Jesolo (VE), 20th May 2007 - VEGA TYRES DOMINATES AGAIN IN KF1
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On the "Pista Azzurra" at Jesolo was held one of the most keenly fought and spectacular races of the 2007 International Open Masters “FIA Authorised Series”. With 205 drivers present on the track (29 in KF1, 62 in KF2, 79 in KF3, 35 in KZ2), the historic 1045 metre circuit in the Veneto (which 25 years ago also saw Ayrton Senna racing here, remembered with the presentation of the new Kart dedicated to the late lamented Brazilian champion) put both drivers and vehicles to a tough test, rendering "white hot” and not without its surprises the mid-season event of the third heat of the Open Masters. prova dell'Open Masters.
The awards in this important stage of the championship were, in KF1, the Englishman Gary Catt (Tony Kart/Vortex), in KF2 the German Maring Burkhard (Birel/Parilla) and in KF3 Alessandro Vita Kouzkin (Tony Kart/Vortex), all 3 the respective winners of both finals in their category. In KZ2 on the other hand success was shared between Manuel Cozzaglio (Monza-Birel/YTm) and Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart/Vortex). After the third heat, in KF1 Catt decisively extended in the rankings and is headed straight for the category’s title, in KF2 Burkhard leapt to the top of the table with an advantage of 11 points over the unlucky Englishman Stevens, in KF3 the Englishman Harvey remains at the top notwithstanding he didn’t qualify for the finals, in KZ2 Ardigò is confirmed as leader with a 7 points edge over Cozzaglio.
KF1
1. FINAL: CATT (GB) (TONY KART/VORTEX/VEGA)
2. FINAL: CATT (GB) (TONY KART/VORTEX/VEGA)
In KF1, the first final was won with authority by the Englishman Gary Catt (Tony Kart/Vortex), followed by Kazeem Manzur (Zanardi/Parilla) and the excellent Alessandro Bressan (Tony Kart/Vortex) who in the final laps managed to get the better of the Belgian Benjamin Bailly (Kosmic/Vortex). A noisy and spectacular accident on the starting grid forced the Finn Mattias Laine (Maranello/Parilla), winner of the two finals in the previous event at Ugento, to immediately retire. Also involved in the accident were Davide Forè, the Dane Nikolaj Bollingtoft, the Portugese Hugo Mesquita and the Japanese Tomoki Nojiri.
In the second final it was Bressan, well versed in the track, who gained the upper hand and took himself into control, but unexpectedly in the 16th lap the Venetian was forced to surrender because of engine trouble. The lead in the race was then taken over by Catt who finished with a second victory taking him to a good 65 points advantage in the championship. Right behind Catt came the Englishman Ollie Millroy (Zanardi/Parilla) after a beautiful recovery, and then the Dane Michael K Christensen (Gillard/Parilla). Forè got back to 11th place.
KF2
1. FINAL: BURKHARD (D) (BIREL/PARILLA/VEGA)
2. FINAL: BURKHARD (D) (BIREL/PARILLA/VEGA)
In KF2 in the first finale the Spaniard Javier Tarancon (FA Kart/Vortex), in pole position, remained stuck on the grid at the starting signal. The reason was incredible: the Spaniard couldn’t find the ignition key in the instrument panel (stolen? lost? forgotten?). The main protagonist of the race revealed himself to be the German Maring Burkhard (Birel/Parilla), who won the first final after having climbed back from 6th position. In second place was placed the Englishman Will Stevens (Tony Kart/Vortex) who had held lead for the first 16 laps. The Spaniard Miguel Otegui (FA Kart/Vortex) was placed third, while the Dutchman Jack Te Braak (Zanardi/Parilla) after having tried to gain second place, was forced to retire.
In the second final Burkhard took the lead straightaway and held it right until the end, concluding with a second victory that takes him to the top of the rankings in the championship. In second position was placed the Czech Tomas Pivoda (Maranello/Parilla) after a recovery from 6th position, just as the Spaniard Abel Rivera Sequera (Tony Kart/Vortex) was the author of a great recovery from 14th starting position. Disappointment however for the Englishman Stevens, forced to retire because of ignition problems when he was in 2nd place, and for the Spaniard Otegui, also retired due to his drive chain breaking when he was already in 3rd place.
KF3
1. FINAL: VITA KOUZKIN (I) (TONY KART/VORTEX/VEGA)
2. FINAL: VITA KOUZKIN (I) (TONY KART/VORTEX/VEGA)
This time it was Alessandro Vita Kouzkin (Tony Kart/Vortex) from Bologna who won the category for the youngest competitors, dominating both, first and second finals. In the first final Kouzkin came before Riccardo Agostini (Birel/Xtr) and Antonio Giovinazzi (Top Kart/Comer) who, for the first time in this category of the Open Masters, made up a an entirely Italian podium.
The second final was still dominated by Vita Kouzkin, on this occasion in front of Giovinazzi, while Agostini was forced to the rear. Worth reporting in this race was the excellent performance of a Japanese driver who ascended the podium for the first time in the Open Masters, Ishiyama Gaku (Kosmic/Vortex), initially holding second place before he was overtaken by Giovinazzi. Viganò, winner of a race at Ugento, was unlucky at Jesolo on the Pista Azzurra, only coming in 8th in race-1 and forced to retire in race -2. Still more unlucky was the ranking leader, the Englishman Jack Harvey (Maranello/Xtr), who didn’t manage to get through the qualifying heats, nor did he take part in the runners-up race (5.). Despite not having raced in the finals, Harvey maintains the lead on the board with 14 points advantage.
KZ2
1. FINAL: COZZAGLIO (I) (MONZA-BIREL/TM/VEGA)
2. FINAL: ARDIGO' (I) (TONY KART/VORTEX/VEGA)
In KZ2 there was a return to victory for Cozzaglio (Monza-Birel/Tm), winner of the first final after the withdrawal of Alessandro Manetti (Intrepid/Tm) who’d held the lead for the first 3 laps. Also forced to retire was Roberto Toninelli (Intrepid/Tm) for having lost his rear bumper while occupying third place. Cozzaglio crossed the finish-line before Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart/Vortex), who started from sixth position because of a penalty he incurred in a qualifying heat for starting early. There was a return to the podium for the excellent Francesco Laudato (Birel/Tm), who made a sensational comeback from 17th position on the grid to 3rd at the finish. A good race too, for Alessandro Piccini (Maranello/Maxter), who finished in seventh after having started 15th.
In the second final Ardigò (who in race-1 had had problems because of a tyre) gained the lead straightaway and kept it up to the finish-line, coming in front of Cozzaglio, with Laudato again in 3rd place. Particularly of note was the recovery of Roberto Toninelli (Intrepid/Tm) who reached ninth at the end after coming up from 22nd position at the start, while the other standard bearer for Intrepid, Manetti, was forced once again to retire.
