tour and to check out results, visit www.floridawintertour.com.