The Final challenge of WSK Super Master Series.
A total of 280 drivers took part in scrutineering yesterday ahead of the closer of WSK Super Master Series that had officially kicked off today. The first indications from stopwatches came in qualifying that this morning started shaping up the starting grids of qualifying heats at the International Circuit Napoli in Sarno (I), above in an aerial view. The program continued with the initial heats that have kept drivers busy for the whole afternoon until the early evening for a total of 14 races. The big number of drivers coming from 43 different Nations contributed to add interest to this motorsport show in the closing round of WSK Super Master Series. Further 23 heats will take place tomorrow at the end of which the first points of the weekend will be awarded: every point will count since gaps on top are rather small at the moment. All these premises make the anticipation grow for the crucial day of Sunday, March 24th, when the winners of KZ2, OK, OK Junior and 60 Mini will be named after 8 Prefinals and 4 Finals.
Tuukka Taponen, setting the pace in OKJ.
A quite lively OK Junior saw the Finn Tuukka Taponen (Kosmic-Iame-Vega) coming to the fore in Sarno. He set the pace in qualifying, posting the quickest time in 59”358s. The Dutch Laurens Van Hoepen, second in qualifying, bounced back winning one of the four heats, as did his fellow countryman Thomas Ten Brinke, the Australian James Wharton (all on FA Kart-Vortex) and the Russian Artem Severiukhin (Tony Kart-Vortex). Provisional classification leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR-Iame) has some ground to get back instead. He was 12th in qualifying and fifth in his heat today. Above, the start of one of the heats.
Dexter Patterson pushing hard in OK.
Dexter Patterson (KR-Iame-Bridgestone) had a positive day one: after posting the quickest time in qualifying in 45”291s, leading the Swede Dino Beganovic (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Scot won, in fact, the first heat. Being on top of the provisional classification, Patterson is among the favourites to the final win, even if the classification is still open and the battle is going to be exciting tomorrow. The second heat was won by the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto (CRG-Iame).
Lorenzo Camplese the quickest in KZ2.
Lorenzo Camplese (Tony Kart-Vortex-Bridgestone) has been the quickest driver in qualifying at the second and decisive round of KZ2. The Italian posted a best time of 56”402s keeping his teammate Marco Ardigò behind. The driver from Brescia secured the win in the first of the two heats, while the second went Giacomo Pollini’s ways (Formula K-TM). The weekend of classification leader from Holland Bas Lammers (Sodi Kart-TM) started on a low, as he posted the 13th time in qualifying and ended his heat in fourth place.
William Macintyre having another go in 60 Mini.
The British William Macintyre (Parolin-TM-Vega), already on top in qualifying at the previous round in Muro Leccese, will have another go at staying on top of everyone in 60 Mini. He posted, in fact, the quickest time in qualifying in 1’07”178s. Current classification leader from Belgium Ean Eyckmans was not as fast and classified only 12th . Six different drivers came to the fore in as many heats taking one win each: namely, Emirates’ Keanu Al Azhari, the Russian Maksin Orlov, the Pole Maciej Gladysz, the Swede Joel Bergstrom (all on Parolin-TM), the Italian Antonio Apicella and the Russian Dmitriy Matveev (both on Energy-TM). In the photo above, Macintyre leads the pack in one of today's heats.
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