TONY KART in pole position at the world champ in Portimao
At the FIA Karting World Championship KZ, held in Portugal, our Tony Kart Racer 401 RR (on track with the 2025 livery already) takes pole position in the KZ2 Masters category and comes close to the podium in the final.
The curtain falls on the 2024 edition of the FIA Karting World Championship KZ, held at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. Our Tony Kart Racing Team is present at the starting grid with the Tony Kart Racer 401 RR chassis in the 2025 livery, powered by the Vortex VTZ engines from OTK Kart Group's engine division. With this technical setup, our Racing Team also attends the FIA Karting World Cup for KZ2 class and the FIA Karting International Masters Super Cup for KZ2 Masters, in the latter one getting the pole position.
In KZ, our Racing Team returns to Portimão with positive prospects, thanks to the pole position obtained in the previous Champions of the Future Euro Series Shifters, held right on the Portuguese track. Lorenzo Camplese leads the patrol of our drivers in the qualifying heats (in which he gets the fifth overall) and at the end of Saturday (with an eighth place in the intermediate standings), but he does not gain what he hoped for in the final. Marijn Kremers recovers nine positions in the last race on Sunday and comes close to the top-10, finishing just ahead of his teammate Francesco Celenta. Difficult comeback for Tom Leuillet, who was out of action for a long time due to injury.
In KZ2 Masters, after the second place obtained two weeks ago at the Champions of the Future Euro Series Shifters in Portimão, Andre Nicastro celebrates the weekend with the pole position in the qualifying heats, thanks to a best lap time of 1:10.664 seconds. With variable weather conditions, the Brazilian driver makes no mistakes and, with two top-3 positions in the qualifying heats and one second place in the Super Heat A, secures the third position on the grid for the final, showing off an excellent performance of the Tony Kart-Vortex package in all weather conditions. In the last decisive race of the Portuguese event, Nicastro fights steadily for the top positions and crosses the finish line in fourth place, before receiving a five-second penalty for his front spoiler in the incorrect position.
Among the top ten of the final is Roberto Profico, always at the top in all the qualifying heats and in the Super Heat A. Also taking part in the Sunday afternoon's race are Victor Jimenez and Carlos Fonseca, while Marco Antonio Raimundo, Eduardo Martins, Andre Martins and Ennio Gandolfi gain some interesting chrono results both on dry and wet track.
In KZ2 class, Genis Civico is our best representative throughout the weekend. The Spanish driver records the best time of 1:10.380 seconds in Group 2 of the qualifying heats, finishes for three times among the best three drivers in the qualifying heats and closes in second position the Super Heat B, run on dry asphalt. Civico firmly maintains the fourth position at the starting grid of the final and, at the end of the twenty laps scheduled ranks among the top ten. Nicola Rossini is really fast throughout the weekend, unfortunately some luckless episodes prevent him to attend the final. Usually engaged in the single-gear categories, David Walther scores a third place and a fastest lap in heat B-C. Xavier Avramides, Gabin Leuillet and Alfredo Ibiapina also perform better and better over the whole weekend.
After the world engagement is over, the Tony Kart Racing Team will be back on track in two weeks to attend the Trofeo delle Industrie (Oct. 24 - 27), scheduled at South Garda Karting in Lonato del Garda, Italy, with the drivers of the MINI categories.
