IAME Euro Series: Title challenge intensifies in Castelletto!
Great attendance numbers but also high temperatures and a bit of rain in Castelletto marked a spectacular race weekend! A maxed-out Senior category and high numbers of Mini and Junior drivers made for three talent-packed categories! The high temperatures, but also the rain that made its appearance on Friday afternoon, didn’t seem to faze the drivers at all. After battling it out for three days the event saw once again new winners in all categories and the title fight still wide open.
X30 Mini
Alex Martinez (GGM) was the first driver to top the Mini timesheets for a provisional pole, but it didn’t last long as championship leader Daniel Kelleher (Fusion Motorsport) went even faster in the second group taking the overall pole position. Matt Corbi (Spirit-Racing.ch) and Jesse Phillips (Fusion Motorsports) got 3rd and 4th, to head the other two groups for the qualifying heats.
After the 6 qualifying heats, Kelleher was still the leader of the classification and on Superpole for Superheat 1, while on equal points but one less win Jenson Graham (Fusion Motorsport) was on Superpole for Superheat 2. Despite neither of them winning the Superheats, their lead was enough to maintain a front row start between the two for the final.
The final saw a number of drivers battling it out for the win, but in the end, it was Jenson Graham who got the win, ahead of Noah Baglin (ORM) and Senna Meunier (Spirit-Racing.ch).
X30 Junior
A strong lap from Cathal Clark (Victory Lane Karting) saw him take the overall pole position in Juniors. Ermanno Quintieri (Pantano Racing Team) got second, Pacome Weisenburger (Victory Land Karting) third and Sacha Van’t Pad Bosch fourth to lead the rest of the groups.
In the heats that followed Clark maintained a relative dominance, only losing out to his teammate Noah Monteiro (Victory Lane Karting) in the last heat. The two of them would start on Superpole for each of the Superheats ahead of Jules Caranta (Jana Racing) and Weisenburger.
While Clark remained on top of the classification after winning his Superheat, Monteiro end up third after losing one place to Weisenburger who would take second, and Caranta would end up fifth after losing another to Clement Outran (VDK Racing) who ended up third.
The strong run of Clark ended in the final, with a strong drive from Henry Joslyn (Mick Barrett Racing) who made up 5 places from his starting position to take the win! Caranta finished in second and Outran took the last step of the podium in third.
X30 Senior
Ariel Elkin (TBKart Racing Team) was the man to top the qualifying in the ultra-competitive 108-driver field of the Senior category, ahead of Elie Goldstein (EGP Racing Team) and Giovanni Trentin.
After an intense 15 qualifying heats throughout Friday and Saturday (5 per driver group), it was Sam Balota (VDK Racing) who emerged on top, ahead of fellow countryman Elie Goldstein. Arthur Poulain (Victory Lane Karting) and Yani Stevenheydens (Eurokarting) finished in 3rd and 4th respectively to line up alongside them in each of the superheats. Goldstein got the best of Balota after the Superheats to start ahead on the front row of the grid. Meanwhile, behind them, Poulain and Stevenheydens’ positions remained unchanged.
Every driver of the eventual top-6 of the final challenged for the win at some stage for the race, but it was a strong drive from Edoardo Villa (TBKart Racing Team) and fierce fighting between his competitors that gave him the win with a good 3-second margin! Behind him, it was Elie Goldstein, Arthur Poulain, Evan Giltaire (VDK Racing), Ariel Elkin and Sam Balota!
Road to IWF
Just like in the last few years, the top-4 of the IAME Euro Series – in addition to the winners of the Winter Cup back in February – will receive a ticket to the IWF 2022, the biggest IAME race! The championship battles for the tickets are wide open in all categories, with Daniel Kelleher leading the Mini, Henry Joslyn the Junior and Elie Goldstein the Senior category!
2022 IAME Euro Series – X30 Mini Provisional Classification
1- Daniel Kelleher (IRL) 89 points
2- Jenson Graham (GBR) 87 points
3- Jesse Phillips (GBR) 77 points
4- Henry Domain (GBR) 73 points
5- Dan Allemann (CHE) 72 points
2022 IAME Euro Series – X30 Junior Provisional Classification
1- Henry Joslyn (GBR) 85 points
2- Jules Caranta (FRA) 76 points
3- Sacha Van’T Pad Bosch (NLD) 71 points
4- Clement Outran (FRA) 67 points
5- Macauley Bishop (GBR) 64 points
2022 IAME Euro Series – X30 Senior Provisional Classification
1- Elie Golstein (BEL) 92 points
2- Arthur Poulain (FRA) 88 points
3- Evan Giltaire (FRA) 73 points
4- Ariel Elkin (ISR) 52 points
5- Edoardo Ludovico Villa (ITA) 45 points