There were mixed fortunes for the Australians contesting the 33rd edition of the Andrea Margutti Trophy at Lonato on the weekend.
In wet and dry conditions across the weekend, William Calleja put in an incredible recovery in the Mini class. Qualifying 72nd, he managed to make the final and finished 19th – a gain of 53 places!
Meanwhile, Oscar Targett said there was a lot learned on the weekend, both with the chassis and his driving in the variable conditions.
“A P18 start for the final had us setup for a very strong result as we had four fresh tyres that the large majority of the people had already used” Oscar posted on social media.
“Sadly due to a late downpour it was wets on for my first KZ race in the rain. P22 in the final was not the result we wanted but not bad for my lack of experience in the conditions.”
Next event for Targett is the first round of the European Championships at Genk (Belgium) in a months time.
Aussie Wrap
- Andrew Torti (X30 Senior – Lennox Racing Team, Birel ART/TM)
Q: 47 (of 51). Heats: 29-29. Ranking: 47. Repecharge: 19. Final: DNQ - William Calleja (MINI – Parolin Motorsport Srl, Parolin/TM)
Q72 (of 97). Heats: 12-19-5-18-13. Ranking: 31. Repecharge: 1st. Prefinal: 30 (was P18; bumper penalty). Final: 19th. - Oscar Targett (KZ2 – KCS, Birel ART/TM)
Q: 14 (of 69). Heats: 12-9-16. Ranking: 24. Prefinal: 18. Final: 22nd
Full results can be found HERE.
official Finals Day report
GREAT RACES AND A LOT OF SURPRISING RESULTS IN THE FINALS OF THE 33RD ANDREA MARGUTTI TROPHY
The victory of the 33rd edition of the Andrea Margutti Trophy went to Giuseppe Palomba (KZ2), Mark Dubnitski (OK-Junior), Dries Van Langendonck (MINI), Riccardo Cirelli (X30 Junior) and Danny Carenini (X30 Senior).
The final stages of the 33rd Andrea Margutti Trophy did not lack surprising results when a rain shower made things trickier at the South Garda Karting of Lonato for the candidates to the win in the 5 categories of the event, namely KZ2, OKJ, MINI, X30 Junior and X30 Senior.
The 33rd edition of the race organized by Parma Motorsport, the international event in memory of the young karting promise Andrea Margutti, has been very exciting until the end. The event scored a new participation record with 292 entered drivers from 43 different countries producing spectacle on track all the way to the finals. The rain started to fall on Sunday just before the finals, which extended the list of the contenders to the final victory.
Giuseppe Palomba wins the sprint in KZ2.
Among the 69 drivers present in KZ2, the pole position was secured by Massimo Dante (SGRace/TM Racing-Vega), while Matteo Zanchi (Zanchi Motorsport/BirelART-TM Racing) had the upper hand in qualifying heats. The victory of the Prefinal went to the European Champion Riccardo Longhi (BirelART/BirelART-TM Racing), who was chased by his teammate at LG Motorsport Giuseppe Palomba. In the wet Final, Palomba got a great getaway and sprinted to the victory keeping the lead of the race until the chequered flag. He was trailed by Longhi for the whole race. The other drivers were more than 11s off the leading pair and Marco Tormen (Tormen/Parolin-TM Racing) ended third heading Danilo Albanese (KR Motorsport/KR-Iame) and the Romanian driver Daniel Vasile (DR/DR-Modena).
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KZ2 Final:
1. Giuseppe Palomba (ITA)
2. Riccardo Longhi (ITA)
3. Marco Tormen (ITA)
Estonia’s Mark Dubnitski is the surprise on the wet.
The favourite at the eve of OKJ was the Chinese Zhenrui Chi (Beyond Racing Team/KR-TM Racing-Vega), who displayed a great shape in qualifying when he posted the second fastest time just 0.023s slower than Lithuania’s Markas Silkunas (Gamoto/Tony Kart-TM Racing). The Chinese driver dominated qualifying heats and the Prefinal, as he won it from the Japanese Shimo Zhang (Team Driver/KR-Iame) and the Estonian driver Mark Dubnitski (Aqva Racing/KR-TM Racing). In the Final, that was run on the wet tarmac, Zhenrui Chi lost several positions early on, while Mark Dubnitski found himself at ease and climbed onto the lead of the race winning it from the Austrian Nando Weixelbaumer (Team Driver/KR-Iame) to the Czech Jakub Kamenik (Hagemann Racing/Exprit-TM Racing). The Romanian Dinu Sabin Stroescu (Gulstar Racing/KR-Iame) ended fourth proceeding the Dane Philip Engbak (HK Motorsport/KR-Iame), who was relegated to P5 by a 5s time penalty.
OKJ Final:
1. Mark Dubnitski (EST)
2. Nando Weixelbaumer (AUT)
3. Jakub Kamenik (CZE)
Great victory for Dries Van Langendonck in MINI.
Several changes characterized also MINI that had 97 drivers at the start. A lot of title contenders came to the fore in qualifying practice and heats, but the Italian Iacopo Martinese (BabyRace/Parolin-Iame-Vega) eventually installed himself on top. The Prefinal was won by the Brazilian Augustus Toniolo (Team Driver/KR-Iame), but the Belgian Dries Van Langendonck (Parolin Motorsport/Parolin-TM Racing) had the upper hand taking the lead halfway through the Final and keeping it all the way to the flag. He led his teammate from Spain Christian Costoya. The third place went to Iacopo Martinese, who led the Swede Scott Lindblom (Gamoto/EKS-TM Racing). The latter completed a good comeback race and led the poleman from Holland Dean Hoogendoorn (Alonso Kart by Kidix/Alonso Kart-Iame).
MINI Final:
1. Dries Van Langendonck (BEL)
2. Christian Costoya (ESP)
3. Iacopo Martinese (ITA)
Riccardo Cirelli wins X30 Junior.
Antonio Apicella (Team Driver/KR-Iame-Komet) came to the fore since the beginning among the youngsters of X30 Junior. He claimed the pole position in qualifying practice and dominated heats and Prefinal. On the wet tarmac of the Final Apicella lost some positions early on and Riccardo Cirelli (Autoeuropeo/Tony Kart-Iame) took the lead, but then Giacomo Maman (TB Kart/TB Kart-Iame) installed himself on top one third into the race. When the final seemed to go Maman’s ways, he broke the chain of his kart two laps before the end. The lead was therefore inherited by Riccardo Cirelli, who crossed the finish line on top leading Riccardo Ferrari (Zanchi Motorsport/Tony Kart-Iame) and the Swede Vilmer Svahn (AD Motorsport/Energy-Iame). Antonio Apicella had to settle for P4, David Dragan (Gulstar Racing/KR-Iame) for P5.
X30 Junior Final:
1. Riccardo Cirelli (ITA)
2. Riccardo Ferrari (ITA)
3. Vilmer Svahn (SWE)
Danny Carenini takes the X30 Senior Trophy.
X30 Senior was the only category competing on a drying tarmac as it was at the end of the event. Cristian Comanducci (PRK/Tony Kart-Iame-Komet) and Manuel Scognamiglio (Gamoto/Tony Kart-Iame) displayed a great shape in qualifying practice. In the heats Giulio Olivieri (Gold Kart/Righetti Ridolfi-Iame) came to the fore, but the Italian Champion Danny Carenini (Team Driver/KR-Iame) started gaining some ground back after the P6 in qualifying. He then secured the win in the Prefinal leading Edoardo Ludovico Villa (TB Kart/TB Kart-Iame). A great battle was fought in the Final with a lot of position exchanges on top. The Chinese Yuanpu Cui (Beyond Racing Team/KR-Iame) led the pack, but a 5s time penalty following the misplaced front fairing made him slip down from P1 to P4. The victory went therefore to Danny Carenini, who led the race at halfway through before being relegated to the second place behind the Chinese driver. The second place went to Andrea Barbieri (TB Kart Racing Team/TB Kart-Iame), the third to Sebastiano Pavan (Team Driver/KR-Iame) and the fifth to Cristian Comanducci.
Final X30 Senior:
1. Danny Carenini (ITA)
2. Andrea Barbieri (ITA)
3. Sebastiano Pavan (ITA)
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