The Tony Kart Racer 401 RR sets the fastest time in the qualifyings of the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship 2023 reserved for KZ and KZ2 categories, however the weekend does not end as expected.
The Tony Kart Racing Team begins the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship 2023 reserved to the KZ-KZ2 classes leading the race. On the Spanish track of Zuera, the Tony Kart Racer 401 RR powered by Vortex VTZ, designed and developed by the "engine division" of OTK Kart Group, proves to be performing and fast, although at the end of the event the expected results do not come.
In KZ class, the weekend begins with a one-two in the qualifyings, thanks to Tom Leuillet’s pole position and Lorenzo Camplese's second best time. The lap of 57.850 seconds set by their French driver will turn out to be the best time of the whole event. In the following qualifying heats on Friday and Saturday, Leuillet takes full advantage of the potential of the Tony Kart-Vortex technical package and collects a victory and other useful results to get the second position in the ranking at the end of the heats. The French driver's speed, as confirmed by the best chrono time in the following super heat on Sunday morning, is not in question: unfortunately, however, some collisions with his rivals force him to fall back in the ranking. Tom jumps the final from fifth position determined to climb the ranking, but once again some collisions at the start hamper the reigning European KZ2 champion forcing him to an inevitable stop. Camplese receives the baton from Leuillet and, with a series of excellent overtaking moves, enters the fight for the podium by finishing fourth, with the third best time in the race.
A good beginning for Jean Luyet, until last year running in KZ2. The Swiss driver steadily improves his performance in the ranking and finishes the final with a recovery of 10 positions. Concrete debut for Luigi Coluccio in the master class of the shifter karts, already protagonist this year with their team in the single-gear categories and author of a victory in OK at Sarno on the occasion of the WSK Super Master Series.
In KZ2, Samuel Luyet and Norton Andreasson quickly reach the final, despite a large group of 88 entries. The Swiss driver achieves a fifth place as best result in the qualifying heats, but a stop in the B-C heat ruins his path, while in the last race of the weekend, he is forced to raise the white flag. The Swedish driver, on the other hand, makes his way through the heats, gains 13 places in the intermediate ranking, and finishes in the Top 20 in the final. Alexander Gubenko works tirelessly in close contact with their staff and gathers useful information for the upcoming season.
Positive signals also in the third round of the WSK Open Series at Castelletto di Branduzzo for their Tony Kart Rookie, with Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi able to get a victory and a fast lap in the qualifying heats, besides a fifth place in the final of the MINI Gr.3 U10. Good performances also in the MINI Gr.3, with three podiums in the heats and the fastest lap in the final for Tristan Crisan Ilie. An active Ludovico Mazzola also distinguishes himself in the same category.
The Tony Kart Racing Team is back in Italy for the fourth and last round of the WSK Super Master Series (April 27th - 30th) in Cremona, where the KZ2, OK, OKJ, MINI Gr.3 and MINI Gr.3 U10 classes are competing.