Top performances in the heats were put in by Robertson (MINI U10), Miron (MINI Gr.), Viapiana (OKNJ), Pavan (OK), Costoya (OKJ) and Leuillet (KZ2). The Final stages on Sunday will enjoy TV Live Streaming coverage from 9:20.
After qualifying sessions and the first two days of races, featuring a total of 43 qualifying heats, the intense selection phase ultimately unveiled the main contenders for the third round of the WSK Super Master Series at the Franciacorta Karting Track. It was an exciting and necessary selection process to determine the finalists of this highly attended season-opening event, marked by a large number of participants. A total of 389 verified drivers were among the over 400 entries from around the world, representing 51 nations and highlighting the significance and international nature of the event.
The on-track action has been of a high standard across all categories, from the smallest MINI to the more powerful OKNJ, OKJ, OK and KZ2. There have been some surprises compared to the previous two rounds at the Lonato and Cremona circuits, particularly with the presence of many new protagonists who have showcased their talent.
MINI GR.3 U10 - Robertson confirms his lead.
Among the youngest competitors in MINI Gr. Under 10, the Scotsman Mason Robertson (#513 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame-Vega) maintained his lead in the heats after securing pole position, a victory and solid placements. However, the championship leader from Sweden Carl Nellegard (#553 Ward Racing/Tony Kart-TM Kart), despite facing setbacks, persevered and secured two wins after a retirement in the first heat. Also among the top performers were the Estonian Mark Loomets (#523 Energy Corse/Energy-TM Kart) and Italian Achille Rea (#515 Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex), each with a victory, along with the Polish driver Blazej Kostrzewa (#521 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame).
MINI GR.3 – Miron keeps his momentum.
Winning streak in MINI Gr.3 for the Spanish driver Daniel Miron Lorente (#501 Team Driver/KR-Iame-Vega) in both heats, while the pole position holder, the Belgian Antoine Venant (#571 Kidix/KR-Iame), slipped back. The Polish driver Leonardo Gorski (#514 Tony Kart Racing Team/Tony Kart-Vortex) along with the American Alessandro Truchot (#510 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame-Vega), each with a heat victory, and his teammate, the Italian Julian Frasnelli were also among the top performers. The championship leader, the Australian William Calleja, had a strong outing with BabyRace. In recovery after a challenging qualifying, the Italian Cristian Blandino (#550 Kalì-Kart Racing/TGroup-TM Kart), winner in Lonato and second in the championship, showed resilience.
OKNJ – Full haul for Viapiana.
The Italian driver Valerio Viapiana (#702 Team Driver/KR-Iame-Vega), currently fourth in the championship, claimed victory in the OK-N Junior heats at Franciacorta. In excellent form, he secured pole position in qualifying and achieved a double win, results that place him at the top of the heats standings. Close behind is the Romanian Bogdan Cosma Cristofor (#711 Forza Racing/Exprit-TM Kart) with one victory and a fifth-place finish. Following them are the Italian Giacomo Giusto (#729 Modena Kart/Parolin-TM Kart), the Cremona winner Englishman Archie Lovatt (#712 Forza Racing/Exprit-TM Kart) and the Italian Pietro Bagutti (#701 Gamoto/Tony Kart-TM Kart) making a strong comeback.
OK - Pavan leads after the heats.
In the duel in OK between the Italian Sebastiano Pavan (#218 Tony Kart Racing Team/OTK-Vortex-LeCont) and the Belgian Thibaut Ramaekers (#275 VDK Racing/KR-Iame), Pavan holds the better position after the heats with two victories, while Ramaekers retains the win achieved on Friday. Another Italian, Davide Bottaro (#278 CRG Racing Team/CRG-Iame), who secured pole position in qualifying but faced retirement in the first heat, made a strong comeback with two victories. The championship leader is slightly behind, the Belgian Ean Eyckmans (#209 BirelART Racing/TM Kart), secured in fact two third places and a sixth. The Estonian Roland Kuklane (#215 Ward Racing/Tony Kart-TM Kart) also secured a win. The weekend has been challenging so far for the Ukrainian Oleksandr Bondarev (#201 Prema Racing/KR-Iame), the winner of the first round in Lonato and currently second in the championship.
OKJ - Costoya is in the lead.
The situation in OK-Junior is quite balanced, but the standout performers include the Spanish driver Christian Costoya (#337 Parolin Motorsport/Parolin-TM Kart-Vega) with three victories, along with another Spaniard, Bosco Arias (#303 DPK Racing/KR-Iame), who claimed two wins. The American Jack Dennis Iliffe (#330 Forza Racing/Exprit-TM Kart) also performed well with two victories, as did the Austrian Niklas Schaufler (#301 DPK Racing/KR-Iame), who is the championship leader. The Dutch driver Dean Hoogendoorn (#319 AKM Motorsport/KR-Iame) made a strong comeback with three wins, but he was penalized in another winning heat, causing him to lose positions. The British driver Roman Kamyab (#325 Ricky Flynn/LN-TM Kart) secured two victories, and the Ukrainian Lev Krutogolov (#380 Borsch Racing/Tony Kart-Iame), who had taken pole position in qualifying, won one heat.
KZ2 - Leuillet wins four out of four races.
The French driver Tom Leuillet (#33 Tony Kart Racing Team/OTK-Vortex-Vega) sealed the deal with the fourth victory in as many heats, but faced strong competition from various opponents. Notable contenders include the Swedish driver Viktor Gustavsson (#90 CRG Racing Team/CRG-TM Kart) and Romanian Daniel Vasile (#4 BirelART/BirelART-TM Kart), both with two wins. Also showing strong competitiveness were Danilo Albanese (#82 KR Motorsport/KR-Iame) and current points leader Cristian Bertuca (#1 BirelART Racing/BirelART-TM Kart), who won the first race in Lonato. The winner of the previous race in Cremona, the French driver Emilien Denner (#11 Sodikart/Sodi-TM Kart) is also ready to make an impact. Among the key protagonists, the Italian driver Paolo De Conto (#88 Parolin Motorsport/Parolin-TM Kart) made a comeback in karting and already displayed competitive form.
The program of WSK Super Master Series, Rd3 Franciacorta Karting Track:
Sunday, February 18th: warm up from 8:00; Live on TV and Live Streaming from 9:20 for Prefinals and from 13:00 for the Finals (13:00 MINI GR.3, 13:30 MINI U10, 14:05 OKJ, 14:35 KZ2; 15:05 OK, 15:35 OKNJ).
Info, classifications, results: www.wskarting.it/index.asp