2008 Championship Takes Shape at Essay

During Grand Prix FFSA Karting at Essay, the weather seemed very undecided, alternating between showers and sunny spells throughout the weekend. But it does not matter, since the weekend in Normandy offered exciting races, a few surprises, some confirmations and, most of all, excellent winners. The Essay racetrack was the ideal setting, as usual, for many spectacular overtakings. The number of pilots was once again very high (about 120) and the always impeccable organisation by Club K61 pleased both pilots and the public. FFSA reacted to the remarks about tyres made at Salbris: first of all, the number of authorised covers was reduced in order to contain costs and KZ2 pilots used softer type B tyres, better suited for their remarkable power.

Mich and Varutti Show Spectacular Performances
KZ2 was particularly spectacular due to an often slippery track, which made the powerful 125 gearbox karts somewhat difficult to control: a bit like in F1 without driver aid systems! Thomas Mich confirmed his position as the favourite, by making up for his average early-season results. Second on Saturday, Thomas won on Sunday and scored several points for the Championship. A pleasant surprise during the weekend came from Alban Varutti, who tried a poker strike in the pre-final on Saturday, with slick tyres on a still damp track. It proved to be the right decision and Alban won his final. It was his first victory in the Grand Prix! Inspired by this success Alban, after starting from the back of the grid in Sunday’s final, caught up very quickly and conquered the second step of the podium, for the second time in two days. Always in on it, Enzo Zéfirini managed not to lose contact with his second position in the Championship ranking. Anthony Abbasse did not score any remarkable results on Saturday’s wet track, but conquered the podium in the following day’s final. He still has winning chances thanks to a third position in the ranking, level with Emilien Grosso, who is resisting well. Christophe Benoit was Saturday’s surprise, with his hard conquered third position in the final.

Open war between Maïsano and De Ridder in KF3
Brandon Maïsano in back in the French Championship thanks to his Saturday’s victory, but Guillaume De Ridder has reconquered the lead of the provisional ranking by winning Sunday’s final. Maïsano is faster on a dry track, while De Ridder performs better when the track is wet: these are the two competitors for 2008 Title. Jonathan Hélias, always incisive and always well placed, follows the leaders at a short distance. Mathieu Jaminet, always remarkable for his fighting spirit, conquered a podium on Saturday. He lost his advantage on Sunday in the pre-final, owing to a small technical problem. Swiss Michael Heche remained regularly at the lead, while Tanguy Carel put in a noteworthy performance with a fourth place on Sunday.

KF2: Lacaze Makes the Break
Here is a pilot who does not seem concerned by the weather. Either with wet weather tyres on Saturday, or on a dry track on Sunday, Charles Lacaze gave no quarter: he won in every occasion! He increased the gap that separates him from his pursuer, Belgian Robin Frijns, at 40 points, despite the Belgian pilot’s good performance. After his heroic catching up on Sunday, Loïc Réguillon, second in the final, climbed back to third position in the ranking. Paul-Loup Chatin was the revelation of Essay, where he confirmed the good performances already seen this season by scoring an important result. Third in Sunday’s final, Paul-Loup competed against the best pilots, without the slightest trace of an inferiority complex. A promising exploit for a pilot who has discovered KF2 and Grand Prix Karting after a season in the National category, in 2007.

The FFSA Formula race was won by Stéphane Agis, already second in the pre-final, followed on the podium by Benjamin Lenoir and Tony Chevrolier. 29 pilots had made their trip to Essay.

A KZ 125 race will be organized during next Grand Prix Karting FFSA at Varennes sur Allier, on 31 May and 1 June.