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In Val Vibrata, the winners are Bertuca and Irlando in KZ2, Gorski and Pietrantonio in MINI U10, Calleja and Baglin in MINI Gr3, Gryc and Rocchio in OK-NJ, Albanese in OK-N with a one-two.

The third round of the Italian ACI Karting Championship on the Val Vibrata kart track also proved to be quite exciting in all categories, with 210 drivers present out of the 221 entries and an excellent show, from the most powerful KZ2 to the two junior MINI Gr.3 and Under 10 classes, and the two new OK-N and OK-N Junior categories which, with their 74 drivers, have contributed to raising the level of competitiveness of the Tricolore series in the direct drive categories.

The Val Vibrata weekend was made even more difficult by the intense heat that characterised this third event of the Tricolore series, making the test even harder for all the drivers and insiders, but the show on the track was not really lacking, with many protagonists in the limelight.

KZ2 – Bertuca wins race1, Irlando race2.
The KZ2 race1 final was a very hard-fought one, where a great Cristian Bertuca (#105 LG Motorsport/BirelART-TM Kart-MG) managed to resist the attacks of his rivals and bring the race to the end with a spectacular victory, both suffered as much as desired. Behind the Italian driver, first among the Under 18s as well, was a combative and very fast Maksim Orlov (#149 Modena Kart/Parolin-TM Kart), already in good evidence in the heats and in the final, author of a great duel with Bertuca. Third was the other great protagonist of the Val Vibrata weekend, the former European champion Alex Irlando (#114 Drago Corse/Drago-TM Kart), who deservedly earned the podium. In the other best positions, classification leader Daniel Vasile (#145 KCS/BirelART-TM Kart) had to settle for fourth place ahead of the young Matteo Spirgel (Renda Motorsport/Sodi-TM Kart), who recovered by six positions.

In race2 it was Alex Irlando who took the lead and took the victory, with Cristian Bertuca who finished in second position ahead of his color mate Daniel Vasile. Bertuca won the Under 18 again. Matteo Spirgel finished fourth, ahead of Alessio Piccini (#107 TribeOne/BirelART-TM Kart) and Maksim Orlov.
Bertuca is back at the top of the championship with 188 points, Vasile is second with 157, Irlando third with 143.

MINI Gr.3 Under 10 – Gorski and Di Pietrantonio win the two finals.
A great fight characterised the first final of the MINI Gr.3 Under 10, where it was the Polish Leonardo Gorski (#218 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame-MG) who prevailed at the end of a comeback of eight positions, ahead of other two leading players such as the Portuguese Lazaro Xavier (#228 DR/DR-TM Kart), recovering 5 positions, and the Spanish Daniel Miron Lorente (#289 Team Driver/KR-Iame), also recovering 7 positions. The Italian Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio, making his debut with BabyRace, was instead forced to settle for fourth place after leading the race. Fifth was Edoardo Colucci (#210 CMT/Parolin-Iame), sixth Alessandro Nanni (#236 AVRacing/Parolin-Iame). However, in race2 it was Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio (#215 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) who took the win, with the Spaniard Daniel Miron Lorente in second position and Edoardo Colucci in third.
In the Italian Championship: 1. Gorski 163 points; 2. Perico 107; 3. Truchot 90.

MINI GR.3 – Calleja wins race1, Baglin wins race2.
Great comeback also in MINI Gr.3, with the Australian William Calleja (#10 BabyRace/Parolin-Iame) finishing with a good advantage over the Spanish Bosco Arias Chavarri (#3 Team Driver/KR-Iame), while Calleja's Turkish teammate Iskender Zulfikari finished third after battling for the win. In the other positions were the poleman Noah Baglin (#21 iKart/KR-Iame), who finished fourth, Pietro Bagutti (#58 Gamoto/EKS-TM Kart) fifth and Michele Orlando (#78 IPK Official Team/IPK- TM Kart) sixth. In race2 it was Noah Baglin who prevailed, with Bosco Arias Chavarri still second, while William Calleja climbed up to conquer third place and the podium due to the inverted grid, but was penalised. Third is the Spaniard Nicola Stanley (#43 Gamoto/EKS-TM Kart).
In the Italian Championship: 1. Baglin 169 points; 2. Zulfikari 136; 3. Calleja 128.

OK-N Junior – Gryc wins in race1, Rocchio redeems himself in race2.
OK-N Junior offered a series of surprises, such as the lack of confirmation of the two drivers of Team Gamoto, protagonists on the eve, Nikita Nikishov, the best in the heats but only ninth in the first final, and then the poleman Vladimir Ivannikov, immediately out of the race on the first lap. Here the victory went to the American Asher Ochstein (#342 CRG Racing Team/CRG-TM Kart) after a good comeback, but he receives a 5-second penalty and falls to ninth place. It is therefore the Polish Bruno Gryc (#315 MLG Racing/Parolin-TM Kart) who takes the victory ahead of the Italian Giovanni Toso (#334 NGM Motorsport/Kalì Kart-TM Kart) and the other Italian Cristian Tonalini (#347 Tonalini /Tony Kart-TM Kart). Fourth was the Dutch Dean Hoogendoorn, making his debut with Antonelli's AKM Motorsport team. Classification leader Gino Rocchio (#339 DR/DR-Modena Engines) finishes fifth after a great recovery. But Gino Rocchio redeemed himself in race2 by concluding with the victory, ahead of Giovanni Toso, still a good second, and Cristian Tonalini back on the podium with third place.
In the Italian Championship: 1. Rocchio 155; 2.Gryc 138; 3. Toso 114.

OK-N – Clean sweep by Federico Albanese.
OK-N lived on the dominance of Federico Albanese (#439 Italcorse/Italcorse-TM Kart-Vega), author of the pole position in qualifying, victory in the heats and then undisputed victory in the first of the two finals. Good performance also for classification leader Francesco Marenghi (#414 Modena Kart/Parolin-TM Kart), who finishes in second position, ahead of the Polish Grzwacz Bartosz (#402 KGT Motorsport/Tony Kart-Vortex) in a comeback. Good fourth Antonio Apicella (#416 Team Driver/Kosmic-TM Kart), who preceded Luca Liberati (#413 Spino Project/KR-Modena Engines) and Niccolò Coppotelli (#405 KGT Motorsport/Tony Kart-Vortex). In race-2 Grzwacz Bartosz runs a great race and crosses the finish line first, but is penalized by 5 seconds for the spoiler out of position. Federico Albanese, author of a great comeback for the inverted grid, conquers the second place, but, thanks to the penalty to Bartosz, he can celebrate his second victory. Bartosz slips to second place, Antonio Apicella is third and conquers the podium.
In the Italian Championship: 1. Albanese 169 points; 2. Marenghi 157; 3. Bartosz 153.

The Pre-agonistica for the very young of the Baby Kart.
The Val Vibrata event also saw a practical demonstration on the track for the Pre-agonistica category for the youngest drivers from 6 to 8 years.

The next events of the 2023 ACI Karting Italian Championship:
4th round - August 27 - Circuito Internazionale Napoli, Sarno (Salerno)
MINI Gr.3, OK-N, OK-N Junior, KZ2, KZN

5th round – September 24 – Franciacorta Karting Track, Castrezzato (Brescia).
MINI Gr.3, OK-N, OK-N Junior, KZ2, OK, OKJ

Results: https://www.acisport.it/it/CIK/

Press Release © ACI Sport