The final round of the Karting FIA European Championship reached an unusual intensity in OK-Junior but the Sodi Racing Team was perfectly prepared for this final event. The competitiveness shown by driver Nathan Tye allowed the Briton to take the lead in the Final and to be in a position to be crowned for a few laps. Although the numerous race hazards did not turn out in his favour in Franciacorta, Tye scored enough points over the whole competition to take 3rd place in a 2022 European Championship that was more competitive than ever!
Two weeks after winning the title in the Champions of the Future Euro Series, Nathan Tye once again had a Sodi-TM Racing package prepared with the greatest care by the official Sodikart team. This last FIA Karting European event for the OK-Junior category was looking very promising, as the young British hopeful set the fastest time in his group in Timed Practice, the 2nd fastest time overall, which enabled him to start on the front row in all his heats. Unfortunately, an accident in one of them on Friday forced him to drop back to 14th position on Saturday evening.
Nathan Tye: fast and combative
Thanks to a solid Super Heat, Tye regained three places on the grid for the Final, where he had an extraordinary start, to the point where he was in the lead after a few laps. Unfortunately, the Junior drivers were red hot in the Lombardy sun and Nathan Tye had a tough time in the hustle and bustle of the leading pack.
"Nathan is a fighter and he knew he had a small chance of winning the title," commented Mansel Smith, Sodi Racing Team Manager. "But in Franciacorta, many drivers wanted to finish their Championship on a high note and sometimes went beyond their limits to try to get a podium. In this context, there were many incidents in the pack and Nathan's race ended after a collision. It's a pity, because he had the performance to win and maybe become European Champion. After Senna Van Walstijn's 3rd place in KZ, the Sodi Racing Team can be happy with this new Final podium at the highest European level. It is further proof of our competitiveness in all conditions and categories."
Besides Nathan Tye, other Sodi Racing Team Juniors also managed to shine. Adam Hideg finished 7th in the Final after faultless driving throughout the meeting. For his first race in the category, Andrea Dupe showed great potential, especially in Qualifying, which he finished in 8th position out of 76 entries, while Andy Consani had some excellent Qualifying runs.