This year again, the CIK (International karting commission) has decided to gather the KZ1, KZ2 and KF3 categories on the same weekend, for the most important competition of the year. After organising the last Grand Prix FFSA of the season, now ASK Varennes faces the challenge of the World Cup. Although Jean-Jacques Pendanx’s team was already well prepared, the club has made a few improvements for the occasion, in order to improve even more the quality of services offered to participants. Equipe de France Karting FFSA will attend its second-to-last appointment of the year in Varennes. Brandon Maïsano will be the only French pilot in KF3, while in KZ1 125 gearbox there will be the usual quartet.
Varennes-sur-Allier provides indeed a wonderful frame for this world event. The circuit is unanimously appreciated for its distinctive traits, which favour intense competition in all categories. With its alternation of winding and fast parts, where pilots experience aspiration phenomena, this circuit always crowns great champions. On paper, the highest hopes of an international title rest on the shoulders of Brandon Maïsano, 2008 French Champion in KF3, who won the title on this same circuit last June. Brandon has had a remarkable season, full of impressive performances and victories that have proven the extraordinary qualities of this pilot and of his equipment, provided by Intrepid France through the LM Karting Team. However, Maïsano is not the only favourite of the meeting and it is more than certain that fight will be hard. An additional difficulty will add some spice to the KF3 competition, following implementation by the CIK of brand new and highly sophisticated checks on clutch operation. An additional electronic box will be able to record
engine regime and wheel speed at any time during the competition. It might be a good thing.
At the World Cup for KZ1, Equipe de France will show its best pilots, including Thomas Mich, 2008 French Champion, Anthony Abbasse, 2008 French vice champion, as well as Alban Varutti and Norman Nato, who are certainly not second best pilots. Always in the top ranking of major international races, Mich will use, for the very first time, a new Monza chassis, a brand he will certainly be able to make the most of at Varennes. Without renouncing his status of Birel Motorsport official pilot, Thomas will use a slightly different kart, thereby increasing his chances of success. The two Sodikart pilots Abbasse and Varutti, might have better chances than at the European KF1 Championship at Braga. Indeed, they spent most of the season in a KZ category where both have made remarkable progress this year. Norman Nato is showing evident signs of improvement, proven by the fact that in his first season in the world kart elite, he has even preceded the most experienced and best pilots in the category. His Intrepid Team counts on the Varennes meeting to show good performances, thanks to equipment developed on purpose for the occasion.
Given the forces gathering at Varennes, Equipe de France Karting FFSA’s objective in KZ1 will be a podium or a place in the top 5, although everything could still happen, especially on this circuit. In any case, pilots will get there in excellent shape, after the difficult physical training stage that gathered all Equipe de France FFSA teams at Le Mans, under the guide of trainer Julien Poncelet. |
