Lehane Dominates The Heats In France


  5 April 2015
   
 

Australia's Pierce Lehane dominated the Senior MAX heats at the opening round of the Rotax MAX Euro Challange in France overnight. On a wet day, Lehane (Strawberry Racing / Tony Kart) was undefeated having already qualified fastest.


Above: Pierce Lehane blasts into the lead on the wet Salbris circuit
pic - RGMMC

 

RGMMC Official Saturday Report

The first race action of the 2015 Euro Challenge kicked off at Salbris (FRA) this Saturday. After some tight qualifying practices on Friday the spectators witnessed even closer heats today. All told 18 races were on the agenda for the 160 drivers of the juniors, seniors and DD2. In the morning slight and persistent rain turned the first heats into wet races. Throughout the day the 1.500 meters long circuit of Sologne Karting dried up slowly but slight rain showers made conditions unpredictable until the very end.

In the junior category the qualifying quickest Jack McCarthy (Strawberry Racing) from the UK did not leave any doubt during the heats. By a clean record he won all of his heats thus putting his Tony Kart on pole position for the prefinal on Sunday. Behind him his fellow countryman Tom Gamble (Dan Holland Racing) showed his skills by winning two times, which boosted him in second position after the heats in front of Oliver York (Aim Motorsport), Florian Venturi (DSS) from France and Javier Gonzalez (Paul Carr Racing) from Mexico. In a very good shape was Dean MacDonald (Aim Motorsport) but the UK driver was not lucky in his second heat when he only was classified 27th. Yet a victory and a second place compensated the gaffe which finally meant twelfth place in the heat classification.

In a dominant way Australia's Pierce Lehane (Strawberry Racing) reigned in the senior heats. He crossed the finish line first in each of his races and fulfilled the task effortlessly. Sam Marsh (Dan Holland Racing) and Berkay Besler (Bouvin Power) again had to put up with the chaser's roles by following in second and third place. Behind them John Stewart (Strawberry Racing) took fourth position ahead of Dutchman Rinus van Kalmthout (Team TKP) and the reigning champion Harry Webb (CRG SPA) in fifth place. Extremely fast was the former junior Max Timmermans (DAEMS Racing). The Belgium driver celebrated two wins but struggled in his last race. Finally he ended up in eleventh position of the heat ranking.

The heats of the DD2 category could not have been more close. In the end Hungary's Ferenc Kancsar (BirelART/KMS), Dutchman Mats van den Brand (VPDR) and Barrie Pullinger (Dan Holland Racing) from the UK were tied in the ranking. Each of them won at least one heat but finally the better qualifying result determined the order in favour of Ferenc Kancsar, while Mats van den Brand and Barrie Pullinger had to be satisfied with the following positions. Anthony Abbasse (Sodikart) was close to the leading group. The Frenchman celebrated one victory and took the fourth place after the heats ahead of Portugal's Henrique Baptista (Dan Holland Racing), Finland's Roope Markkanen (VRT) and Kevin Ludi (Spirit Racing) from Switzerland.


Above: Saturday's heat winners
pic - RGMMC

In the DD2 Masters classification Igor Mukhin (CRG S.P.A.) from Russia took the lead establishing himself on 16th place of the overall grid. His rivals Tamsin Germain (DG Racing) and Hungary's Geza Fodor (KartRicciardo/KMS) followed in 22nd and 23rd position.

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