FIA Karting European Championship OK-OKJ rd 2 and Academy Trophy rd 1, Val d'Argenton: heats – The leaders are Turney (OK), Martinese (OKJ) and Herman (Academy)

[Translated with Google]

Track activity continues for Round 2 of the FIA Karting European Championship OK-OKJ at the Circuit du Val d'Argenton (France). After the first day on Friday, in which the qualifications and the first preliminary heats took place, on Saturday all the remaining heats for the two categories present in the race were held. The starting grids for Sunday's prefinals were then decided.

Instead, as regards Round 1 of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy, the last heats will be held on Sunday morning, decisive for the afternoon final.

OK: Joseph Turney is the king of the (variable) weather

Tires: Maxxis

Joseph Turney (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) showed off an absolutely perfect performance in the qualifying heats, influenced by a continuous change in the weather, between dry and wet. The Briton showed off all his experience in the category and achieved five victories in five races and took first place in the standings.
Although he boasts only one victory, David Walther (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) makes very few mistakes and makes his way through his opponents. The Dane positions himself right behind Turney at the end of today.
After three victories in the first three heats, Matheus Morgatto (CL Racing Team – Birel Art – TM Kart) achieved a fourth and seventh place. However, the Brazilian remains in front, exactly in third position.
Three affirmations also for Fionn McLaughlin (VDK Racing – KR – IAME), unfortunately slowed down by a retirement in heat C-E. The Irishman is currently fourth, followed in the general by Sebastiano Pavan (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), who went from 16th to fifth, and by the outsider Andy Consani (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), able to move up from 23rd to sixth.
Gabriel Gomez (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME), seventh, achieved a victory on Friday, but only achieved one top-3 result on Saturday. Oleksandr Bondarev (Prema Racing – KR – IAME) closed his journey with a first place in the last heat, even if he retired in the previous one.
Finally, among the top ten we find Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart), ninth, and the wildcard Aaron Garcia (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), tenth. After a complicated qualifying, Ean Eyckmans (Birel Art Racing – Birel Art – TM Kart) recovered 43 positions and placed 11th.
Further back are Salim Hanna (Prema Racing – KR – IAME), 12th, and Louis Iglesias (CRG Racing Team – CRG – IAME), 13th. The path of polesitter David Cosma Cristofor (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) was not very effective, relegated to 14th. Dmitry Matveev (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) also slipped back, from fourth to 17th. Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing – KR – IAME) is 23rd.

Results

OKJ: Iacopo Martinese, always ahead of everyone

Tires: Maxxis

The Junior riders were also affected by the weather on this Saturday: wet asphalt in the morning, dry in the early afternoon and mixed in the last hours of racing. Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) is perfectly at his disposal on the track, capable of scoring four victories and a second place in the qualifying heats and maintaining his lead in the standings.
There are two victories for Roman Kamyab (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart), good at staying afloat in the top positions and finishing second, behind Martinese. An additional success, however, for teammate Filippo Sala (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart), who went from 17th to third.
After two first places on Friday, Christian Costoya (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Kart) takes a conservative attitude on Saturday, rewarding him with fourth position at the end of the qualifying heats. Daniel Kelleher (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) also remains at the top, fifth and with a victory on his list.
The rain rewards Vladimir Ivannikov (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM Kart), who makes up for Friday's poor results with two successes and a second place on Saturday. The Russian native is currently sixth.
Despite some difficulties and a spin in heat D-F due to a rear-end collision before the start (the race was suspended, thus allowing him to regain his place on the grid), world champion Dries Van Langendonck (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart ) is seventh. Louis Cochet (VictoryLane – KR – IAME) did well, eighth, while Kit Belofsky (Fusion Motorsport – KR – IAME) rose from 30th to ninth.
The ranking continues with Sebastian Minns (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart), Borys Lyzen (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Kart), 11th, Paul Andriotis (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – LN – TM Kart), 12th, Archie Lovatt ( Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Kart), 13th, and Jensen Burnett (Fusion Motorsport – KR - IAME), 14th.
Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing – KR – IAME) makes the most of the continuous change in weather conditions to move up the rankings. The Austrian, 50th in qualifying, is now 18th.
Heat D-E should be highlighted: the stewards declare a "wet race" and many drivers choose to mount wet tyres. However, the asphalt dries quickly and is easier for those with slick tyres. Alois Girardet (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM Kart) wins the race in this way.

Risultati

Academy Trophy: Gilles Herman is the provisional leader

Frame: Exprit | Engine: Vortex | Tires: Maxxis

After fourth position yesterday in qualifying, Gilles Herman (Belgium) momentarily takes the lead in the general classification. The Belgian won the first heat in the rain, while finishing second in the one on dry asphalt.
Aleix Pinera Rusinol (Spain) also excelled in the "wet" heat, but finished fourth in the second. However, the Spaniard goes from ninth to second. Also gaining in the standings are the host Lilian Soares (France), from 11th to third and with a success to her name, and Simba Motoda (Japan), from 19th to fourth.
Steps forward for Nikolaos Karagiannis (Greece), from seventh to fifth, for Casper Nissen (Denmark), from 13th to sixth, for Kian Burnard (United Kingdom), from 17th to seventh, and for Lyuboslav Ruykov (Bulgaria), from 14th to eighth.
A remarkable comeback by Jure Levar (Slovenia), who went from 33rd place to ninth. Instead, polesitter Dan Allemann triumphed in the first heat but still slipped to tenth position, thanks to a retirement in today's second race.

Provisional results