The Grand Prix Karting FFSA season has ended at Varennes sur Allier, with yet another weekend disrupted by the weather. After starting in dry weather conditions, the two-day race event finished in the rain. However, the bad weather did not prevent Sodi chassis from showing all their good qualities, along the same lines as the results obtained in KZ2 and the title of vice French Champion conquered by Anthony Abbasse.
KZ2: A Record 40-Position
Recovery Lyon, Salbris, Essay and this time Varennes sur Allier: the four meetings of the French Championship offered as many opportunities to confirm the competitiveness of the Sodi chassis, which played a leading role on each single circuit, despite different track characteristics and changing adhesion conditions. “I have only
started racing in the 125cc gearbox category at the beginning of this season and I could not imagine I would become vice French Champion
already in 2008” Anthony Abbasse said. “But Sodikart equipment proved so performing that I have always been able to fight for victory, at
each meeting”. In race 1, Abbasse set the best time among the pilots regularly registered in the French Championship. Third in his semi-final in dry weather conditions, he had to mount rain tyres in the final. “I lost a few positions at the start, but then I kept a good pace in order to go reconquer the fourth position”. The Sodi pilot was also on the podium with the Trophy for best lap in the race.
The following day, Alban Varutti joined Anthony Abbasse at the top. After his victory at Essay, Varutti was the favourite of the semifinal. But his joy did not last long, because he was penalised for passing while there was a yellow flag. “I was careful to pass after the yellow flag and the accident, but officials have decided that my manoeuvre was made before the green flag” Alban regretted. Luckier than his team mate, Abbasse and his Sodi chassis showed an incredible performance by climbing from 44th to 4th position during the final of race 2. “The chassis was great, it literally flew from curve to curve”, Anthony exclaimed. “With two chassis in the first five positions in KZ2 and the title of vice French Champion, we
can be really satisfied” the Sodi Team manager pointed out.
During the weekend at Varennes, Alban Authié, Loïc Reguillon, Elie Bluy, Vincent Fraïsse, Paul-Loup Chatin and Maxime Bornert all had the
opportunity to reach the top 10 at the wheel of their Sodi chassis, which is really a reference point for the category. “This is not the first time that a pilot like Reguillon has raced with the leading
pilots”, said one of the members of Sodi Team. “but we have also been very happy to see Alban Authié set the 3rd best time in race 1 and Vincent Fraïsse reach 7th position in the final of race 2”. “It is the first time that I have driven a Sodi chassis this season and it is with this chassis that I have achieved my best result in 2008”, Vincent added.
After this excellent overall result, many chassis will be seen again throughout Europe, at next qualifying rounds for the European Championship.
Thanks to Sodi chassis, many young pilots were able to stand out during 2008 French Championship: Nelson De Carvalho, Tanguy Carel or British Henry Easthope, just to mention a few. Despite their lack of experience, they have taken advantage of Sodi excellent qualities to enhance their performances during the French Championship.
Indeed, at Varennes, Easthope has achieved his best result of the season by reaching 7th position in race 1, right behind Carel, the revelations of 2008 season. As far as De Carvalho is concerned, he has
added some more points to the ones accumulated so far and has had the satisfaction of finishing the French Championship in the top 10.
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