A second new country is on the international competition programme this year. After the Czech Re-public, it was Denmark’s turn to present a new track with the recently completed Rødby Karting Ring. The third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series gave Parolin Motorsport a chance to get their bearings and secure two podium finishes in the OK-Junior class.
The revelation of Kanthan
Alongside Zac Drummond, Christian Costoya and Jack Iliffe, the young American Vivek Kanthan had shown great promise since the start of the season. After his superb performance at Rødby, he is now one of the Parolin Motorsport team’s driving forces capable of achieving success in OK-Junior. After finishing 10th in Qualifying, he won two heats and took command of the intermediate standings on Saturday evening. He won again in the Super Heat and climbed onto the second step of the podium after a hard-fought battle. 1stal in Qualifying, Drummond also put in a remarkable performance before fighting his way to 3rd place in the Final. The Scot therefore climbed back up to 2nd place in the Championship. Jack Iliffe rounded off the team’s success by finishing 9th in the Final. Last but not least, Christian Costoya made up for his retirement in Heat 4 by climbing back up to 13th in the Final.
“I’d like to congratulate the whole team on their performances at Rødby,” said Marco Parolin. “Special congratulations to Vivek Kanthan, who was the revelation of the Danish weekend. We had confidence in his potential, but it’s not often you see such a rapid emergence. We’re delighted to be able to count on four drivers to strengthen our presence in OK-Junior. Our OK drivers didn’t have an easy time of it in Denmark. After his absence in the Czech Republic for political reasons, Anatoly Khavalkin gradually found his rhythm, while Miguel Costa put in a good performance. Rene Lammers unfortunately did not get the chance to showcase his great qualities. We’ve got some work to do to put things right before the third European event in less than two weeks’ time.”
Two weeks after the encouraging results of the Champions of the Future Euro Series in the Czech Republic, Parolin Motorsport outdid itself in the second round of the OK & Junior European Championship at the same track in Trinec with five top 10 finishes and two podiums. Rene Lammers took a magnificent 2nd place in OK, while Miguel Costa finished 9th. Zac Drummond finished 3rd in OK-Junior, followed by Jack Iliffe in 6th and Christian Costoya in 7th. Parolin Motorsport also participated in the opening round of the Italian Championship in Cremona with Andrea Manni achieving success in Mini and Alessandro Truchot in Mini U10.
The Steel Ring track was as selective as ever and sensitive to the slightest weather variations. The data recorded by the Parolin Motorsport technicians allowed them to use the best set-up from an already very competitive base. This allowed the drivers to concentrate on the subtleties of driving and to express their talent in their races.
“The double weekend between Trinec and Cremona was a successful campaign for the team,” said Marco Parolin. “I am personally satisfied that we were able to compete simultaneously in both events without failure and to achieve victories and podiums. Besides the results which are remarkable, I am proud of the standard of performance of the whole team. In Trinec, we were able to win the Qualifying Heats and Super Heats in both categories, and place three drivers in the top seven in OK-Junior, and two rookie drivers in the top nine of the OK European Championship. Moreover, the fastest lap of the Final was by Tiziano Monza, from our satellite team Shamick Racing. This was certainly a good demonstration of the competitiveness of our Parolin/TM package. Currently Parolin Motorsport is 2nd in the OK teams championship and 3rd in OK-Junior – this is an encouraging result and we will work to keep our name at the top.”
OK
Rene Lammers – NLD
2nd in Qualifying, four heat wins, 2nd in the intermediate ranking, winner of Super Heat B with the fastest time, 2nd in the Final and 2nd in the Championship. Leader of the FIA International Karting Ranking (IKR) in OK.
Miguel Costa – BRA
11th in Qualifying, 5th and 3rd in heats, 7th in Super Heat A, 9th in the Final (+4 places) and a direct entry in 18th place in the Championship.
OK-Junior
Zac Drummond (GBR)
6th in Qualifying, twice winner in the heats, 5th in the intermediate classification, winner of Super Heat A with the fastest time, 3rd in the Final (+2 places) and 4th in the Championship (+2 places).
Jack Iliffe – USA
9th in Qualifying, four top three finishes in the heats, 7th in the intermediate ranking, 5th in Super Heat A, 6th in the Final (+1 place) with the second fastest lap.
Christian Costoya – ESP
7th in Qualifying, four top three finishes in the heats, 6th in the intermediate ranking, winner of Super Heat B with the second fastest lap, 7th in the Final and 8th in the Championship (+5 places).
In the European Championship team ranking, Parolin Motorsport climbed to 3rd place in OK-Junior and 2nd place in OK.
Satisfaction in the Italian Championship in the Mini categories to
The first round of the Italian Championship took place simultaneously on the Cremona circuit. Parolin Motorsport fielded two Mini drivers despite the bad weather. Their performances were of a very good level in this difficult competition.
The Monegasque Andrea Manni made his mark in Mini Gr3 with an incredible 14-place climb to 2nd place in Race 1. 11th in Race 2, he is now 3rd in the provisional Championship standings.
In Mini U10, the French-American Alessandro Truchot progressed from 11th to 3rd place in Race 1, then won Race 2 with a gain of five places. He is currently the leader of the provisional Championship ranking.
Parolin Motorsport put in a solid performance in the second round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series, which was marked by the debut of the Trinec circuit and variable weather conditions. Rene Lammers finished 6th in OK while Zac Drummond finished 7th in OK-Junior and Christian Costoya 9th.
The Trinec track in the Czech Republic offered a twisty, technical and selective layout on which overtaking was not always easy. Teams and drivers had to familiarise themselves with the new circuit in different weather conditions before concluding in the rain during the Finals.
“Our overall performance was very positive on the new circuit,” said Marco Parolin. “Parolin Motorsport adapted quickly to the new conditions in both categories. However, we regretted the absence of our Russian drivers for political reasons. Rene Lammers was a consistent front-runner in OK despite a retirement in his last heat. Fast in the dry as well as in the rain he came close to the top five. I’m delighted with Miguel Costa’s progress to 14th position. In the Junior class, Christian Costoya was very consistent, notably by winning his Super Heat with the fastest lap. He may not have had the ideal set-up for the wet track conditions in the Final, as did Jack Iliffe who followed him in 4th place on the grid. Zac Drummond was able to maintain his speed in the rain to take a good 7th place in the Final. The consistency of our equipment throughout the meeting is a very positive element that we will capitalise on to prepare for the FIA Karting European Championship that will take place in Trinec in less than two weeks”.
Lammers continues his form in OK
Rene Lammers convinced the observers by his determination throughout the weekend. Delayed by a retirement in Heat 5, he nevertheless progressed to 11th position in the intermediate classification. He gave his all in the Super Heat with a P2 and the best lap on slicks before making up three places during an epic Final in the rain and finishing 6th. Lammers moved up 10 places in the FIA International Karting Rankings for all categories and is 3rd in OK.
Miguel Costa made up eight places in the heats and then moved up four places to start from 20th position in the Final. He was at his best at the end of the race to reach 14th place despite a penalty for a dropped spoiler.
A strong trio in Junior
Christian Costoya led the Parolin Motorsport team for a long time in OK-Junior. He was deprived of a second victory in his last heat due to a penalty received during the slow procedure. His superb success in the Super Heat with the fastest lap allowed him to get back into the top three. The Final did not allow him to keep his position and he finished 9th. Jack Iliffe confirmed his place among the protagonists by obtaining remarkable results in Qualifying as well as in the heats. 6th on Saturday evening, his 4th place in the Super Heat brought him back to 4th on the starting grid of the Final. He was unfortunately delayed in the mass incident on the first lap and did not find all his competitiveness afterwards where he finished 17th.
Zac Drummond proved to be the most consistent throughout the competition. 5th in Qualifying, 10th in the heats, he made up ground in 3rd place in his Super Heat. Starting 7th in the Final, he fought his way into the top three and crossed the line in 4th position, but a penalty relegated him to 7th place. In the process he gained 18 places in the FIA International Karting Ranking.
The 2023 WSK Super Master Series has just finished with its fourth and final round at the Cremona circuit. Parolin Motorsport reaped the rewards of its hard work by reaching the championship podi-um twice in the most popular categories, OK and OK-Junior, thanks to Rene Lammers and Chris-tian Costoya. As the team continued to develop, it was the growing consistency of performance that stood out.
“We can be happy with the results obtained in the whole WSK Super Master Series”, analysed Marco Parolin. “Parolin Racing Kart chassis are now a major force in the field with a very strong representation that is confirmed at each race. Almost 50 Parolin karts took part in the Cremona event, all categories included. The popularity of our equipment went far beyond the Mini category, which is an important breakthrough for our products. At the same time, Parolin Motorsport recorded convincing performances from more of its drivers. While the Finals were not generally favourable for us, we showed great potential in most categories. Rene Lammers’ great comeback in the OK Final allowed him to secure 3rd place in the Championship, while Christian Costoya moved up to 3rd place in OK-Junior despite the adversity. I would also like to congratulate the Babyrace Academy team for the victory of William Calleja and the title of Iskender Zulfikari in Mini on Parolin chassis”.
The weekend started well with Christian Costoya in Junior and Bruno Gryc in Mini taking 2nd place in Qualifying. Costoya continued to lead the OK-Junior class with three heat wins and a 2nd place in the Prefinal, which gave him pole position at the start of the Final. The race did not go as well as expected. After 10 laps in the lead, he had to give up some ground at the end of the race and had to settle for 8th place at the finish. Zac Drummond had made an excellent start to the meeting, 4th in the heats and 4th in the Prefinal. He was fighting for the Final top three when an incident forced him to retire with two laps to go. Jack Ilife was able to finish 9th in the Final. Vivek Kanthan came close in the Prefinal where he started 21st in Prefinal B, but came back strongly after an excellent start. He was 7th with five laps to go when he had to retire.
Gryc did well in Mini, 7th after the heats and 13th in the Final. Newcomer to the team Andrea Manni from Monaco put in some interesting performances, finishing 3rd and 5th in his last heats before starting 15th for the Final. Alessandro Truchot obtained a 3rd and a 2nd place in the Mini U10 heats and confirmed his 2nd place in the Prefinal A.
In OK, the Qualifying Practice did not bring the expected results, but the Qualifying Heats showed good progress. Miguel Costa and Anatoly Khavalkin came 3rd and 5th respectively in the Prefinal before finishing 10th and 7th in the Final. Rene Lammers finished 4th and 3rd in the heats and made up eight more positions in the Final to keep his 3rd place in the Championship, while Costa made up 15 places in the standings.
Francesco Celenta was 9th in KZ2 and lost a lot of ground when he retired in the second heat and had a disastrous first lap in the Prefinal. Still very fast, he managed to gain six places to 12th in the Final with the second fastest lap of the race.
The Champions of the Future Euro Series at the new Třinec track in the Czech Republic is the next meeting for the OK and OK-Junior categories, in preparation for the second round of the European Championship.
Parolin Motorsport is back in KZ this year with its two drivers, Francesco Celenta and Lorenzo Travisanutto. The Parolin / TM Kart packages proved to be a match for the increasingly fierce com-petition between the leading manufacturers in the European Championship. Celenta started with the 6th fastest time in Qualifying, while Travisanutto moved up to 10th position in the heats. Celenta set the 2nd fastest time in the Super Heat, while Travisanutto had a problem at the start. He made up for it in the Final with a superb six-place improvement and finished in 9th place. An early retirement for Celenta did not allow him to show his strong potential.
“The intensity of the competition in KZ is so high that the slightest incident has serious consequenc-es,” said Marco Parolin. “Our two drivers have both put in excellent performances, which have not translated into results. Fortunately, Travisanutto was more fortunate in the Final and was able to climb back up to 9th place. We will have to improve the equipment to give them more opportunities to succeed at the next event in Sarno.
This first European meeting gives me the opportunity to salute the work of Modena Kart ASD in KZ2. It is important for us that such a prestigious team has decided to collaborate with our brand. Genis Civico made a great comeback from 37th in Qualifying to 20th in the heats. He then moved up eight places to 2nd in Super Heat B before finishing 9th in the Final. This is a partnership well underway.”
Parolin Motorsport’s energy since the beginning of the season was rewarded with a great podium finish for Rene Lammers in the opening race of the FIA Karting European Championship – OK in Valencia and his 2nd position in the provisional standings. Anatoly Khavalkin’s return to 9th place is also good news. In the Junior class, Zac Drummond put in a remarkable performance, regularly finishing in the top five in the heats, 8th in the Final and 6th in the championship.
“The work done by the team in the short time since the Champions of the Future Euro Series has paid off,” explained Marco Parolin. “Our equipment was much more competitive in Valencia during the European Championship. Four of our Junior drivers were able to shine. In addition to the success of Zac Drummond, who was 5th before the Junior Final, Christian Costoya made his presence felt in the top four of the heats and the Super Heat, but he lacked success in the Final. Vivek Kanthan put in the best performance of his career with a heat win and 18th Final position. Jack Iliffe was on his way to a great achievement when an accident broke his momentum after he too had won a heat. We wish him a speedy recovery.
“Rene Lammers has shown that he has the maturity to do great things in OK. We are proud to support him and to provide him with a kart that matches his ambitions. Two victories and two 2nd places in the heats, a victory in the Super Heat and the 3rd position in the final heat is something we can all be happy about. His 2nd position in the championship suggests a great season ahead. Anatoly Khavalkin made up a number of places in the heats before finishing with a four-position improvement in the Final and a promising 9th place. Maksim Orlov and Miguel Costa have a lot of potential to build on.”
Parolin Motorsport will now focus on the KZ category in which Francesco Celenta and Lorenzo Travisanutto will start their European Championship in Zuera in a fortnight’s time. The preparation for the second round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series and then of the FIA Karting European Championship – OK & Junior will monopolise attention for the month of May.
The weekend of 11th-12th March was a busy one for Parolin Motorsport, who had to split their ef-forts between Spain and Italy. The Champions of the Future Euro Series started at the Kartódromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero in Valencia in preparation for the FIA Karting European Championship – OK and OK-Junior. At the same time the WSK Open Series started in Lonato for the younger driv-ers. On both fronts Parolin was reaping the rewards of his work since the start of the season.
“The Valencia event was very important as we were learning a new circuit in OK and OK-Junior,” said Marco Parolin. “The Spanish track has enough specificities to justify a lot of work from the drivers and the technicians. In the end, it went well as the progression was notable with encourag-ing results from Rene Lammers in 9th and Anatoly Khavalkin in 11th in OK and good performances in OK-Junior from Zac Drummond in 6th and Jack Iliffe in 7th. We will take advantage of the short time between now and the start of the European Championship to fine-tune the equipment and to tackle the European challenge in the best possible conditions.
“The team was also mobilised in Lonato for the opening of the WSK Open Series. Alessandro Tru-chot was again very combative in the Mini U10 class with his pole position and his Final top five. Our Mini Gr.3 drivers continued their positive development in the wake of Dan Allemann, who achieved his best result in 22nd position. Billi Jordan Van Staveren was again in the Final while Bru-no Gryc made a strong comeback of 24 places.”
Champions of the Future Euro Series – Valencia (ESP)
OK
After l good progress during the heats (+9 places) with two top fives and a 2nd place, Rene Lam-mers regained three positions in the Super Heat and set the fastest lap in the race. He joined the Final top 10 thanks to his good 9th place. Anatoly Khavalkin was back on track after a few weeks away from the circuits. His last two heats proved to be convincing and he concluded with a seven-place climb in the Final to 11th position. Miguel Costa started from a distance in Qualifying, but re-covered 11 positions at the end of the heats and gained another eight places in the Super Heat.
OK-Junior
Zac Drummond was the best in the Super Heat and then in the Final where he made a six-place gain to reach 6th position. Jack Iliffe had two top fives and a P2 in the heats, but a retirement de-layed his progress. He was 5th in his Super Heat, and also gained six places in the Final and fin-ished 7th. Vivek Kanthan had an excellent run to 14th place in the heats, but a retirement in the Su-per Heat delayed him in the Final, which he finished 24th. Christian Costoya, P10 in the Super Heat, had to withdraw after a massive collision at the start of the Final.
WSK Open Series – Lonato (ITA)
Parolin Racing Kart was again the most represented chassis brand in Lonato with almost 20% of the karts present at the first round of the WSK Open Series with 202 drivers in its five categories.
Mini U10
Alessandro Truchot opened the hostilities in pole position. Always very fast, he remained in the top three of the rankings despite some problems in the Prefinal. He finished with a very rewarding 5th position in the Final. John Han confirmed his progression in the top 20, but lost ground in the Final with a penalty for a badly positioned front fairing.
Mini Gr.3
Despite a big improvement of 24 places during the Qualifying Heats, Bruno Gryc just missed his qualification for the Final. Billi Jordan Van Staveren also made up 20 places in the heats and was again in the Final. Dan Allemann took advantage of his good time to finish 15th in the heats, 27th on the second lap of the Final and finished 22nd after a good effort.
Parolin Racing Kart was the best-represented chassis brand in Sarno with almost 50 karts participating in the third round of the WSK Super Master Series with 255 drivers from 45 nations in its five categories. Parolin was 1st in Mini and Mini U10 and 2nd in OK-Junior. After a tough competition Parolin Motorsport had a very positive result with Rene Lammers finishing 2nd in OK, Zac Drummond finishing in the top five in Junior and Lorenzo Travisanutto and Francesco Celenta coming back in the KZ2 Final.
“Our competitiveness is definitely improving in several categories,” said Marco Parolin. “As a manufacturer, we are delighted to be able to satisfy a growing number of drivers and teams. It may not be the most spectacular aspect of our commitment to competition, but it is an essential point that requires daily efforts at the factory and is a source of great pride for our brand. Our competitiveness in the direct-drive kart categories has been confirmed since the beginning of the season. Rene Lammers reached the second step of the OK podium this time, while Zac Drummond obtained his best result in the OK-Junior top five, closely followed by Christian Costoya and Jack Iliffe. We can count on a solid base before starting the European programme next week in Spain with the Champions of the Future Euro Series in preparation for the FIA Karting European Championship. I would also like to highlight the performances of the Parolin chassis operated by other teams: double podium in Mini U10 and Mini podium with Babyrace Driver Academy, as well as the OK-Junior podium for Shamick Europe”.
Very encouraging Final in KZ2
Francesco Celenta and Lorenzo Travisanutto were delayed by a retirement each during the Qualifying Heats which had a direct impact on their Final result. Travisanutto made the biggest improvement in the Final, gaining 14 places to finish 14th. Celenta gained seven positions from the 16th row on the grid.
Lammers confirms in OK
2nd in Qualifying, Rene Lammers had a solid run in the top three and took a win in the Qualifying Heat. He put in a superb Final performance, setting the fastest lap of the race to take 2nd place on the podium, his best result to date, after his 5th place in Franciacorta. He was now in the top three of the provisional championship standings. Miguel Costa made up ground in the heats and crossed the finish line in 18th position with a total gain of 10 places before being penalised for his wrongly-positioned front fairing.
OK-Junior: Drummond ups the pace
Like Lammers in OK, Zac Drummond was 2nd in his session during the OK-Junior Qualifying. After dropping out in the first heat, he took two wins and a 2nd place before regaining 10 places in the Final and finishing in the top five. Christian Costoya followed him in 7th place, while Jack Iliffe was close to the top 10 thanks to his 12 positions gained in the Final, a total gain of 35 places during the meeting. Kosei Oguma followed the trend in 24th position (+10 places) after an overall progression of 26 places.
Mini: Truchot fights bravely in the under 10s
Ranked 4th in his last heat and in his Prefinal, the very young Alessandro Truchot continued to enrich his experience by fighting for 13th position in the Mini Under 10 Final. John Han qualified in the Final in his first participation. In the Mini Gr3 Final, Bruno Gryc did not have the best of luck and was demoted after a penalty for a wrongly-positioned front fairing. Billi Jordan Van Staveren qualified for the Final for the first time.
With record entries and a fast track that is still unfamiliar to most competitors, the second round of the 2023 WSK Super Master Series at Franciacorta presented some interesting challenges. The Parolin Motorsport team did not miss the opportunity to work on a track with very different charac-teristics than the one in Lonato, the setting for the first three events of the season. The Bassano del Grappa factory team achieved good results: P4 in KZ2 with Francesco Celenta, P5 in OK with Rene Lammers, top 10 in OK-Junior with Jack Illife, and P6 and P9 in Mini for Bruno Gryc and William Calleja.
“The weekend in Franciacorta was very useful to continue the work started since the beginning of the season. I am very satisfied with the competitiveness of the Parolin chassis in all categories, from Mini to KZ2. Parolin Racing Kart was the second best-represented brand with 61 chassis en-tered in Franciacorta”, commented Marco Parolin. “It is nice to see the increase of private teams using our equipment. As far as the official team is concerned, we came close to the podium in OK with Lammers, a contender during the whole weekend, delayed by his start from the outside lane in the Final and hampered at the beginning of the race, while in KZ2, Celenta recovered after a difficult Qualifying to reach 4th in the Final. In OK-Junior, Iliffe’s pole position in his group, then his 10th place in the Final, as well as Costoya’s weekend at the top, are to be noted. In Mini, we managed to place two drivers, Gryc and Calleja, in the Top 10. We should also note the performances of our partners, AV Racing on the podium with Shen in Mini, and Modena Kart who were very competitive with Orlov, winner of a heat for his second race in KZ2”.
Strong comebacks in KZ2
Francesco Celenta regained 18 places in the heats and moved up another nine positions in the Fi-nal to finish 4th. Lorenzo Travisanutto had recovered 14 places in total, but did not finish the first lap of the Final.
Lammers already at the front in OK
2nd in Qualifying, Rene Lammers won and finished 2nd in every heat until the Prefinal. He fought hard in the Final, and crossed the finish line in 4th place before being classified 5th. Solid during the heats, Anatoly Khavalkin had to retire in the Prefinal before taking back six places in the Final de-spite a badly positioned front fairing which cost him 5”. Miguel Costa discovered the equipment and the team by regaining 21 positions during the heats. His performance was interrupted by a retire-ment in the Prefinal while he was fighting for a top 10.
OK-Junior: Illife in great shape
3rd in Qualifying among the 105 participants, Jack Illife negotiated the tough heats and regained four places to enter the Final top 10. Christian Costoya was 5th in Qualifying and shone in four of his five heats. 2nd in his Prefinal, he did not finish the Final, but remained 4th in the championship. Zac Drummond started in 10th place, completed two good heats, but retired in the last one. 6th on the Final finish line, a 5” penalty sent him back to 15th position.
Gryc and Calleja defend well in Mini
After an average Qualifying, Bruno Gryc took back 25 places in his heats before gaining another seven places in the Final to finish 6th. William Calleja showed his fighting qualities during the heats and in the Prefinal before recovering after a difficult start in the Final and finishing 9th. These two drivers each moved up more than 20 places in the championship.
Again in Lonato, the first round of the WSK Super Master Series gave Parolin Motorsport the opportunity to start its KZ2, OK and OK-Junior drivers as well as its Mini drivers in a very competitive situation. 334 drivers from 51 nations competed in the South Garda Karting.
This first weekend of February confirmed the excellent potential of Parolin Racing Kart chassis in all categories. Alessandro Truchot was more confident and was remarkably consistent at the front in the Under 10 category, finishing 4th. Christian Costoya in 4th and Zac Drummond in 10th spearheaded the Italian brand in the 90-strong OK-Junior class. In KZ2, Lorenzo Travisanutto concluded on a positive note with a Final climb of 16 positions. Francesco Celenta was 10th in Qualifying and 5th in his Prefinal.
In OK, the two young Junior drivers, Anatoly Khavalkin and René Lammers, made significant progress during the Qualifying Heats to finish 4th and 10th respectively in the Final.
William Calleja started well with his 7th fastes time in Mini, but was delayed by a retirement in the last heat. He nevertheless saved his weekend by regaining 14 positions in the Final. Bruno Gryc did not benefit from his progress in the heats because of an incident halfway through the Final. Dan Allemann qualified in 25th position out of 74 drivers.
Alessandro Truchot was much faster than the previous week, taking the Mini U10 pole position and leading the heats with two wins. He fought hard for the Final top three before finishing 4 hundredths off the podium.
“The first WSK Super Master Series allowed us to run our drivers in all categories and to get a positive overall result”, explained Marco Parolin. “Against very strong competition the Parolin Motorsport team performed very well and recorded important data for the rest of the season. We have already noticed very interesting potential in several of our drivers. The atmosphere will be serious in the upcoming competitions, starting with the second round of the WSK Super Master Series in Franciacorta in less than two weeks, which we will approach with greater ambition.”