Penultimate round of Italian Opens at Lonato

The International Open Masters prepares to face the fourthmeeting of the season, on the South Garda track at Lonato (Brescia), in a event decisive for the championship which boasts the highest number of entrants yet, over 250 drivers coming from 32 countries, is recognized as an FIA Athorised Series and counts towards the “Coppa d’Italia Karting ACI-CSAI Open Masters”.

Within the championship, which has moved itself to the North of Italy to face the decisive stage, the situation at the summit of the various classes has begun to emerge already from the last heat at Jesolo, beginning with the highest performance KF1 category where the Englishman Gary Catt (Tony Kart) gained a decisive upper hand taking to 65 points his actual advantage over his opponents. With 100 points still available over the four remaining finals (10 June at Lonato and 22 July at S. Egidio alla Vibrata), the title in the category shouldn’t escape the Englishman who could win it already at Lonato.

On the other hand the placings in the other classes appear decisively more fluid, even if the ranks of the candidates for final victory are always thinning. In KF2 it’s the German Maring Burkhard (Birel) the new star who came overwhelmingly to the fore at Jesolo, after having already made his presence felt in the opening race at Sarno. The recent double success on the Pista Azzurra launched the German driver to the head of his class, thanks also to an unforeseen stop for the Englishman Will Stevens (Tony Kart) who has won the CIK-FIA KF2 Asia-Pacific Championship at Suzuka. By now it seems clear that the final ‘shootout’ will really be between these two drivers, at least if there are no further surprises from the Spaniard Miki Monras (Maranello) and our own Mario Mariovich Turchetto (Birel), who represent the other two drivers with the most successful credentials.

In KF3, Alessandro Vita Kouzkin from Bologna (Tony Kart) really erupted onto the scene, monopolising the podium at Jesolo, and now is considered amongst the leading contenders for the title together with 2 of the others in the Italian contingent, Matteo Viganò (Birel) and the surprising Antonio Giovinazzi (Top Kart). For everyone the stumbling block to overcome however remains the Englishman Jack Harvey (Maranello), short of points at Jesolo but still leader in his category.

In KZ2, the ‘fierce’ gearbox category, two drivers are laying down the law to everyone, Marco Ardigò on Tony Kart (fresh winner of the KF1 World Cup at Suzuka) and Manuel Cozzaglio (Monza-Birel), who came out of Jesolo with a further advantage over their opponents. However it’s worth noting the comeback of Francesco Laudato (Birel), while the ‘dry spell’ continues for outgoing champion Alessandro Manetti (Intrepid), by now cut out of the possibility of regaining the title.

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