DKM reaches halfway point in thrilling style with record field in Wackersdorf
It is half-time in the German Kart Championship. The third of this season’s six events took place at Pro Kart Raceland in Wackersdorf. 221 drivers made it a record field and put on an impressive show for the large crowds. The finals produced new winners in three classes: Markus Kajak (DKM), Dion van Werven (DSKC) and Zdenek Babicek (DMKM) claimed their first win of the season. Moritz Groneck (DJKM), Lars Ramaer (X30 Junior) and Elia Weiss (X30 Senior), on the other hand, repeated their success from Ampfing.
The competitors travelled to Wackersdorf in the Upper Palatinate for round three of the DKM, as the 1,197-metre track at Pro Kart Raceland provided the venue. The six classes featured strong fields and set a new record. 221 drivers made it the biggest DKM field ever. The classes were again divided into the international DKM and DJKM competitions, and the national DMKM and DSKC categories. Also represented were the X30 Junior and X30 Senior classes from the IAME Series Germany.
Unsettled weather on the Saturday added an extra dose of intrigue. A wet track in qualifying saw a shift in the balance of power. However, the track was dry again by the heats. In contrast, the sun shone all day on the Sunday. The warm weather and good conditions attracted large crowds to flock to the racetrack and created a great atmosphere. At the halfway point of the season, Pex (DKM), Moritz Groneck (DJKM), Milan Rossi (DMKM), Maximilian Schleimer (DSKC), Lars Ramaer (X30 Junior) and Elia Weiss (X30 Senior) lead the way in the six classes.
DKM: First win of the season for Estonian Markus Kajak
Reigning champion and current leader Stan Pex (SP Motorsport) led the DKM after the Super Heats and went into the 21-lap final as the leader. A good start saw him defend first place at the start, but Markus Kajak (Maranello SRP Factory Team) had more in the tank and passed his Dutch rival. The Estonian then set about pulling clear and went on to claim his first win of the season: “I quickly climbed into second place thanks to a good start, and was soon able to take the lead. From then on, I did my thing and extended my lead.” The positions were also soon decided behind the winner. Pex came home second, ahead of David Trefilov (SP Motorsport). Pole-sitter Alexander Schmitz followed in fourth place, ahead of record champion Jorrit Pex in fifth.
DKM class standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Stan Pex (252 points)
2. Markus Kajak (206 points)
3. David Liwinski (195 points)
4. David Trefilov (179 points)
5. Christiaan de Kleijn (167 points)
DJKM: Moritz Groneck wins again
Pole position in qualifying saw Moritz Groneck (CRG Holland) underline his ambitions, and he never lost sight of his goal over the course of the two race days. He still led the junior class after the Super Heat and gave the opposition no opportunity to attack him in the final. He crossed the finish line with a healthy lead to repeat his triumph from Ampfing and move to the top of the championship. “We were still really struggling to find the right set-up in practice. We then got on top of that and I am very happy with the win,” said Groneck, summing up his success.
Behind him, newcomer Constantin Pabst (Nees Racing) looked set to spring a real surprise. With the race drawing to a close, the youngster found himself in an impressive second place. He was ultimately overtaken by guest driver Nikita Nikishov (Dörr Motorsport), but still made it onto the podium in third place. Oliver Städtler (CV Performance Group) and Amin Kara Osman (SIM-ON) completed the top five.
DJKM class standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Moritz Groneck (250 points)
2. Amin Kara Osman (232 points)
3. Luke Kornder (204 points)
4. Oliver Städtler (197 points)
5. Philip Helmchen (155 points)
DMKM: Guest driver Zdenek Babicek clinches narrow victory
36 young drivers made it a full field in the German Mini Kart Championship in Wackersdorf. Double winner Milan Rossi (Lanari Racing Team) backed up his previous successes with the fastest time in qualifying. However, he found himself behind Czech driver Zdenek Babicek (TEPZ Racing Team) after the Super Heat. That pair battled it out for victory in the final. The lead changed hands several times before Rossi was unable to respond, leaving Babicek to take the win. “It was a very good weekend. We were competitive from the outset. The battle with Milan was tough, but really enjoyable,” he said after the final.
While the leaders cleared off up the track, there were more battles further down the field. After twelve laps of racing, Sweden’s Gustav Christensen (CRG Holland) eventually came home third ahead of Carlos Nees (Nees Racing) and Henri Möhring (TB Racing Team).
DMKM class standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Milan Rossi (284 points)
2. Carlos Nees (235 points)
3. Gustav Christensen (187 points)
4. Damian Luca Zeller (150 points)
5. Devin Titz (148 points)
DSKC: Dion van Werven ends Schleimer’s winning run
Some close heats saw championship leader Maximilian Schleimer (Maranello SRP Factory Team) secure pole position for the final, setting him up perfectly to complete a hat-trick of wins. The driver from the Rhineland Palatinate soon opened a small gap at the start. However, Dion van Werven was not to be shaken off that easily. He was back in touch by the midway point of the race and then battled hard to take the lead. Once in front, the Dutchman had the better pace and went on to celebrate his first victory of the season: “The final was tiring. I started fourth, but knew after the good Super heat that we had the speed to go for the win. Once I had closed the gap to Maximilian, I took advantage of a slight mistake and overtook him.”
Schleimer finished runner-up and successfully defended his championship lead. There were a few changes of position further down the field. Claudia Henning overtook Emma Felbermayr (TB Racing Team) on the line to take third place. Her team-mate Simon Rechenmacher (TB Racing Team) was also on course to finish on the podium, but came off the track on the final lap, leaving the way clear for Jeroen Bos (SP Motorsport) – the Dutchman also won the Masters competition for participants aged 35 and over.
DSKC class standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Maximilian Schleimer (270 points)
2. Dion van Werven (236 points)
3. Claudia Henning (187 points)
4. Emma Felbermayr (150 points)
5. Siep Kuypers (143 points)
X30 Junior: Lars Ramaer makes it three final wins
As in Mülsen and Ampfing, it was once again Lars Ramaer (SIM-ON) lifting the winner’s trophy at the end of the Wackersdorf weekend. However, the success was by no means a stroll in the park. It took victory in the Super Heat for Ramaer to secure a place on the front row of the grid for the final. Next to him on pole position was Quinten Van Leeuwen (Falcon Racing Team) from the Netherlands. He was also fastest off the line and defended his position aggressively against the chasing pack. However, Ramaer refused to be distanced and, after the lead had changed hands several times, remained in the slipstream. With four laps of the race remaining, he finally broke free and went on to take his third victory in a row. “Having lacked a little pace at the start, it improved the further we got into the race. The battle for the win was very exciting. It is great to stand on the top step of the podium for the third time,” said a happy winner at the finish.
Italian Matteo Melis (Tbkart racing team) crossed the finish line in second place. However, a five-second penalty for an incorrect start position then saw him relegated to ninth. The drivers behind him were all promoted one position. That made the new runner-up Van Leeuwen, ahead of Tom Wickop (DUTT MOTORSP. by FENSTER.COM) and the Ebert Motorsport duo of Marius Bonconseil and Konstantin Titze.
X30 Junior standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Lars Ramaer (273 points)
2. Marius Bonconseil (246 points)
3. Lukas Roos (188 points)
4. Elias Tittus (160 points)
5. Adrian Lorenz (146 points)
X30 Senior: Elia Weiss repeats his Ampfing success
The experienced Torben Gröndahl (CV Performance) was best placed going into the final. He clocked the fastest time in qualifying for the first time this year, and still led the field after the heats. The final then produced an eight-way battle at the front of the field, with positions changing on a regular basis. Eventually, Elia Weiss (SIM-ON) took the chequered flag to claim his second win of the season. After the thrilling race, the ADAC Stiftung Sport driver was in high spirits in the winner’s interview: “A super weekend. The conditions were different on the two race days. However, thanks to our hard work we were always competitive. The second win in a row is just reward for that hard work.”
Gröndahl finished runner-up, ahead of Dutchman Kevin Lantinga, Rocco Curcio (Valier Motorsport) and Phil Colin Strenge (Ebert Motorsport). The ADAC Stiftung Sport protégé dropped back into the pack at the start of the race, before producing an impressive fightback.
X30 Senior standings after 3 of 6 rounds:
1. Elia Weiss (212 points)
2. Torben Gröndahl (173 points)
3. Daniel Guinchard (168 points)
4. Phil Colin Strenge (159 points)
5. Jason Bralic (140 points)
The drivers and teams in the German Kart Championship are back in action in five weeks, when the Erftlandring in Kerpen hosts the top German karting series. The racetrack in North Rhine-Westphalia has a long tradition on the German motorsport scene and was the birthplace of many big careers. They include those of record Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher and four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel – both were victorious in the German Kart Championship during their time in karting.