Barnes Masterclass Secures Florida Winter Tour Glory
IslandStats.com
Bermudian karting veteran Scott Barnes delivered a defensive clinic at the Orlando Kart Center to claim victory in the second round of the Florida Winter Tour. Competing in the highly competitive ROK Shifter Masters division, Barnes navigated 19 laps of intense pressure to cross the line in 16:53.84, fending off a relentless chasing pack to stand on the top step of the podium.
The victory served as a perfect redemption for Barnes following a frustrating opening round where he had to settle for second place despite winning the pre-final. This time, the Bermudian was flawless throughout the weekend, securing wins in the heat race and the pre-final before translating that dominance into a hard-fought final win.
Barnes led the entire 14-minute-plus-two-lap final, but the win was far from straightforward. For more than ten minutes of the race, the seasoned campaigner was forced into a defensive masterclass as his rivals looked for any opening. Drawing on three decades of racing experience, Barnes successfully "made the kart wide," proving the old racing adage that catching a driver is one thing, but passing them is quite another.
Joining Barnes in the Sunshine State was fellow Bermudian Blake Horseman, who put in a strong performance in the KZ FWT class. Horseman showed consistent pace over 19 laps, clocking a total time of 17:04.01 to secure a credible fourth-place finish in a field packed with international talent.
The results underscore the continued strength of Bermudian karting on the North American circuit as both drivers now look ahead to maintaining this momentum in the final rounds of the winter season.
