The first heat of the "2008 International Open Masters" contested on 30th March just gone at Lonato created enthusiasm at all levels, mainly because of the competitiveness of so many taking part which literally set the races on fire with continual overtaking helping the final result remain uncertain until the last. A very good show, due above all to the new Race Formula of this revitalised Open Masters, but also because of the opportunity that so many elements in karting now have to leap to centre stage via the new ranking of the championship reserved just for them.
In the area of race regulations for 2008 the innovation which stands out is the discarding of heat results at the end of the eliminations before facing the Finals. And it’s a real advantage for whoever has claimed to have a problem in one of the 3 heats of the race, as they then don’t compromise their position on the grid at the start of the pre-final. This new feature has permitted amongst other things the elimination of the run-off heat in each category, which, along with the fact of having an event comprising 3 classes (KF3, KF2 and KZ2) no longer including KF1, allows the full enjoyment of a smaller set of races more spread out over the weekend.
With a pre-final kept down regarding the length of the course (20 Km for KF2 and KZ2, 15 for KF3), this reveals as being particularly challenging the ”long” final, which has now become a really important race. The final for KF2 and KZ2 takes place over 30Km instead of the usual 25, while for the younger drivers in KF3 its been taken up to 25 Km instead of 20. An increase in length which presents a tough test for the athleticism and endurance of the drivers and in the end will bring the most prepared to the fore.
And so we come to the championship rankings. Only drivers signed up for the whole series have the right to scoring, while the ‘occasional’ drivers don’t acquire points and also, for the purposes of the rankings, they are ‘transparent’, which means they don’t take positions away from drivers signed up for the whole championship. For a rapid identification, drivers signed for the whole series are assigned numbers from 1 to 79, while the occasional drivers are given those from 80 onwards. But the big development for this year comprises recognition for those other participants, with the new feature of a ranking for the Private Drivers, reserved for drivers signed up in their own name, as well as that of the “Rookies” for junior KF3 drivers making their debut, the Female ranking, the Racing Team ranking and one for Karting Club, all with the aim of giving greater weight to these important groups and creating further sporting clashes.
Meanwhile, in the absolute rankings, the leadership in KF3 has been gained for a while by Andrea Zemin (Kosmic/ Vortex/Vega) from Vicenza, who picked up a third place in the pre-final and an excellent second place in the final, hard on the heels of the winner Kevin Ceccon (Maranello/ Tm/Vega). Closely following Zemin (35 punti) Riccardo Arone (Birel/Xtr/Vega) is slotted in at 23 points, thanks to his fourth place in the final after a recovery from 13th place in the pre-final, but equalling him on points is the Austrian Stefan Reiner (Brm/Xtr/Vega) achieving a good 6th place in the final.
In KF2 top of the board with 37 points has been reached by the excellent Matteo Ghidella (Tony Kart/Vortex/Vega) who having made his mark in the pre-final was the author of a beautiful and spectacular battle in the final, after that arriving at the finish line in 4th place just behind the Maranello trio, the Englishman Wright, "Giaguaro Nero" and the other Englishman Thorps, all these however being ‘occasional’ drivers. In second place overall in KF2 is Michele Minchillo (Red Speed/Vortex/Vega) with 28 points, fifth in the final, and third with 19 points is Marco Moretti (Pcr/Pcr/Vega), 6th in the final.
In KZ2, the pair Piccini-Forč, occasional drivers who’ve monopolised the first 2 places on the podium, the summit was reached by Yuri Lucati (Jesolo/Tm/Vega) from Verona, who finished third both in the pre-final and final, but achieved a full score for the championship with 37 points. In second place was Marino Spinozzi (Brm/Tm/ Vega) with 27 points getting himself 5th place in the final, while in third place we have the Finn Simo Puhakka (Pcr/Tm/Vega) with 21 points, a decent fourth in the pre-final but then forced to retire in the closing stages of the final after having held fourth position for a long time.
INDEPENDENTS ENTRANTS. In the Independent Drivers' ranking in KF2 the top of the board was taken by Matteo Ghidella with 37 points, with a 7 lengths lead over Michele Minchillo and 16 over Marco Moretti who shares equal points with Alessandro Vantini. In KF3 Andrea Zemin held the first place with 37 points, in front of Riccardo Arone (25) and the Austrian Stefan Reiner (24). In KZ2 the leadership was taken by Matteo Cattelan with 37 points, in front of Stefano Mio Bertolo (26) and Franco Stinchelli (20).
FEMALE. In the Girls' International Open Masters, the most in evidence was Vittoria Piria, the 15 year-old from Milan with Gandolfi Ennio Racing, who in KF3 was placed 18th in both pre-final and final, and Klaudia Senica, 18 year-old from Ascoli Piceno racing with the TRT team, committed to KF2 where she gathered 19th place in the pre-final and got to 14th in the final. The two girls are paired equally in the ranking with 37 points each, followed by the Dutch Beitske Visser (30 points) and Erica Gallina (16) both of them in KF3.
BEGINNERS. This year stepping into the limelight we have also the Rookie Drivers', meaning whoever is racing in the Open masters for the first time in the category for the youngest drivers, KF3. The ranking is already quite long and consists of a good 17 drivers. At the head of them is Andrea Zemin with 35 points, followed by Riccardo Arone and Stefan Reiner with 23.Put into the provisional top ten are also Daniele Basiliotti (17), Radim Maxa (15), Alessandro Mannozzi (13), Raffaele Marciello (12), Nicolň Rocca (11), Giuseppe Balsamo and Alessio Santilli (8).
KARTING CLUB. In the Karting Club ranking the frontrunner in KF2 and KZ2 has straightaway been Team Kart Italia, the historic Karting Club of our country. Defending the colours of the Karting Club Italia in this race in KF2 were Stefano Colombo, Alessandro Vantini, "Giaguaro Nero" and Nicola Torri, and in KZ2 Yuri Lucati, Alessandro Pintossi, Giacomo Superti and the several-times champion Davide Forč.
In KF3 it was instead Motor's Simpaty Karting which prevailed in this first event of the season, represented by Kevin Ceccon.
TEAMS. Amongst the Race Teams competing for the new title Teams' International Open Masters, the one which made its presence felt immediately was GPZ (35 points) which led the board in KF3 in front of Emilia Kart (31) and Kart Project (26), in KF2 the top ranking was taken by TRT (40) over Gandolfi Ennio Racing (35) and DR Motorsport (32), in KZ2 in a commanding lead was BRM Racing (44) over Jesolo Race (37) and Renda Motorsport (37).
ABSOLUTE RANKING (reserved for drivers signed up for the whole series)
KF2: 1. Ghidella points 37; 2. Minchillo 28; 3. Moretti 19; 4. Vantini and Di Braccio 18.
KF3: 1. Zemin points 35; 2. Arone e Reiner 23; 4. Basiliotti 16; 5. Ghirelli and Maxa 13.
KZ2: 1. Lucati points 37; 2. Spinozzi 27; Puhakka 21; Cattelan 19; 5. Pintossi 15.
INDEPENDENTS DRIVERS RANKING
KF2: 1. Ghidella points 37; 2. Minchillo 30; 3. Moretti and Vantini 21.
KF3: 1. Zemin points 37; 2. Arone 25; 3. Reiner 24.
KZ2: 1. Cattelan points 37; 2. Mio Bertolo 26; 3. Stinchelli 20.
FEMALE RANKING
1. Piria Vittoria e Senica Klaudia points 37; 2. Visser Beitske 30; 4. Gallina Erica 16.
ROOKIE DRIVERS' RAKING (reserved for first-time competitors in KF3)
KF3: 1. Zemin points 35; 2. Arone e Reiner 23; 4. Basiliotti 17; 5. Maxa 15.
KARTING CLUB RANKING
KF2: 1. Team Kart Italia points 52; 2. Somma K.C. 32; 3. ASD Taglienti 30.
KF3: 1. Motor's Simpaty points 37; 2. Superteam 28; 3. AS Tribe One Corse 23.
KZ2: 1. Team Kart Italia points 56; 2. KC Joint Race 35; 3. Rovigo KC 19.