The evening falls on the International Circuit of Naples in Sarno, it closes with the Open Race Rotax a week full of fundamental information to better address the next RMCGF 2024. As it is known will be the Sorrentino family’s Campania Circuit to host the event that closes the world season of the Rotax universe. Throughout the week we have seen on track many drivers, already in possession of the GF ticket conquered in their country of origin, test and try to take confidence with the track that, as it is known, has seen redesigned the layout to make it more appealing and modern. The week ended with the Open race that saw the participation of more than 70 drivers from some dozen countries. Evidently some Italian pilots but above all Campania have taken advantage of the logistic favor to be present and to confront different protagonists of the world of end October.
The class that has recorded the most present in the pre grid was the mini that with 27 drivers offered a nice shot of eye and much show.
Everything is played on a very few laps, there is no appeal, on the second lap the best are Babicek Zdenek (CZE) with 1:05:777 and Alex Baroni who stops the chrono on 1:05:783 giving the feeling of having scored the good shot, but in the next lap the Chinese Shuo Ting Chang HR with the time of 1:05.568 he catches the pole followed by the French Quessada MarcAndria In race 1 part well Shuo followed by Quessada who for the seven laps planned manage to maintain the propie positions while for the third place the bagarre does not miss: Coza tries to hold her but already on the second lap passes Babicek while from the back you do under increasingly threatening the Latvian Vaskelis Jokubas who on the fifth lap conquers the second square while Shuo takes off. At the end of the sixth round for a competition contact the Latvian is forced to leave some positions, it takes advantage of Queessada who ends in second place and the Belgian Van Campenhout Vic who closes third. Good proof of Robin Raikkonen finished fifth while the first of the Italians and Alex Baroni in P10. After lunch break are the mini to reopen the dances of Race 2 where we witness a rich test of scene shots. Shuo Ting Chang at the start holds the position but fails to shake off the pressure of his rivals alternating in the staging positions until the fifth round Babicek goes to the head so as not to leave it anymore. At the finish line follows Quessada and the German Kimi Mey who in the 14 total rounds of race 1+ race 2 recovered 25 positions having been finalized in qualifying for decision of CC.SS. Better Italians in race 2, Alex Baroni is fourth, Gabriele Giribaldi P6. Good also Lorenzo Bruno and Cristian Nappi who manage to enter the top ten.
The Junior has seen eight pilots on behalf of six countries. The Austrica Ivonn Simeonova conquered the pole scoring an excellent 1:01:063 followed by Eason Tseng (TWN) to 258 thousandths and the Canadian Antoine Lemieux. Our colour holders are delayed in fact close seventh and eighth respectively De Grandi and D’Alelio to his first race in Junior class max. At the start of race 1 it is Tseng to take the head not to leave it anymore and winning race 1 despite the penalty of 5 seconds inflicted. For the staging positions it fights round after round and at the end of 16 exhausting laps the Lemieux P2 and Semionova P3 appear. In race 2 the departure of Tseng is good but the group remains compact and after a few laps it must yield the head to Lemieux that will not leave it until the temine of the 20th lap, the gaps are minimal, and Semionova for remaining in the discharges for the whole test fails to overcome and has to settle for a great second place. On the lower step of the podium we find Najjar (BHR) while Tseng finishes sixth. De Grandi P4 and D’Alelio P5 were well behaved in the final.
For the Senior 10 drivers with 9 different flags. Very strange qualifying with the drivers waiting a lot to enter. Practically just one round to the head and to check it out is the Greek driver Giorgos Kafantaris with 1:00:320 followed only 27 thousandths the Japanese Lu You De and then our color holder Elia Pappacena at only 63 thousandths from the pole, while Marco Aries closes in P10. In the race one we witnessed many really exciting surprises. Lu starts well holding his head for a few laps and then give it first to poleman. But the positions are so close that at each return we see changes in the head until Pappacena with an incredible overtaking passes directly from P4 to P1 so as not to leave it anymore. On the finish line, after not little battle, we find the Swiss Sidler and the Austrian Saller who were not among the first in the grid. In race 2 uncertain departure for Pappacena that in a couple of laps and with some contact is sucked in eighth position while the Japanese Lu, last party for DSQ in race 1 in a couple of laps reaches the second position while the head goes with decision the Helvetic Sidler to hold it until the end. For the second square they beat the different drivers but in the end the Japanese. Third place for the Belgian Stevens. P4 for Pappacena.
Let's go to the DD2 that comes with 12 verified of which three Italians. In qualifying at 59:194 he is Emils Ekmens. The Lithuanian driver confirmed how good he had done to see in the FP on Saturday. The second place is Mauro Simoni. The second row is conquered by Polish Horodinski and Francesco Palladino, while Kevin German gets the ninth box in the grid.
At the start of the race, an Ekmens takes the lead immediately followed by the Polish Horodinski who takes advantage of the internal lane, while Simoni's departure appears undecided, which is fifth while Palladino at the end of the first round is third followed by the Finnish Saarniala. The head position of Ekmens never seems to be questioned in fact the advantage on the pursuers grows round after round also because of the duels that develop behind him. From these duels he goes well Palladino who conquers the second position during the tenth lap and keeps it until the end. The Polish is third while Simoni closes in P5 and German in P9. In race 2 he still leaves well Ekmens while at his side Palladino finds himself fourth exceeded in departure from Saarniola and the German Schopian, but the pilot camp in 2 turns goes to recover the second position followed by the Finnish for the whole race without ever being able to approach him dangerously. On the return to the closed park the bitter appendix for the pilot bell whose muse is returned for an uncultivated contact in formation lap. So the final ranking says Ekmens, Saarnila, Horodinski, Palladino, Simoni. German closes in P10 also penalized him of 3 seconds.
The DD2 Masters presents itself at the start with 11 pilots verified including the two Italians Federico Rossi and Emilio Furlan. After the qualifying test in pole goes the Estonian Six Priit followed by the multiple times World Champion Rotax Cristiano Morgado, third Federico Rossi.
At the start the poleman immediately followed by Rossi, Morgado, confirming the difficulty of starting from box 2, is found third. Rossi attacks his head and manages to take the first position but is forced to leave it soon to Garkaklis that fourth party takes his head to hold it until the end. Even morgado comes back and soon takes the second square while Rossi keeps the third square well until the end. Fourth the Belgian Cleirbaut while the Estonian poleman closes fifth.
In race 2 part well Garkaklis who keeps his head for the 20 laps with a margin of relative safety, Rossi starts well but nen soon is forced to retire as later also Morgado. Second you place the poleman Six while the third step of the podium is of the Colombian Juan Pablo Rico.
Here ends the news of a very interesting day of races, test bench of many drivers already ticket holders for the RMCGF in late October in Sarno.
At the end of the Challenge Italia race in Franciacorta on 29 September 2024.
Complete results: http://www.ultracross.it/scheda.asp?id=1092