Tony Kart, podium in OKJ on the Swedish round of the European Championship
Joseph Turney, in OK, achieves another useful result on the occasion of the third round of the FIA Karting European Championship in Sweden thus keeping the lead in the championship standings with one round at the end. Another podium in the OKJ category, this time with Jan Przyrowski.
The fight for the FIA Karting European Championship OK title is getting tougher and tougher. With two victories in the first two rounds and another useful result in the third round of the Kristianstad (Sweden) race, the Tony Kart Racing Team is ready to play its cards in the fight for the continental title, with only one race still to be run. Thanks to the good design and performance of the Tony Kart Racer 401 RR, as always equipped with Vortex engines, the engine division of the OTK Kart Group. Positive notes also in OKJ, once more with the "Racer", but equipped with Vortex's DJT engine.
In OK, Joseph Turney comes to the start of the Swedish weekend strong in the championship leadership, obtained thanks to two victories in the first two rounds in Portugal and Spain. After a tight qualifying session, the British driver makes his way through the qualifying heats, recovering a total of 13 positions in the overall standings at the end of the day on Saturday. On Sunday, Turney improves further, gaining five positions in the A Super Heat and finishing fourth, while in the final he made the most of his Top 10 finish to confirm his position at the top of the championship with just one round at the end.
A positive weekend also for reigning OK world champion Tuukka Taponen. The Finnish driver collects two podiums and a fastest lap in the qualifying heats, and then adds to his haul with a third place in A Super Heat - just ahead of his teammate Turney - and with a further close podium in the decisive final. His compatriot Juho Valtanen is also on the improving: with four podiums in the five eliminatory heats and a consequent Top 5 in Saturday night's intermediate ranking, the Finnish driver performs well in the final and takes home a valuable Top 10. Sixth in the qualifying and always in the top ranks during the qualifying heats, the rookie James Egozi further improves his skills in view of the upcoming events on the calendar. Several interesting comebacks for Charlie Wurz in Friday and Saturday's races, as well as for his teammate Liu Ruiqi.
In OKJ, another podium for their drivers after the Zuera event. This time, it is Jan Przyrowski who is the author of the best result of the weekend for the Tony Kart Racing Team, after taking the lead in the final in the very early stages of the race. The Polish driver never loses contact with the race leader and arrives at the finishing line in second position, after having shown excellent potential during the qualifying heats (a win, four podiums and a fastest lap) and a third place in the B Super Heat on Sunday morning.
Also fast, once again, is Enzo Tarnvanichkul throughout the weekend. The Thai driver records a total of four podiums and one fastest lap in the five eliminatory heats on Friday and Saturday, improving further on Sunday morning with a victory in A Super Heat. In the final, Tarnvanichkul fights tooth and nail for a well-deserved podium position, but an opponent's behaviour - later sanctioned by the marshals- gives him a five-second penalty for his front spoiler in the wrong position, sending him to tenth place.
Arthur Dorison performs an interesting comeback after the podium gained in Zuera together with Tarnvanichkul. The Frenchman climbs not less than 13 places in the ranking and, by a matter of a second, comes close to the Top 15. Another final attendance for Jimmy Helias, after a framed Friday: the young Frenchman sets the third best timing in the qualifying and wins two races out of two (both with fast laps). Only two unlucky stops in the last heat on Saturday and in the super heat on Sunday morning hamper Helias, but his performances are really encouraging. Alp Hasan Aksoy, Giacomo Pedrini and Maria Germano Neto are also constantly at work, ready to go to the track in the next scheduled races.
The Tony Kart Racing Team takes a short break, before getting back on track on June 16th-19th for the second and last round of the FIA Karting European Championship KZ-KZ2 in Cremona, Italy.