The WSK international (and popular) series held its second round in 2009 on the magnificent track of Sarno, not far from the Vesuve, in the Naples area. The new meeting allowed CRG technical staff to prove once again the effectiveness of their new “Bad Boy” chassis, recently homologated. After the Super KF at La Conca, it was the KZ2 category that made its comeback on the scene, with as many as eight drivers racing on CRG chassis.
In timed qualifying, Jonathan Thonon was already the fastest, with a superb 1’05”342. For the winner of the World Cup, it was an excellent way to start the season with his gearbox CRG-Maxter kart. The two
brothers from the CRG Holland Team, Jorrit and Yard Pex, also showed their talent by reaching the top 12. In the final phase, Rick Dreezen took the lead of the CRG delegation after excellent qualifying heats. 6th in the pre-final, he continued his progression during the final and conquered the third step of the podium. “I did everything I could to reach the top 3 and stay there, especially at the end, when I had to duel with Ardigò”, commented the young Belgium driver from CRG Holland, who uses Maxter engines prepared by Tec’Sav.
As for Jonathan Thonon and Davide Forè, they have certainly something to regret, after falling victim to the excessive enthusiasm shown by some drivers. They recovered 10 and 13 places respectively in the final and finished 7th and 9th, though the two victories achieved by Thonon in the heats had been an omen for much better results. “After winning at the World Cup and the European Championship, in 2008, we did not know how our competitors would react, but we have shown that we are still very competitive and that they better watch out for us in 2009”, a member of the CRG Team pointed out.
Maxter: in the top 3 in KZ2, KF2, and KF3!
At Sarno, Maxter achieved brilliant results in the three categories, on a track that is very demanding for engines. “Here, there is a long fast stretch where drivers remain at full rev for quite a few seconds, but there are also several changes of pace after many tight
bents. “If your engine makes it there, it is a good sign of your level of performance”, said a technician from Maxter. Maxter engines also showed their extreme reliability, by reaching the top 3 in the three categories, on Sunday afternoon. In KF3, British Jordan King (Maranello) went it alone in the pre-final. He was fighting for a podium in the final, but then was passed by several drivers at the peak of the race and went down to 7th place. Belgian kartman Sami Luka (DR) also lost some precious ranks at the end of the KF2
final, despite his fierce resistance while at the lead. Winner of two heats, he showed all his determination when he reached the second place in the pre-final, just ahead of British Max Goff (Maranello), also with a Maxter engine. Goff continued his progression in the final and finished 3rd. “My equipment worked just fine” said Goff. “I am very satisfied”.
After a brilliant 5th place in the pre-final, Danish Michelle Gatting paid the toll of her withdrawal during the last race of the day.
With three Maxters in the 10 first places of the KZ2 final, including a podium with Rick Dreezen, the Maxter staff definitely had a very positive experience in this round, but the Italian engine producers will certainly continue the development of their products in the next few weeks. |
