Great show at Sarno, last race of the 2014 CIK-FIA season

The last race of the 2014 CIK-FIA season, the Competition at Sarno, can be described as a sporting success. Ardigo won a well deserved title of World Champion in KZ. Van Der Burgt was admirably placed for the first time at international level in KZ2 and Verschoor's victory in the Final also earned him the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.

The International Circuit of Napoli at Sarno (ITA) once again to lived up to the challenge for a Competition bringing together 181 of the world's best drivers and future talents of karting in three different categories. The sporting intensity was at its height in the CIK-FIA World Championship for KZ, the category in which the best and most experienced specialists race powerful karts with gearboxes, and also in the CIK-FIA International Super Cup for KZ2 with nearly a hundred participants from twenty countries. The Competition has confirmed that the decisions taken by the CIK-FIA to increase the number of participants and to simplify workflows are correct.

The young talents in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy for the last time this year were in the company of their prestigious elders, to deliver the verdict of a season consisting of three dates. It was an opportunity to use the new front spoiler attachments the second time to limit incidents on the track, which will be used throughout in 2015. Learning and firm sanctions provided races of great sportsmanship. As such, the ultimate showdown between the top two, Verschoor and Besler, was exciting and exemplary.

A third world title for Marco Ardigo

The response to the 2014 World Champion in KZ, Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone), was unanimous. Already crowned in 2007 and 2008 in the KF1 category, the Italian has had some excellent performances in KZ, without being rewarded as he deserved. This time, success was accompanied by a clear run. Ardigo enjoyed perfect equipment developed to unleash his talent in this advanced category. Qualifying second and the winner of his two Qualifying Heats, then the Pre-final after dominating, Ardigo fought to maintain leadership in the beginning of the Final before making the difference at the end of the race, as evidenced by the fastest lap just before the finish and his lead of over 1.5'' at the checkered flag. This brief summary does not mean he lacked opponents. His teammate Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone), the polesitter after Qualifying Practice, consistently maintained the pressure to take the second step of the podium. Second after the Qualifying Heats, the reigning European Champion Rick Dreezen (Zanardi-Parilla-B'stone) testified to the strength of competition, finishing third despite little success before the start of the Final. Paolo De Conto (Birel-TM-B'stone) challenged the domination of the future champion by taking the lead of the Final in the early laps, but Mirko Torsellini (Birel-TM-B'stone) finally took fourth position.

Van der Burgt finally on top in KZ2

A successful category in many countries, KZ2 uses the same equipment as KZ, but attracting more private teams. With 96 entries the CIK-FIA International Super Cup for KZ2 was full. It was of course very difficult to qualify as one of the 34 finalists and this only added to the value of the victory of the Dutch Driver Ryan Van Der Burgt (DR-TM-B'stone). After 10th in Qualifying, Van Der Burgt won two Heats and scored two second places. But he retired in the Heat for groups D against E while leading, dropping him to 12th position in the intermediate classification. He then won Pre-final 2 before participating in a magnificent battle against the Italian Lorenzo Camplese (Maranello-TM-B'stone) in the Final. Resisting the pressure perfectly, Van Der Burgt never let go of the lead and finally took a great reward by winning the CIK-FIA International Super Cup for KZ2 ahead of Camplese and the Dutchman Menno Paauwe (Birel-TM-B'stone). However the Spaniard Jorge Pescador (Praga-Parilla-B'stone) was the favourite with his pole position and his dominance at the end of the Heats. The Pre-finals highlighted Paauwe in the first, the Dane Andreas Sebastian Hansen (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone) and Italian Andrea Dale (CRG-Maxter-B'stone), and Van Der Burgt, Camplese and the Italian Giacomo Pollini (CKR-TM-B'stone) in the other. Paauwe, who had put his four new tyres on in the Pre-final, could not keep pace and finished third ahead of the Italians Luca Tilloca (Intrepid-Modena-B'stone Engines) and Francesco Celenta (Energy-TM-B'stone) who recovered 13 places.

Verschoor at the finish

Nothing was decided in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy before the third and final Competition at Sarno, which this time gathered 44 drivers from 29 countries on one-make Parolin-FIM-B'stone equipment. The Dutchman Richard Verschoor, Briton Ross Martin and the Japanese Hikaru Kogure took the top three positions in Qualifying. The Turk Berkay Besler regained the lead after the Qualifying Heats and also imposed in the Pre-final. There was long battle in the Final against Verschoor, with several taking the lead. Despite attempts by Besler, Verschoor won on the finish line ahead of the Spaniard Xavier Brunet Lloveras while Besler had to settle for 3rd place ahead of Germany's Max Hesse and the Briton Oliver York.

After discounting the worst intermediate classification and Final as per the Regulations, Verschoor totaled 64 points and also won the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy ahead of the Japanese Kakunoshin Ota (50 points) and the Dutchman Rinus Van Kalmthout (48 points).


Related Motorsport Articles

84,520 articles