French Championship wraps up at Lyon

The much awaited return of FFSA Grand Prix racing to the Actua Lyon circuit lived up to expectations. The Lyon kart club (ASK) pulled out all the stops for this final round of the 2007 French Championships. It was suspense right up to the last minute in all 4 national categories and the public in Lyon turned out in force to watch the racing. The FFSA is now working on a completely revamped formula for next season’s French Championships.

The last time the French Kart circus visited the Lyon region was in 2005. The changes that Actua Karting has made to the Saint Laurent de Mure track since then were plain for everyone to see. The basic layout of the Grand Prix track may not have changed much but elsewhere a host of improvements have been made. The paddock is now more than comfortable and the relaxation amenities are very agreeable. There were a few anxious faces on the Friday afternoon as temperatures soared to 30°C and people wondered how the asphalt on the freshly resurfaced track would behave. But all was well after a quick and effective intervention by the organisers. There was a good crowd, no doubt attracted by the strenuous advertising campaign conducted by the organisers.

KF1
In the end it was a French outsider who ruled the roost. Racing a Sodikart to which a new Iame engine had been fitted, Anthony Abbasse moved up through the gears as the weekend progressed and in the end he proved unstoppable. Belgian driver Bailly was not racing with as much confidence as he was at the start of the season, and Manzur lost time due to what the French euphemistically call “the facts of racing”. In the end, he came 2nd in the final. Abbasse was out of sight, and so he added the 2007 French Elite class crown to the French Rookie Champion’s crown he won in 2006. Another Sodikart driver also got on the podium. The 3rd place won by Florian Alfano marked his return to form.

KF2
The latest recruit to FFSA Karting Team France didn’t have things all his own way at the start of the weekend but KF2 favourite Charles Lacaze (Tonykart/Vortex) was quietly confident in his own ability and in the quality of his kart. So like a true master he came back and set the record straight with two classy 2nd places in consecutive races to take the French Espoir (rookie) class title. William Benedetti (PCR/Windfire) lost any chance he might have had after a prang during lap 1 of the prefinal. Without question, the tamer of Lyon was Loïc Réguillon (Sodikart/Iame). After clocking the fastest lap in practice, he came 1st in the qualifying heats and then took the winner’s flag in both the prefinal and final races. Kevin Bole Besançon picked up a good 3rd place.

KF3
Sébastien Bailly won just about everything in Lyon this weekend. Only the fastest lap in the time trials escaped him. Driving quickly and intelligently, the younger of the Bailly brothers mo-
tored his Kosmic/Vortex home to take the French KF3 crown in style. The anticipated confrontation with Kosmic/Vortex driver Brandon Maïsano never really materialised. Brandon wasn’t able to press home his advantage during the usual scramble at the start of Junior races, and he had to call upon all his attacking skills to climb through the field to the front of the race.
He eventually finished the final race just ahead of team-mate Clément Chillet.

KZ2
Champion elect Dutchman Danny Bleek (Energy/TM) was still in danger before Lyon against Thomas Mich (Birel/TM). They kept a weather eye on each other from a distance through the qualifying heats but for the prefinal they left the starting blocks together. Mich got in front, but
Danny Bleek managed to nose ahead on the 10th lap and ran out victorious. So all he needed
to do in the final was to stay in touch with his rival. Behind these two leaders it was the third man in the championship standings, Enzo Zéférini (CRG/Maxter), who proved to be the fastest. Pierre Krypciak (Alpha/Maxter) was the only other driver who might have been capable of worrying the leaders.

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