Vortex: double success at the Italian Championship in La Conca

On the circuit of Muro Leccese, on the occasion of the second round of the Italian ACI Karting Championship, the OTK Kart Group ‘engine division’ wins Race 1 of the MINI Gr.3 class and Race 2 of the OKJ-N category.

MINI Gr.3 – After the brilliant double success of a week ago at the WSK Open Series, the Vortex VTM is still the engine to beat, also in the Italian ACI Karting Championship weekend. Already in second free practice session, in fact, Leonardo Gorski (Tony Kart Racing Team) and the rookie Achille Rea (Tony Kart Racing Team) turn out to be the fastest drivers overall, while in the two warm-ups on Saturday morning Gorski and Oliver Sini (Tony Kart Racing Team) run at the top of the list. During the qualifying heats, Vortex collects a total of two victories and a fastest lap with Gorski and Rea, respectively third and fifth positions in the intermediate ranking.

In Race 1, it is Gorski who immediately takes the lead during the first laps, while Rea and Sini start an intense tussle with their rivals for the top-3. The ‘slow’ regime at mid-race, due to an incident at the back of the group, cancel the advantage gained by Gorski who, in the final stages, fights for his leadership; unfortunately, on the final lap, he is forced to stop due to a collision. Rea, on the other hand, goes on the attack and at the re-start, after the race has been neutralised, succeeds in the overtaking move that earns him the victory. Sini finishes sixth but suffers a post-race penalty.

In Race 2, Gorski jumps from the back of the grid, but is able to show off with a comeback of 20 positions and a top-15 finish. Sini also gains positions in the final event of the weekend and comes close to a top-5 finish. Some collisions, however, do not allow Rea to reconfirm himself at the top of the category. Finally, Henri Kumpen (Tony Kart Racing Team) attends both races.

OKJ-N - Second success of the season for the Vortex VTS-N engine. The double win is performed in a competitive and high-level context such as the one of the Italian championship. Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi (Ward Racing) is third in Friday's qualifyings and gaining the victory in the qualifying heats. In Race 1 he fights for the place of honour in the first half of the race and is in contention for the victory on the last lap, finishing in second position. In Race 2, despite being seventh on the grid as a result of the inversion of the positions of the first eight finishers in Race 1, the Australian driver quickly takes the lead in just five laps. Thanks to a smart and error-free performance, Eskandari-Marandi obtains the victory with more than three seconds over the second driver classified.