Track activity continues for the first round of the WSK Super Master Series on the Adria Karting Raceway circuit. Following the first day of Friday, in which the qualifying sessions and the first qualifying heats were held, on Saturday the remaining heats took place for the KZ2, OK and OKJ classes, while for the MINI category they will end on Sunday morning. The starting grids for the prefinals of the three bigger categories have been therefore decided, while there is a provisional ranking for the smaller one.

KZ2: Simo Puhakka brings himself into the lead with his Tony Kart

• Following the second fastest time overall in yesterday’s qualifying practice, Simo Puhakka (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex) finds himself first at the end of the heats. Thanks to three victories and one second place, the Finnish driver will start Prefinal A from pole position.


• With two victories and two second places, Friday’s pole-man Viktor Gustavsson (Leclerc by Lennox Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing) loses first position in the overall rankings, but nevertheless his second place will allow him to start Prefinal B from the first spot on the grid.


• A stable situation for Juho Valtanen (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Racing), as he maintains his third position in the overall rankings with two victories and two second places. The Kart Republic driver was the only one besides Francesco Celenta (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Racing) to beat Gustavsson in today’s heats, but, in turn, he was beaten by Simo Puhakka in the race which saw them battle together. It will be interesting to see the duel between the two Finnish drivers in Prefinal A, considering that they will start together from the first row.


• With regard to Celenta, a five-second penalty received in a heat he had won, which demoted him to sixth position, prevented him from remaining among the top four in the overall rankings. However, with a third, a second and a first place in the other three heats, the Italian driver finds himself in sixth place overall and will start third in Prefinal B.


• A positive day also for Adrien Renaudin (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Racing), who gains one position in the overall rankings compared to qualifying and finds himself, in fact, fourth with one victory and three second places. The French driver will therefore start second in Prefinal A. Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) will start immediately after him, from the third spot on the grid, after having driven through an excellent day with a fourth, a third, a second and a first place, which allowed him to gain four positions in the overall rankings compared to qualifying, concluding fifth overall.


• With three third places and a fifth in the last heat, Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing) loses one position compared to qualifying and finds himself seventh in the overall rankings. He is followed by Senna Van Walstijn (CPB Sport – Sodikart – TM Racing), Stan Pex (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Racing) and Matteo Vigano (Leclerc by Lennox Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing), who all demonstrate their competitiveness and gain, compared to qualifying, five, six and seven positions respectively.


• Just outside the overall top ten, in 12th place, is Alex Irlando (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Racing), who loses four positions compared to qualifying. Even further behind is his teammate Jeremy Iglesias (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Racing), who is 21st in the overall rankings as a result of a retirement in one of his heats.


• Excellent comebacks for Bas Lammers (Sodikart – Sodikart – TM Racing), 16th overall, and Paolo Ippolito (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Racing), 18th. Both drivers gain, compared to qualifying, 12 positions respectively.


• The driver who makes the best comeback is Jean Luyet (D.E.L. Motorsport – Tony Kart – Vortex), who gains 23 positions in the overall rankings compared to qualifying and hence brings himself in 34th place.

OK: Lindblad takes the lead

• Following the second fastest time overall in yesterday’s qualifying practice, Arvid Lindblad (KR Motorsport – KR – TM Racing) achieves the lead of the rankings at the end of the heats. With two victories and one second place, the Kart Republic driver will start Prefinal A on pole.


• With seven positions gained compared to qualifying, Rafael Camara (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) finds himself second in the overall rankings and will therefore start first in Prefinal B, certainly with the goal of repeating last week’s success at the WSK Champions Cup.


• Ludovico Edoardo Villa (TBKart – TBKart – TM Racing) maintains third position, as he proves himself extremely competitive and also wins one heat. The Italian driver will thus start Prefinal A from the first row of the grid.


• A good day of heats for Ugo Ugochukwu (Sauber Orlen Karting Team – KR – IAME), fourth overall, and Tymoetusz Kucharczyk (Birel ART Racing – RK – TM Racing), fifth. Both drivers gain one position each compared to qualifying.


• Sixth in the overall standings is Norton Andreasson (Ward Racing – Tony Kart – Vortex), who gains six positions compared to qualifying. On the other hand, Friday’s pole-man Brando Badoer (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) loses six positions and finds himself seventh overall.


• Excellent performances also for Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing), eighth in the overall standings, and Luigi Coluccio (Kosmic Racing Department – Kosmic – Vortex), ninth. The two Italian drivers gain, compared to qualifying, three and five positions respectively.


• Nikola Tsolov (DPK Racing – KR – IAME) closes the top ten, as he loses three positions compared to qualifying.


• The driver who makes the best comeback is Sebastian Gravlund (Kosmic Racing Department – Kosmic – Vortex), who gains 22 positions in the overall rankings compared to qualifying and hence brings himself in 37th place.
  


• Unfortunately Andrea Kimi Antonelli (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), who had achieved fourth place overall in qualifying, didn’t race any heat due to physical problems.

OKJ: Freddie Slater remains unbeaten

• Following overall pole position in Friday’s qualifying practice, Freddie Slater (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – Kosmic – Vortex) proves himself the strongest driver also on Saturday. The reigning world champion wins all of his five heats and will therefore start first in Prefinal A.


• Another great protagonist of the class is, once again, Rashid Al Dhaheri (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Racing), who remains second in the overall rankings. The driver coming from the United Arab Emirates wins four heats and closes one in second position, in which he is beaten by Slater himself. The winner of last week’s WSK Champions Cup will start first in Prefinal B.


• Unchanged position also for Maxim Rehm (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – Kosmic – Vortex), who wins two heats and remains third overall.


• In fourth position in the overall rankings is Harley Keeble (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), who finishes all his heats in the top three and gains four positions compared to qualifying. He is followed by Dion Gowda (Ricky Flynn Motorsport – Kosmic – Vortex), who brings himself even further up compared to the seventh position achieved in qualifying.


• Kirill Kutsov (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME) delivers excellent performances, one above all the victory of a heat, and achieves sixth position in the overall rankings. The Russian driver thus gains five positions compared to qualifying, just like the runner-up in the WSK Champions Cup Kean Berta Nakamura (Forza Racing – Exprit – TM Racing), who finds himself seventh.


• Sonny Smith (Sauber Orlen Karting Team – KR – IAME) is constant, as he is eighth following the ninth position overall achieved in qualifying. He is followed by James Egozi (Tony Kart Racing Team – Tony Kart – Vortex), who gains six positions compared to qualifying.


• Manuel Scognamiglio (Gamoto – Tony Kart – Vortex) closes the top ten, as he slips a little further behind compared to the sixth position overall achieved in qualifying. Tigran Bunatyan (Team Komarov – Tony Kart – TM Racing), who finds himself 11th in the overall rankings, loses seven positions too.


• A difficult day for Yuanpu Cui (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), who, after having achieved fifth position overall in qualifying and victory in his first heat, finds himself 24th in the overall rankings, having been primarily “slowed down” by two penalties received in two heats.


• The driver who makes the best comeback is David Zach (KR Motorsport – KR – IAME), who gains 36 positions in the overall rankings compared to qualifying and hence brings himself in 36th place.

MINI: René Lammers is back on top

• Following the overall 25th place in qualifying, René Lammers (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME) brings himself to the front of the provisional overall standings.


• Another great comeback is the one of Jan Przyrowsky (AVracing – Parolin – TM Racing), who gains 13 positions compared to qualifying and temporarily finds himself second overall.


• An excellent day also for Christian Sanabria Costoya (Parolin Motorsport – Parolin – TM Racing), who following last week’s amazing comeback (from 113th in qualifying on Friday to fourth place in the final on Sunday) gains nine positions compared to qualifying and brings himself in third place in the provisional overall standings.


• Friday’s pole-man Gerasim Skulanov (CRG Racing Team – CRG – TM Racing) provisionally falls back in fourth position overall, followed by Kian Sharabian Fardin (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), who had achieved third place overall in qualifying. Some difficulties also for Zhenrui Chi (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), who was second overall at the end of qualifying and now provisionally finds himself 14th.


• Tiziano Monza (Sauber Orlen Karting Team – KR – IAME) gains 27 positions compared to qualifying, as he brings himself in sixth place in the provisional overall standings. He is followed by Vladimir Ivannikov (Drago Corse Racing Team – Parolin – TM Racing), who gains 20 positions compared to qualifying.


• Kilian Josseron (Team Driver Racing Kart – KR – IAME), who had achieved ninth place in qualifying, Dries Van Langendonk (Birel ART Racing – Birel ART – TM Racing), who gains 12 positions compared to qualifying, and Franciszek Lassota (Parolin Poland – Parolin – TM Racing), who maintains his tenth spot, close the provisional top ten.


• The driver who makes the best comeback is Jindrich Pesl (Babyrace Driver Academy – Parolin – IAME), who gains 70 positions in the provisional overall rankings compared to qualifying, in which he had completed only one lap, and hence brings himself in 43rd place.

© Photo: Sportinphoto