13ª WINTER CUP LONATO, 15TH -17TH FEBRUARY 2008

POSITIVE RESULT FOR HARVEY IN HIS DEBUT WITH BIREL MOTORSPORT

THE ENGLISH PILOT TAKES THE PODIUM IN THE KF2. A GOOD PERFORMANCE BY CESETTI AND RYALL IN KF1, AS WELL AS BERETTA AND AGOSTINI IN KF3.

The classic Lonato Winter Cup has officially opened the International karting season. In March it will take off with the first trial run in the WEK series and subsequently with the European championship with the KF1 and KZ1 classes. After the winter tests, the Lombardy race represented the first occasion for real confrontation between pilots and teams before the coming agonistic season. It must be said that the results and general indications should be evaluated in relation to the limited dates that a single race and freak rigid climate can offer, but notwithstanding this, the Lombardy race has supplied a few interesting cues. For example KF1, Tm, Iame and Maxter have notably reduced the gap with Vortex motors which, during the last season, showed a marked superiority. This aspect, if confirmed during the primary appointments of the season, will be a huge advantage to the spectacle. Victory in the ‘regina’ class went to a young beginner, Yannick De Brabander, racing with Tm motor; the Belgian beat Kozlinski driving a Maxter and also Puhakka with a Tm. With Birel, however, Sauro Cesetti (TM) finished in 4th place, passing a week-end with positive results where he was able to try out various solutions regarding both framework and motor. Libor Toman, however, suffered a few problems during his novice race and finished in 3rd place, whereas Ryall (Birel GKS team) fared better and acquired 7th position after sustaining good circuit runs. For the record, it must said that Forè and Thonon were involved in a spectacular exit from the circuit just two steps away from the end, Ardigò was penalised after touching De Brabander and Gary Catt’s motor failed. For KF2 the weekend started well for those wearing the Birel Motorsport colours: in the qualifying rounds, Harvey obtained the best time preceding his team mates Amberg and Patrono, but an error in fuel handling forced the race commissioners to relegate the three pilots for the circuit runs. The occasion was useful in seeing that a very apt Harvey was able to come from the back and with three passes per circuit managed to acquire 6th position on the grid for the Final. As did Patrono who also qualified for the Final, but through a knock in the semi final which consigned him to 9th position, he would otherwise have easily finished amongst the first five. Even though Amberg made good progress he was unable to obtain in the semi final, even though he ran a very good race, a place amongst the first eleven. However, for the Swiss pilot, the first weekend wearing the Birel Motorsport colours is to be considered very positive. However, Matteo Vigano was unlucky: the pilot from the MGM team, in the KF2 debut, was forced to last position, notwithstanding an optimal qualification and a victory in the circuit runs, after suffering motor problems at the start of the semi final. His recovery however concluded after a few laps in a damaged rear fairing through contact and the consolation of a “top driver” performance for the entire week-end. The final, therefore, lost one of its potential protagonists, but once again Jack Harvey exalted and from very early on stayed with the leaders to close in 3rd position at a distance of 3 tenths from Foster, the winner. Second place went to Wernesson, whilst Patrono had to retire due to a flat tyre. And finally, in the KF3 Matteo Beretta (Birel-TM) fought the race for a length of time with Vainio, Maisano, Ceccon and Taylor, but in the final, exciting phases it was the Finnish pilot, Vainio, who took command earning a few metres on his adversaries and going on to win. Beretta, however, finished quickly in 4th place preceded by Maisano and Ceccon. Riccardo Agostini (Birel-KSB) showed promise after having been placed in 2nd position in the semi final and was amongst the first group, until a knock relegated him to 15th place. At the finishing line he was in 10th position. However, Lorenzo Camplese and Mirko Torsellini from the New Team were unfortunate: the first suffered a problem in the semi final, whereas Torsellini was involved in a knock during the final. The same outcome for the Austrian Coleselli from the KSB team who, after a optimal pre-final saw his ambitions re-dimensioned due to a knock at the start and by a subsequent circuit exit at the 16th lap which determined his withdrawal. The next appointment with International karting will be the Margutti Trophy in Parma programmed for the weekend 7th and 8th March.