autobau Kart-SM: The newcomers put on the pressure
SKM VESOUL (F) The 2018 autobau Swiss Kart Championship is shaping up to be exciting. In the big classes KZ2 and OK Senior, the established drivers are facing competition from newcomers and newcomers to the sport. For example, in KZ2 by the new SM leader Hicham Mazou. The second of the six SKM rounds in 2018 took place in Vesoul (F) in glorious spring weather. Around [...]
The second of the six SKM runs in 2018 took place in Vesoul (F) in glorious spring weather. Around a hundred participants traveled to the fast and challenging course with many level changes, less than two hours by car from the Swiss border at Basel or Porrentruy.
KZ2: Reinhard wins, Mazou is new overall leader
André Reinhard, the championship favorite in the top class KZ2 of the switch karts, had to counter after a disastrous start to the season in Pavia (two retirements in the heats). He succeeded in doing so: with a victory and a third place in the two heats and another triumph in the final, he made an impressive comeback at the top.
"I trained very little in the run-up to the season," explained Reinhard, who was already KZ2 champion in 2012 and 2013 and runner-up last year. "But now we have the setup slowly under control. My clear goal is the third title."
However, the lead in the intermediate classification is taken by Hicham Mazou, who was never ranked worse than 3rd in Vesoul and won a preliminary race. In 2017, he was still internationally active in the OK class. Arnaud Nussbaum, who won the opening race in Pavia, was absent in Vesoul.
OK Senior: Patrick Näscher clears the table
Last year's OC runner-up Pascal Von Allmen has been joined by a very strong competitor in class newcomer Patrick Näscher. Still runner-up in the X30 Challenge Switzerland in 2017, the Liechtensteiner scored the maximum of 75 points for three pole positions and start/finish victories including the fastest race lap in the final. This puts him at the top of the standings.
The defeat gave Von Allmen food for thought: "Patrick was untouchable today, there's nothing to shake. If we want to get back to his level, we have to make further technical progress before the next race."
In the OC Juniors, Alessio Fagone missed out on victory in the final by just a tenth of a second against his teammate Antonio Lagrotteria. However, Fagone is still the overall leader. Third place in the final went to Tony Kayla Naude, who also remains on the ball in the championship.
Three victories for Alain Baeriswyl
Together with the Super Mini, the Iame X30 Challenge Switzerland, a technically highly regulated and, thanks to standardized engines, cost-effective class, offered the largest starting field. Alain Baeriswyl, who had not yet made it onto the podium at the season opener, came up trumps in Vesoul, taking all three race wins in superior fashion.
Danny Buntschu, who still dominated his opponents in Pavia, fluffed twice with time penalties (leaving the start corridor) and therefore had to start far back in the final. Despite the fastest race lap, he only managed 4th place.
But the new overall leader ahead of Buntschu and Baeriswyl is Savio Moccia. The cleverly driving 2016 X30 Junior champion finished in the top 3 in all three races.
Balanced quartet in the X30 Junior
Elia Sperandio, Michael Sauter, Hugo Giraud and Samir Ben were the strong pilots in the X30 Juniors, as in Pavia. Giraud won the first heat and was also in the lead in the second when he dropped back to 5th place after a collision with Sperandio.
Sperandio even dropped out completely, paving the way for Samir Ben to win. Giraud was also the fastest in the final, but was given a time penalty for a starting offense and dropped back to 4th place.
Samir Ben was once again the lucky one and, as the runner-up at the finish, was allowed to climb to the top of the podium. The title fight promises to be extremely exciting, because the four top drivers are all on the same level.
A lot of hustle and bustle in the Super Mini
Various pile-ups and two race aborts characterized the race day of the youngest. Only Shannon Lugassy was not impressed by the wild confusion and won the final after the two heats.
Ekaterina Lüscher, who had dominated the season opener, was unlucky when her engine failed at the start in the second heat. As a result, she also lost the overall lead to Lugassy.
Next stop in Wohlen
Participants and spectators won't have to travel far for the next SKM event: On Saturday, June 9, points will be at stake at the Wohlen (AG) kart track.
Information: Markus Lehner
www.savoiechrono1.com/arch.php
