A spring weekend with sunshine and really unexpected temperatures for a mid-February race, Battipaglia and the Sele Circuit were the splendid setting for the first 2024 season race regarding the Rotax Max Challenge Italia Zona Centro-sud.
As it is now traditionally starting from here for a new competitive season that never, like this year, attracts important appetites regarding the ambitions and the final objectives, the RMCGF in Sarno has certainly aroused a great interest among the drivers.
But let's go to the race news.
The Rotax Mini, with the novelty of the Under 10, immediately presented itself well, a nice group of agguerriti small pilots showed up on the first appointment to immediately make it clear that you are serious. In the race a Murano (Parolin), which had obtained the pole with the time of 55,376 followed by Calandro (FA) and the new entry Raul Capuozzo on Birelart, has an uncertain departure and is surprised by an excellent point of Raul Capuozzo (GCRacing85) that seems to be able even take the wide thanks to the bagarre that develops behind it: Calandro takes the second position and turns after lap rosicchia meters to the leader as long as, at the last corner turns his decided attack coming first on the finish line followed by Capuozzo, Murano, D’Alelio (EKS), Bruno (Laudato Racing), Giannone coming from UK and followed by GCRacing85, Giannatiempo and Marano.
In the race 2 part very well Bruno D’Alelio followed by Calandro and the British driver Giannone (EKS) and Giannatiempo (CL). The first two exchange their position with some surprises until after a further attempt to overtake the two come into contact and D’Alelio must abandon the fight for the first places. Calandro on his F Alonso takes, therefore, the head followed by Giannone who breaks the Hindus and goes to the attack of the first position taking it and keeping it only a few laps. The small beneventan driver Calandro returns to the head and does not leave it to the finish line in order arrive Calandro, Giannone and Giannatiempo who conquer the podium, to follow Nicola Murano, Lorenzo Bruno, Riccardo Marano, and then others.
The two races were really fought and are definitely a great business card for the continuation of the season.
In the Max, the first two drivers in the standings split the loot alternating with the first and second place while Edoardo Picardi (BirelArt) won the third position in both tests. In race 1 is Francesco Perillo on Topkart to regulate Vincenzo Spina on Tonikart while in race 2 part well Perillo who seems to be able to repeat the race 1 but Spina is not there and in the second part of the race attacks and conquers the leadership in order not to leave it anymore.
The DD2 sees the challenge of Kevin German on EKS (GCRacing85) and Francesco Palladino on CL. German conquers pole and presents himself in the grill ready to defend the advantage that starting in the head assures him. But Palladino is certainly not renunciation and therefore the battle and show are guaranteed with a race full of attacks and answers. It starts well German who, however, fails to take advantage and must defend himself from the attacks of Palladino who manages to pass and hold his head for a few lapses without, in turn, succeeding to take the wide and having to undergo the return of German who overcomes and wins the test. In race 2 the script seems to repeat itself with German who starts well and Palladino forced to chase. The latter, however, seems more competitive than race 1 despite a serious technical problem that forces him to a hand guide for long stretches to try not to lose the side hull. Despite this, the show is not lacking with several overtakings and countersurfaces. Palladino manages to end in the head but loses the right side hull during the last lap and the thing, rightly, does not go unnoticed and the measure of exclusion from the race comes inexorable. German Vince who showed great determination against the most experienced Palladino. Surely the season is prejumping with this premise.
In DD2 Masters we have on track 5 drivers of Team Laudato. In addition to the confirmations of Massimliano Cioffi and Gianluca Iervolino, we have the welcome return to the competitions of Marco Valestra (already winner of the title with its ticket in 2022) and Giuseppe Posillo. Finally the new enters Raffaele Iervolino. In the end it is Valestra who wins the two tests by winning the full prize of the available points. Posillo manages to win the second square in race 1 while he has to retire to the Final. For Cioffi already winner of zone 2 in last season a good third and second place that give him the second place in general. They follow Raffaele and Gianluca Iervolino.
This for the record. Appointment to the next race in Castelvolturno, Pista Italia, on 26 March p.v.