PRESS RELEASE - TKART - Birel ART closed the WSK Super Master Series in Sarno with Ulysse De Pauw’s historic triumph in KFJ.

Started from sixth on the grid, De Pauw unleashed his kart’s full potential, charging his way up the field and taking the lead by lap 6, to never look back and hand Birel ART its first victory in KFJ. Thanks to his Sarno results, De Pauw closed the championship in third place, with a total of 255 points.

After scoring the overall fourth best qualifying time, in the heats Timothy Peisselon placed seventh, eighth, fifth, and second, after leading the field for a few laps. Unfortunately, despite his kart’s pace, Timothy’s race was compromised in the Prefinal, where several contacts relegated him to fifteenth at the finish and twenty-ninth on the start grid of the Final. Here, Peisselon pushed hard to recover, but stewards decided to hand him a 10 second penalty that voided his effort.

The weekend turned unlucky also for Lucas Légeret: after taking pole in his qualifying group, a number of race contacts as he battled for the top spots kept him from expressing his Birel ART’s full force throughout the heats. In the Prefinal, Lucas tried to make up for the set-backs and stormed his way from twenty-second on grid to thirteenth at the finish line, securing a spot on grid for the Final. Here he started twenty-fifth and fought to close twenty-first. But Lucas has proven to be one of the fastest drivers throughout the weekend.

Birel ART also gave a great performance in KZ2 with Dutch driver Marijn Kremers: in the Prefinal he plowed his way from fourteenth to ninth by the end of lap 1 and gained two more spots by the end of the race, then in the Final he kept up the pace and came in sixth across the finish line. Jordon Lennox-Lamb also showed the team’s competitive edge, rising from ninth to sixth in the Prefinal and battling for the top spots at the start of the Final, until a contact on lap 2 sent him spinning as he was running seventh and put an end to his hopes. Unfortunately, the Final also ended prematurely for Giorgio Mandozzi: twentieth on grid, the Italian quickly worked his way up to sixteenth, but was forced to retire three laps from the end.

Ulysse De Pauw #354: “I am very happy about my first WSK victory and my third place finish in the series. We had a tough time in the qualifyings, but we worked to improve our performance from the heats on. This victory has motivated us for our debut in the CIK-FIA European Championships.”

Lucas Légeret #355: “I started very well with the pole position in my qualifying session, then in the heats contacts kept me from batling for the top spots. It was frustrating that we couldn’t prove our full potential, but we still made it to the Final. I hope to be luckier in the next races.”

Timothy Peisselon #356: “We had a great weekend, we worked hard and it showed how much we improved. We are ready for the start of the KFJ Europeans.”

Jordon Lennox-Lamb #59: “It was a tough weekend, with bad luck and technical problems conditioning the final outcome; but I am happy for the victory we conquered in KFJ,  because it proves how competitive Birel ART chassis are.”

Marijn Kremers #58: “I am quite satisfied with the weekend in Sarno: several contacts conditioned my performance in the heats, but we managed to rise back up to sixth in the Final. The task ahead now is to prepare as best as possible for the second round of the CIK-FIA Europeans.”

Giorgio Mandozzi #39: “Final result aside, I am happy about my weekend because it helped us to understand what we need to work on to improve. I am sure we will do better in round 2 of the Europeans in Zuera.”

Gianluca Baggio, General Manager: “I am thrilled about the victory we conquered with Ulysse De Pauw in KFJ, because it confirms we are moving in the right direction. Our chassis, IAME engines and the team are very competitive and we proved it, by placing among the best of the Junior. This victory was also important because it boosted team morale for the start of the CIK-FIA European Championship in Portugal. In KZ2, instead, unfortunate events conditioned our performance and kept us from the results we are capable of delivering.”

Next event on schedule: CIK-FIA European KF & KFJ Championship, Round 1 - Portimao (Por): 7-10 May.