IWF24 - World class victories won after incredible Finals
Since its creation, the IWF has continually produced top-level finals, bringing together drivers from all over the world on IAME-powered karts that have been proving their worth for many years. Held in Zuera, Spain, the 2024 edition of the IAME Warrior Final crowned four talented drivers after epic duels: Many Nuvolini in X30 Mini, Kenzo Craigie in X30 Junior, Eduardo Dominguez Espinosa in X30 Senior and John Norris in X30 Master.
In the Aragon region of Zaragoza, the IWF week was disrupted by an intense spell of fog. Drivers, teams, support staff and organisers had to cope with this unprecedented and unfortunate situation. The timetable was constantly adapted to allow the event to go ahead. On Saturday 30th November, the IWF24 ended on a high note with a non-stop spectacle in the Finals. IAME and RGMMC would obviously have liked to offer a full programme to the competitors present.
X30 Senior: Dominguez wins after a series of twists and turns
The prospect of winning the prestigious IWF made for a tense Final, with many contenders for victory, but also race incidents and penalties that greatly altered the hierarchy under the chequered flag. None of the drivers who started on the front three rows of the grid managed to reach the top three. It was Italian Danny Carenini and Frenchman Clément Outran who dropped to the bottom of the standings from the start. Thibaut Ramaekers, who started on pole and led the first four laps, was then pushed off the track. It was Freddie Lloyd's turn to be penalised for critical overtaking.
At the finish, penalties for incorrect front fairing position were applied, so that this slightly crazy Final saw Spaniard Eduardo Dominguez Espinosa win with the Birel Art Racing and Monlau Motorsport team. Italy's Cristian Biasatti was 83 thousandths behind after a magnificent 10-place improvement. Ireland's Andrei Dabija took 3rd place on the podium ahead of Great Britain's Matthew Higgins and Noah Wolfe, another of the event's leading lights along with Spaniard Ruben Moya and Australian Pip Casabene.
X30 Junior: Kenzo Craigie did it again!
10 drivers crossed the finish line in a matter of seconds. As usual, the X30 Junior category put on an incredible show from the first to the last lap. The 12-14 year-olds also showed their maturity, with few incidents in the leading group. Already crowned OK-Junior World Champion in 2024 with an IAME engine on the very last lap of the Final, Britain's Kenzo Craigie achieved the same feat. The Mercedes star shone brightly in the misty skies of Zuera. 3rd going into the last lap behind his compatriot Zac Green and Dutchman Devon Hagelen, the VictoryLane driver found the gap and claimed his second major international title in less than three months. Hagelen beat Green to 2nd place by 35 thousandths. Great Britain's Aston Sharp spared no effort to climb from 13th to 4th place ahead of Ireland's Tadgh Buckley.
X30 Mini: Many Nuvolini on top of the world
With two wins in the heats, Many Nuvolini was undoubtedly one of the favourites going into the Final. Starting in 7th place, the young Frenchman from the 2N Racing team soon joined the leading group made up of the Czech Zdenek Babicek, leader after the Qualifying Heats, the Briton Harry Williams and the Swede Ludwig Granquist. After some intense duels, Nuvolini took the lead on the eighth of the 11 laps. He managed to build up a small lead, but it was enough to take the chequered flag ahead of Granquist. The latter, who had taken pole position on Tuesday, managed to escape a group of three drivers who battled it out for the third step of the podium. Babicek won this final battle by 57 thousandths from Britain's Austin Newstead, who came back brilliantly from 13th place, and by 74 thousandths from Belgium's Antoine Sylva Venant.
X30 Master: John Norris wins despite Claudio Pagliarani
The top three finishers in the Qualifying Heats finished in the top three places in the Final. But it wasn't quite as simple as that, as the positions in the leading group changed considerably over the 16 laps of the race. First it was Nicolas Picot who surprised all his rivals by jumping from 5th to 1st place at the second corner. The Frenchman soon began to feel the pressure from his rivals. Italian Claudio Pagliarani was the first to pass Picot at the top of the order. Irishman John Norris in turn passed Picot and set off in pursuit of the leader. From then on, the race was split in two, with a duel for victory between two drivers and another for 3rd place on the podium. Despite Pagliarani's best efforts, NCM's Norris held on, much to the delight of the Irish fans who made a lot of noise in the grandstand at the Zuera International Circuit. Behind, Jim Ringelberg was the victim of a final battle with Belgian Thierry Delré and Nicolas Picot. In ambush, Alexandre-Benoît Bessac confirmed his talent by taking 3rd place on the line against Picot and Delré. 5th place went to Norway's Tommy Kvakkestad Nordvang ahead of Ireland's Gary Edwards.
IWF24 results
X30 Senior
1 Dominguez Espinosa Eduardo (ESP) Birel Art
2 Biasatti Cristian (ITA) TB Kart
3 Dabija Andrei (IRL) Tony Kart
4 Higgins Mathew (GBR) Energy Corse
5 Wolfe Noah (GBR) Birel Art
6 Vandekerckhove Matthias (BEL) KR
7 Tudisca Alessandro (BEL) Kosmic
8 Vallve Martin Santiago (ESP) Birel Art
9 Pyykönen Otto (FIN) TB Kart
10 Hogan Sean (IRL) Tony Kart
X30 Junior
1 Craigie Kenzo (GBR) KR
2 Hagelen Devon (NLD) Kosmic
3 Green Zac (GBR) KR
4 Sharp Aston (GBR) Gillard
5 Buckley Tadgh (IRL) Gillard
6 Purcell Evan (GBR) KR
7 Piñera Rusiñol Aleix (ESP) OTK
8 Mota Daniel (ESP) KR
9 Sakala Otto (FIN) LN
10 Mulder Juste (NLD) Croc
X30 Mini
1 Nuvolini Many (FRA) Formula K
2 Granquist Ludwig (SWE) Falcon
3 Babicek Zdenek (CZE) MS Kart
4 Newstead Austin (GBR) KR
5 Venant Antoine Sylva (BEL) KR
6 House George (GBR) Energy Corse
7 Coby Christian (IRL) KR
8 Williams Harry (GBR) KR
9 Grignet Noah (BEL) Redspeed
10 Longhitano Aurelio (CHE) Parolin
X30 Master
1 Norris John (IRL) Tony Kart
2 Pagliarani Claudio (ITA) Tony Kart
3 Bessac Alexandre-Benoit (FRA) Exprit
4 Picot Nicolas (FRA) Tony Kart
5 Delré Thierry (BEL) TD Racing Kart
6 Nordvang Tommy Kvakkestad (NOR) KR
7 Edwards Gary (IRL) Tony Kart
8 Peurière François (FRA) Tony Kart
9 Vilander Toni (FIN) CRG
10 Saari Tero (FIN) CRG
Full results on the iame-motorsport.com website.