Two 100% Kart Republic podiums in Portimao
A few weeks after a very successful trip to Campillos, the teams using equipment from the Kart Republic factory perfectly mastered the specifics of the Algarve international circuit in Portimao and those of Maxxis tyres. The second round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series ended with an impressive domination by the KR-IAME teams. Brilliantly supported by their teams, with their recognised skills and professionalism, the drivers went on to successfully complete their mission in several instances. Italy's Iacopo Martinese in OK and Great Britain's Noah Baglin in OK-Junior won the Finals, which saw two trebles for the Italian brand.
Figures that speak for themselves:
OK
· 92 drivers entered, 55% KR chassis
· 36 finalists, 55.5% KR-IAME combinations
· Pole position: Turney (KR-IAME) 55"056
· Qualifying Heats: 12 wins
· Super Heats 1: Top seven for KR-IAME
· Super Heat 2: Double for KR-IAME
· Final: Top four for KR-IAME
· Fastest lap in Final: Ramaekers (KR-IAME) 55"495
OK-Junior
· 92 drivers entered, 46.5% KR chassis
· 36 finalists, 47% KR-IAME combinations
· Qualifying heats: Seven wins
· Super Heat 1: Top three for KR-IAME
· Super Heat 2: Four KR-IAME in the top 10
· Final: Top three for KR-IAME
· Fastest lap in Final: Hoogendoorn (KR-IAME) 57"214
Iacopo Martinese, winner and leader in OK
3rd in Campillos, Iacopo Martinese (Cetilar Racing) took the lead in the Final on the second lap, then extended his lead. The Italian took a deserved victory ahead of Belgian Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) and becomes series leader after Round 2 in Portimao. Ramaekers showed extreme speed during the Final. Starting 6th, he came home 2nd with the fastest lap of the race. Joe Turney (KR Motorsport) also put in a sensational performance, with pole position, three heat wins and a 1st place on the grid for the Final. A minor problem with the cooling system forced him to be content with 3rd place. Two of Turney's teammates stood out: American Dean Pedersen finished P4 and Australian Lewis Francis P6. Chiara Battig (VictoryLane) was P9. Frenchman Louis Cochet (VictoryLane), who started P3, would have liked to take part in the celebrations, but unfortunately, a collision prevented him from doing so.
KR + IAME remain the team to beat in OK.
KR hat-trick in OK-Junior with Baglin, Taal and Green
As in OK, the competition is also very strong in OK-Junior. The teams using the KR chassis, therefore, had to work hard to make the difference. Noah Baglin (Prema Racing) is a case in point. He was only 20th in Qualifying practice, but proved ultra-competitive in the Qualifying Heats to come back to 1st place. He then went on to win the Super Heat and the Final after a perfect performance. Dutchman Luuk Taal (VictoryLane) got off to a blazing start to climb from 6th to 2nd place. He was never far behind the leader and took the logical second step on the podium. Winner of two Qualifying Heats, Will Green (KR Motorsport) demonstrated his high level of performance by completing the top three. Two other teams were able to make their mark in the top 10 with KR-IAME colours: Fusion Motorsport placed Great Britain's Jesse Phillips in 5th position and Koski Motorsport supported Italy's Valerio Viapana from 18th to 10th place. Frenchman Luka Scelles (VictoryLane) spent his three days of competition at the front. Locked in at the start, he finished P8. The fastest lap of the Final was set by Dutchman Dean Hoogendoorn, who made some incredible comebacks in Portugal.