Groskamp wins 48th annual Florida Winternats

Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp has won the 48th annual Florida Winternats.  The iconic US nitro onroad, now hosted annually at the Nuggets Ranch RC Raceway in Arcadia which was built in 2010,  attracted 170 entires this year with 1:8 Open the biggest class with 46 drivers.  With five rounds of qualifying, each driver counting their single fastest 4-minute run, it was the Dutch driver who took the TQ with Q3 run ahead of the Capricorn of Germany’s Thilo Diekmann and Mugen Seiki of former 1:10 Nitro World Champion Ralph Birch.  In the 30-minute final, Groskamp lead early before Burch had a stint at the front until hitting problems and dropping to fourth at the half way distance.  This allowed last year’s Top Qualifier Diego Morganti’s Capricorn to lead briefly before Groskamp resumed the lead again.  Swapping position with Diekmann over pitstops, Groskamp’s Picco powered IF18 took the win by 3.1-second as Burch recovered to complete the podium.  With the fastest lap of the race Morganti finished 4th while 2023 Champion Eric Dennett came home P6.  In 1:10 Nitro Touring Car, Serpent’s defending Champion Bryce Butterfield topped qualifying from team-mate Jose Almonte but at the end of the half hour final it was Almonte who came away with the win.  Butterfield lead initially but was out just as the race reached 1/4 distance.  Behind Almonte it was  John Hodges and Franco Machado who completed the podium.  In 1:8 Nitro GT it was IGT8’s Paolo Morganti who secured the TQ ahead of 2023 Champion Amonte.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, Morgani would go onto to win from Lazaro Alonso after Almonte retired in the early stages of the final.

Image: Jilles Groskamp [Facebook]