The opening day has staged qualifying practice and heats. The final stages will be on Saturday, June 10th, with Live Streaming of Prefinals from 10:40 and Finals from 12:20.
On the International Circuit La Conca of Muro Leccese, the WSK Super Cup by MINI – National Trophy MINI Gr.3 ACI Karting is in full swing, in its second edition organized by WSK Promotion at the beautiful facility in the south of Puglia, in Salento. There is excellent participation in both categories, MINI Gr.3 and MINI Under 10, with all the top protagonists of the season coming from 29 countries, ready to pursue the success that this year is also adorned with the double ACI Sport federal title.
The first official day on Friday began with qualifying practice sessions, followed by the first qualifying heats. The final phase will take place on Saturday, June 10th, starting at 10:40, with the double Prefinals for each category, and at 12:20 the Finals (MINI Gr.3 at 12:20 and MINI U10 at 12:50), all live streamed.
Qualifying practice.
MINI Gr.3 – Zulfikari and Arias Chavarri are the first winners.
In the MINI Gr.3, the Turkish driver Iskender Zulfikari (#501 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame-MG) set the fastest overall time in 52.170s, achieved in Session-2, while in Session-1 the Spanish driver Bosco Arias Chavarri (#533 Team Driver/KR-Iame) stood out with a slightly higher time of 52.305s. Zulfikari, who has already won the WSK Champions Cup and the WSK Super Master Series, is thus the top candidate for success in the MINI Gr.3 category.
In the top positions of Session-1, practically with the same time as the leader Arias Chavarri, Zulfikari's teammate, the Lithuanian driver Nojus Stasionis (#525 Team Driver/KR-Iame), secured second place with a time that just one-thousandth of a second slower (52.306s) and was followed by Maxim Bobreshow (#508 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) at 0.115s. Interestingly, another thousandth of a second separates Bobreshov from the fourth-place time of the English driver Noah Baglin (#515 IKart/KR-Iame), at 0.116s. The American driver Devin Walz (#506 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) is fifth at 0.144s and the Dutch driver Dean Hoogendoorn (#521 Kidix/KR-Iame) is sixth at 0.148s.
In Session-2, behind Zulfikari, two teammates came to the fore: the Australian driver William Calleja (#507 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) who was 0.073s slower and the American driver Keelan Harvick (#514 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame), who in turn ended at 0.104s. The Canadian driver Ilie Crisan Tristan (#550 Tony Kart R.T./Tony Kart-Vortex) recorded the fourth time at 0.236s from the top, ahead of the Spanish driver Manuel Miguez Gayoso (#537 Gamoto/EKS-TM Kart) at 0.243s and the Chinese driver Zeyu Shen (#554 AVRacing/Parolin-Iame) at 0.280s.
MINI Gr.3 Under 10 – Unt and Tamm take the pole of the Under 10.
In the Under 10 category, the Swedish driver Maximus Unt (#552 Ward Racing/Tony Kart-TM Kart-MG) set the fastest overall time in 52.291s, this time posted in Session-1, while the fastest of Session-2 was the Swiss Albert Tamm (#509 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) with a time of 52.444s.
The gaps among the other participants in the Under 10 are also minimal: 0.049s split the top two positions in Session-1, times posted respectively by Unt and the Polish driver Leonardo Gorski (#505 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame), the winner of the WSK Open Series. Third place went to the Australian driver Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi (#549 Tony Kart R.T./Tony Kart-Vortex) with a gap of 0.087s. The latter ended ahead of Daniil Kutskov (#513 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) at 0.132s, the Belgian Antoine Venant (#523 Kidix/KR-Iame) closed his effort at 0.182s and the Italian Niccolò Perico (#572 Energy Corse/Energy-TM Kart) at 0.188s.
In Session-2, behind Albert Tamm, his teammate from America Drew Walz (#512 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) secured second place with a gap of 0.094s, while the third fastest time was secured by the French driver Alessandro Truchot (#562 Parolin Motorsport/Parolin-TM Kart) at 0.150s. Two Italians followed them: Achille Rea (#548 Tony Kart R.T./Tony Kart-Vortex) at 0.175s and Edoardo Colucci (#580 CMT/Parolin-Iame) at 0.200s. The Swiss driver Orlando Rovelli (#517 Kidix/KR-Iame) ended at 0.223s and the Ukrainian Oleksandr Legenkyi (#526 Team Driver/KR-Iame), the champion of the WSK Champions Cup and the WSK Super Master Series, was seventh fastest time at 0.273s.
The winners of the heats: Zulfikari (MINI Gr.3), Eskandari-Marandi (MINI Gr.3 U10).
The heats were marked by some notable retirements but also by several comebacks after qualifying practice. The best performer in MINI Gr.3 turned out to be Iskender Zulfikari, while in the Under 10 category, Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi prevailed.
The winners of the MINI Gr.3 heats were as follows: Heat A-B and A-D: Iskender Zulfikari, C-D and B-C: William Calleja, A-C: Manuel Miguez, B-D: Devin Walz.
The winners of the MINI Gr.3 Under 10 heats were as follows: Heat A-B: Antoine Venant, C-D: Daniil Kutskov, A-C: Maximus Unt, B-D: Albert Tamm, A-D: Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi, B-C Leonardo Gorski.
The program of the WSK Super Cup by MINI, La Conca. Final Stages.
Saturday, June 10th: warm-up at 9:00; Prefinals from 10:40; Final MINI Gr.3 Under 10 at 12:20; Final MINI Gr.3 at 12:50.
Info, Results, Live Timing, Live Streaming: www.wskarting.it/index.asp