After having - successfully - ensured the organisation of the World Championship in 2007, Mariembourg’s «Karting des Fagnes» (Belgium)will this time host the European Championships of the KF1, KZ1 and KZ2 categories. For two of them, the Belgian event will constitute the second of the three events of the European tour.
For KZ1, on the other hand, Mariembourg will be the final round of the European Championship and will therefore be decisive for the awarding of the title. As the two favourites, the Belgian Jonathan Thonon (CRG-Maxter) and the Dutchman Bas Lammers (Top Kart-TM), have exactly the same number of points before this final, KZ1 (division 1 of gearbox karts) will obviously be closely watched. Racing before one’s public should theoretically be a small advantage for the Belgian driver, who won the last World Cup of that category. But the Mariembourg circuit will also remind Bas Lammers of excellent memories because it was there that he achieved the best result in his Karting career when he landed a European Formula A Champion title in 2003. The suspense is therefore guaranteed, more especially as several other drivers, even though they can no longer claim the title, are thirsting for victory and could well interfere in their duel, particularly Italy’s Manetti (CRG-Maxter), Piccini (Maranello-TM), Toninelli (Intrepid-TM) and Cozzaglio (Intrepid-TM) or France’s Mich (Birel-TM), Renaudie (Gillard-SGM) and Nato (Intrepid-TM).
KF1, the top category of international Karting, enjoyed a much contested season beginning, with a larger distribution of the prizes than expected. While the Briton Gary Catt (Tony Kart-Vortex), the last World Vice-Champion, will arrive at Mariembourg as leader, he knows that there will be fi erce competition and that it will not necessarily only come from his team mates, Marco Ardigo, Will Stevens and Matias Laine (all driving for Tony Kart-Vortex). At the European opening race held in Angerville (F), Catt had to give up a win to the Frenchman Arnaud Kozlinski (CRG-Maxter), and at the World Cup in Japan, he had to admit defeat against the Italians Davide Fore (Maranello-Maxter) and Sauro Cesetti (Birel-TM), and against the
young Czech Libor Toman (Birel-Parilla) who, as well as the Dutchman Jack Te Braak (Zanardi-Parilla), is the revelation of the season beginning.
In the first KZ2 meeting, the Frenchmen Joffrey Demanse (PCR-TM) and Tony Lavanant (Energy-TM) fully exploited the advantage of racing at home. They will try to stay in the lead at Mariembourg, more especially as the third and last event of the Championship will again be staged in France. The Brit Hawksworth (Gillard-TM), the Dutchman Jansen (Energy-TM) and the Italian Neri (CKR-Pavesi) rank among their main competitors.
The first qualifying practice is scheduled for the Friday. Its classifications as well as those of the whole meeting can be followed live on www.cikfi a.com. With 17 qualifying heats, there will be non-stop racing on Saturday. Six other qualifying heats will be held on Sunday morning as a prelude to the six fi nals to be held on Sunday afternoon! |
