All is set in at the International Circuit Napoli in Sarno for the final stages of this exciting opener of WSK Euro Series that welcomed 180 drivers coming from 32 different countries to contest the four categories KZ2, OK, OKJ and MINI. This is another good participation success at the restart of karting activity in Italy following the Covid emergency, just one week after the end of the WSK Super Master Series.
After the “hot” qualifying heats in the warm Sarno on Friday and Saturday, the list of drivers to contest the final stages on Sunday, July 12th has been narrowed down. These drivers will challenge each other in the usual format of the closing day that features the two Prefinals of each category from 11:00 and the four Finals starting from 14:00 also available through the Live Streaming from www.wskarting.it
Open duel in KZ2. In KZ2, Matteo Viganò (Leclerc by Lennox/BirelArt-TM Racing-Vega) came to the fore dominating the first two heats, but then he retired from the third and final six laps into the race, which opened the way to the victory of the Finn Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega), who displayed a great shape also in Sarno after winning the WSK Super Master Series last week. The two Italians of BirelArt Riccardo Longhi and Giuseppe Palomba have also put in regular and strong performances. The French Adrien Renaudin on Sodikart tried to slide in the duel between the Tony Kart and BirelArt drivers. He posted the quickest time in qualifying practice. His fellow countryman Jeremy Iglesias on Formula K has also been very fast.
Classification after the heats: 1. Puhakka; 2. Longhi; 3. Palomba; 4. Renaudin; 5. Irlando; 6. Iglesias; 7. Viganò; 8. Mollo; 9. Marseglia; 10. Camplese.
Good progress for Antonelli in OK. The Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame-LeCont) put in a crescendo of results especially towards the end of Saturday, when he claimed two wins and a second place. The British driver Oliver Gray (Leclerc By Lennox Racing/Birel Art-TM Racing-LeCont) confirmed his speed taking three wins, while the Finn Juho Michael Valtanen (Pantano Team/KR-Iame-LeCont) secured two, the Brazilian Rafa Camara (Forza Racing/Exprit/TM Racing-LeCont) one as the Brits Joe Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) and Taylor Barnard (Rosberg Racing Academy/KR-Iame-LeCont). Enzo Trulli (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame-LeCont) also put in strong performances.
Classification after the heats: 1. Gray; 2. Valtanen; 3. Barnard; 4. Turney; 5. Antonelli; 6. Trulli; 7. Ravenscroft; 8. Coluccio; 9. Vant Hoff; 10. De Haan.
Taponen on top of Junior. In OKJ the Italian Brando Badoer (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame-Vega) claimed the pole position and one win on Friday, while the Finn Tuuka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega) challenged him on Saturday taking three wins. Badoer confirmed his speed placing himself behind Taponen in all the heats. The other Italian of KR Motorsport, Alfio Andrea Spina, secured one win after the one claimed on Friday, while the Czech Igor Cepil took two wins. The American Ugo Ugochukwu of KR Motorsport also showed a great pace. Among the other heat-winners, the Brit Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport/Kosmic-Vortex-Vega).
Classification after the heats: 1. Badoer; 2. Taponen; 3. Cepil; 4. Slater; 5. Kucharczyk; 6. Ugochukwu; 7. Powell; 8. Spina; 9. Gowda; 10. Dedecker.
Nakamura leading MINI. The WSK Super Master Series champion Dmitry Matveev (Energy Corse/Energy-TM Racing-Vega) had a tough time in MINI as he could not post a time in qualifying and had to recover from the back of the grid. He nevertheless secured one win in the closing heat on Saturday. The Japanese Kean Nakamura Berta (Team Driver Racing Kart/KR-Iame-Vega) displayed a great shape instead winning three heats and securing a second place behind the Spanish driver Christian Cotoya Sanabria (CRG-TM Racing-Vega). The American James Egozi (Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega), the Dutch René Lammers (Baby Race/Parolin-TM Racing-Vega), the Pole Jan Przyrowsky (AC Racing/Parolin-TM Racing-Vega), the Italo-Asian Tiziano Monza (Team Driver/KR-TM Racing-Vega) and the Pole Maciej Gladysz (Parolin/Parolin-TM Racing-Vega) also claimed one win.
Classification after the heats: 1. Nahamura; 2. Przyrowsky; 3. Gladysz; 4. Costoya; 5. Lammers; 6. Egozi; 7. Bouzar; 8. Helias; 9. Paniccia; 10. Nijs.
The Program – International Circuit Napoli in Sarno:
Sunday, July 12th (Live Streaming): Warm-up at 8:40, Prefinals from 11:00, Finals MINI, OKJ, KZ2 and OK from 14:00.