At the end of the qualifying races of the European KZ1 championship which is being held this weekend at Wackersdorf in Germany, a pattern is beginning to emerge: the races are particularly open and it is difficult to make any forecast. Bas Lammers, Norman Nato and Jonathan Thonon are best placed, but there are several other drivers capable of making the podium and even taking the European crown.
The qualifying heats of the European KZ1 Championship (the principal category of gearbox karting) had already promised a superb battle between the top drivers. The qualifying races largely confirmed this. In particularly good form since the start of the weekend, the Intrepid factory could be delighted on Friday by the fastest time being set by the young Frenchman Norman Nato (Intrepid-TM). They got even stronger this Saturday. Whilst Nato, winner of one race, dropped back a row, it was to the profit of his Dutch team mate Bas Lammers (Intrepid-TM), unbeaten in his two qualifying races. So an all-orange front row will line up for the pre-final this Sunday which will determine the starting grid of the final, scheduled for Sunday at 15.45. “I am obviously very happy to find myself in such a position”, declared Bas Lammers during the Press Conference. “Obviously, we are really fast. But I am not the only one and tomorrow is another day. In any event, I will give my maximum!”
Second fastest in qualifying, reigning title holder Jonathan Thonon (CRG-Maxter) also possessed a turn of speed, finishing his two races in the wake of the winner. “It will be hot!” the Belgian said with a little smile. “There are many really fast drivers. In my favour, I worked on my setup in order to be on top at the time of the final. But the competition is hard!” Finally third in the intermediate classification (and therefore third on the grid of the pre-final), Thonon was in front of the 3rd Intrepid driver Frenchman/Spanish Jeremy Iglesias.
Second at the World Cup in 2007 and 2008 (each time behind Thonon) Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart-Vortex) was placed 5th in the intermediate classification. But the Italian wants to believe in his chances, just like the Frenchman Thomas Mich (Birel-TM), not so far from the leading driver. Behind these front runners we find the Dutchman Thomas Knopper (PCR-TM), the Frenchman Arnaud Kozlinski (CRG-Maxter), Finland’s Simo Puhakka (PCR-TM) and the Italian veteran Alessandro Piccini (Intrepid-TM), four times the World Champion and still competitive at 45 years of age.
As regards the unlucky driver of the day one points to Davide Fore (CRG-Maxter) only 13th after a problem in his second race. It was worse still for Gary Catt (Tony Kart-Vortex), victim of three sets of problems (two in the heats and one during the repechage) already putting an end to his weekend racing.
In addition to the European KZ1 Championship the “Prokart Raceland” circuit at Wackersdorf hosts the second and final event of the European KZ2 Championship (the second division of gearbox karting). Three qualifying races remain to be contested on Sunday morning but the favourites remain the Italian Angelo Lombardo (Tony Kart-Vortex), winner of three races (out of a possible four), the Briton Jack Hawksworth (Energy-TM) who took two wins and two second places, and the leader of the Championship the Czech Patrick Hajek (Tony Kart-Vortex) perfectly positioned.
Info CIK / © Photo KSP