An emblematic driver in the Parolin Racing Team, Gabriele Mini’ perfectly fulfilled his mission by bringing his Parolin chassis to the highest international level. The winner of OK-Junior in the WSK Super Master Series, 2nd in the European Championship and vice-World Champion, the young Italian proved the exceptional level of performance of Parolin by becoming the most consistent driver of the season in the top rankings.
“We are very satisfied with the competitiveness of our equipment on every track,” commented Marco Parolin at Kristianstad. “While winning the world title would have been a great reward, racing never guarantees you can win every time. It is more important for Parolin to be among the frontrunners on every occasion. No other brand has been able to show such potential in the variable conditions of the international season. Bringing a young driver from 60 Mini to the peak of OK-Junior in his first year is a great achievement that we are proud of. This is very much in line with the goal we set for ourselves by focusing on young drivers this year.”
Equipped this time with a TM Racing engine, Gabriele Mini’ was notable for his speed in the Free Practice sessions of the FIA Karting World Championship – Junior in Sweden. He officially confirmed this by setting the pole position time in Qualifying, nearly 3 tenths of a second in front of the other 112 participants. Rain then thwarted the forward march of the Parolin driver in the first few heats. He restored the situation by finishing with two victories while sparing his tyres. 7th on the starting grid of the Final, Mini’ set off in pursuit of his rivals as soon as the lights went out by using all his talent to exploit the very good balance of his Parolin-TM. He was in the top three in the first third of the race and finally found the opening two laps from the finish to grab 2nd place with much panache. Clearly faster than the future winner, he unfortunately did not have time to narrow the gap before the chequered flag.
In addition to the title of Vice World Champion for Gabriele Mini’, Parolin Racing Kart can congratulate itself for enabling the young Australian James Wharton to come back from the 20th to 13th position in the World Championship, a result of first order for the third international race for this driver in OK-Junior.
“Following this year’s success, we will continue to move forward with new opportunities,” concluded Marco Parolin. “Our equipment has been designed to be effective from the start of the season to the finish, regardless of circuit, tyre or engine. These qualities are rarely emphasised at this point but they already appeal to many drivers around the world. The top level is not our only goal. Our priority is to produce equipment for every driver, whatever their level, so their talents can be highlighted.”
For the last two seasons, Parolin Racing Kart has decided to focus on categories open to young drivers. In the footsteps of Gabriele Mini, many drivers from around the world have found the path to success thanks to the remarkable performance of the Parolin chassis. As the year begins its second part, the Italian brand is already very successful in terms of victories in 2018.
“We are very proud of the success of our new focus on youth categories,” said Marco Parolin. “We have managed to develop a chassis that is very easy to use and competitive in all conditions. We did not only want to shine at the highest level, but above all to offer equipment capable of meeting the needs of drivers of all levels, whatever the engines and tyres used, not to mention the specific weather conditions in each country. It gives us great satisfaction to see that our frames are able to shine around the world.”
The adventure really began in 2017. In the Parolin colours, Gabriele Mini’ has been successful on many occasions. He made a name for himself in the highly contested 60 Mini category by winning the WSK Super Master Series and the Italian Championship. With this experience, Parolin Racing Kart developed a particularly successful chassis for the 2018 homologation. The wins were not only in the international arena, but also in various national championships all over the world.
At the international level, the competitiveness of Parolin chassis has been confirmed with new drivers. While 60 Mini was still contested by teams and talented drivers, the Norwegian Martinius Stenshorne won the WSK Open Cup and the WSK Super Master Series, while the Briton Coskun Irfan won the Industrial Trophy.
But it is undoubtedly the victories acquired in different countries and continents that reveal the most value of the Parolin chassis. In the United States, Caleb Gafrarar won the Florida Winter Tour in Micro Rok, while Jace Park became Vice Champion of the SKUSA Pro Tour in Mini Swift. Maxens Verbrugge was recently crowned as French Minime Champion, while Douwe Dedecker won Mini Parilla in the IAME Series Benelux. In the UAE, Keanu Al Azhari won the UAE Rotax Max Challenge in Micro Max and also won X30 Cadet at the UAE X30 O Plate. Idar Gjerkevik became Norwegian Mini Champion, Mathias Jakobsen won the Danish Championship, Konstantin Krapin became Russian Champion and Piotr Protasiewicz won the Rok Cup Poland in Mini Rok. The Parolin chassis have also enjoyed significant success in other countries such as Mexico, Chile and Southeast Asia.
“I want to congratulate all the young drivers who won with Parolin this year,” said Marco Parolin. “I thank them for their trust in our equipment. We will continue our strategy towards young drivers around the world to enable them to showcase their talent and progress under our colours as Gabriele Mini’ did by winning the WSK Super Master Series in OK-Junior and becoming Junior European Vice-Champion.”
Parolin Racing Kart’s first European campaign in OK-Junior was completed in France with victory in the Final for the young driver Gabriele Mini’. The European Junior Vice-Championship also rewarded the performances by the Parolin / Parilla from the Italian team who were one of the most serious protagonists of the international season.
“We could not finish better in the European Championship!” said Marco Parolin. “At Essay, we really did our best, demonstrating once again our competitiveness in a new field. For his first year in OK-Junior, Gabriele Mini’ was the most consistent driver at the top of the rankings, whatever the conditions. It gives Parolin Racing Kart great satisfaction to have been so successful. After winning the WSK Super Master Series, we have finished 2nd in Europe. Our goal was to be among the best in OK-Junior, so we have surpassed it.”
The Parolin driver completed fulfilled his mission at the highly technical track of Essay (FRA). After setting the 7th fastest time, he has managed to get back into the top five in the Qualifying Heats by avoiding the pitfalls of this important phase, while still being among the fastest, as evidenced by his fastest lap in heat 3. He drove the Final with a lot of intelligence, confident in the potential of his Parolin / Parilla to take the lead in mid-race after avoiding the pitfalls of the first very hectic laps. Mini’ then drove to a great victory, more than a second and a half ahead of his rivals.
Gabriele finished his first European Championship in 2nd place, just three points behind the title, making his team proud. The next major event will take place at the end of September in Sweden for the World Junior Championship. Parolin Racing Kart has perfectly reasonable ambitions for this season’s flagship event. However, thanks to the great performances achieved this year, in Junior as well as in 60 Mini, the Italian brand is already preparing its strategy for the coming season using its strongest attributes.
With no less than 13 karts qualified for the 60 Mini Final, Parolin Racing has demonstrated maximum competitiveness in the 60 Mini field of the WSK Open Cup at Lonato. The victorious double of its factory drivers Martinius Stenshorne and Brando Badoer completed an indisputable confirmation of the incredible performance of Parolin product. Meanwhile, Gabriele Mini’ was fighting in the OK-Junior lead group before retiring following a clash at the end of the Final. Starting from a very long way back, Alessandro Cenedese made one of the best comebacks of the weekend. The Team Baby Race took two pole positions on its Parolin chassis, with Eyckmans in 60 Mini and Ferrari in OK, Brizhan entering the top 5 of the OK final.
“It is always very positive for us to confirm the level of performance of our chassis, race after race, in the two categories to which we are committed“, confided Marco Parolin. “After all, racing is sometimes thankless, everyone knows it. The retirement of Mini’ who was 5th in OK-Junior two laps from the finish is unfortunate, but that does not detract from his success in the heats and Prefinal. 60 Mini gives us a lot of satisfaction. Another victory for Stenshorne and the second step of the podium for Badoer is a pleasure for us, especially as five of our chassis finished in the top eight. This is exceptional!”
Among the Parolin Racing Kart drivers, the American Ashkay Bohra started the competition best with the 3rd fastest time among the 82 participants of the Lonato WSK Open Cup. After strong heats, he took 3rd place in Prefinal B, but lost ground in the Final and ranked 8th. Meanwhile, Norway’s Martinius Stenshorne moved up from 18th to 5th in the heats and finished 3rd in Prefinal A. He was fighting a tough battle in a hotly contested Final and won masterfully after taking the lead two laps from the finish. His team-mate Brando Badoer also came back in the heats, despite a penalty for his spoiler. 4th in the Prefinal, he progressed quickly in the Final and took 2nd place on the last lap, his best result of the year.
Gabriele Mini’ was among the favourites in OK-Junior with good heats which led to 3rd place out of the 67 participants. After his 3rd position in Prefinal A, he was fighting in the top five in the Final. Unfortunately, a collision ruined his chances two laps from the finish. Meanwhile, Alessandro Cenedese came back from his distant 42nd in Qualifying. Qualified in 12th position of the Prefinal B, with the second fastest time of the race, he regained another eight places in the Final to finish in the top 15, achieving one of the strongest progressions of the category.
In Germany, the third round of the CIK-FIA European Junior Championship once again confirmed the competitiveness of the Parolin chassis on every track. On Ampfing’s twisty circuit, Gabriele Mini’ has shown extraordinary consistency in the top group of the OK-Junior category. Always in the top five, most often among the top three, the Parolin Racing Kart driver achieved very good performances up until the Final. He was still in 4th position and in ambush for the finish, when a mechanical problem thwarted his plans.
Faced with experienced opponents more accustomed to the specifics of the Ampfing German circuit, Gabriele Mini’ demonstrated the strength of his Parolin / Parilla equipment in a new arena.
“We are very pleased to have been able to quickly demonstrate a very good standard of performance at Ampfing,” said Marco Parolin. “The specialists from the German Championship did not expect to see us in such a good position on such a unique track. Already very fast during Free Practice, Gabriele confirmed this by posting the 5th fastest time against more than 80 drivers. He had two fastest laps in the heats, a win, and was completing his mission in the Final when he ran into trouble with his spark plug. It’s a shame, because we could have kept the advantage in the provisional classification of the European Championship. However, the situation is far from negative for us, as Gabriele is in 2nd position before the final event. Despite this setback, we are proud to be able to demonstrate the value of the Parolin chassis at the highest level of racing, whatever the race conditions.”
Gabriele Mini’ was immediately able to exploit the potential of his equipment at Ampfing. He started with 5th in Qualifying, before finishing consistently in the top three of the heats. He had a win in the last heat on Sunday morning and had two fastest laps in the race. According to his usual strategy, Gabriele reserved his effort for the Final. Starting from 5th place, he was in range of the top three when a defective spark plug forced him to give ground. A quick calculation shows that he would have been able to maintain the lead of the European Championship without this small incident. The good news is that Parolin and Mini’ are competitive on all occasions and that they will arrive more motivated than ever at the European closing event, in France, at the circuit of Essay at the beginning of August.
Parolin Racing Kart faced a particularly difficult challenge during the second round of the European Championship at the PF International circuit. In addition learning this unique British track, the young Italian team had to face the pack of formidable British drivers on their home ground. Gabriele Mini’ fulfilled his mission perfectly by getting on the third step of the podium which allowed him to take the lead in the provisional classification of the Championship, a good sign midway through the European season.
“The task was tough for our young drivers in facing a circuit like PFI with its many specificities,” said Marco Parolin. “Our team is also new to OK-Junior and we did not have many references on this track. We opted for a reasonable strategy based on our attributes and to progress throughout the competition. We had the pleasure of welcoming for the occasion two young Australian drivers, Christian Mansell and James Wharton. Gabriele Mini’ drove very well, although the races were not easy on this track. 2nd fastest in Qualifying, he set two fastest laps in the heats and finally managed to get into the top three of the Final, which put him at the top of the standings. We have demonstrated that our potential for our IAME powered Parolin chassis is real in all conditions. Alessandro Cenedese managed to qualify for the Final, while Wharton made some great runs.”
The balance between performance and consistency paid off for Gabriele Mini’. He first set the fastest time of his group in Qualifying Practice with a good margin over his opponents and was 2nd overall when the three groups were combined. The set-up of his machine was adapted after the first two heats and he was able to score two consecutive victories. Starting from 5th position in the Final, he was constantly fighting in the top five and managed to take 3rd position in the last metres of the race. This magnificent podium placed him at the front of the Championship with an interesting lead over his pursuers. Qualified once again among the 34 finalists, Alessandro Cenedese had to give up one lap from his goal while he was back in the top 20.
Parolin Racing Kart continues its first season in OK-Junior. After the title won in the WSK Super Master Series, the goal is now clear in the European Championship. The next meeting will take place in a few weeks in Germany at Ampfing before the much-anticipated conclusion in France at Essay.
After its recent WSK Super Master Series successes, Parolin Racing Kart has fully confirmed its place among the top international karting teams at the opening of the CIK-FIA European Junior Championship. In particular, Gabriele Mini has completed a very progressive event with top performances and a superb 2nd place finish as a reward.
“The European Championship is a particularly difficult competition”, said Marco Parolin. “The OK-Junior class was the debut for the new Vega tyres which forced us to review the equipment development. I am very happy to see that our chassis have adapted very well to this new situation. The battle was tough at the Sarno track during the many Qualifying Heats, and you had to be fast without making any mistakes to rank well. Our Parolin / Parilla karts have once again demonstrated their excellent competitiveness.”
Already in the top 10 in Qualifying Practice with around 80 OK-Junior drivers, Gabriele Mini progressively ramped up the performance during the heats before exploiting the full potential of his Parolin in the Final. Starting very well, he quickly joined the leading group in 5th position and watched for his opportunity. Five laps from the finish, he took the lead over his opponents and climbed to 2nd position, the leader being out of reach. Gabriele’s second fastest time of the Final gave even more credit to his performance.
“I often drove with some reserve to limit the risk of incidents,” said the driver. “I knew that we were not necessarily favourites at the Sarno event and that it was better to secure points than to look for victory at all costs. It was very difficult to manage on the track, but I had confidence in my equipment. Whenever I needed to raise the pace, the Parolin / Parilla responded.”
Alessandro Cenedese was noticed several times during the heats by twice moving up into the top five. A penalty for overtaking under the yellow flag caused him to lose a dozen places on the starting grid of the Final while complicating his race. He still managed to regain ground in the pack.
At the wheel of a Parolin chassis, the Baby Race driver Nikita Bedrin, also a rookie in OK-Junior, was among the fastest, with his 10th in Qualifying and his 7th place after the heats before retiring at the start of the Final after a collision.
Thanks to Gabriele Mini, Parolin has started the European Championship well in 3rd position of the provisional classification. Three more events await the Italian team, as motivated as ever in the pursuit of the title in OK-Junior.
At the Sarno circuit, the last event of the WSK Super Master reaped a harvest of success for the Parolin Racing Kart team. The victorious double in the 60 Mini Final was accompanied by a double in the Championship, won by Martinius Stenshorne, while Gabriele Mini won in the OK-Junior ranking. Parolin Racing Kart’s orientation towards the young drivers’ categories since the beginning of the 2018 season is already bearing fruit.
“It brings a great deal of satisfaction for our brand to win the WSK Super Master Series in two categories at once,” declared Marco Parolin, not hiding his joy. “This series is one of the toughest and the standard was very high during all four events. The conditions proved to be very varied from the cold of Adria to the heat of this weekend in Sarno. Whatever the weather, we have been very good at each track. It is a great success that reinforces our ambitions for the future. In less than two weeks, the CIK-FIA Junior European Championship will start here at Sarno.”
The winner the week before, Gabriele Mini handled the situation perfectly during this last WSK Super Master event without taking unnecessary risks. For his first season in OK-Junior, he has progressively ramped up his performance throughout the weekend to give his best in a decisive Final. He was 3rd in two laps and then managed to stay in the top five despite the intensity of the battle. He was able to get the better of his rivals to reach the top of the overall rankings ahead of more than 120 competitors.
“The competition was difficult,” said the young champion. “I was tense because I knew I could win the Championship, but my opponents would not give anything away. I constantly thought about not making mistakes and finally, everything went well. This title bodes well for the rest of the season, as it demonstrates the quality of the work by Parolin Racing Kart.”
In 60 Mini, Martinius Stenshorne took revenge for his disappointment of the previous week where a deserved victory escaped him on the last lap. After a modest 17th in Qualifying, he put in a good performance, including two fastest laps in the heats, before winning his Prefinal with a lot of determination. He finished his impeccable course with a well-deserved victory in the Final where he also set the fastest time. Martinius won the general classification while Tymoteusz Kucharczyk completed Parolin’s triumph in 2nd place in the race as well as in the championship.
This success owes nothing to chance as evidenced by the qualification for the Final of all the other drivers in the team, Nikita Andreas Johnson, Maksimilian Popov, Akshay Arjun Bohra and Brando Badoer, among the 14 Parolin chassis present among the 34 finalists, including almost half of the top 20.
Thanks to Gabriele Mini and Tymoteusz Kucharczyk, Parolin Racing Kart was able to twice climb to the highest step of the podium of the WSK Super Master Series at Sarno, in OK-Junior and 60 Mini. This double success, which follows a series of exceptional performances since the beginning of the season, demonstrates once again the quality of the Parolin chassis within a very competitive environment.
The Sarno circuit brought a new configuration compared to the events already contested in 2018. Parolin Racing Kart showed that its first-class results did not depend on the track nor on the grip conditions.
“The win for Gabriele Mini in Junior really makes us very happy for several reasons,” said Marco Parolin. “First of all, this driver has great potential and deserves to succeed. We were right to trust him last season. We are very proud to be able to provide him with equipment that will give him the means to achieve his ambitions in OK-Junior this year. In 60 Mini, our chassis continue to succeed. We are slightly disappointed that Martinius Stenshorne did not get the success he deserved, but that’s racing. Tymoteusz Kucharczyk was there at the right time to secure the win and Stenshorne still leads the WSK Super Master Series.”
Kucharczyk had started by taking pole position in 60 Mini in front of 75 opponents. Stenshorne beat him in the Qualifying Heats before taking the Final victory. He had taken the lead on the last lap when he was when he was overtaken. A record holder at the Sarno event, Kucharczyk made a magnificent comeback from 7th place and took his chance on the last lap to win against formidable opposition. The presence of four Parolin chassis in the top 10 of the category reinforced the technical demonstration by Parolin. The team’s other drivers, Brando Badoer, Nikita Andreas Johnson and Maksimilian Popov also qualified for the Final, only Akshay Arjun Bohra failed due to a penalty.
The progress of Gabriele Mini in OK-Junior has something to dream about. He began by taking 2nd place in Qualifying Practice among more than 80 drivers before making his mark with three wins in the heats. Starting from the third row on the starting grid of the Final, Gabriele was quick to take control on lap 4 and progressively distanced each rival. He thus won a brilliant victory with more than 1.8” ahead of his pursuers. He kept the record of this event to the end and returned to just one point away from the provisional leader of the championship. Alessandro Cenedese continues to progress among the many OK-Junior drivers. He had quickly reached 16th in the Final when a collision forced him to give up.
With greater determination, Parolin Racing Kart is preparing to compete in the last event of the WSK Super Master Series next weekend on the same circuit of Sarno. In addition to the hunt for the OK-Junior and 60 Mini titles, this event will actively prepare for the upcoming opening of the CIK-FIA European Junior Championship, which will take place on the Neapolitan route two weeks later.
Temperatures rose considerably in Southern Italy during the second round of the WSK Super Master Series. The strong grip of the La Conca track was the second most important parameter of the 17th and 18th March event. The Parolin Racing Kart chassis have continued to show great potential in these new conditions that foreshadow the rest of the season. In OK-Junior as well as in 60 Mini, the Parolin drivers were among the fastest of the weekend.
Although he would have liked the performances of his drivers to be rewarded with victories, Marco Parolin welcomes the operation of his chassis on the demanding layout of Muro Leccese.
“We proved that we were still very competitive when temperatures began to rise. Moreover the grip was particularly strong this weekend, probably the highest of all this season because of the specific surface of the track of La Conca. Here, it is not possible to be in the game without good equipment. As such, the meeting was very positive.”
“We achieved two pole positions in Mini and Junior, winning many heats and posting several best laps in the race, including the two Finals. The victory has eluded us this time, but we know the toughness of the competition and we know that we will have the opportunity to catch up. Nevertheless, the package that we gave our drivers allowed them to best express their talent. As proof, 14 of the 34 finalists of the 60 Mini had trusted our brand!”
Stenshorne leads WSK 60 Mini
After two out of the four races, Martinius Stenshorne is still one of the big favourites of the WSK Super Master Series in 60 Mini, where he is ranked first. At La Conca, he won three indisputable victories in the heats, but an engine problem sadly pushed him back to 16th. His superb recovery to the second step of the podium, with the fastest times of the Prefinal and the Final,says a lot about the potential of the young Norwegian on his Parolin.
After the best Qualifying time in front of 74 opponents, Akshay Arjun Bohra made his debut among the best at La Conca. He confirmed his form by staying in the leading group during the heats and battled for 4th position in the Final, the most contested position, until two laps from the finish. Nikita Andreas Johnson made a name for himself by setting the third fastest time and winning his first Qualifying Heat.
Gabriele Mini constantly at the front in Junior
His consistency and presence among the top OK-Junior drivers in 2018 would make us almost forget that Gabriele Mini has just joined this category after a 2017 season mainly devoted to 60 Mini. The grip of the track did not affect his performance level as he began by taking pole position in Qualifying. He fought with a lot of energy in the heats and was still in 2nd place on Saturday night. The intensity of the struggles in the final stages did not allow him to progress as he deserved, but he still scored the fastest lap of the Final where he finished 6th. This allows him to maintain his chances in 3rd place overall.
The courage of Alessandro Cenedese must be emphasised as the young Italian did everything to perform well despite a significant fever.
The entire Parolin Racing team is actively preparing for the two successive Sarno rendezvous at the end of the WSK Super Master Series before starting the CIK-FIA European Junior Championship at the foot of Vesuvius at the end of April.