Lonato Winter Cup - Day Two
| press release | 17 February 2013 |
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Second racing day on the South Garda Karting circuit of Lonato for the last qualifying for tomorrow's final phase of the 18th Winter Cup, as gripping as ever thanks to races which have enjoyed beautiful weather after the massive snowfall at the beginning of the week.
On a racetrack which was finally in ideal condition, the almost 250 entrants to this international event have given their best to gain the best starting positions for Sunday's Pre-final, which will be followed by the much awaited Final.
In KZ2, after the three heats of today and the three of yesterday, the current leadership was achieved by the Italian Paolo De Conto (Birel-Tm) thanks to his three wins, two of them were achieved today. Surprisingly, the second slot on the starting grid of Sunday's Pre-final is filled by Yannick De Brabander (Maranello-Tm), at the debut with his new team from Brescia. Third the English Ben Hanley (Art GP-Tm), who precedes Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart-Vortex), who, today, achieved a second and a fourth place.
Above: Birel driver Paulo De Conto leads KZ2
In the ranking of the two racing days, the first drivers are followed by Ricardo Negro (5th - DR-Tm), Fabian Federer (6th - CRG-Modena) and Davide Forè (7th - CRG-Maxter); the latter lost some positions because of a crash he was involved in during the last lap of his last heat, when he was occupying thethird position. In the top-ten also Charles Leclerc (Art GP-Tm), Rick Dreezen (Tony Kart.-Vortex) and the reigning World Champion Bas Lammers (Praga-Parilla). Among Saturday's winners special mention for the win in the third heat of Lorenzo Lapina (Maranello-Modena), 17th of the current ranking.
KZ2 current standings: 1. De Conto; 2. De Brabander; 3. Hanley; 4. Ardigò; 5. Negro; 6. Federer; 7. Forè; 8. Leclerc; 9. Dreezen; 10. Lammers.
In KF2 the Dutch Max Verstappen (CRG-Tm) continued to be overwhelming and won all the three heats he took part in. Despite in one of the races he was hit by a 10-second penalty of the race direction for a jump start, the Dutch driver managed toconfirm his leadership and in the Sunday's Pre-final he will start from thepole position once again.
The other winners of the heats in KF2 are the Danish Christian Sorensen (Kosmic-Tm), the Croatian Martin Kodric (FA Alonso-Vortex), who won twice, the French Dorian Boccolacci (Energy-Tm), the driver from Macau Chung Wing Chang (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Canadian Zachary Claman DeMelo (CRG-Bmb) and Andrea Russo (Kosmic-Vortex). Rather surprisingly, for the time being the local driver Luca Corberi (Kosmic-Vortex) did not manage to join the 28 finalists; he got stuck twice at the start because of technical troubles with his spark plug. Anyway, Corberi has got one more chance in the second-chance heats on Sunday morning, but he has to finish in the first six positions.
KF2 current standings: 1. Verstappen; 2. Kodric; 3. Moilanen; 4. Nielsen; 5. Ippolito; 6. Sorensen; 7. Boccolacci; 8. Litchfield; 9. Basz; 10. Rossel.
In KF3 the Italian Alessio Lorandi (Tony Kart-Vortex) literally dominated the race: he won all the three heats he took part in. In the other Saturday's heats success went to the German David Beckmann (Zanardi-Bmb), Max Defourny (Kosmic-Tm) from Luxembourg, the English Dan Ticktum (FA Alonso-Vortex), the Russian Alexander Vartanyan (Tony Kart-Vortex), the French Gabriel Aubry (Birel-Tm) in two heats, then the English Lando Norris (FA Alonso-Vortex).
KF3 current standings: 1. Alessio Lorandi; 2. Ticktum; 3. Van Leeuwen; 4. Defourny; 5. Sereia; 6. Daruvala; 7. Shwartzman; 8. Norris; 9. Travisanutto; 10. Aubry.
The event finishes on Sunday with the three second-chance heats in the three categories KZ2, KF3 and KF2 from 11.10am, drivers' presentation at 12:15pm, then Pre-finals from 01.30pm, Finals starting from 03.00pm with prize-giving ceremony at the end of every race.
