Euro Challenge: Austrian Thomas Preining Fastest in Rotax Junior Qualifying; Mazzaferro Twelfth

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After two days of pure practice at the Laghi Kart Circuit in Castelletto, Italy, it was finally time for competition on Friday at the second round of the Rotax Euro Challenge. The day featured the final two rounds of practice before the all important Qualifying session, to set the grids for the heat races on Saturday, where drivers will duke it out with hopes of advancing directly to the main events on Sunday.

In Rotax Junior, round one winner Thomas Preining (FA Kart) of Austria was well clear of his rivals as he was the only Junior driver to break the 50-second barrier, posting a 49.871 second lap around the 1.25KM track. Marcus Armstrong of New Zealand posted the second quickest time, locking in a FA Kart front row, while a pair of TonyKarts were third and fourth in the likes of Belgian Max Timmermans and Dean McDonald. Luc Willaimse was fifth quickest on another FA Kart ahead of the CRG duo of Dutchman Rinus Val Kalmthout, who raced at ECKC Mosport, and Jose Enrique Brito.

As our only Canadian in the category Gianfranco Mazzaferro drove his DHR/FA Kart to a twelfth place result, only two-tenths of a second from second-place as the competition here in Italy is very, very close. Mazzaferro will have to start each of his heat races from the outside row as his twelfth position places him in group D.

Other notables include American’s Darren Keane (TonyKart) in 20th, Matt Solarczyk (Birel) in 40th, Aiden Keel in 41st and Michael McCarthy (Birel) in 43rd.

Gianfranco Mazzaferro was 12th quickest in Rotax Junior Qualifying. (Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)