press release | 20 April 2015 |
Tweet | |
Spectacular races in Sarno (Italy) for the first round of the CIK-FIA European KZ and KZ2 Championship. The Italian Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart-Vortex-Bridgestone) and the Danish Andreas Fasberg (Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) were the winners of this season-opener and grabbed the top of the standings of the KZ and KZ2 categories with two rounds remaining. They were among the favourites, even though in the morning races their rivals seemed to stand better chances.
86 Drivers from 19 countries competed in both categories on the beautiful 1699 m circuit of Sarno, at the foot of Vesuvius. Sunny spring weather accompanied the Competition, which was as good as promised because of the sporting behaviour and effective monitoring by the CIK-FIA officials.
Camponeschi wins in KZ
The reigning World Champion Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone) monopolised the lead from Qualifying Practice onwards, imposing in the Qualifying Heats as well as in the Prefinal in KZ. But his opponents didn't give up and the victory finally went to another Italian, Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone), who is Ardigo's teammate at the Tony Kart Racing Team and a former World Champion in KF1 in 2012.
Another threat came from a brand new team, Mad Croc, who have put their trust in an experienced Driver, Ben Hanley (Croc Promotions-TM Racing-B'stone) who managed to take 2nd place with the fastest time of the Final, while Ardigo was on the third step of the podium.
Above: Start of the KZ Final
pic - Press.net Images
The Czech Driver Patrik Hajek (Praga-Parilla-B'stone) moved up to 4th position ahead of the Frenchman Jeremy Iglesias (Alpha-TM Racing-B'stone), very consistent at the front. The Belgian Rick Dreezen (Ricciardo Kart-Parilla-B'stone), the outgoing European Champion, was forced to retire with an engine failure early in the race.
Camponeschi, Hanley and Ardigo took the first three places in the provisional classification of the 2015 CIK-FIA European KZ Championship.
Rnk | No. | Driver | Equipment | Gap | Best Lap |
1 | 14 | Camponeschi, Flavio | Tony Kart / Vortex / B'stone | 01:04.9 | |
2 | 9 | Hanley, Ben | Croc Promotions / TM Racing / B'stone | 0.998 | 01:04.9 |
3 | 3 | Ardigo, Marco | Tony Kart / Vortex / B'stone | 2.268 | 01:05.0 |
4 | 8 | Hajek, Patrik | Praga / Parilla / B'stone | 5.922 | 01:05.2 |
5 | 19 | Iglesias, Jérémy | Alpha Karting / TM Racing / B'stone | 7.975 | 01:05.1 |
6 | 16 | Puhakka, Simo | CRG / Maxter / B'stone | 8.851 | 01:05.2 |
7 | 5 | Lennox-Lamb, Jordon | Birel Art / Parilla / B'stone | 11.26 | 01:05.3 |
8 | 10 | Torsellini, Mirko | Ricciardo Kart / TM Racing / B'stone | 12.269 | 01:05.2 |
9 | 2 | Thonon, Jonathan | Praga / Parilla / B'stone | 12.804 | 01:05.2 |
10 | 15 | Fore, Davide | CRG / Maxter / B'stone | 13.676 | 01:05.3 |
11 | 4 | Lammers, Bas | Formula K / Parilla / B'stone | 14.799 | 01:05.2 |
12 | 27 | Carlton, Gary | Intrepid / Modena Engines / B'stone | 15.288 | 01:05.3 |
13 | 7 | De Conto, Paolo | CRG / Maxter / B'stone | 16.395 | 01:05.3 |
14 | 22 | Backman, Andreas | Kosmic / Vortex / B'stone | 17.02 | 01:05.4 |
15 | 17 | Kokko, Henri | Dino Kart / TM Racing / B'stone | 17.481 | 01:05.4 |
16 | 24 | Paauwe, Menno | Birel Art / TM Racing / B'stone | 18.233 | 01:05.6 |
17 | 20 | Buran, Alessandro | BRM / TM Racing / B'stone | 19.762 | 01:05.6 |
18 | 23 | Lundberg, Douglas | Kosmic / Vortex / B'stone | 20.286 | 01:05.2 |
19 | 21 | Marinelli, Natan | BRM / TM Racing / B'stone | 27.847 | 01:06.2 |
20 | 18 | Kuovi, Jan | Parolin / TM Racing / B'stone | 28.355 | 01:06.3 |
21 | 11 | Abbasse, Anthony | Sodi / TM Racing / B'stone | 2 Laps | 01:05.1 |
22 | 12 | Kozlinski, Arnaud | Sodi / TM Racing / B'stone | 2 Laps | 01:05.1 |
23 | 6 | Pex, Jorrit | Intrepid / TM Racing / B'stone | 7 Laps | 01:05.5 |
24 | 26 | Dalè, Andrea | CRG / Maxter / B'stone | 7 Laps | 01:05.4 |
25 | 28 | Habulin, Kristijan | TB Kart / Modena Engines / B'stone | 9 Laps | 01:05.5 |
26 | 1 | Dreezen, Rick | Ricciardo Kart / Parilla / B'stone | 17 Laps | 01:09.1 |
Above: KZ podium
pic - Press.net Images
Andreas Fasberg wins hands down in KZ2
The fight proved at least as intense in KZ2, a category very close technically to KZ, except this year with regard to the tyres supplied by LeCont, but more accessible to private teams and less experienced drivers.
The German Maik Siebecke (CRG-Modena Engines-LeCont) opened the scoring by taking pole position in Qualifying Practice, but Luca Corberi (Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) took the lead after many Heats where he had the achievement of taking five wins in five races.
His domination ended in the Prefinal with a penalty of 5'' because of a jumped start, allowing the Italian Alberto Cavalieri (Righetti Ridolfi-Modena Engines-LeCont) to impose himself when he put four new tyres on early. This advantage turned into a disadvantage when facing a majority of Drivers in the Final with their new tyres on.
Above: Start of the KZ2 Final
pic - Press.net Images
The Dane Andreas Fasberg (Tony Kart-Vortex-LeCont) seized the opportunity to take the mid-race lead while some incidents changed the situation in the early laps. The young Spaniard Pedro Hiltbrand (CRGSPA-Maxter-LeCont) was a sensation, moving up from 13th to 2nd place ahead of his teammate, the Italian Felice Tiene (CRGSPA-Maxter-LeCont), fast on his home track, but slowed by an overheating engine.
Fasberg leads the standings in the 2015 CIK-FIA European KZ2 Championship against Hiltbrand, while the Italian Fabian Federer (CRGSPA-Maxter-LeCont) is rewarded for his consistency with the 3rd position.
Rnk | No. | Driver | Equipment | Gap | Best Lap |
1 | 356 | Fasberg, Andreas | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 01:04.8 | |
2 | 321 | Hiltbrand, Pedro | CRGSPA / Maxter / LeCont | 0.45 | 01:04.8 |
3 | 323 | Tiene, Felice | CRGSPA / Maxter / LeCont | 1.231 | 01:04.8 |
4 | 301 | Federer, Fabian | CRGSPA / Maxter / LeCont | 2.203 | 01:05.0 |
5 | 306 | Kremers, Marijn | Birel Art / Parilla / LeCont | 2.462 | 01:05.0 |
6 | 302 | Siebecke, Maik | CRG / Modena Engines / LeCont | 3.5 | 01:05.1 |
7 | 338 | Besancenez, Paolo | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 4.361 | 01:04.9 |
8 | 399 | Pezzolla, Federico | PCR / TM Racing / LeCont | 7.179 | 01:05.1 |
9 | 307 | Corberi, Luca | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 9.269 | 01:05.1 |
10 | 346 | Tilloca, Luca | Intrepid / Modena Engines / LeCont | 11.091 | 01:04.9 |
11 | 337 | Lorkowski, Tom Josef | Righetti Ridolfi / Modena Engines / LeCont | 12.266 | 01:05.1 |
12 | 353 | Negro, Riccardo | CRGSPA / TM Racing / LeCont | 13.326 | 01:05.0 |
13 | 310 | Piccini, Alessio | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 13.55 | 01:04.9 |
14 | 351 | Musio, Luigi | Parolin / TM Racing / LeCont | 14.668 | 01:05.2 |
15 | 330 | Mosca, Tommaso | Maranello / TM Racing / LeCont | 15.162 | 01:05.0 |
16 | 348 | Schmitz, Alexander | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 16.324 | 01:05.2 |
17 | 342 | Celenta, Francesco | Parolin / TM Racing / LeCont | 17.266 | 01:05.3 |
18 | 327 | Bernardotto, Enrico | Maranello / Modena Engines / LeCont | 18.092 | 01:05.2 |
19 | 314 | Törnqvist, Person Benjamin | CRG / TM Racing / LeCont | 18.429 | 01:05.2 |
20 | 339 | Laurent, Thomas | Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont | 18.574 | 01:04.7 |
21 | 316 | Rhyn, Rudolf | Birel Art / TM Racing / LeCont | 24.748 | 01:05.7 |
22 | 304 | Johansson, Joel | Energy Corse / TM Racing / LeCont | 24.939 | 01:05.0 |
23 | 345 | Babington, Sean | Energy Corse / Parilla / LeCont | 3 Laps | 01:04.9 |
24 | 315 | Zanchetta, Marco | Alpha Karting / TM Racing / LeCont | 6 Laps | 01:04.8 |
25 | 396 | Iacovacci, Francesco | DR / TM Racing / LeCont | 6 Laps | 01:05.1 |
26 | 312 | Pex, Stan | Intrepid / TM Racing / LeCont | 7 Laps | 01:04.9 |
27 | 354 | Martynyuk, Maxim | CRG / Modena Engines / LeCont | 9 Laps | 01:06.2 |
28 | 317 | Camplese, Lorenzo | Formula K / Parilla / LeCont | 10 Laps | 01:05.5 |
29 | 336 | Cavalieri, Alberto | Righetti Ridolfi / Modena Engines / LeCont | 11 Laps | 01:06.4 |
30 | 332 | Spinelli, Loris | PCR / TM Racing / LeCont | 14 Laps | 01:06.5 |
31 | 335 | Gonzales, Nicolas | Alpha Karting / TM Racing / LeCont | 18 Laps | |
32 | 393 | Tellone, Pasquale | CRG / Maxter / LeCont | 18 Laps | |
33 | 343 | Mazzali, Massimo | Croc Promotions / TM Racing / LeCont | 18 Laps | |
34 | 311 | Pescador, Jorge Carlos | Praga / Parilla / LeCont | 18 Laps |
Above: KZ2 podium
pic - Press.net Images