The concept of ‘team’ took on its full meaning once again in Sarno for Modena Kart during the second round of the WSK Super Master Series. The nine drivers entered by the Italian team all earned their tickets to the Final, and many of their high-performance Parolin-TM Kart combinations were in the top 10 from Qualifying to the Final. Federico Mirabella and Alessandro Nanni were the most prominent at the foot of Vesuvius in the OK-N Junior category.
Competitiveness, changing conditions and brilliant results
Much of the event was able to take place with slick tyres, but there were also rainy spells to contend with in the Naples region at the beginning of February. Once again, Modena Kart Racing Team managed the changes in track grip perfectly. In Qualifying, the team's drivers took 50% of the top 14 places, with Sweden's Elton Hedfors setting the fastest time in his group ahead of Alessandro Nanni on a wet track. Despite numerous fastest laps and several top-three finishes in the Qualifying Heats and Prefinal, racing incidents did not always tip the balance in their favour. Federico Mirabella (P4), Alessandro Nanni (P8) and Elton Hedfors (P10) drove magnificent Finals.
Federico Mirabella - After his misadventure at La Conca, the Italian had a score to settle, and he managed to overcome the pitfalls of the Final to climb from 13th to 4th place. Well done, Federico!
Ioannis Kolovos - The Greek driver impressed on his arrival at the Modena Kart Racing Team, immediately winning a Qualifying Heat! In the Final, his comeback from 14th to 6th place did not go unnoticed.
Alessandro Nanni - After setting the fastest time in the warm-up (Session 2) on Friday morning, the Italian continued his strong performances: P4 in Qualifying, P2 in a heat, P3 in Prefinal B and P4 at the chequered flag in the Final, just behind the 3rd-placed driver. Unfortunately, a poor fairing position pushed him back to P8.
Elton Hedfors - Already very fast at La Conca, the Swede confirmed his speed in both dry and wet conditions: fastest in his group in Qualifying and in Prefinal B. Elton had to contend with a lack of success in the Qualifying Heats, although he finished P2 in one of them. P26 on Saturday evening, he managed to climb up to P10 in the Final!
Radu Basescu Pricop - Consistent and effective in the Qualifying Heats (three times finishing in the top eight), the Romanian was slowed down in his progress by a retirement in the Prefinal. He did not give up, climbing from 21st to 13th place in the Final.
Atiqa Mir - As in Muro Leccese, the Indian started her race on a positive note: P11 in Qualifying. Bad luck in the heats saw her drop back, before a solid Final in 18th position (+14 places) and the fifth fastest lap in the race.
Danila Verba - The young Russian gained more experience while showing his talent: fastest time in the A/C Qualifying Heat and P4 in A/D. In the Final, penalties prevented him from taking advantage of his 13th position on the track.
Tommaso Corsi - The Italian continues to progress and get to grips with his OK-N Junior kart. Disappointed by his retirement in the Prefinal, he showed interesting potential in the Final.
Luigi D'Ascoli - Incidents complicated the Italian's progress, even though his performance was clearly on point, as proven by his fastest lap in the Final. Luigi also finished P1 in the warm-up (Session 1) on Sunday morning and P3 in a Qualifying Heat. It should pay off soon!
Analysis by Gabriele Finocchi, Modena Kart Team Principal
“We had everything we needed to see one of our drivers on the podium, but unfortunately, it all came down to a hair's breadth: a penalty for incorrect front fairing position for Alessandro Nanni and a fraction of a second for Federico Mirabella. I would especially like to highlight the overall performance of the team, and I am sure that we will experience some great moments in this highly competitive WSK Super Master Series. I congratulate our technical staff for their expertise."
Comment by Alessandro Palloni, Modena Kart Team Manager
"Winter is still here, and it is important to adapt to all weather conditions. That's what we tried to do in Sarno. On the one hand, our technical package was still very solid on this long and difficult 1670 m circuit, thanks to the high performance of the Parolin chassis and M.A. Engines' TM Kart engines. On the other hand, we did a lot of coaching work, which helped our drivers to progress."