The 3rd round of the 2007 FFSA Grand Prix Karting series will take place in Salbris, on a track that will soon be playing host to a European Championship race, as was already the case for the previous rounds in Essay and Varennes. So, after hosting the 2006 World Cup in Angerville, France remains at the heart of international kart racing
which, in our opinion, is a very good thing! Salbris nestles amidst the pines in the Sologne region of central France.
It has a long tradition for organising international events on what is a fast and technically challenging circuit, the whole which is visible to the spectators in the stands. The race field is cosmopolitan, with drivers from all over Europe, including Belgium, Great Britain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany, and even from the USA, taking part.
Elite KF1: Revenge is in the air!
The Championship is currently dominated by three drivers from abroad: Benjamin Bailly (Kosmic/Vortex), who is on the up and up, and the two Zanardi/Parilla drivers, Kareem Manzur, who is extremely fast, and the dependable Ollie Millroy. As expected, the field is not big but what it lacks in numbers it makes up for in quality, as can be seen from the fact that at the start of each race itʼs hard to pick from perhaps a dozen possible race winners. Also, what with engineering considerations and engine upgrades, the teams will be going into this Grand Prix with the outcome uncertain. The drivers to watch out for
are Anthony Abbasse, Glen Keyaert, Arno Santamato, Julien Poncelet and Gianni Gazzurelli.
Espoir KF2: four aces!
The same four drivers have been at the head of the category so far, but the order has been changing. Charles Lacaze (Tonykart/Vortex) is still ahead in the standings, but in Varennes he was beaten into third place after William Benedettiʼs brilliant comeback to take the race at the wheel of his PCR/Windfire, and by Sami Luka (CRG/Parilla), who had a happier time than in Essay. Loïc Réguillon (Sodikart/Parilla) still looks a serious contender. Behind the front runners, there are plenty of competitors who are quite capable of getting good results on this circuit, where the finals of the European championships will be taking place later in the season. The surprise might come from Robin Frijns, Norman Nato or Benjamin Da Silva, without forgetting Julien Deschamps, Alexandre Arrué and Kevin
Bole-Besançon. Outsider Stéphanie Lompech is also getting better with every race.
Junior KF3: It pays to be daring!
The Intrepid boys, Brandon Maïsano and Pascal Fourquemin (Intrepid/XTR), are ahead of Belgian driver Sébastien Bailly (Kosmic/Vortex) in the Championship table, but the weekend in Varennes revealed plenty of other talent waiting in the wings and hoping to upset the standings. Brandon, now that he has a competitive kart in his hands, is looking determined and dangerous. He will undoubtedly arrive in Salbris fired up by the victory that had escaped him for so long. With Bailly struggling, Brandon fought out a classic battle with Belgian Guillaume De Ridder (PCR/Winfire) in the final race. Not forgetting rising stars Nicolas De Moura and Hugo Croquison, and the return to the fray of an in-form Christopher Quillet.
125 KZ2: Energy has the edge!
Dutchman Dany Bleek and Frenchman Tony Lavanant (Energy/TM) top the championship table but Thomas Mich (Birel/TM) was in the points at Varennes, and is now lying 3rd, ahead of Benoît Pécasse, who was out of luck, and a very aggressive Pierre Krypciak. Although the two leaders have opened up a gap at the top of the table, the scrap to get on the podium behind them is heating up. Hoping to make experience count are Cédric Goudant, Emilien Grosso, Paul Louveau and Thomas Letailleur. Mathias Gallepe should be back on the front
line as soon as his run of bad luck turns. |
