Vortex reached the podium in both classes in the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship: Tuukka Taponen won the OKJ final while Nikita Bedrin finished third in OK.
OKJ - The Vortex DJT engine pushed Tuukka Taponen (Tony Kart Racing Team) towards victory in the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship held on the Circuito Internacional de Zuera, a highly selective track from a motoring point of view, given its 1,700 m length, with long straights alternating with slow bends. Taponen recovered from ninth position on the grid at the end of a weekend in which he also achieved a victory and two second places in the Heats, in addition to the best time in his qualifying group.
Among the 24 Vortex equipped drivers at the start, Dion Gowda (Ricky Flynn Motorsport), who also achieved a victory, as well as a third place and a best lap, is also worth mentioning. Bruno Del Pino (Tony Kart Racing Team) was in second place, with two third places and a fast lap, while Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport) finished all the Heats in the top ten. Among the fastest on the track, who also achieved fast laps, but who were unlucky in the decisive race, there was also Harley Keeble(Tony Kart Racing Team), Alexander Gubenko (Kosmic Kart Racing Department), Karol Pasiewicz (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Arthur Rogeon (Exprit Racing Team). Aiden Neate (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Coskun Irfan (Ricky Flynn Motorsport) also exploited the power of OTK Kart Group engines to climb the Qualifying Heats rankings, while Ean Eyckmans (Kosmic Kart Racing Department) and Julius Dinisen (Ward Racing ) both achieved a third place.
OK - Vortex was also on the podium in the OK class with Nikita Bedrin (Ward Racing), third at the finish line after being one of the fastest drivers during the whole weekend and leading the final in the first laps. The Russian also achieved a victory and two second places in the Qualifying Heats, while he achieved the eighth time in the qualifiers. Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team) instead reached fourth place after climbing 8 positions, to which he also added two second places and a fast lap in the heats. Norton Andreasson (Ward Racing) equalled the Pole Position time in the qualifiers before winning twice in the heats, while Pedro Hiltbrand (Tony Kart Racing Team), after always finishing in the top ten in the Heats although he was fighting against the aftermath of an injury, crossed the finish line in ninth position in the final, a result that was unfortunately not recognised because of a penalty. Luigi Coluccio (Kosmic Kart Racing Department) and Noah Degnbol (Ward Racing) were also equipped with the Vortex and, after withdrawals in the heats, complete a comeback of 13 and 15 positions respectively in the decisive race.