Catt wins KF1 Italian Open amid upsets in other formulae

At the South Garda Karting circuit at Lonato the fourth and penultimate meeting of the 2007 International Open Masters was held, with 214 drivers taking part (31 in KF1, 66 in KF2, 77 in KF3 and 40 in KF2).

It has been a particularly busy weekend for both drivers and karts, both because of the heat and also the importance of this event in the rankings of the championship that will conclude on 22nd July at S. Egidio alla Vibrata (Teramo). And actually it wasn’t without several “coup de theatre” which produced various new standings at the top of the board, but also confirmed achievements such as in KF1 with the anticipated conquest of the title by the Englishman Gary Catt (Tony Kart/Vortex), or the long awaited first victory of world champion Davide Forè with Maranello.

As for the other categories, in KF3 Matteo Viganò (Birel/Xtr) now heads the list thanks to one win and a third place, but Kevin Ceccon (Birel/Tm) also obtained a good move up in the championship with his victory in race 2. In KF2 the Englishman Will Stevens (Tony Kart/Vortex) returns to the top of the table, which nonetheless now offers many other candidates, amongst them the two winners at Lonato, the Spaniard Miki Monras (Maranello/Parilla) and the Austrian Patrick Fontner (Kosmic/Vortex).

In KZ2 there was an unexpected knockout of the two leaders Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart/Vortex) and Manuel Cozzaglio (Monza-Birel/Tm), combined with a sensational jump ahead by Roberto Toninelli (Intrepid/Tm) who, having made an excellent clean-sweep, is now the third favoured candidate to win the title. At the top of the ranking meanwhile Cozzaglio has now pulled ahead of Ardigò by three points.

KF1

In KF1, in the first final it was the leader of the championship, Gary Catt (Tony Kart/Vortex) who immediately led the field and dashed for the victory that could make it possible for him to settle the title. The result of the first final appeared a forgone conclusion from the start, with Catt passing Forè and taking a good lead, and holding it until the finish line, followed by the Frenchman Arnaud Kozlinski (Crg/Tm) and Davide Forè (Maranello/Parilla) who for a good part of the race occupied second place.

Being in first place, Catt made certain the title was his, also because his rivals on the list, the Finn Matias Laine (Maranello) and the Dane Michael Christensen (Gillard), only came in 4th and 11th. Sauro Cesetti (Birel), the other potential pretender to the title, had to content himself with 6th place.

During the second final, after an initial predominance by Catt, Forè leapt ahead and finished with a victory, for the current world champion the first one of the season gained in Maranello colours. In second place came Catt and third Kozlinski.

KF2

In KF2 it was the Englishman Will Stevens (Tony Kart/Vortex) who regained the top of that class, helped by the DNF of the German Maring Burkhard (Birel/Parilla) who in the last heat at Jesolo had monopolised the category. It was the Spaniard Miki Monras (Maranello/Parilla) who emerged at Lonato, with this victory (and the fourth place he then got in race 2) managing to take himself back to in the running for the title, opening a 19 points gap between himself and Stevens.

In the first final, hard on the heels of Monras finished Flavio Camponeschi (FA Kart/Vortex) and the Austrian Patrick Fontner (Kosmic/Vortex). In the second final it was instead Fontner who beat out Camponeschi, again second, and Stevens, third. The English driver, with the points from this third place and the fifth place he obtained in race 1, was able to get back to the top of the ranking with a 15 point advantage over Burkhard (only 19th in race 1 and 15th in race 2) and 19 points over Monras.

KF3

Italian colours had a monopoly of the highest step of the podium in KF3, with Matteo Viganò (Birel/Xtr) winner of the first final and Kevin Ceccon (Birel/Tm) going to success in the second. In the first final Viganò crossed the finish line before the Englishman Tom Grice (Gillard/Xtr) and the Spaniard Marc Otero (FA Kart/Vortex).

In the second final, in a heartstopping finish, it was Ceccon, after a beautiful recovery from 10th place, who got the better of the other Englishman Max Goff (Maranello/Xtr) and of Viganò who was leading until a few turns from the end.

With the double-podium at Lonato, Viganò therefore goes to the top of the ranking, advancing 10 points above the Englishman Jack Harvey (Maranello/Xtr) who on this occasion had to be satisfied with two placings. Also Ceccon, third on the board with 16 points, has now entered fully into the ranks of those who could take the title. Dominant in the previous race at Jesolo, Alessandro Vita Kouzkin (Tony Kart/Vortex) was forced to retire in both finals.

KZ2

An incredible outcome in KZ2, where the overall leader of the category is now Manuel Cozzaglio (Monza-Birel/Tm), while Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart/Vortex), unexpectedly short of points at Lonato, is now left behind by 3 points. Between the two contenders, overwhelmingly returning to the favourites was Roberto Toninelli (Intrepid/Tm), winner of both the finals at Lonato and now an uncomfortable third in the race for the title. Disappointment however for Francesco Laudato (Birel/Tm), who reached second in race 1 and in that moment on course for the title, but then forced to retire in race 2, while in the lead, because of a failed left rear tyre.

In the first final during the first lap was the accident that defined the race and the classification in the championship: Ardigò, starting in 6th position, overtook Cozzaglio, who started badly from pole position, but when pulling away after the grid the two of them collided and practically ended their race right there. The out and out protagonists then became the two Intrepid drivers, Toninelli and Manetti, together with Laudato who put himself between them. At the finish line it was Toninelli who won in front of Laudato and Manetti.

In the second final, Laudato took the lead, but at the 4th lap from the end he was forced to retire because of tyre problems just when it seemed he would go on to victory. The lead in the race passed to Toninelli, followed by his team-mate Manetti, and they finished in that order. After a recovery from 8th position, third place was taken by Alessandro Piccini (Maranello/Tm), who in this way returned to reappropriate the podium for the first time this year. Starting at the back of the lineup, Ardigò was stopped by an accident while attempting furiously to pull ahead, while Cozzaglio got up to 6th place and with the 10 points gained leaps to the top of the board.

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