The Leclerc by Lennox Racing team is back from the last round of the OK-OKJ FIA Karting European Championship, which took place this weekend at the Pro Kart Raceland circuit in Wackersdorf.
An excellent opportunity to test the improvements made to the already competitive TM Racing-powered CL Karting by Birel ART package in single-speed configuration, even if the results at the end of the weekend do not reflect the potential shown on the track. Not considering the episodes, the balance of this first European Championship is still positive, with Laurens Van Hoepen and Oliver Gray finishing in the top ten in the general OK standings.
In Wackersdorf, it was the Dutchman Van Hoepen who achieved the best result in the decisive race, finishing ninth after having also shown excellent consistency in the heats. For his teammates, however, the path to the final unfortunately did not go according to plan: two penalties for Jamie Day, otherwise able to stay in the top five, and a penalty and a withdrawal for Oliver Gray, prevented both of them from improving their positions in the standings. In the final, Gray achieved a comeback of 17 positions from the last box, while Jamie Day’s race was ruined by a contact in the early stages that made him slide to the penultimate position, as well as by another penalty imposed in the post-race checks.
The situation was no better in OKJ, a class in which teams and drivers took a decisive step forward, useful for trying to achieve two placings in the top ten. In fact, both Rafael Modonese and William Macintyre were excellent in the qualifiers, with the Peruvian achieving the third best time in his group. Modonese also won a heat, set a fast lap but, unfortunately, his chances of obtaining a favourable starting position in the final were definitively compromised by two withdrawals. For his part, William Macintyre concluded the Qualifying Heats in the top-ten, but, unfortunately, neither he nor Modonese crossed the finish line of the decisive race due to the accidents in which they are involved. A more complicated weekend than expected for Ivan Domingues, who failed to get ahead in the race and remained entangled at the back.
The situation was no better in OKJ, a class in which teams and drivers took a decisive step forward, useful for trying to achieve two placings in the top ten. In fact, both Rafael Modonese and William Macintyre were excellent in the qualifiers, with the Peruvian achieving the third best time in his group. Modonese also won a heat, set a fast lap but, unfortunately, his chances of obtaining a favourable starting position in the final were definitively compromised by two withdrawals. For his part, William Macintyre concluded the Qualifying Heats in the top-ten, but, unfortunately, neither he nor Modonese crossed the finish line of the decisive race due to the accidents in which they are involved. A more complicated weekend than expected for Ivan Domingues, who failed to get ahead in the race and remained entangled at the back.
