WORD CUP 125 SICC – EUROPEAN ICC CHAMPIONSHIP (3RD ROUND) – 100 ICA/JUNIOR EUROPEAN FINAL - MARIEMBOURG (BELGIUM), 1ST/2ND/3RD SEPTEMBER

BIREL’S COLOURS RACE TO CONQUER THE 30TH WORLD TITLE

FOR THE 8TH CONSECUTIVE TIME, THE 125 SICC WORLD EVENT DOES NOT ELUDE THE BIREL-TM COUPLE. ALSO ON THE TRACK, THE CATEGORIES 125 ICC AND ICA JUNIOR COMPETE FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTINENTAL TITLES.

Next weekend, on the Belgian track of Mariembourg, the European titles of categories 125 Icc (3rd Round) and 100 Ica Junior (Single Final) will be assigned. But, above all, the World Cup of the category 125 SICC will take place, the main event for this category with gearbox. For the last 8 consecutive years the world title has belonged to Birel and again in the 2006 edition the official representative of the team and reigning champion, Francesco Laudato, will be the driver to beat. Manuel Cozzaglio and Sauro Cesetti will be on the track alongside Laudato. The decision about employing the driver from Marche, who is usually busy in FA, is not an exclusive prerogative of the Birel team. All the big names of FA will in fact be lined up for this important event by their respective teams; this will guarantee an exceptional added value to the show and will contribute to keeping all predictions wide open. On the other hand, all the protagonists of the category 100cc, particularly the most expert drivers, have always guaranteed top performance in the category with gearbox. Alongside the protagonists of Euro Sicc, such as the 2006 champion Toninelli, Piccini and Sferrella, we will therefore see drivers of the calibre of Ardigò, Forè, Thonon, Kozlinski, Lammers and Bianchi. This promises to be a great karting weekend. Optimism reigns within the Birel team following the last sessions of private tests and the important development work carried out by Laudato and Cozzaglio throughout the season. Also, in terms of engine performance, the Birel team will be able to count on absolute excellence, thanks to its well-established and efficient partnership with Tm of Pesaro, the leading house on the engine front. As far as Birel is concerned, some potential protagonists could also stand out from the Junior team, where particular attention should be paid to the French Mich and the German drivers, Schrangl and Solgat. The race will be broadcast live on Sunday, early in the afternoon, by Eurosport 2, whereas all results including those relative to the qualification sessions, will be available in real time on the website cikfia.com

As well as the World Cup, the category 125cc will also assign the ICC European title which, after the first two races, on the eve of the 3rd and decisive round, sees the Italian driver Giulietti at the top of the tables with 74 points, followed by Allemann with 68. As far as Birel is concerned, attention should be paid to Omar Mambretti who, following his success at Varennes, reached the 4th place in the general tables with 41 points: his will be a race based on attack in the hope that his fellow countryman Giulietti makes a false move. Also believed to have great potential is Frasnelli from the New Team Birel: after the rest of the 2nd French event, the driver from Bolzano is looking for a significant result which could enable him to close the championship within the first three placements.

Alongside the two races reserved to the top categories of the international circuit, the young drivers of the 100 ICA/Junior will also race; following the selections of Area the drivers will be in competition for the title in a single race. Birel’s attention is focussed on the German driver Peter Antonfield, who will race for Birel Motorsport, but also on the young Matteo Viganò and the Spanish driver Munoz, who will race sporting the colours of the Mgm team of Mario Pozzi. Among the potential protagonists of this race are also the British drivers, Jenkins, Manzur and Stevens, the Portuguese Da Costa and the Italian Camponeschi.