2019 FWT Miami 1: Brooks unbothered in Senior ROK
An unblemished opening weekend has the Californian as the championship favorite.
Despite not having any previous experience on the Vortex ROK GP engine platform or Orsolon Racing team, Christian Brooks could not have had a more impressive weekend. The Californian ran uncontested at the front of every session of Senior ROK, turning in a perfect scorecard and topping it off with the flag-to-flag victory in the 18-lap Final.
The opening laps saw Brooks turning laps more than a half-second faster than the field, opening a 1.5-second advantage before the end of lap three. From there it was cruise control for the Red Bull Global Rallycross driver, crossing the finish line more than 3-seconds ahead of Arthur Leist (PSL / Birel ART) in second.
Starting the race from outside pole, Leist lost that position to Nicholas Hornbostel (REM / Kosmic Kart) on the opening lap, only to retake it a few laps later. The Canadian looked to miss the mark on setup, falling down the order as the race wore on, but rebounding to finish third in a close battle with Sebastian Montoya (Team Montoya / Tony Kart).
Arias Duekmedjian (Leading Edge / Praga), who missed all of Thursday free practice with school obligations, finished fifth in his first Senior ROK start.