16/12/2020
RMCIT 2020: FINALS
Mini: Final victory for Skjelten
Ethan Jeff-Hall (GBR – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) kept his 1st place at the start of the RMCIT Mini Final on the dry track of Portimão. Alexander Skjelten (LVA – Birel ART – National) was in front of Thomas Strauven (BEL – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) and attacked the leader on the second lap while Mathis Carnejac (FRA – Alpha – KPR) had a perfect start and was soon in the top 10. Jeff-Hall and Skjelten battled it out for 1st place ahead of Strauven, Martin Molnar (HUN – Parolin – KMS Europe) and Reno Francot (NLD – Exprit – GKS Lemmens Power). Carnejac dropped back to 17th position, Valentin Hervas (FRA – DR – DR France) was back in the top 10 and Lisa Billard (FRA – Alpha) moved up seven places to 12th. Meanwhile Strauven was losing ground to Molnar in 3rd and Francot 4th. Skjelten came back into the lead on the eighth lap, but a group of six drivers were chasing him. Jeff-Hall crashed, Harry Hannam (ARE – MS Kart – DHR) then took 2nd place in front of Strauven, and Skjelten had 9 tenths of a second advantage. Skjelten won the race in front of Hannam and Strauven, Francot was 4th and Molnar 5th. Billard concluded in 9th position, Hervas 11th and Carnejac 18th both penalized because of their spoiler.
Micro: Feghali finishes his magnificent course as the big winner
The weather had become overcast on Portimão, but the track remained dry for the start of the Micro Final of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy on Sunday lunchtime. Favourite Christopher Feghali (LBN – KR – DHR) took the lead ahead of Jacob Ashcroft (GBR – KR – Dan Holland Racing) and Mees Houben (NLD – Exprit – GKS Lemmens Power). Max Sadurski (NLD – Energy) was only 4th. The top four drivers had already taken off, 1,5″ ahead of Franciszek Belusiak (POL – Energy – KRK Racing) and the rest of the pack. Feghali took advantage of Houben’s attack on Ashcroft to take a gap of seven tenths. Ashcroft responded in 2nd position and set the fastest lap in pursuit of the leader. Houben then took 2nd place. The three chasers used the slipstream on the straight to come back to Feghali. Houben took the lead in front of Ashcroft, before dropping to 4th on the following lap. On the eighth lap, Feghali had regained 1st place, whereas Sadurski followed Ashcroft in 3rd position and tried to overtake him. Feghali started the penultimate lap with a 0,596″ lead. The battle between Ashcroft and Sadurski intensified. Feghali had dominated since the beginning of the event and took the victory in the final, a second ahead of Ashcroft, Sadurski and Houben. Juliusz Ociepa (POL – Energy – KRK Racing) was back in 5th position.
Grube continues his demonstration in the DD2 Masters Final
After the lunch break, the sky over Portimão remained cloudy but dry for the DD2 Masters Final of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy.
Henrijs Grube (LVA – Exprit – Team Victoria) kept the lead, closely followed by Romain Mangé (FRA – Tony Kart), Thierry De Jong (NLD – Kosmic) and Slawomir Muranski (POL – Tony Kart – 46 Team). In 5th, Rudy Champion (FRA – Sodi – PKS Competition) was on the pace. Grube accelerated from lap 5 to outrun Mangé, while Muranski managed to dispatch De Jong a little later for 3rd position. Antti Ollikainen (FIN – Haase – Haase Racing Team) was in the top fivr ahead of Priit Sei (EST – Tony Kart – TGT) and the less comfortable Champion. De Jong dropped back to 7th place. Alone in the lead, Grube increased his lead with each lap and took a clear victory 3,7″ ahead of Mangé, who was to be caught by Muranski. Sei managed to take 4th place against Ollikainen. Champion was 9th after a penalty, Bruno Dos Santos (FRA – Sodi) 12th, Christophe Adams (BEL – Sodi) 14th spoiler down and Damien Loiseau (FRA – Kosmic – KBK Competition) 17th.
DD2: Przybylak wins the Final
After his superb victory in the Prefinal, Paolo Besancenez (FRA – Sodi) started from pole position for the DD2 Final of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy in Portimão, next to Petr Bezel (CZE – Sodi – KSCA Sodi Europe), followed by Xen De Ruwe (SVN – Intrepid – SSC Sportstil) and Glenn van Parijs (BEL – Tony Kart – Bouvin Power). Besancenez kept the advantage when the lights went out, De Ruwe was 2nd and Xander Przybylak (BEL – Tony Kart – Bouvin Power) 3rd in front of Bezel and Van Priijs. De Ruwe quickly threatened the leader, who had to defend his position. Przybylak took over the 2nd position on the third lap and attacked Besancenez on the next lap to take over the lead. Bezel followed the move, then De Ruwe without Besancenez being able to resist. Halfway through the race, Przybylak was leading six tenths ahead of Bezel, followed by De Ruwe 1,3” further back. Back in 5th position, Sebastian Janczewski (POL – Tony Kart – Wyrzykowski Motorsport) closed on Besancenez. In the lead, Przybylak didn’t relent in his effort to win against Bezel. On the last lap, Besancenez managed to surprise De Ruwe and took 3rd place, while Janczewski remained 5th.
Junior Final: Guinchard wins at the red flag
On a completely dry track, the Junior Final of the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy looked exciting after the incredible battle of the Prefinal that took place the day before. Several top drivers were looking to try to redo their handicap on the grid.
Freddie Spindlow (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport) wasted no time to overtake the poleman Patriks Locmelis (LVA – Kosmic – KSB Racing Team), followed by Andrej Petrovic (SRB – Lion Kart – SSC-Sportstil) and Daniel Guinchard (GBR – KR – Argenti Motorsport). Andy Ratel (FRA – Exprit – KBK) was 5th and Giltaire (FRA – Sodi – Sodi Vitesse) 6th. Locmelis dropped back to 4th position in front of Alex Powell (JAM – KR – Argenti Motorsport). On lap 4, Guinchard was leading ahead of Spindlow and Powell. William Macintyre (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport) made a spectacular comeback in 3rd position, and Aaron Walker (GBR – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) took back 15 places in 7th. The duel between Guinchard and Spindlow was in full swing for the lead, one second ahead of Macintyre who soon lost ground to Walker. Ratel took part in the epic battle for 5th place. The rain made its appearance on the 10th of the 16 laps. There were more and more runouts. Giltaire was one of the first victims, followed by Walker. On the 13th lap, the red flag put an end to the Dantesque situation.
Guinchard was thus the winner against Walker (+20 pl), Macintyre and Spindlow, 2nd on the line, but penalized. Leon Zelenko (SVN – Kosmic – SSC-Sportstil) moved up to 5th position. Alessandro Giusti (FRA – Kosmic – KPR) was 6th ahead of Téo Blin (FRA – Tony Kart – Kart Management) and Ethan Pharamond (FRA – Kosmic – KPR).
Crazy Senior Final: victory for Porter
Because of the rain returning in the previous Final, the rain tyres were out. However, the rain had stopped and the start was postponed by 30 minutes, so that the slicks were again an option. Eleven drivers had however bet on the treaded tyres, a choice to be watched as a few drops fell back after the closing of the pre-grid. 13 laps instead of 16 were on the programme.
Although the first laps left some doubts about the efficiency of the slicks, the rest of the race, which was very lively, showed that the bet on rain tyres was not the right one. Rhys Hunter (GBR – FA Kart – DHR) managed to lead for two laps in front of Sean Butcher (GBR – Kosmic – KR Sport). Then Mark Kimber (GBR – Tony Kart – Strawberry Racing) took over from Morgan Porter (GBR – KR – Argenti Motorsport) before Kai Hunter (GBR – Tony Kart – DHR) took the lead at the halfway point. The battle continued with Kimber who seemed to be a strong leader. But in a last crazy lap, Porter took over the lead and gained four tenths advantage on Butcher, whereas Kimber managed to secure his place on the podium. Louie Westover (ESP – Tony Kart – DHR) was penalised and found himself 11th, Clayton Ravenscroft (GBR – Kosmic) etc Lachlan Robinson (AER- Kosmi – KR Sport) completed the top 5. Arthur Roché (FRA – Kosmic- PKS Compétition) finally finished 17th, Nicolas Picot (FRA – Tony Kart – NPS) 22nd after a difficult start and a spoiler penalty.
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photos © KSP