Parolin Motorsport and its satellite teams won at the second round of the European Championship at Val Vibrata where Lorenzo Travisanutto came 2nd in the KZ Final to clinch the title in a thrilling finale, while Maksim Orlov, Team Modena Kart, dominated the KZ2 category from start to finish. Riccardo Nalon, Erre Esse Motorsport, won the Final and the KZ2 Masters title.
Parolin / TM Kart put in historic performances on the classic Val Vibrata track this weekend in all three categories on the programme. Lorenzo Travisanutto won the European KZ Championship thanks to the fastest lap point in the Final after an exceptional run at the front. 5th in Timed Qualifying, he came back to lead the heats and secured a magnificent 2nd position in the Final to climb from 5th to 1st place in the Championship.
The Modena Kart ASD team put in a string of great performances in KZ2. Maksim Orlov made the most of the competitiveness of his equipment to put in a perfect performance. After qualifying 3rd fastest, he went on to win every race, culminating in his victory in the Final with the fastest lap of the race. As a result, he climbed from 6th to 3rd place in the Championship.
Pole-sitter and 5th in the heats, Alessio Piccini unfortunately dropped from 4th to 34th place on the third lap of the Final before climbing back up to 18th. Miguel Costa, who started the Final from 11th on the grid, was unable to reach the finish, as was Anatoly Khavalkin, who was stopped in the middle of his comeback.
Kimi Tani, from the La Motorsport team, had several good Qualifying Heats before making up 12 places in the Final to finish just outside the top 10.
Finally, Riccardo Nalon created a surprise in the KZ2 Masters with the Erre Esse Motorsport team, taking advantage of the various ups and downs of the race to take a masterly victory with the fastest lap and thus win the European Championship.
“We had a rare success at Val Vibrata, making our mark in all three categories,”said Marco Parolin. “Winning two European Championship titles and the Final in the other category is a feat that doesn’t happen every day. I think we’ve shown that our chassis works and is capable of winning at every level, from Mini to KZ. This has been our objective for several seasons and we can consider that the mission has been accomplished today. We’re going to keep working hard to stay at the top level”.
For Parolin Motorsport, there’s no break in sight, as the team has already headed for England and the PF International circuit to prepare for the upcoming Champions of the Future Euro Series and the OK & OK-Junior World Championship.
Parolin Motorsport can be proud to have accompanied Christian Costoya’s incredible determination to success at the fourth and final round of the FIA Karting European OK-Junior Championship at Kristianstad. After four heat wins and two fastest laps, the young Spaniard won Super Heat A in the dry and proved just as competitive in the rain of the Final. Leading from start to finish, he took a masterly victory with a lead of over 4″ and the fastest lap. Thanks to these outstanding results, Costoya finished 2nd in the European Championship.
William Calleja secured a solid top 10 finish in the Junior class, while Zac Drummond shone in the OK class, finishing 4th in the Super Heat. Last in the Final following a collision on the first lap, he managed to make up 12 places in the rain. He finished just behind Miguel Costa, who made up nine places on the track.
“The competition was very tough in Sweden this weekend,” said Marco Parolin. “It started in the heat and on a dry track, and finished in the rain on Sunday. We had to be competitive in all conditions and that’s what we achieved once again. The ups and downs of racing with such a large and strong field were not always favourable to our drivers, but the whole team worked very well. A big well done to Christian Costoya, who overcame all the difficulties of the event to achieve a fantastic result and showcase the qualities of our equipment in all circumstances”.
Runner-up in the 2024 European Junior Championship, Parolin Motorsport is now preparing to confirm its excellent level in KZ, KZ2 and KZ2 Masters at the second and final round of the European Championship at the end of the month on the Italian track of Val Vibrata.
Parolin Motorsport showed its competitiveness in Sweden at the fourth round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Kristianstad. Christian Costoya finished 2nd in the OK-Junior Final, setting the fastest lap after a fine progression from the heats. William Calleja was very consistent and just outside the top 10. In OK, Zac Drummond was in the top five in the heats and the Super Heat, then fought for the final podium before taking 10th place. Miguel Costa got off to a poor start in Qualifying, but turned things around with a final climb of 17 places to 13th. Vivek Kanthan made progress towards the final top 10 before being delayed by a front fairing penalty.
“Our overall level of performance is currently very interesting in OK and OK-Junior”, declared Marco Parolin. “Of course, we’ll be working hard to prepare for the final round of the European Championship, which takes place on this same circuit in less than two weeks’ time, but our technical and human base is solid. There is a solid collaboration between the technical team and the drivers, which benefits everyone.”
Kristianstad weekend highlights
OK
Zac Drummond:
3rd in Qualifying, three times 2nd in a heat, 5th in the Super Heat and 10th in the Final.
Miguel Costa:
Regained 43 places in the heats, moved up 17 places to 13th in the Final, with a total gain of 73 places over the course of the meeting.
Vivek Kanthan:
10th in Qualifying, a win and two top five finishes in the heats, climbed from 20th to 13th on track in the Final.
OK-Junior:
Christian Costoya:
21st in Qualifying, a win and two top 2s in the heats, 3rd in the Super Heat 2nd in the Final by gaining seven places and the fastest lap. Up three places to 3rd in the championship.
William Calleja:
15th in Qualifying, one win, a 3rd and a 5th place in the heats, 12th in the Final and up six places in the championship.
Very good results in the ACI Karting Italian Championship
The fourth round of the ACI Karting Italian Championship took place simultaneously at Sarno. Parolin chassis had the opportunity to shine in several categories.
In Mini Gr.3, Gioele Girardello made up 21 places in Race 1 with the fastest lap, then made up another eight places in Race 2 to finish in 2nd position. Bruno Priam also put in a fine performance, finishing his two heats in the top five, then regaining 19 places in Race 2 following his retirement in the previous race. Juan Garciarce, another victim of Race 1, climbed 24 places to the top 10 in Race 2.
In KZ2, the Modena Kart team produced a number of achievements. Norton Andreasson first came home 5th in Race 1 with the fastest lap, then finished 2nd in Race 2. Alessio Piccini had a positive run, finishing 6th and 4th in the Finals. Anatoly Khavalkin was 5th in Qualifying and came back strongly after some difficult heats to finish 8th in Race 2.
Congratulations to the Babyrace Academy team, which has put its trust in Parolin chassis for Julian Frasnelli’s victory in the Mini Gr.3 class and the podium finishes obtained in the 2 Mini Gr.3 and Mini U10 races.
Parolin Motorsport, competing in the European KZ Championship, returned from the first round with a very encouraging top three thanks to Lorenzo Travisanutto’s superb Final run. Other Parolin / TM Kart teams enjoyed similar success in Spain. In KZ2, Maksim Orlov also finished 3rd with the Modena Kart team, while Riccardo Nalon finished on the KZ2 Masters podium with Erre Esse Motorsport.
The first of the two events in the European competition reserved for gearbox karts took place from 4th to 7th July in Spain on the MotorLand Aragón circuit. Coming to this 1671m long track for KZ was like discovering a new track, as the Alcañiz venue had not hosted an FIA Karting competition for more than 10 years, and gearbox karts had never been hosted there at international level. Another new factor to take into account was that the tyres chosen by the international authorities were Dunlop ‘Option’ hard compound tyres for all three categories.
So it was essential to adapt quickly to these new conditions. This is what Parolin Motorsport did in KZ with Lorenzo Travisanutto and Paolo De Conto back in racing. Travisanutto started in a favourable position thanks to his 8th place in Qualifying. However, the Qualifying Heats were not always easy to manage and he started the Final in 10th place. Thanks to the experience he had gained over the laps, he mastered the circuit much more successfully. Climbing back up to 4th, he managed to close in on the leading trio and attacked to get into the top three thanks to a high level of competitiveness at the end of the race. De Conto gradually found his feet and fought his way into the Final top seven before being delayed by an incident.
“Reaching the top three in the premier class at the first round of the European Championship is extremely satisfying,” said Marco Parolin. “We are aware that we still have some development to do, but the team is very motivated by this first result. Lorenzo has put in a superb performance. We’ll also be able to count on Paolo De Conto’s improved performance as we head into the second round with even bigger ambitions. The Val Vibrata circuit has very different characteristics, which will give us new opportunities. The Modena Kart team put in an excellent performance in KZ2. Maksim Orlov, who has been fast since the start of the season, proved that he has a place among the best thanks to his progress in the Super Heat and the Final. Finally, Riccardo Nalon confirmed the strong potential he has shown in KZ2 Masters for the last three years.”
Parolin Motorsport is fine-tuning its equipment for the fourth round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Kristianstad, in preparation for the final round of the OK and Junior European Championship which will take place in Sweden two weeks later.
Between two European Championship events, the WSK Euro Series made its debut on the Franciacorta circuit last weekend. Parolin Motorsport did not miss this opportunity to train its young drivers and to continue its development work. While the performances were very promising in the three categories in which the team was entered, the Finals did not bring the desired outcome. Zac Drummond was unable to take advantage of his 2nd position until the finish of the OK Final, Vivek Kanthan came close to the top 10 as did Christian Costoya in OK-Junior while Gioele Girardello came close to the top five in Mini Gr.3.
The WSK Euro Series saw the hottest weekend of the season to date. With temperatures in excess of 30°, Parolin Motorsport was able to demonstrate an excellent level of competitiveness on the strong grip of Franciacorta. Zac Drummond set a string of fastest laps in the race after an excellent qualifying session in OK. After finishing 4th in the heats, he won Prefinal B with the fastest time and fought for overall victory until three laps from the finish, with another fastest lap to his credit. Despite this twist of fate, he finished 3rd in the provisional series standings. Vivek Kanthan was forced to retire at the start of Prefinal A, but made up nine places in the Final to finish 13th.
Christian Costoya started the meeting with a good pace in OK-Junior. Delayed at the start of his second heat, he made up for it by winning the next. After a difficult Prefinal B, he finished 11th in the Final. William Calleja continued his progress, finishing 4th in Prefinal A, but had to contend with a slowdown in the Final.
Gioele Girardello proved to be both fast and consistent in the Mini Gr.3, finishing 3rd in Qualifying and leading the heats. In the very intense Final stages, he battled between 2nd and 3rd position before finishing 6th in the Final.
Parolin chassis were in the limelight in Mini U10 thanks to Babyrace Academy, which achieved a fine winning double with Mason Robertson and Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio. The Modena Kart team also deserves congratulations for the OK-N victory of Bati Ege Yildirim and the double podium of Billy Van Staveren 2nd and Giacomo Giusto 3rd in OKN-Junior, all three at the wheel of Parolin / TM Kart.
“We can be satisfied with the performance of our equipment and our drivers in summer temperatures,” said Marco Parolin. “An important step has been taken in the heat of Franciacorta so that we can look forward to the rest of the season with confidence. The team’s work was once again equal to this new challenge. We will now move on to the eagerly-awaited European KZ Championship in Spain, on the Alcaniz track.”
Weekends come and go and they don’t always resemble each other in terms of results, but performance remains a constant for the Parolin Motorsport team. Miguel Costa’s 9th place in the OK class, William Calleja’s excellent 6th place and Christian Costoya’s incredible comeback in the Junior class were the highlights of the third round of the FIA Karting European Championship at the Slovak Karting Center.
The winding Slovakia Ring once again put the competitors through their paces. The Qualifying Heats on Friday began in fairly hot conditions, before the meeting switched to intense rain on Saturday morning for the continuation of the Qualifying Heats, before returning to sunshine and a dry track in the afternoon. On Sunday, the Super Heats and Finals took place in excellent conditions.
As might have been expected after the Champions of the Future Euro Series, the Slovakian competition was accompanied by a large number of minor incidents and penalties. Making it all the way to the Final was a dream not always within reach. Nevertheless, several Parolin Motorsport drivers put in brilliant performances throughout a complicated weekend.
In OK, Zac Drummond’s raw result was tarnished by his retirement at the very start of the Final. Delayed by two retirements in the heats, Vivek Kanthan finished with a fine Final climb of nine places to 22nd. Miguel Costa proved to be the most convincing, finishing in the top three of his Super Heat and finishing in the Final top 10 in 9th place, which enabled him to move up four places in the Championship. Jenson Graham made up 16 positions in the heats, while Alp Aksoy finished in the top 10 twice.
William Calleja confirmed his rise to prominence in OK-Junior by putting in a solid performance in the heats, gaining 10 places. He was able to keep up the momentum right through to the Final, where he climbed to 6th place and gained a further eight places. His efforts were rewarded by a leap of 23 places in the Championship. After a difficult Qualifying session, Christian Costoya embarked on a wild comeback. Making up between eight and 15 places per heat, he was 41 places up on Saturday evening. The young Spaniard persisted on Sunday, making up eight places in his Super Heat and a further 11 in the Final, where he finished in the top 15. His incredible perseverance meant that he remained well placed in 4th place in the Championship thanks to a total gain of 57 places over the weekend. Efim Derunov negotiated his heats skilfully and finished in the top 10 in his Super Heat. He crossed the finish line in 22nd position after some great battles. Finally, Qarrar Firhand could be proud of his 33-place climb in the heats and his 10-place gain in 8th place in his Super Heat. Unfortunately, he didn’t complete a lap in the Final.
“We had prepared for a demanding competition and we can be satisfied with the team’s level of performance,” explained Marco Parolin. “We’ve made good progress in both categories. Most of our drivers were able to express their abilities at one time or another despite the ups and downs of the race, which are an important element of success in Slovakia. Calleja’s rapid progress in OK-Junior was a very positive factor, as was Costoya’s incredible determination, which enabled him to save a meeting that had got off to a bad start. Costa’s return to the Final top 10 in OK is also a source of satisfaction. There are other important challenges ahead with the start of the European KZ Championship in Spain”.
Parolin also recorded some good results in the Italian Championship this weekend. Maksim Orlov shone in KZ2 with the Modena Racing Team, taking victory in Race 2 at Val Vibrata, a circuit on the European Championship programme. Marco Tormen and Alessio Piccini also finished in the top 10. Gioele Girardello also performed well in Mini Gr.3, while the Babyrace Academy team took its Parolin chassis to the top of the Mini Gr.3 standings with Alessandro Truchot and Albert Tamm, as well as the Mini U10 podium with Lorenzo Di Pietrantonio.
On a track that is virtually unknown to everyone and that challenges current standards, under changing weather conditions, adaptation was an essential quality for obtaining good results. That was the beauty of Christian Costoya’s victory in the OK-Junior class in the Champions of the Future Euro Series at the Slovakia Ring last weekend. Parolin Motorsport also put in a superb team effort, with more than half of its 15 OK and Junior drivers finishing in the top five at least once during the competition.
The 1172m long Slovakia Ring offered a challenge to the participants in the third round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series, with its many tight corners and short, old-fashioned straights. Data collection was one of the objectives of this meeting, less than three weeks away from the European Championship.
“We’re very satisfied with our first weekend in Slovakia,” said Marco Parolin. “The races were very tough, with a number of incidents that delayed us. Our level of performance was really good in both categories. In the Junior class, Christian Costoya’s leadership was unquestionable. It was with a magnificent victory, nearly 4 seconds clear, that he concluded a formidable meeting. William Calleja had taken pole position, Qarrar Firhand came close to the Final top 10, while the comebacks from Sun Anzhe, Efim Derunov and Alexander Chartier in the heats were exceptional. Vivek Kanthan came close to the Final top 10 in OK. Zac Drummond made up 30 places in the heats, but he didn’t finish the Final along with Miguel Costa and Anatoly Khavalkin. We’ll be working with the data we’ve collected to prepare for the next European Championships.”
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya: 5th in Qualifying, three wins including two fastest laps, 2nd and 3rd in the heats, leader of the intermediate classification, 1st in Super Heat 1 and winner of the Final with a 3.9″ lead.
William Calleja: Pole position, 16th after the heats, 5th in Super Heat 2, 21st in the Final with a 5″ penalty.
Qarrar Firhand: 28th in Qualifying, 28th after the heats, 13th in Super Heat 2, 13th in the Final (+12 places)
Sun Anzhe: 12th in Qualifying, 22nd in the heats, retired in the Super Heat and Final.
Efim Derunov: 66th in Qualifying, 34th in the heats (+32 places), retired in the Super Heat.
Alexander Chartier: No time in Qualifying, 65th in the heats (+27 places)
OK
Vivek Kanthan: 17th in Qualifying, one win, one 3rd and one 5th position with two fastest laps in the heats to come back to 11th, 5th in Super Heat 1, 11th in the Final.
Zac Drummond: 38th in Qualifying, two 2nd positions with fastest lap in the heats to move up 30 places to 8th, 12th in Super Heat 2, retired after three laps in the Final.
Miguel Costa: 33rd in Qualifying, 23rd in the heats (up 10 places), 10th in Super Heat 1, retired after six laps in the Final.
Anatoly Khavalkin: 18th in Qualifying, two 3rd places in the heats, 8th in Super Heat 1, retired after six laps in the Final.
By successfully navigating his way through the many pitfalls of the second round of the FIA Karting European Junior Championship without crashing, Christian Costoya demonstrated Parolin Motorsport’s current level of performance right up to the foot of the podium. The solidity of his performance despite the unpredictable weather conditions of the first two days of competition kept the team’s confidence high, and we can celebrate with him as he leaves Val d’Argenton in 2nd place in the provisional standings.
However, it was a weekend full of confusion in France. Extremely changeable track conditions on Friday and Saturday meant that Parolin Motorsport’s objectives at Val d’Argenton were thwarted by circumstance. The potential of the official Parolin / TM Karts had improved further since the previous race, the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Qualifying Practice set the trend with the arrival of rain during the session. This repeated itself several times during the Qualifying Heats, complicating the progress of the competition.
In OK, Vivek Kanthan was the fastest at 13th in Qualifying Practice. The young American confirmed his position in the heats, finishing in the top 10 each time and taking two 3rd places. 16th at the start of the Final, he lost places towards the end of the race and finished 21st. Zac Drummond also completed several heats in the top five and confirmed his 5th place in Super Heat B with the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately, he was forced to retire at the start of the Final. Miguel Costa, Jenson Graham and Alp Aksoy also posted encouraging results, although they failed to qualify for the Final.
Christian Costoya put in the team’s best performance in OK-Junior thanks to his superb consistency. 3rd in Qualifying, he took two wins in the heats and secured 2nd place with the fastest race lap in the Super Heat. He put up a strong fight for the Final podium before finishing 4th. As a result, he moved up to 2nd in the Championship. William Calleja was undeniably gaining in competitiveness. After some solid heats, he just missed out on the top 10 in his Super Heat, but had to retire after a few laps in the Final. Efim Derunov made up 13 places in the heats before retiring, but was still too far away from a possible Final.
“We’ve come back from Val d’Argenton with a bitter taste in our mouths,” said Marco Parolin. “The European Championship weekend was one of the most difficult of the season because of the difficult weather conditions. The team worked very hard to be competitive in all circumstances and we deserved much better results. Unfortunately, the Final results weren’t quite up to scratch, although in the OK-Junior class Costoya was rewarded for its consistency and finished 2nd in the Championship standings. It’s a pity that Calleja was hit at the start of the race; it would have been interesting to see his performance through to the end. In OK, Drummond was involved in contact at the first corner, after a fine Prefinal. The fastest lap was set by Marti, a privateer on a Parolin chassis, demonstrating the competitiveness of the equipment.”
Zac Drummond was very strong throughout the weekend at Val d’Argenton, taking top spot in the OK standings after Round 2 of the Champions of the Future Euro Series. Among other interesting performances, Parolin Motorsport can also be proud of Miguel Costa’s 12-place improvement in the Final, and Christian Costoya’s 22-place climb in the Junior Final.
Adapting to the Val d’Argenton circuit was not easy for anyone. The beautiful French track offered relatively limited grip on its smooth, new surface, while deviations from the racing line were not without consequences, particularly when overtaking. As usual, Parolin Motorsport delivered an excellent level of performance, but the constraints of the event did not suit every driver.
“We faced new challenges at Val d’Argenton and we can be delighted with Zac Drummond’s flattering results in OK,” said Marco Parolin. “We have an excellent base from which to prepare for the rest of the FIA European Karting Championship in less than two weeks’ time. With this in mind, the data from the Champions of the Future Euro Series will help us to work with the technical team and the drivers to take better account of all the unique features of the French circuit.”
OK
Zac Drummond:
3rd in Qualifying, three times winner in the heats, 2nd in the intermediate standings, 1st in the Super Heat, 4th in the Final and leader of the standings.
Miguel Costa:
49th in Qualifying, four recoveries and one retirement in the heats, seven places gained in the intermediate ranking, 9th in the Super Heat (up 12 places) and 20th in the Final (up 12 places).
Alp Aksoy:
30th in Qualifying, a 3rd place, a fastest lap in the race and two retirements in the heats, 6th in the intermediate ranking, 15th in the Super Heat (up five places) and 31st in the Final (up five places).
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya:
21st in Qualifying, 2nd position, a retirement and a crash in the heats, 13th in the Final (+22 places).
Qarrar Firhand:
12th in Qualifying, 3rd place in a heat, 15th in the intermediate ranking, 24th in the Final with a 5″ penalty.
The European OK and OK-Junior Championships have just got underway in Valencia, Spain, and Parolin Motorsport has already achieved convincing results in both categories. Costoya is still at the front of the field in OK-Junior, taking 3rd place in the Championship. In OK, Kanthan and Costa were excellent in the heats, but it was Khavalkin who achieved the best Final result, with an interesting 6th place ahead of Drummond. The European campaign got off to a very good start for the Italian team, following on from a very promising start to the season.
“The Valencia race certainly wasn’t one of the easiest, so we’re pleased with the points we’re taking home in the championship,” said Marco Parolin. “In OKJ, it was Costoya in particular who stood out, who came close to the podium in the Final, but who remains 3rd in the Championship thanks to some excellent performances in the heats. In OK, it was the team’s performance that made the difference. Many of our senior drivers were competitive right from the Qualifying Practice, with Drummond taking pole position in the first session, followed by Khavalkin. Costa and Kanthan also stood out, the latter winning a heat. We’re currently 2nd in the OK team rankings and we’re aiming to stay up there. We’re now concentrating on the French stage at Val d’Argenton, where we’ll start testing next week.”
OK
Anatoly Khavalkin:
5th in Qualifying, one win and two 2nd places in the heats, 4th (+3 places) in the Super Heat, 6th in the Final (+3 places) and 6th in the Championship standings.
Zac Drummond:
2nd in Qualifying, two top three finishes in the heats, 8th in the Super Heat, 7th (+4 places) in the Final and 8th in the Championship standings.
Vivek Kanthan:
6th in Qualifying, one win, one 3rd place and two 4th places in the heats, 6th in the intermediate classification, DNF in the Super Heat, 29th in the Final with a 5″ penalty.
Miguel Costa:
15th in Qualifying, four top four finishes in the heats, 7th in the intermediate ranking (+8 places), double DNF in the Super Heat and Final.
OK-Junior
Christian Costoya:
2nd in Qualifying, three heat wins and two 2nd places, 3rd in the heats, fastest race lap in the Super Heat, 4th in the final and 3rd in the Championship standings.
Efim Derunov:
56th in Qualifying, 40th after the heats (up 16 places), 20th in the Final (up 15 places).