PRAGA KART AT THE CIK-FIA KF & KFJ EUROPEANS IN ITALY

The decisive round of the 2013 CIK-FIA European Championship for KF and KF-J classes took place at the Abruzzo International Circuit in Ortona (CH), Italy. Praga Kart Racing was on track with three drivers. 

In KF the Praga flag is carried by Karol Dabski. The Pole is immediately fast: 4th in his timed session, he’s 15th (out of 58) in the general ranks going into the heats. Here he always starts well and gets up front, but in three out of 4 races he is penalized by contacts: 15th, 19th (3rd until the last lap), then an excellent 4th, and finally 19th (out on the last lap, again victim of an accident).
Dabski doesn’t get discouraged and battles well in the key phase: in his pre-final (PF2) he closes right behind the best (11th); then in the final he defends well, but the many contacts on track don’t help him rise: he is 23rd. Equipment, speed, and determination are all there, too bad for bad luck: he belonged with the front-runners.

In KF-Junior (62 drivers at the go) Praga Kart lines up rookies Marino Sato and Zachary Dante, both good at climbing. After difficult qualifyings, the Japanese is at the bottom of the field (60th), then in two of his 5 heats he manages to get right behind the best (9th and 12th), so is up to 47th place going into Sunday; in the pre-final phase he rises some more (37th), but unfortunately he’s out of the list of finalists by just a few spots. Fate is similar for his American teammate who in this championship final is only at his second international KF- J race: 55th after timed practice (16th in his session), in the heats he is slowed down by traffic and loses a few positions in the general standings (58th); then in his pre-final the many contacts on track keep him from rising up enough to make it to the final (47th). Both drivers are at their class debut and still have a lot to learn, but they proved great potential and will to do well.