18 laps were on the programme for the Final of the first round of the FIA Karting European Junior Championship in Valencia. Blue skies, moderate wind and almost 25°C. Elliot Kaczynski (Tony Kart/Vortex) shared the front row with Thibaut Ramaekers (KR/Iame) ahead of Oleksandr Bondarev (KR/Iame) and Taym Saleh (KR/Iame). On the third row, Zac Drummond (Parolin/TM) and Lewis Wherrell (Exprit/TM) were not there to make up the numbers.
Ramaekers lost ground on the outside, to 4th, while Bondarev took the lead on the first lap, with Kaczynski 2nd and Drummond 3rd. Ramaekers moved up to 2nd on the second lap, Drummond replaced him on the third lap before Ramaekers responded. Iacopo Marinese (KR/Iame) was 4th ahead of Saleh and Wherrell. Ramaekers quickly closed the gap with Bondarev taking over the lead on lap 6. Stepan Antonov (KR/Iame) had already made up 10 places to 7th position. At the halfway point, Ramaekers was 7 tenths ahead of Bondarev, Drummond was 3rd by 1,1” followed by Martinese who was blocking Wherrell’s view. The Briton blew the cork to move up to 4th, followed by Saleh and Antonov. Wherrell attacked and took 3rd place after a battle with Drummond. The leading duo was too far ahead, 2″ ahead, to consider a comeback. Saleh came back to 4th, just ahead of Antonov, whereas Drummond dropped to 8th. Ramaekers flew away to victory as he had done two weeks earlier in the Champions of the Future Euro Series. The young Belgian of the VDK Racing team won the race 3,3” ahead of the Ukrainian Bondarev of KR Motorsport. British rider Wherrell of Forza Racing secured a well-deserved podium ahead of Saleh and Schaufler. 82nd after the timed qualifying session, Antonov moved up 12 places to 5th before finishing 7th after a penalty for a badly positioned front fairing. Drummond finished 8th and Kaczynski 10th.
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP