The World Championship in Lonato ended with a great success in terms of drivers and spectators participation
The Circuit South Garda Karting has staged the event that awarded the FIA Karting World Championship KZ to the Dutch driver Marijn Kremers on BirelArt-Tm-Bridgestone and the International Super Cup KZ2 to the French Emilien Denner on Sodi-Tm-Bridgestone. The victory in Academy Trophy went to Singapore’s Christian Ho, but the title to the Lithuanian Kajus Siksnelis. The FIA Karting World Championship in Lonato will be remembered for the great participation and the new record of 260 drivers, but also for the exceptional presence of spectators. Such an amount of fans had not been seen at a karting track for a while and crowded the immense grandstand at the South Garda Karting circuit.
The organization of the event has been perfect and up to the standards of this event during all the five days – starting from Wednesday, September 18th, with the welcoming of drivers and the opening free practice, up to the challenging and hard-fought Finals on Sunday, September 22nd, in the unique round of the FIA Karting World Championship for KZ, the International Super Cup KZ2, the Academy Trophy that ran its third and closing round for the young drivers and the Historic Super Cup that completed the event with a very appreciated show of historic karts of 50s and 60s.
The start to the Finals of the World Championship in Lonato has been proceeded by a scenic drivers presentation in the presence of the International Federation President Felipe Massa and other personalities, among which the major of Lonato del Garda, in a real sporting party involving all the participants in a colorful presentation that celebrated the drivers coming from 52 different countries and all 5 continents.
The Dutch Kremers is the new KZ World Champion
The Final of the KZ World Championship was won by the Dutch Marijn Kremers on BirelArt/Tm/Bridgestone, at the end of a good duel that involved the French driver Adrien Renaudin on Sodi/Tm that won last year the European Championship of this category in Lonato. The second place went to Riccardo Longhi though, as Kremers’ team-mate got the most of a 5s time penalty handed to Renaudin due to the misplaced front fairing following a racing contact. The third step of the podium went to another Dutch driver, the multiple-times champion Bas Lammers (Sodi-Tm), who completed a good comeback race in the best possible way. The fourth place was taken by the Finn Simo Puhakka, on Tony Kart-Vortex, while the fifth place went to two-times World Champion Paolo De Conto, on CRG-Tm, who recovered 11 positions. Matteo Viganò was sixth on Tony Kart-Vortex and led team-mate and multiple World and European Champion Marco Ardigò, who is close to end his splendid career. Another multiple-times Champion Davide Forè was 19th on Intrepid-Tm. The top ten was rounded off by Lorenzo Camplese in eighth on Tony Kart-Vortex, Renaudin that was relegated to P9 due to the aforementioned penalty, and Francesco Celenta tenth on Praga-Iame.
The French Denner dominated the International Super Cup KZ2
The young French driver Emilien Denner dominated KZ2 on Sodi-Tm-Bridgestone. He took the pole position and was first after the qualifying heats. Denner, who had been crowned Vice-European Champion earlier in the season, dominated throughout the weekend and the final from lights to flag, earning a deserved title. Behind Denner, the Spaniard David Vidales was second on Tony Kart-Vortex and the Swede European Champion of the category Emil Skaras claimed third on Energy-Tm. The Italian Giacomo Pollini was very quick on Formula K-Tm and took P4 leading the Dutch Senna Van Walstijn on KR-Tm and the Italian Champion Simone Cunati on CRG-Tm. The seventh-place went to Marco Tormen on Praga-Tm, while Giuseppe Palomba recovered 6 places on BirelArt and ended eighth. The Swede Alexander Dahlberg ended within the top ten on BirelArt-Tm in P9 and Paolo Ippolito was tenth on CRG-Tm.
Victory in Academy to Ho, but title to Siksnelis
Among the youngsters of the Academy Trophy, the third and closing round of the single-make Exprit-Vortex-Bridgestone was won by the driver from Singapore Christian Ho, who led the Final from the start to the end. The second place went to Lithuania’s Kajus Siksnelis, who managed to win the title leading Ho and Robert De Haan in the final standings. The third step of the podium in the race held in Lonato went to the Brit Maxwell Dodds. The only Italian Paolo Ferrari has been in the fight for the title until this closing round but ended the final in 12th place and the championship in fourth.
Complete results are available on www.cikfia.com.