NEWS

Two Pole Positions and Two Victories for Vortex at Franciacorta

The OTK Kart Group's "engine division", in the closing race of the 2023 season, is competitive in all the different categories (MINI, direct drive and shifter) as witnessed by the successes of the VTS and VTM engines, in the respective OK and MINI Gr.3 classes, as well as the podium in KZ2 category with the VTZ engine, in the last round of the WSK Final Cup.

OK – The VTS engine is immediately one of the protagonists of the "Senior" class with the second best chrono time of Group 2 thanks to Sebastiano Pavan (Tony Kart Racing Team), on the podium in the previous championship appointment at Lonato del Garda. The Italian driver signs two victories in the next qualifying heats, to which he adds the success in the B prefinal. David Walther (Tony Kart Racing Team) scores a best lap in the eliminatory, while Jan Przyrowski (Tony Kart Racing Team) takes a podium in the B prefinal.

From the second box of the starting grid of the final, Pavan runs in the top positions during the first phases and then takes the lead towards the middle of the race and, with a perfect control of his direct rivals, is able to conquer the victory. Walther comes close to a place in the top five and finishes ahead of his teammate Luigi Coluccio (Tony Kart Racing Team). In his second race in OK category, Tiziano Monza ends the weekend with a Top 15. Przyrowski also attend the Sunday afternoon's race.

The final championship haul for Vortex sees 3 victories, 3 podiums and 3 fastest laps in the qualifying heats, 1 first place and 2 Top 3 places in the prefinals and, finally, 1 success and 1 second place in the finals, and, last but not least, the title of vice-champion with Pavan.

MINI Gr.3 – The weekend of the VTM engine opens with the pole position of Ilie Tristan Crisan (Tony Kart Racing Team) in the qualifyings, with a time of 53.405 seconds that remains unbeaten for the rest of the Franciacorta event. The Canadian driver continues with two victories, a podium and two fastest laps in the qualifying heats, while in the B prefinal Oliver Sini (Tony Kart Racing Team) climbs not less than 13 positions and finishes second.

From the front row, Tristan Crisan is a candidate for the final victory. The Canadian driver, despite starting from the outside line, runs close to the leading group and, lap after lap, gains several positions until four laps to the end, when he is able to take the lead of the race and crosses the finishing line first. There is also space in the final for Leonardo Gorski(Tony Kart Racing Team), Sini and Ludovico Mazzola (Tony Kart Racing Team).

The general result of Vortex in the category, also including the previous round of Lonato del Garda, is 2 victories, 3 podiums and 3 fastest laps in the qualifying heats, 1 podium in the prefinals and 1 success in the final.

KZ2 – Once again it is Tom Leuillet (Tony Kart Racing Team) who is the fastest VTZ-powered driver in the qualifying heats. The Frenchman even signs the best pole position overall thanks to his fastest lap with 45.680 seconds. Leuillet also confirms his leadership in the following qualifying heats with two victories out of two races and, after the Sunday morning's prefinal, secures his first place on the starting grid for the final.

In Sunday afternoon's race, Leuillet did not make any mistakes in the early stages, until a collision with another driver sends the French driver back in the standings. The Tony Kart Racing Team holder does not give up and places one overtaking move after another, until the last lap sees Leuillet in third place, under the chequered flag. Samuele Leopardi(Tony Kart Racing Team) and Norton Andreasson (Tony Kart Racing Team) both perform a comeback of eight places and finish in the top ten of the weekend.

OKJ – After the pole position at Lonato del Garda, the VTJ engine is again among the fastest ones of the "Junior" category with a second place of Davide Bottaro (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Sebastian Lehtimäki (Tony Kart Racing Team), in group 3 and 2 respectively, in the Friday's qualifying heats. In the following qualifying heats, Vortex achieves 1 victory, 8 podiums and 2 fastest laps, moreover with the prefinals Vortex also adds a Top 3 and two best laps to his successes.

The final sees Xiao Yu Sun (Ward Racing) as the Vortex's main driver. The Chinese driver finishes the race in third place, but a 5-second penalty for the incorrect position of his front fairing prevents him from climbing onto the lowest step of the podium. Davide Bottaro (Tony Kart Racing Team) fights for a place at the top of the standings and takes the Top 5. Thomas Quince (Tony Kart Racing Team) ranks among the best ten drivers of the weekend. At the starting grid we also find Elliott Kaczynski (Ward Racing), Lehtimäki and Scott Marsh (Tony Kart Racing Team).

Overall in the championship, Vortex finishes with 1 pole position, 5 victories, 13 podiums and 7 fastest laps in the qualifying heats, 1 first place and 1 third place in the prefinals and 1 first position in the final.

MINI Gr.3 U10 – Remarkable results also in the youngest category with the VTM engine. Lucas Bonhomme (Moni Nicolas) hits a third place in heat A-D, while Achille Rea (Tony Kart Racing Team) is fourth in heat C-D. Both drivers have access to the final and finish in the Top 15.