The third round of the WSK Super Master Series, held at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo, Italy, will go down as one of the most successful weekends of the season for Sodikart and CPB Sport. In KZ2, the one-two finish by Senna Van Walstijn and Max Orlov in the Final confirms the competitiveness of the Sodi chassis at the highest level. In Mini U10 and Mini GR3, the young drivers continued their progress on the equipment from the Nantes factory.
KZ2: Van Walstijn and Orlov deliver another one-two finish
Senna Van Walstijn's weekend summed up the spirit of the Sodikart Racing Team. Disqualified from the first heat despite leading the race, the Dutchman responded with character by winning Heat 3 and then the Prefinal. In the Final, starting 3rd, he waited patiently behind Cristian Bertuca, who led the first seven laps, before launching a decisive attack on the eighth lap to cross the line as the winner.
Just behind him, Max Orlov completed the one-two finish by setting the fastest lap of the race in 51''209 and the weekend record (51''118). Leading the championship with 245 points, he is 46 points ahead of Van Walstijn and is the favourite for the title.
The CPB Sport drivers contributed fully to this demonstration. Dion Van Werven gained five places to finish 5th, Jayden Thien took 6th place and Mark Zvarich 8th. Further back, Radek Vavra (P14), Mathis Aumaitre (P15) and Manuel Kastl (P16) gained valuable experience. In the provisional championship standings, four drivers on Sodi chassis occupy the top four places: Orlov (245 pts), Van Walstijn (199 pts), Van Werven (116 pts) and Thien (109 pts).
Paul Bizalion, Team Principal CPB Sport: "Despite intense competition and sometimes unfavourable racing conditions, CPB Sport has proven its technical and sporting responsiveness. The results are exceptional: four wins and four pole positions in four races, with 10 podium finishes out of a possible 12. I would like to highlight the steady progress of our new drivers in KZ2, whose performances are very promising ahead of the international events. In KZ2, we currently dominate the championship, holding the top four places. Determined and ambitious alongside Sodikart, we are preparing for the challenge of Lonato, where the competition promises to be particularly fierce."
Mini U10 and Mini GR3: Sodi's young talents are gaining momentum
In Mini U10, Albert Pharoah was the sole representative of Sodikart among 34 drivers. After mixed results in the heats, he shone in the decisive stages: he gained seven places in the Prefinal (from P14 to P7), then four in the Final to finish 7th again. This consistency confirms the competitiveness of the chassis against the most represented manufacturers.
In Mini GR3, the most crowded field of the weekend with 52 entrants, Sodikart fielded three drivers. Alfie Garrett and Amine Pantoli qualified for the Final in the top 36, before delivering a highly competitive final. Starting in 26th and 28th place, they each gained eight places to finish 18th and 20th. Arthur Pharoah, the third Sodi driver, narrowly missed out on qualifying but showed encouraging signs by finishing 17th in Prefinal B.
Adrien Leidinger, Sodikart Team Manager: "The weekend in Viterbo was very instructive. We managed to identify and isolate areas for technical optimisation on the kart, which allowed us to react immediately on the track. Thanks to the team's responsiveness, we were able to achieve promising results: 18th and 20th place in GR3 with Alfie Garrett and Amine Pantoli, as well as a fine comeback to 7th place in the U10 Final. The development process is progressing positively, and we are approaching the next stage in Lonato with the firm intention of coming back even stronger."
Viterbo confirms the upward trajectory. In KZ2, the domination is total. In the Mini categories, the development is bearing fruit. The next round is on 4th and 8th March in Lonato for the fourth round of the WSK Super Master Series.