[translated with Google]

More than two months from the last round of 2022, WSK Promotion reopens the curtain in Lonato with the tenth edition of the WSK Champions Cup. The inaugural race of the new year is welcomed with a good turnout of drivers in all four international categories: 72 in MINI Gr.3, 56 in OKJ, 42 in OK and 38 in KZ2. The first act of 2023 is also characterized by the debut of some novelties in the WSK panorama. In fact, considering the large numbers registered in the 60 cc class, it was decided to divide the younger protagonists into two age groups, with the usual MINI Gr.3 reserved for drivers aged 10 to 12 and the unprecedented MINI Gr. .3 Under 10 reserved for riders aged 8 to 10. Furthermore, the two classes of the IAME one-make brand are added to the traditional categories: the X30 Senior and the X30 Junior. With 40 drivers in the MINI Gr.3 U10, 30 in the X30J and 44 in the X30S, the opening chapter of the season is enlivened by a total of 322 participants.

The usual qualifying sessions took place on Friday, followed by the first heats, which will end on Saturday afternoon.

KZ2: Welcome to KZ2, Freddie Slater

• It is an Oscar debut for Freddie Slater (Birel ART Racing Team – Birel ART – TM) in the premier class of karting. Making his debut with a shifter kart and with Birel ART colors, the 2020 OKJ world champion demonstrates his ability to adapt and is the fastest in group 1 thanks to a 45.593, which earns him the absolute pole position. After reaching the third step of the podium in last year's WSK Super Master Series in the OK category, the young Englishman precedes Matteo Spirgel (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM) by only ten thousandths, who continues to show excellent potential with second place in the group and third overall. Artem Severiukhin (Racing Line – Birel ART – TM) also put in a remarkable performance, third in the group and fifth in the general classification at his first appearance in KZ2 in a WSK competition.


• Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM) is the master in group 2, who secures the second position overall with a 45.723 and thus completes a one-two by Birel ART. After reaching the second step of the podium in last year's FIA Karting World Cup, the Italian driver confirms his presence at the top of the standings and slips almost two tenths ahead of Viacheslav Putiatin (LA Motorsport – Falcon – TM), second in the group and quarter total. After winning last week's Winter Cup right here in Lonato, the LA Motorsport team standard bearer is re-electing for the role of great protagonist and beats Adrien Renaudin (DR – DR – Modena Engines) by 62 thousandths, third in the group and sixth in the standings general. Making his debut with DR colors, the 2018 KZ2 European champion immediately gives encouraging signs.


• The performances of Tim Gerhards (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM) and Paul Rieberer (Dorr Motorsport – KR – IAME) are also promising, respectively seventh and eighth in the general standings. The standard-bearer of the Dorr Motorsport team is followed by two expert drivers such as Luis Laurin Speck (TBKART Racing Team – TBKART – TM), ninth, and Maximilian Paul (DR – DR – Modena Engines), tenth.


• It is also a positive qualifying for Daniel Stell (Dorr Motorsport – KR – IAME), 11th overall and still in the top part of the standings, and Yevan David (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM) 12th and able to show his progress at the It's the start of his first full season in KZ2.


• The overall top 15 is closed by Juliano Holzem (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM), his teammate Flynt Schuring (CPB Sport – Sodi – TM) and Jannik Julius Bernhart (Dorr Motorsport – KR – IAME), who makes his convincing debut with the colors of the Dorr Motorsport team.

OK: Dmitry Matveev picks up where he left off

• He changes the category, but not the result. One year after the pole position obtained in OKJ right here in Lonato in the 2022 WSK Champions Cup, Dmitry Matveev (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) signs the best performance in group 1 in 46.541 and puts the seal on another pole position. The reigning vice-champion of the WSK Final Cup continues to express a special feeling with the Lonato circuit, where he won the last race of last year's WSK, and inaugurates his first full season in the queen category of single-speed karting in the best possible way. The KR Motorsport team driver makes the difference, so much so that he slips more than two and a half tenths ahead of an excellent Kiano Blum (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), who returns to the top of the standings with second place in the group and third overall . After winning the bronze medal in last week's Winter Cup, the DPK Racing team standard bearer precedes Enea Frey (Beyond Racing Team – KR – IAME) by a thousandth, who shines with third place in the group and fifth in the general standings.


• David Walther (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex) returns to show his speed qualities and does it loudly. The driver of the Koski Motorsport team prints a 46.542 in group 2 and thus climbs into second position overall, seeing the pole fade by just one thousandth. The fresh winner of the Winter Cup Martin Molnar (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM) also confirms his competitiveness, second in the group and fourth overall to start his first full season on a positive note in the queen category of single-speed karting. Equally surprising was the performance of Emanuele Olivieri (IPK Official Racing Team – IPK – TM), third in the group and sixth in the general classification at his debut in OK in a WSK competition. After winning last year's WSK Final Cup in the OKJ category, the IPK Official Racing Team standard-bearer is once again a candidate for the leading role.


• The seventh position overall is the prerogative of an extraordinary Emma Felbermayr (TB Racing Team – KR – IAME), who completes the KR quartet in group 1 and demonstrates her potential. The pink quota is followed by the reigning WSK Champions Cup vice-champion Maksimilian Popov (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex), eighth and still in the role of main actor, Gustaw Wisniewski (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM), ninth, and a another excellent pink quota such as Tereza Babickova (TEPZ Racing Team – Tony Kart – TM), tenth.


• Vasileios Michailidis (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM) was also the author of a remarkable qualifying, gaining the 11th overall position. The Forza Racing driver precedes two promising rookies such as Guillaume Bouzar (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex) and Marcus Saeter (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – Vortex), both at the start of their first full season in OK with the Energy Corse team.


• The absolute top 15 closes thanks to convincing performances by Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM), 14th after winning last year's WSK Open Cup right here in Lonato, and Zhenrui Chi (Beyond Racing Team – KR – TM ), 15th at his debut in OK in a WSK competition. After getting on the second step of the podium in last year's WSK Champions Cup in the OKJ category, the Beyond Racing Team standard-bearer makes it clear that he is ready to have his say this year too.


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for Joel Bergstrom (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), 35th in the general classification at his first appearance with the DPK Racing team colors in a WSK competition.


• In a WSK competition Miguel Costa (Sauber Academy – KR – IAME) makes his debut in the queen category of single speed karting, 24th overall after winning the silver medal in last year's WSK Open Cup in the OKJ category, Dinu Sabin Stroescu (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), 26th, and Andrea Dupe (Sodikart – Sodi – TM), 32nd and just behind William Go (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM), who is starting his first full season in OK.

OKJ: Lewis Wherrell shines

• Lewis Wherrell (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM) had already expressed excellent potential last year and this year he wants to further materialize it. The Forza Racing team driver starts off on the right foot, signing the best performance in group 1 in 47.501s and thus earning the absolute pole position. Niklas Schaufler (DPK Racing – KR – IAME), second in the group and third overall, stopped the clock just 17 thousandths from the pole. The fresh winner of the Winter Cup precedes an extraordinary Lev Krutogolov (Borsch Racing – Tony Kart – IAME), who inaugurates his first full season in OKJ with third place in the group and fifth in the general standings.


• Although the skills of Filippo Sala (Sodikart – Sodi – TM) were already evident, it was difficult to imagine a similar debut in OKJ. Making his first appearance in the Junior class in a WSK competition, the Sodikart team rider is the most incisive in group 2 thanks to a 47.734, which earns him second place overall. After getting on the third step of the podium in last year's WSK Final Cup in the MINI category, the young Italian gives 81 thousandths to another surprising driver such as Stepan Antonov (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), second in the group and fourth overall. Making his debut with the colors of the Sauber Academy, Taym Saleh (Sauber Academy – KR – IAME) reaffirms his leading role after winning the bronze medal in last year's WSK Open Cup and obtains third place in the group as well as the sixth overall.


• After finishing last year's WSK Champions Cup in second place in the MINI category, Jindrich Pesl (IPK Official Racing Team – IPK – TM) returns as the main actor in OKJ. Debuting with the Formula K colours, the driver from the Czech Republic climbs up to seventh overall position and is followed by an exceptional Ethan Lennon (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM), eighth overall at his debut in OKJ.


• The absolute top ten is closed by Dries Van Langendonck (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM), who thus begins his first full season in OKJ after doing well in his debut last year, and Guy Albag (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM) , who confirms his feeling with the Lonato circuit at his first appearance with the Forza Racing team.


• After winning the bronze medal in last week's Winter Cup, Sebastian Lehtimaki (Koski Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex) continues to give encouraging signs with the 11th place in the general standings. The standard-bearer of the Koski Motorsport team precedes Mees Houben (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – Vortex), able to secure the 12th position at his debut in a WSK competition.


• Completing the total top 15 thanks to remarkable performances are David Cosma-Cristofor (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), 13th at his debut with the KR Motorsport team, the reigning WSK Super Master Series champion Oleksandr Bondarev (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME ), 14th at his first appearance with KR colors, and Iacopo Martinese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), 15th at the start of his first full season in OKJ after collecting several successes last year in the MINI category, including the victory in the WSK Euro Series, in the WSK Super Cup by MINI and in the Italian ACI Karting Championship.


• Kian Fardin (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) is also present in the KR Motorsport team, who obtains the 18th place in the general standings after signing the pole position in last year's world championship. Instead, the pink quota of the Mercedes Junior Team Luna Fluxa (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) occupies the 21st place.

MINI Gr.3: Amazing performance by Ilia Berezkin

• Ilia Berezkin (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) opens the new season with an exceptional performance. The driver of the Team Driver Racing Kart is the best performer in group 3 and earns the absolute pole position thanks to a 52.766. The clock stops less than a tenth from pole position Vladimir Ivannikov (Gamoto – EKS – TM), who continues to express his feeling with the Lonato circuit and returns to the top of the standings with second place in the group as well as fourth overall. After winning the bronze medal in the WSK Euro Series and the silver medal in the WSK Open Cup in 2022, the Gamoto team standard bearer beats an extraordinary Luuk Taal (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM) by just seven thousandths of a second. The young Dutchman finished third in the group and seventh in the general standings, concluding his first qualifying within the CRG official team on a positive note.


• Keelan Harvick (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) had already given encouraging signs last year, at his WSK debut, and his start to 2023 is even more promising. After winning the silver medal in last week's Winter Cup, the Babyrace Driver Academy driver signs the best time in group 2 in 52.822 and gets the second position overall. The son of Kevin Harvick, winner of the Daytona 500 in 2007 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014, precedes by just 28 thousandths an excellent Melvin Kalousdian (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – TM), second in the group and fifth overall. Bruno Angelo Blanco (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM) also put in a remarkable performance, third in the group and eighth in the general classification at his first appearance with CRG colours.


• If good morning starts in the morning, a protagonist season is expected for Riven Esteves (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME). The Babyrace Driver Academy driver is the fastest in group 1 thanks to a 52.925, which earns him the third position overall. The young Swiss trims 74 thousandths off Dean Hoogendoorn (Kidix Driver Performance – Alonso Kart – IAME), who immediately confirms himself at the top of the standings with second place in the group and sixth overall. After getting on the third step of the podium both in the Winter Cup last week and in the WSK Champions Cup last year and having always been among the main players in 2022, the Kidix Driver Performance team standard bearer makes clear his intentions for the New Year. The third place in the group as well as ninth in the general classification is the prerogative of a surprising Mariano Lopez (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), who expresses excellent potential.


• Samuele Cecchetto (Novalux – Lenzokart – LKE) and Zdenek Babicek (TEPZ Racing Team – Parolin – TM) also demonstrate their competitiveness, respectively tenth and 11th in the general standings. The TEPZ Racing Team driver precedes the Kidix Driver Performance team duo formed by Teoh Travis (Kidix Driver Performance – Alonso Kart – IAME) and Max Endacott (Kidix Driver Performance – Alonso Kart – IAME).


• The total top 15 closes thanks to convincing performances by Michael McGaughy (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) and his teammate Devin Walz (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME).


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for William Calleja (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM), 20th overall, the reigning WSK Open Cup and WSK Final Cup champion as well as fresh winner of the Winter Cup Iskender Zulfikari (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), 26th, Bogdan Cosma-Cristofor (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), 27th at his first appearance with the Team Driver Racing Kart in a WSK competition, and Gianmatteo Rousseau (Kidix Driver Performance – Alonso Kart – IAME), 47th.

MINI Gr.3 U10: Antoine Sylva Venant sets the pace

• Antoine Sylva Venant (Kidix Driver Performance – KR – IAME) wants to clarify that the success achieved in last week's Winter Cup was just a taste of his potential. The Kidix Driver Performance team driver whizzes around the Lonato circuit with the colors of the historic DAP brand, now part of the Kart Republic group, and prints a 52.842 in group 2 to win the absolute pole position. The young Belgian precedes by 24 thousandths an exceptional Achille Rea (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM), second in the group and third overall. Rounding out a trio made up of three different chassis is Albert Tamm (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), able to place third in the group and fifth in the general standings.
  


• To emerge in group 1 is another promising Belgian driver such as Henri Kumpen (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), who gains the second position overall thanks to a 53.222. The bearer of the Babyrace Driver Academy trims 21 thousandths to Maxim Bobreshov (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), who completes a Babyrace Driver Academy one-two and climbs to fourth place overall. Wiktor Stalmach (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME) also put in an excellent performance, third in the group, just 75 thousandths behind Kumpen, and sixth in the general standings.
  


• The seventh place overall is the prerogative of a remarkable Oleksandr Legenkyi (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), who is followed by the two Parolins of Leonardo Gorski (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) and Alessandro Truchot (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM).
  


• Maximus Unt (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – TM) closes the total top ten thanks to a positive qualification, ahead of Antoni Ociepa (Gold Kart Racing Team – Righetti Ridolfi – IAME) and Niccoló Perico (Energy Corse – Energy Corse – TM). The Energy Corse team driver continues to give encouraging signs after making his surprising debut in international karting at last week's Winter Cup.
  


• The absolute top 15 is completed thanks to convincing performances by Lorenzo Leopardi (LGK Racing Kart – Birel ART – TM), Martin Vingler (Via-Speed – EKS – TM) and Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio (Virus Racing – Birel ART – IAME).
  


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for David Moscardi (AV Racing – Parolin – TM), 21st in the general standings after getting on the second step of the podium in last week's Winter Cup. An even more complicated start for Mark Martin Loomets (Gamoto – EKS – TM), who records only one timed lap and thus finds himself at the bottom of the standings, 40th and last after winning the bronze medal in the Winter Cup.

X30S: Pacome Weisenburger signs the first X30 pole position in WSK

• Pacome Weisenburger (Nicolas Martins – Redpseed) takes on the role of great protagonist in the first qualifying of the X30 Senior in a WSK competition. The Redspeed standard bearer prints a 48.274 in group 1 and thus achieves an extraordinary overall pole position at the start of his first full season in the Senior category. The young Frenchman slips just under a tenth from Federico Rossi (PRK – Tony Kart), who demonstrates his competitiveness with second place in the group and third overall. Brando Pozzi (M2 Racing – Tony Kart) also expresses considerable potential, third in the group, just over a tenth from pole, and fifth in the general standings.


• Cristian Comanducci (PRK – Tony Kart) shined in group 2, signing a 48.425 and thus gaining the second absolute position. The Italian driver precedes by only 34 thousandths an excellent Matteo Giaccardi (Thomas Giaccardi – LN Kart), able to place himself second in the group and fourth overall. The third position in the group as well as sixth in the general classification is the prerogative of an extraordinary Erika Lavazza (Virus Racing – Tony Kart), who showcases his speed qualities.


• The absolute top ten closes thanks to remarkable performances David Locatelli (Zanchi Motorsport – Kosmic), seventh, Petra Babickova (TEPZ Racing Team – Tony kart), eighth and only 90 thousandths from the best performance in group 2, Riccardo Cirelli (VictoryLane Karting – Redspeed), ninth, and Emmanouil Lioudakis (TBKART Racing Team – TBKART), tenth.


• Qualifying slightly below expectations for a leading player in the category such as Arnaud Malizia (Arnaud Malizia – Tony Kart), 18th overall, and Danny Carenini (Energy Corse – Energy Corse), 22nd after taking victory in the WSK Champions Cup last year in the OK category.

X30J: Alberto Fulgori Jr. is the fastest driver (Sub Judice Standings)

• Alberto Fulgori Jr. (Alberto Fulgori – Kosmic) inaugurates the experience of the X30 Junior category in the WSK panorama with the pole position. The Italian driver signs a 50.038 and proves to be the best interpreter of the Lonato circuit. At the end of qualifying, Fulgori's kart does not comply with the technical checks and the Kosmic driver is disqualified, but the competitor presents an appeal against the commissioners' decision and the classification thus becomes sub judice.


• Riccardo Ferrari (Zanchi Motorsport – Tony Kart) stops the clock just under a tenth and a half from pole position, who expresses his abilities with second place and is the only driver able to score a time close to that of Fulgori.


• He accuses a gap of more than half a second from pole, but Sacha van't Pad Bosch (Nicolas Martins - Redspeed) still climbs into third place, showing off his competitiveness.


• The fourth position is the prerogative of Fabio Reale (LA Motorsport – Falcon), who beats Tiziano Kuzhnini (Team Driver Racing Kart – Tony Kart), fifth, by less than a tenth, Rocco Coronel (Nicolas Martins – Redspeed), sixth, and Angelo D'Ortensio (Carlo D'Ortensio – IPK), seventh.


• The top ten closes thanks to convincing performances by Oscar Repetto (DR – DR), Christian Romeo (Giovanni Romeo – Tony Kart) and Lorenzo Ingles Gomes Campos (Team Driver Racing Kart – Tony Kart).


• After being a protagonist of the WSK 2022 season in the MINI category, Filippo Pancotti (Team Driver Racing Kart – Tony Kart) makes his debut in X30 Junior and prints the 20th best time.

©Photo: Sportinphoto