In the spectacular international setting of Lonato, the winners of the third round of the season were Bergman (MINI U10), Perico (MINI Gr.3 sub judice), Hoogendoorn (OKJ), Drummond (OK), Stanley (OK-NJ) and Van Walstijn (KZ2).
The WSK Super Master Series concluded its third event at South Garda Karting with a highly spectacular final phase, in an extraordinary event that on the Lonato track was able to confirm how the championship has increasingly become an important point of reference on the international karting scene.
Championship competitiveness, 401 drivers on track and motorsport school.
The high level of competitiveness achieved is quite evident thanks to the constant participation of all manufacturers, the major teams of world karting and the large group of drivers from all 5 continents. The high participation is very important, which in the 20th year of the WSK Promotion organization, in the Lonato round reached the new record of 401 verified drivers out of the total of 419 registered, with a representation of as many as 55 nations. Finally, the competitiveness in the youth categories has attracted a large number of very young drivers and the attention of many motorsport champions for the start of their children's careers. In Lonato, among the 135 drivers present in the MINI, to keep company with the very young Robin Raikkonen, Johan Berger also joined, sons respectively of two former F1 drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Gerhard Berger.
The third round of Lonato ended with the rainy final phase.
In Lonato, there were as many as 44 qualifying heats and 12 Prefinals to define the finalists of all categories of this event, from the youngest MINI and OK-N Junior to the international direct-drive categories of OK-Junior and OK, up to the highest performing KZ2. The final day, largely conditioned by rain, saw the victories of Bergman (MINI U10), Perico (MINI Gr.3 sub judice), Hoogendoorn (OKJ), Drummond (OK), Stanley (OK-NJ) and Van Walstijn (KZ2).
The Prefinals.
The winners of the Prefinals:
MINI U10 Prefinal-A: 1st Daniel Pasquali (ITA) (#550 CRG Racing Team/T-Group-TM Kart-Vega).
MINI U10 Prefinal-B: 1st Platon Kovtunenko (UKR) (#558 Borsch Racing/Energy-Iame-Vega).
MINI Gr.3 Prefinal-A: 1st Niccolò Perico (ITA) (#521 Team Driver/KR-Iame-Vega) (Sub-Judice).
MINI Gr.3 Prefinal-B: 1st Xavier Lazaro (PRT) (#570 DR/DR-TM Kart-Vega).
OKJ Prefinal-A: 1st Ilie Crisan Tristan (CND) (#304 Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega).
OKJ Prefinal-B: 1st Dean Hoogendoorn (NLD) (#302 Prema Racing/KR-Iame-Vega).
OK Prefinal-A: 1st Sebastiano Pavan (ITA) (#232 Ward Racing/Tony Kart-TM Kart-LeCont).
OK Prefinal-B: 1st Dries Van Langendonck (BEL) (#201 Prema Racing/KR-Iame-LeCont).
OKNJ Prefinal-A: 1st Nicola Stanley (USA) (#720 MP Academy Gamoto/Henza Kart-TM Kart-Vega).
OKNJ Prefinal-B: 1st Nikita Botte (UKR) (#704 Novalux/Lenzokart-LKE-Vega).
KZ2 Prefinal-A: 1st Timo Jungling (GBR) (#104 Formula K SRP/IPK-TM Kart-Vega).
KZ2 Prefinal-B: 1st Jean Nomblot (FRA) (#111 CPB Sport/Sodikart-TM Kart-Vega).
The Finals.
MINI U10 - Third consecutive victory for Bergman.
The winner of the first two rounds of the WSK Super Master Series in La Conca and Sarno, Josh Bergman (Kidix/KR-Iame-Vega), managed to prevail also in this third event at the end of a Final resolved in the last laps. The American driver, after winning in the heats, had lost several positions in the Prefinal, but in the Final he managed to recover, winning ahead of his teammate, the Caribbean Wynn Godschalk. The Estonian Jan Ruudi Algre (Formula K SRP/Formula K-TM Kart) finished in third position after leading for the first laps.
Final MINI U10:
1st Bergman Josh (SWE) (#563 Kidix/KR-Iame-Vega) 9 laps
2nd Godschalk Wynn (CUW) (#564 Kidix/KR-Iame) +3.032
3rd Algre Jan Ruudi (EST) (#580 Formula K SRP/Formula K-TM Kart) +3.817
MINI U10 Championship standings:
1st Bergman Josh (SWE) points 253
2nd Godschalk Wynn (CUW) points 153
3rd Papageorgiu Andreas (CYP) points 150
MINI GR.3 - Perico wins but the classification is sub-judice.
The MINI Gr.3 was conditioned by the result of the Prefinal, due to an appeal by the Italian Niccolò Perico (Team Driver/KR-Iame), winner of the race but sanctioned with exclusion for underweight. The standings have therefore become sub-judice. Perico then also won the Final, coming back from ninth position, and this classification, as a consequence, is to be considered sub-judice. In the Final, behind Perico, the classification leader from Portugal Xavier Lazaro (DR/DR-TM Kart), winner of Prefinal-B and of the last round in Sarno ended second. The third place went to the French Stan Ratajski (BabyRace/Parolin-Iame), ahead of the Italian David Moscardi (Novalux/Lenzokart-LKE).
Final MINI Gr.3 (Sub-Judice):
1st Perico Niccolò (ITA) (#521 Team Driver/KR-Iame-Vega) 9 laps
2nd Lazaro Xavier (PRT) (#570 DR/DR-TM Kart) +1.417
3rd Ratajski Stan (FRA) (#513 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) +4.293
MINI Gr.3 Championship standings (Sub-Judice):
1st Lazaro Zavier (PRT) points 248
2nd Perico Niccolò (ITA) points 236
3rd Moscardi David (ITA) points 112
OKJ - Important second victory for Hoogendoorn.
At the end of an exciting Final, the victory went to Dean Hoogendoorn, competing with the Prema Racing team on KR-Iame, coming back after the heats and winner of Prefinal-B. The Dutch driver, already winner in the last round in Sarno, with this result has further increased his advantage in the standings. In the fight with Hoogendoorn, especially the French Luka Scelles (VictoryLine/KR-Iame) and the Canadian Ilie Crisan Tristan (Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex), winner of Prefinal-A, stood out. Scelles and Crisan concluded in the order on the second and third step of the podium. Among the best also Hoogendoorn's teammate, the Englishman Noah Baglin, and the American Devin Walz (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame).
Final OKJ:
1st Hoogendoorn Dean (NLD) (#302 Prema Racing/KR-Iame-Vega) 14 laps
2nd Scelles Luka (FRA) (#378 VictoryLane/KR-Iame) +2.490
3rd Crisan Ilie Tristan (CND) (#304 Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex) +4.898
OKJ Championship standings:
1st Hoogendoorn Dean (NLD) points 278
2nd Baglin Noah (GBR) points 183
3rd Crisan Ilie Tristan (CND) points 177
OK - Drummond takes the second victory.
Some contacts between the drivers in contention for the victory, and a series of penalties, ultimately rewarded the Scottish driver Zac Drummond (Fusion Motorsport/KR-Iame-LeCont), already winner of the first round in La Conca, with the second success in this third championship round. In second position finished the Ukrainian driver Lev Krutogolov (Energy Corse/Energy-Iame), while on the third step of the podium finished the Belgian Dries Van Langendonck (Prema Racing/KR-Iame), winner of Prefinal-B, who confirms himself at the top of the championship. The winner of the last round in Sarno, Filippo Sala (Forza Racing/Exprit-TM Kart) was forced to retire after a contact with Iacopo Martinese (KR Mortorsport/KR-Iame) when the two were fighting for the first position.
Final OK:
1st Drummond Zac (GBR) (#230 Fusion Motorsport/KR-Iame-LeCont) 16 laps
2nd Krutogolov Lev (UKR) (#270 Energy Corse/Energy-Iame) +0.525
3rd Van Langendonck Dries (BEL) (#201 Prema Racing/KR-Iame) +4.826
OK Championship standings:
1st Van Langendonck Dries (BEL) points 240
2nd Costoya Christian (ESP) points 172
3rd Drummond Zac (GBR) points 171
OKNJ – A great success for Stanley.
Nicola Stanley won the OK-NJ Final at the end of an excellent comeback. The American driver, competing with the MP Academy Gamoto team on Henza Kart-TM Kart-Vega, won ahead of the classification leader, the other American Lucas Palacio (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame) who with this second place confirmed himself at the top of the championship, thanks also to the success obtained in the first round of La Conca. Third was Michele Orlando, with DR on DR-Modena Engines. The Italian driver, already winner of the last round in Sarno, put in a great comeback.
Final OKNJ:
1st Stanley Nicola (USA) (#720 MP Academy Gamoto/Henza Kart-TM Kart-Vega) 14 laps
2nd Palacio Lucas (USA) (#711 KR Motorsport/KR-Iame) +2.118
3rd Orlando Michele (ITA) (#721 DR/DR-Modena Engines) +6.323
OKNJ Championship standings:
1st Palacio Lucas (USA) points 189
2nd Stanley Nicola (USA) points 151
3rd Orlando Michele (ITA) points 143
KZ2 - Van Walstijn inherits victory and leadership.
Also quite eventful was the highest performing category of the KZ2, where Cristian Bertuca (BirelART Racing/BirelART-TM Kart-Vega), championship leader after his victory in the last round in Sarno, was the first to cross the finish line. In the post-race, however, the Italian driver was handed a 5 seconds time penalty for track limits, and the victory passed into the hands of the Dutchman Senna Van Walstijn (CPB Sport/Sodikart-TM Kart), who also became the new classification leader. Behind Van Walstijn and Bertuca, the podium was then completed by the Frenchman Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP/IPK-TM Kart) thanks to a penalty to the other Frenchman Jean Nomblot (CPB Sport/Sodikart-TM Kart) for the incorrect position of the front fairing.
Final KZ2:
1st Van Walstijn Senna (NLD) (#102 CPB Sport/Sodikart-TM Kart-Vega) 16 laps
2nd Bertuca Cristian (ITA) (#125 BirelART Racing/BirelART-TM Kart) +2.029
3rd Denner Emilien (FRA) (#140 Formula K SRP/IPK-TM Kart) +8.134
KZ2 Championship standings:
1st Van Walstijn Senna (NLD) points 192
2nd Bertuca Cristian (ITA) points 177
3rd Nomblot Jean (FRA) points 129
The next round:
WSK Super Master Series Rd.4, 5-9 March at the Franciacorta Karting Track.
The calendar of the WSK Super Master Series.
1st Rd – 22-26/01/2025 LA CONCA / MINI – OKNJ – OKJ – OK – KZ2
2nd Rd – 05-09/02/2025 SARNO / MINI – OKNJ – OKJ – OK – KZ2
3rd Rd – 19-23/02/2025 LONATO / MINI – OKNJ – OKJ – OK – KZ2
4th Rd – 05-09/03/2025 FRANCIACORTA / MINI – OKNJ – OKJ – OK – KZ2
5th Rd – 12-16/03/2025 VITERBO / MINI – OKNJ – OKJ – OK – KZ2
Complete results are available at: www.wskarting.it/index.asp