at Kart Planet
The increasingly popular Rotax Euro Challenge had attracted over 130 entries for the second round of the series, held for the first time on the Kart Planet track at Busca in Piedmont, northern Italy (29-31 May).
And once again, Strawberry’s drivers were in the thick of the action - and on the podium.
In the Senior class, Joseph Reilly was able to make up for his disappointment in the opening round (at Campillos, Spain, 28 - 29 March) and used the “the right strategy” at Busca to take a well-deserved victory. Team-mate Luke Varley returned to the podium (after winning the opening event), taking a finely judged third place and extending his championship lead.
Special mention should be made for Strawberry’s third Senior and series leader going into the weekend, James Greenway. Warwick explains, “James wasn’t in the best of health after getting a blood infection. He battled on but was in no fit state to be able to challenge at the front.”
Joseph’s win has boosted him to fourth in the title chase, whilst James remains in touch from fifth overall. Speaking in the press conference afterwards, Joseph said, “We made the best decision this weekend, to have the right tyres, tyre pressures and ideal set-up to win. The result is good for the championship points and I’m feeling quite confident now going into the third round. I want to thank Warwick, David and Strawberry Racing for all their hard work, and my team mates for being there and ‘having my back!’ Also thanks to my sponsors back home in London and my parents for all their support.”
Representing the team in the Junior category, round one hero Josh Webster figured well in the eliminatory heats, taking a first place and two fourths to earn himself a front-row start in the pre-final.
Having opted to run his new tyres in the pre-final, Josh used their superior performance to grab a breathtaking win on the last lap.
He made a perfect start in the main final, but suffered from now having worn rubber on his Tony Kart Racer EVR chassis and was soon under pressure. A monumental scrap developed and Josh found himself shuffled down the pack to sixth. Surviving some desperate manoeuvres, he held onto his place and the Championship lead - which he later admitted was his main priority in Italy.
The team returns to domestic racing duties this weekend, in the third round of the British Super 1 Championship at Buckmore Park in Kent. The action kicks off this Saturday (12 June) with timed qualifying from 12:30, followed by the first heat at 3:10pm. The racing will continue on Sunday (13 June) and features the all-important points-scoring finals.
