New Contenders Show Form at Round 3 of the Italian Championship

press release

The third round of the ACI Karting Championship held in Battipaglia offered a series of good races in all categories on track in this event, that is KZ2, 60 Mini, OK-Junior, ACI Kart, ACI Kart Junior and KZ4.

The number of drivers partaking in this event has reached level 140, due to the limited participation in OK-Junior and KZ4, but presence in Mini has been high with 65 drivers, KZ2 had 29 and the two ACI Kart series with Iame engines featured 34 drivers at the Circuit of Sele in Battipaglia.

KZ2 Race-1 podium with Pollini, Palomba and Zanchetta
KZ2 Race-1 podium with Pollini, Palomba and Zanchetta

Good races and great performances have been put in on the 1.345 meters of the circuit located in Campania. This round provided some confirmations on the main contenders of the Italian Championship, but also several underdogs that have been protagonist in Battipaglia’s turning point of the season.

The most powerful category, KZ2, saw a great performance by Pasquale Tellone on EKS-Iame run by team Taglienti who went quickest in qualifying, and by Giuseppe Palomba on Intrepid-Tm, who has been the best in qualifying heats. In the end though, Giacomo Pollini on Formula K-Tm had the satisfaction of taking the win after being always very quick. In Battipaglia, Pollini marked the second quickest time, keeping his momentum in the race winning the first of the two finals. Palomba also scored a good result in Race-1 ending second, and Marco Zanchetta on Maranello-Tm managed to pull away in the classification thanks to the third place after the wins obtained in Lonato and Sarno. Simone Cunati on Top Kart-Iame was a good fourth, as Fabrizio Celenta on Praga-Tm keeps being his main rival in the title hunt after winning it last year.

Among the quickest, Fabrizio Rosati and Luca Tilloca both on CRG-Tm, and Pasquale Tellone who completed the top 8. In Race-2, Marco Pastacaldi, on Maranello-Tm, had the upper hand from the ninth place in Race-1, taking a solid victory from team mate Zanchetta, who hauled further important point strengthening his classification lead. Celenta was fourth at the flag, but was then promoted to third due to a penalty handed to Gianni Vigorito (BirelArt-Tm) who had a jump start. Tellone, Tilloca, Palomba and Pollini closed in the top position in the order.



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Marco Pastacaldi, KZ2
Marco Pastacaldi, KZ2

60 Mini has been characterized by several very nice duels. Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the works Tony Kart-Vortex won the first final taking his maiden win. In Race-1, the second place went to Michael Barbaro Paparo (IPK-Tm) and the third to Alessandro Cenedese (Tony Kart-Tm), after a penalty handed to the Dane Conrad Laursen (Tony Kart-Tm). The fourth place went to provisional classification leader Gabriele Minì (Parolin-Tm), while his closest rival, Alfio Spina (CRG-Tm) had an early incident and closed 20th. Race-2 victory did not slip off Minì’s hands and he could strengthen his classification lead in this way. The second place went to Paparo who had a close duel with Raffaele Gulizia (IPK-Tm), who had an excursion and therefore could not end on the podium but took only P6. The American Ugo Ugochukwu was third on Energy-Tm, leading Spina who put in a strong comeback race.

Giuseppe Fusco scored a double win in OK Junior on Tony Kart-Lke despite the grid inversion of final two. Fusco proceeded Luca Bosco (Tony Kart-Vortex) in both finals, while Francesco Raffaele Pizzi (Luxor-Lke) was third in Race-1 and the Russian Alexey Brizhan (Tony Kart-Vortex) completed the podium in Race-2.

In ACI Kart, Race-1 victory went to Francesco Pagano (Luxor-Iame), who proceeded Marco Settimo (Birel-Iame) and Cristian Comanducci (Tony Kart-Iame). The victory of Race-2 went to Vittorio Maria Russo (Tony Kart-Iame), while the second and third place went again to Settimo and Comanducci. Pagano was fifth instead as Danilo Minutello (Top Kart-Iame) was fourth.

Race 2 podium for 60 Mini  with Minì, Paparo and Ugochukwu
Race 2 podium for 60 Mini with Minì, Paparo and Ugochukwu

The victory of ACI Kart Junior went to Federico Albanese (Tony Kart-Iame) after a 10s time penalty given to Aleksander Bardas (DR-Iame) and Francesco Sgobba (Energy-Iame) that had closed first and second at the flag. The second and third position went to Federico Cecchi and Tommaso Chiappini, both on Tony Kart-Vortex. The victory of Race-2 went to Tommaso Cioci (Tony Kart-Iame), who led Matteo Maria Roccadelli (Formula K-Iame), as Bardas was third due to a penalty given to Cecchi. Albanese had been involved in a racing incident early on.

In KZ4, reserved to drivers over 40 years old, the victory in Race-1 went to Maurizio Giberti (Maranello-Tm) in Gara-1 and that of Race-2 to Lino Di Simplicio (EKS-Tm). Di Simplicio scored a podium also in Race-1 as he was second leading Cosimo Damiano Antoniello (Oberon-Tm), while the second and third steps of the podium of Race-2 went respectively to Massimo Siena (CRG-Tm) and Giberti.

The next round of the championship will take place next July 16th in Adria.



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