EDITOR'S NOTE: Join us at Homestead-Miami Speedway March 29 for SpeedJam 2008, as two-time Indy 500 winner-turned-"Dancing with the Stars" champion Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick and a field of world-class drivers race under the lights at more than 200 mph. Tickets are now available for the IndyCar Series '08 kickoff, featuring the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300, the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami and the IndyPro Series Miami 100. SpeedJam at Homestead-Miami also includes a full-day festival of car shows, Memphis Barbeque, kids activities and live music. For tickets, call (866) 409-RACE or CLICK HERE.

While horsepower—namely that of the IndyCar Series season-opener and NASCAR’s series-crowning Ford Championship Weekend—is king at Homestead-Miami Speedway, there’s still a place at the track where 50cc’s can be heard humming in unison and trophies weigh more than the drivers who win them.

The Florida Winter Tour Karting Event (FWT) took place earlier this month at Homestead-Miami Speedway’s karting track, located on site at South Florida’s Championship Track. Attracting more than 450 kart drivers and many more spectators, the FWT event is one of more than a dozen major local, regional and national karting races held each year at Homestead-Miami. The FWT event incorporated six different classes—DD2, Senior, Junior, Masters, Mini Max and Micro Max—with driving classes ranging from 7-year-olds to those aged 35 and up.

During the three-day event, the three-quarter-mile karting track attracted several famed motorsports professionals, including Formula One-turned ARCA driver Scott Speed; and Max Papis, who’s driven Grand Prix, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series (formerly NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, respectively).

At Homestead-Miami, Papis led his youth racing team, Max Papis Racing. And two of the racing protégés showed well under Papis’ tutelage: Fabio Orosolon and nephew Pietro Fittipaldi da Cruz both stood on the medal stand at the event’s end.

“We had an awesome weekend,” Papis said at the weekend’s conclusion. “We left the track leading the Rotax Max series for Fabio, and we’re running second or third in the Mini-max series with Pietro. It was a very positive weekend, and I had a lot of fun organizing and giving back to the sport—trying to help some of these guys live their dream.”

As for the aptly named Speed—a California native who drove in the Formula One series from 2003-07—he has his sights set on driving in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009. He’s hoping that his move this year to ARCA, a minor-league stock car racing circuit, will help him prepare for a transition to NASCAR.

In the interim, Speed was content competing with, and against, his family at Homestead-Miami. The FWT Karting Event marked the first competition in which the two-time go-kart SuperNationals champion has raced go-karts against his brother Alex, a three-time go-kart ICC national champion.

“I don’t have any pointers for Alex in karting.” Scott said. “He’s much better than I am; Alex is a professional kart driver.”

“Scott likes to tell everybody that,” Alex responded. “I think we’re both able to get 100 percent out of the go-kart. There’s only so much you can get out of going fast.”

Scott buzzed by his brother in Saturday’s DD2 race to place third, but Alex got the last laugh by taking the checkered flag in Sunday’s race, where he also beat reigning DD2 World Champion Pier-Luc Ouellette.

“I think it is the same for me as it is for everyone—karting is where we grew up,” said Scott. “It is where our love is. For me, I just want to have a good time and race without any stress. Karting is what my dad and my brother and I have done our whole lives. It’s our natural environment.”

Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to the SpeedJam Indy 300 on March 29, as the IndyCar Series kicks off its 2008 season in South Florida. SpeedJam also features the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami, IndyPro Series Miami 100, and a full-day festival of car shows, Memphis BBQ, kids activities and live music.

For tickets, call (866) 409-RACE or CLICK HERE.