WSK Final Cup rd 1, Sarno: OKJ Final – An uncontainable Emanuele Olivieri flies towards maiden OKJ victory

[translated with Google]

Tyres: Vega

Although his potential was already known, it was difficult to imagine such a stellar comeback for Emanuele Olivieri (IPK Official Racing Team - IPK - TM Racing). Returning to the track after recovering from the injury to the ribs he sustained just over a month ago at the world championship, held right here in Sarno, the driver of the IPK Official Racing Team puts on a masterpiece. The Italian driver sprints second and his hopes of success seem to quickly vanish, when he slips to sixth position during the second lap and does not seem to have what it takes to contend for the victory. It is precisely in difficulties, however, that the spirit of a dreamer emerges and, as if by magic, Olivieri begins to catch up with an exceptional pace. The runner-up of last year's WSK Super Master Series in the MINI category reaches the leading pair and takes the reins of the race on lap seven following two exemplary maneuvers, before flying undisturbed towards the first triumph in OKJ. The young rookie embellished the weekend with a fastest lap and place of honor in the provisional championship standings.

After dominating Prefinal A, Zac Drummond (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing) is forced to settle for the second final position. Starting from pole position, the Parolin Motorsport team rider proves mature in responding to the attacks of Miguel Costa (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME) and Aleksandar Bogunovic (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), returning to the front of everyone on lap six. The young Scotsman then has to give in to Olivieri's fury, but still ends a great weekend with his first WSK podium and championship leadership.

Aleksandar Bogunovic, who wins the bronze medal, also climbs on the podium for the first time in a WSK competition in the OKJ category. The winner of Prefinal B reveals himself to be shrewd in the start from the fifth position on the grid and climbs to first position on the second lap thanks to a shrewd maneuver against Drummond. The DPK Racing team driver is then overtaken by both the rival of the Parolin Motorsport team and by Olivieri during the sixth lap, but he is still an absolute protagonist with the third place both in the race and in the championship.

Taym Saleh (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME), fourth in both the race and in the championship and still at the top of the standings after obtaining his first WSK podium at the Open Cup at the beginning of October, Kian Fardin (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), fifth and still able to express his feeling with the circuit on which he signed the pole position at the world championship, Christian Costoya (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), sixth in the his second WSK race in OKJ, Alfie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), seventh, and the reigning WSK Super Master Series runner-up Kirill Dzitiev (Parolin Motorsport - Parolin - TM Racing), eighth at his first appearance with the team Parolin Motorsport, recover positions from the start too, thanks to remarkable performances.

A driver who ends an excellent weekend with a bitter ninth place is Miguel Costa (Sauber Academy - KR - IAME). The fresh WSK Open Cup runner-up sprints well from third place on the grid and takes the lead, but is overtaken by both Drummond and Bogunovic as early as the second lap. The Sauber Academy standard bearer is then attacked by Saleh and Salim Hanna Hernandez (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), who accompanies the young Brazilian on the lawn, takes advantage of it. Costa thus slips 12th and limits the damage to remain in the top five in the championship. The reigning champion of the WSK Open Cup, on the other hand, passes 11th under the checkered flag following a heated race and is subsequently relegated to 21st place by a five-second penalty due to the nose being incorrectly positioned. Reigning world champion Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex) also receives the same penalty, relegated from eighth place to tenth.

Convincing performance authors are Dries Van Langendonck (Energy Corse - Energy Corse - TM Racing), 11th, last year's WSK Open Cup champion in the MINI category Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing - KR - IAME), 12th, and the vice-champion of the WSK Champions Cup at the beginning of the season in the MINI category Jindrich Pesl (Birel ART Racing - Birel ART - TM Racing), 13th.

They lose some positions with respect to the start, but reaffirm their presence at the top of the Alp Hasan Aksoy (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart - Vortex), 14th, and Guy Elbag (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex) rankings, 15th and just in front of an extraordinary Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME). The reigning champion of the WSK Euro Series as well as the WSK Super Cup by MINI in the MINI category earns seven places from the start and continues to show his skills as he takes his first steps in OKJ.

On the other hand, some main players of the weekend are forced to retire such as Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing - Exprit - TM Racing), Friday poleman Any Consani (Shamick Europe - Parolin - TM Racing), reigning WSK Super Master Series champion Oleksandr Bondarev (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - LN - Vortex), Scott Kin Lindblom (CRG Racing Team - CRG - TM Racing) and Stepan Antonov (KR Motorsport - KR - IAME).