A total of 310 are contesting the victory of categories KZ2, OK, OK-Junior and Mini Rok at the South Garda Karting Circuit. Qualifying practice and initial heats named the early pace setters. Further heats will follow on Saturday, February 16th, while the final stages will take place on Sunday, February 17th.

The 24th edition of Winter Cup has kicked off at the South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato del Garda (Brescia, Italy) with 310 drivers of the entered 319 all set to contest the 4 categories partaking in the event. Drivers come from virtually all over the world and among these several World and European Champions that are getting ready to start the new International season on a high.

Categories KZ2, OK, OK-Junior and Mini Rok will make it onto the track with all the main constructors and their works drivers, as well as the strongest teams that will challenge each other on the 1.200 meters of the renewed layout of the South Garda Karting circuit. The first indications have emerged on Friday, February 15th, in qualifying practice and in the initial heats. There is still a long way to go though, as several heats are still to be run on Saturday, February 16th, and will lead into the final stages on Sunday, February 17th, when the challenge is going to involve the 34 top drivers of each category that will hunt for the victory of this prestigious event.

Fabian Federer (Maranello-TM-Bridgestone) secured the pole position of KZ2 posting the quickest time of Series-2 in 46.533s. The quickest time in the other two KZ2 sessions went to Giuseppe Palomba (Croc-TM-Bridgestone) in Series-1 in 46.618s and to the French European Champion Adrien Renaudin (Sodikart-TM-Bridgestone), Series-3, in 46.747s. The best time of OK was posted in Series-1 by World Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR-Iame- Bridgestone) in 47.064s. He was followed by Dexter Patterson (KR-Iame-Bridgestone), who went quickest in Series-2 in 47.346s.

Three sessions have been run in OK-Junior and the young talent from Italy Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR-Iame-Vega) was overall the quickest in 48.491s. He was followed by the Swede Philip Victorrsson (Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega), who was the quickest of Series-2 in 48.914s and by the Russian Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart-Vortex-Vega), who posted the fastest lap of Series-3 in 48.545s. The quickest in the two Mini Rok sessions was the British driver Coskun Irfan (Parolin-Vortex- Bridgestone) who completed his best loop in Series-2 in 55.109s. Valerio Rinicella (Energy- Vortex-Bridgestone) went quickest in Series-1 in 55.160s.

The winners of the first qualifying heats were:

KZ2: (E-F) Paolo De Conto (CRG-TM-Bridgestone);

(A-B) Fabian Federer (Maranello-TM-Bridgestone);

(C-D) Giacomo Pollini (Formula K-TM-Bridgestone);

(B-F) Paolo De Conto (CRG-TM-Bridgestone).

OK: (A-B) Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR-Iame-Bridgestone);

(C-D) Gabriele Minì (Parolin-TM-Bridgestone);

(B-C) Dexter Patterson (KR-Iame-Bridgestone).

OK-JUNIOR: (A-B) Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR-Iame-Vega);

(C-D) James Wharton (FA-Vortex-Vega);

(B-E) Thomas Ten Brinke (FA-Vortex-Vega).

MINI ROK: (A-B) Coskun Irfan (Parolin-Vortex-Bridgestone);

(C-D) Rashid Al Dhaheri (Parolin-Vortex-Bridgestone).

The program will continue on Saturday 16th, while the final stages will get underway on Sunday,February 17th.

The program of the 24the Winter Cup in Lonato:

Saturday, February 16th: Warm-up at local 8.15, Qualifying heats from 10.25.

Sunday, February 17th: Warm-up at 8.30, Qualifying heats from 11.00, Super heats from 12.00, OK Final at 15.00, OK-Junior Final at 15.25, Mini Rok Final at 16.00, KZ2 Final at 16.25.