Winter Cup, Lonato: Simo Puhakka (KZ2), Kirill Smal (OK), Alex Powell (OKJ) and Dmitry Matveev (MINI Rok) are in Pole Position

The 301 entered in the 25th Winter Cup took to the track today for the Qualifying Practice. The drivers of KZ2, OK, OKJ and Mini Rok found a clear sky waiting for them, although in the early hours of the morning the asphalt of the South Garda karting still had several patches of wet.

Today the first heats were also took place, which will be completed only on Sunday.

KZ2: Simo Puhakka grabs the first Pole of the season

Tyres: Bridgestone

With a time of 46.299, Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart / Vortex) clinches the Pole Position of the 25th Winter Cup. The Finn lead on his competitors, but he also seems the only Tony Kart able to fight for the first places as his teammates Paul Evrard and Alessio Piccini are placed respectively in 34th and 45th position.

The weekend of Giuseppe Palomba (Birel ART Racing Team - Birel ART / TM Racing), which won the WSK Open Cup last October, also starts off on the right note. The Neapolitan scored the best time of his group but suffered a gap of over a tenth from Puhakka in the time-attack.

Viktor Gustafsson (Leclerc By Lennox Racing - Birel ART / TM Racing) leads the last group instead, thus marking an excellent debut in the classes with the gearbox for the team led by Jordon Lennox-Lamb.

In fourth position respectively we find Arthur Carbonnel (Cpb Sport - Sodi / TM Racing) followed by Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART Racing Team - Birel ART / TM Racing), author of the second best lap in the group led by Giuseppe Palomba and only 0.066 slower than his team mate.

The sixth and seventh positions are both occupied by the two standard bearers of the Drago Corse Racing Team: these are the Russians Klim Gravilov and Ivan Chubarov, the latter author of an excellent 46,444.

The top ten is rounded by Alessandro Buran (Renda Motorsport- Birel ART / Vortex), Andrea Dalè (Nuova 3m SRL - Birel ART / TM Racing) and David Trefilovs (SRP Racing Team - Maranello Kart / TM Racing)

Out of the top ten, a small group of "drivers to watch" during the Heats: from 11^th place down, in order, we find Alex Irlando (Birel ART Racing Team - Birel ART / TM Racing), Leonardo Marseglia (Birel ART Racing Team - Birel ART / TM Racing ), the winner of the last edition Adrien Renaudin (Sodikart - Sodikart / TM Racing), Matteo Viganò (Leclerc By Lennox Racing - Birel ART / TM Racing) and Alexander Dahlberg (Energy Corse - Energy / TM Racing).

The KZ2 category also ran four Heats, which saw Giuseppe Palomba and Riccardo Longhi taking 1st place as well as a win each for Matteo Viganò and Simo Puhakka.

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OK: Kirill Smal shines also in Lonato

Tyres: Bridgestone

At South Garda Karting, the Russian Kirill Smal (Energy Corse - Energy / TM Racing) reaffirms once again his excellent form and the perfect harmony achieved with the chassis of Mick Panigada, setting the time of 47,352.

Behind him stands his teammate Robert De Haan (Energy Corse - Energy / TM Racing), also one of the most competitive drivers at the beginning of the season, who, with the best time obtained in his group, confirms yet again the great momentum of the Energy Corse team.

Joseph Turney (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart / Vortex) takes third place, ready to redeem the disappointment of the WSK Super Master Series final two weeks ago. The Englishman marks a time much slower than Energy Corse drivers though, but only because of the numerous patches of wet still present on the track at the time of his time-attack.

Behind the top three are Australian James Wharton (Parolin Racing Kart - Parolin / TM Racing), still waiting to obtain a result that lives up to his potential, and Lucas Griggs (SFR Motorsport - Tony Kart / Vortex), 5th , but slower by over a tenth and a half.

Sixth time instead for the reigning World Champion of OKJ Thomas Ten Brinke (Ricky Flynn Motorsport - Kosmic / Vortex) who leads Nikita Bedrin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart / Vortex) and Josep Maria Martì (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME)

Making it into top ten is also the OK World Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (Tony kart Racing Team - Tony kart / Vortex) and yet another Energy Corse, that of Maksim Soldatov (Energy Corse - Energy / TM Racing).

Further back, returning from a qualification certainly below their expectations, we find Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME), 18^th, and Pedro Hiltbrand (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart / Vortex): the winner of the first round of the WSK Super Master Series is only 30th. Taylor Barnard, however, (Rosberg Racing Academy - KR / IAME) doesn’t take part to Qualifying due to a technical failure.

All three Heats in OK were won by a Tony Kart, respectively by Nikita Bedrin and the two official drivers Joseph Turney and Pedro Hiltbrand

OKJ: The first time for Alex Powell

Tyres: Le Cont

It is the Jamaican Alex Powell (Energy Corse - Energy / TM Racing) to establish himself in the OKJ, thus taking his first pole of the season, as well as the first since his debut in the category. The Winter Cup of the young talent scouted by Mercedes seems to start in the best way possible after some difficulties encountered in previous races.

In second and third position we find two other drivers that we are now used to seeing at the top of this category: they are respectively Martinius Stenshorne (Rosberg racing Academy - KR / IAME) and the Polish Tymoteusz Kucharczyk (Birel ART Racig Team - RK / TM Racing)

Another excellent performance by Christian Ho (Sauber karting Team - KR / IAME) who with the time of 47,852 placed fourth ahead of Emmo FIttipaldi (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME)

The Russian Krapin Konstantin (Ward Racing - Tony Kart / Vortex) goes up to sixth position ahead of Karol Pasiewicz (Tony Kart Racing Team - Tony Kart / Vortex) and Matteo De Palo (KGT Motorsport - FA Kart / IAME), excellent eighth with the time of 47.930.

Igor Cepil (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME) and Akshay Bohra (TB Racing Team) are the last drivers in the top ten, from which, however, some of the front-runners of the first international events of 2020 are cut out.

Brando Badoer (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME), returning from two consecutive poles in the WSK races, is 20th after having taken the seventh fastest time of his group. Ugo Ugochukwu (RRicky Flynn Motorsport - Kosmic / Vortex) is also only 22nd. We have to look further back to find Arvid Lindblad (KR Motorsport - KR / IAME), 27th, and Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing Team - Birel ART / TM Racing), only 43rd.

At the end of Qualifying, Martinius Stenshorne makes 2 out of 2 in the Qualifying Heats he took part in, while the remaining Heat of the day goes to Tymoteusz Kucharczyk

MINI: Dmitry Matveev is the fastest

Tyres: Bridgestone

Dmitry Matveev (Energy Corse - Energy) takes the stage in the MINI Rok category of the Winter Cup, clocking a lap-time of 55. 027. The Russian is the third Energy Corse driver on pole today and is the only one to get so close to the 55 second barrier.

In second place the veteran of the MINI Rashid Al Dhaheri (Fausto Ippoliti - Parolin) who precedes the Hungarian Adam Hideg (Baby Race Driver Academy - Parolin), third in his seasonal debut.

From fourth place down, we find many excellent names, starting with that of Gerasim Skulanov (ASD Formula K Serafini - IPK): the revelation of early 2020 gets the fourth time ahead of Jan Przyrowski (AV Racing - Parolin) and German Foteev (Energy Corse - Energy)

Yaremiy Oleksiy (AV Racing - Parolin) is seventh, but sets the third fastest time among the drivers listed so far. The Ukrainian precedes Roberto Castellozzi (TB Kart srl - TB Kart) and Marcus Saeter (ASD Revolution Motorsport - Energy)

The Thai Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Baby Race Driver Academy - Parolin) is tenth with an excellent time of 55.170.

Other suitors in the first positions, but down the order in Qualifying, are Renè Lammers (Baby Race Driver Academy - Parolin), 16th, Peter Bouzinelos (Kidix KR), 23rd, and Yuampu Cui (Gamoto - Tony Kart) which closes with the 26th time.

Only 2, however, the Qualifying heats raced today for the Mini Rok: the win went to Gerasim Skulanov and German Foteev