European Championship Round 2 Preview

Having begun in Italy at Ugento, the CIK-FIA European Karting Championship will continue in France at the Varennes sur Allier circuit on next 21-24 June. For the KZ1 (former Super-ICC) class, the 2007 European Championship will end at the French race as the third event for the top category of gearbox karts will have World Cup status. This World Cup will be held on 2nd September in Italy, at Sarno.

In the provisional classification of the 2007 European KZ1 Championship, Alessandro Manetti is a comfortable leader as he has carried off the two races at Ugento. The Belgian Jonathan Thonon and the Franco-Spanish driver Jérémy Iglésias accompanied him both times on the podium and so they stand as his main challengers for the final crown. Varennes therefore promises to offer thrilling races, all the more so that the course is tailor-made for gearbox karts and favourable for action-packed races, thanks in particular to the slipstreaming
phenomenon.

For the other two categories, Varennes will be the second round of the European tour which comprises three stages. In KF1 (former Formula A), the man on top form of the moment is Marco Ardigo. European Champion in 2005 and 2006, the Italian will arrive in Varennes solidly leading the Championship and with a winner’s morale. Not content with having dominated the first European event in Ugento, he recently won the World Cup held in Japan at Suzuka. Twice second in Ugento, Armand Convers will have the privilege of racing on his home soil.

Denmark’s Michael Christensen and Finland’s Matias Laine are the spearheads of the rising generation, and both climbed on the podium in Ugento. Two other young drivers will be worth following closely at Varennes after having shone on this very circuit a few weeks ago within the framework of a French Championship event: the Belgian Benjamin Bailly and the Anglo-Pakistani Kazeem Manzur (who races with an Italian licence).

In KZ2 (former ICC) finally, the penalty for a jumped start was very costly for the Energy team’s leading drivers, the Dutchman Danny Bleek and the Frenchman Tony Lavanant. Both will try to overcome this blunder which they made in Race 2 at Ugento, after having dominated Race 1. It is the Dutchman Thomas Knopper who is currently leading the provisional championship classification.

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