Under the heat at La Conca, Riccardo Negro (DR/TM) leads KZ2 ahead of Jordon Lennox-Lamb (CRG/Maxter) the winner of the first heat, but delayed the start of the second. In 9th, he came back to 3rd and saved his place on the front row for the start of the Final. Dylan Davies (PCR/TM) was consistent to start ahead of the new European champion Simas Juodvirsis and the French driver Alexandre Arrue (Righetti/TM). In 8th, Marco Zanchetta (Energy/TM) lost out by retiring in the second race.
The KZ1s seem to be having difficulties with the Bridgestone tyres because of the heat and the tarmac at Muro Leccese. This didn’t prevent Bas Lammers (Praga/Parilla), after only taking 6th in Qualifying, winning his two heats with Kozlinski (PCR/TM) in his wake. Rick Dreezen (Tony/Vortex) finally got on the pace to take 3rd position, despite complicated races, ahead of Roberto Toninelli (Birel/BMB) who is particularly strong, Marco Ardigo (Tony/Vortex) and Jorrit Pex (CRG/TM), attacked Toninelli a little optimistically on the final lap of heat 2. Retirements decimated both races: Abbasse, Hajek and Hanley didn’t finish in heat 1, and Fore and Thonon retired the last lap of heat 2.
KZ2 Final
Negro and Lennox-Lamb met again on the front row, this time, for the Final. The Italian started perfectly, flawlessly followed by the British driver. Behind there was war between Davies, Arrue and Juodvirsis. Arrue dropped to 6th on the second lap, Lennox-Lamb led an animated trio while Negro pulled away. Juodvirsis led the hunt for second place ahead of Davies. Further back, Zanchetta was fast but still 1.5s back from Davies, in 4th.
At the halfway point, Lennox upped the pace significantly, closing on the leader, Negro. Accustomed to finishing strongly, he seized the lead on the ninth lap, and the DR seemed to be having some problems and now had some close pursuers. Indeed Juodvirsis took 2nd place on the 11th of 16 laps and Davies took 3rd on the lap after. Lennox-Lamb won after a well fought race, in front of Juodvirsis, Davies, Zanchetta and Negro.
KZ1 Final
Lammers started on pole, Kozlinski attacked at the first corner, Dreezen and Toninelli stuck to the train of leaders. Lammers was eliminated in an unsuccessful attempt on Koko and Dreezen grabbed the lead on the same third lap. Kozlinski had not given up. Pex followed in 4th position with Ardigo in his wheeltracks and Simo Puhakka (PCR/TM) close behind. The top four were grouped within 0.7s, so the race was beautifully intense!
Ardigo was notified of a 10s penalty which relegated him to 13th in the standings, although he was still 5th on the track. Threatening for some laps, Toninelli attacked Kozlinski at the start of the 13th lap to take 2nd and Dreezen found himself with a lead of 0.9s. But he faltered with two laps to go and Toninelli regained command of the race.
Toninelli crossed the finish line raising his arms, without knowing that he was only 7th because of an immediately-applied penalty of 10s. It was actually Kozlinski who won this mad rush to Pex and Puhakka, 4th was Sauro Cesetti (Top Kart/Parilla), 5th was Ben Hanley (ART/TM).
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