As spring approaches, international kart racing is seeing a weather situation more in line with the standards of the discipline. The Parolin Racing Kart team was able to perform very well during the third round of the WSK Super Master Series. To the excellent performance of Camplese among the best in KZ2, was added the well deserved victory for Gabriele Mini in the youngest category.
“Until now, we have not had the opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of our knowledge this year,” Albino Parolin pointed out. “We were confident in the quality of our equipment and the strong potential of the team, but that had not yet been reflected in our results. At La Conca, we have taken an important step towards our objectives. The development continues and we have other strong cards to play in the near future.”
The circuit of La Conca is unique. In addition to the temperature of around 20°C in the region, the surface of the track can baffle competitors with the very strong grip it generates. The Parolin Racing Kart team was not at all destabilised by these unusual conditions, and the chassis of the Bassano brand was reacting perfectly to the different settings. Shihab Al Habsi’s OK-Junior progress was unfortunately affected by several clashes that tarnished the record of the weekend, despite the interesting performances that the young Omani has achieved when he didn’t suffer any setbacks.
Unnerved until then by the wet circuits of the 2017 WSK Super Master, Lorenzo Camplese found his smile in the grip of La Conca. Early season efforts were rewarded with flattering results, although a mechanical problem prevented him from completing the demonstration in the Final. With 3rd in KZ2 Qualifying, a best lap in the race, heat finishes between 2nd and 4th place and a top five in the Prefinal, Lorenzo was well on his way to a great Final because he had already taken five positions when his engine broke down. Thanks to the level of performance displayed throughout the weekend, satisfaction has prevailed nevertheless.
A contender in 60 Mini since the first races of the season, Gabriele Mini finally got the victory that he deserved. Once again on pole position and the undisputed leader of the qualifying heats, the young factory Parolin Racing Kart driver fought until the end of the final stages to reach the first step of the podium that he coveted so much, and shared the joys with the whole team. He moved back to 2nd place in the championship, very close to the leader.
More motivated than ever, the Parolin Racing Kart team is set to arrive at the Sarno track with solid assets for the finale of the 2017 WSK Super Master Series.
On the track at 7 Laghi di Castelletto, the second weekend of the WSK Super Master Series again thwarted the Parolin Racing Kart team’s objectives. However, there have been good performances already to the credit of the Italian team whose ambitions remain very high for the 2017 season.
“The results of this WSK Super Master round are not really in line with our ambitions, but the level of performance of our chassis is already very encouraging,” Albino Parolin commented. “We saw that Camplese could be very fast in KZ2, while Mini went well in 60 Mini. Al Habsi is making good progress in OK-Junior and he put in some good performances this weekend. We all look forward to getting out of these winter conditions to see more representative races. The team has not yet reached its cruising speed, and arrival of new drivers will allow us to develop our already competitive equipment.”
Not yet very comfortable in the rain with the new Bridgestone tyres, Lorenzo Camplese (KZ2) showed excellent speed as soon as the track dried. Even though the level of grip was never exceptional, he already gained 12 positions in the last qualifying heat on Saturday while achieving the fastest lap of the race. On Sunday, he assured his qualification in the Prefinal before exploiting the full potential of his Parolin / TM in the Final. Thanks to his performances that were very close to those of the leaders, he managed to regain no less than 14 places to finish 13th in the race, making him the driver to achieve the most number of passes in the Finals while maintaining an extremely fast pace throughout the race. He set his fastest time on the last lap, demonstrating the effectiveness of his equipment over the long term.
The young driver from Oman, Shihab Al Habsi, has courageously faced weather conditions that are a very long way from those of his country. Only 47th on a very slippery track, he progressed despite the intensity of the fighting in the qualifying heats and his Parolin / Parilla was in the top 10 several times. With combativeness, Shihab managed to qualify and ranked 28th in the Final despite a motor problem that prevented him from getting a better result.
In the very competitive category of 60 Mini, Gabriele Mini again sparkled at the wheel of his Parolin / TM. He took pole position in the timed practice among the 79 participants, then dominated the qualifying heats with three wins and two fastest laps. 3rd in his Prefinal, he climbed up two places in the Final to finish 4th. Gabriele is therefore close to the leaders in 4th position of the Championship.
Parolin Racing Kart is looking forward to the next round of the WSK Super Master Series at La Conca on March 18th and 19th, to better reveal its potential.
Lorenzo Camplese’s performance in the major KZ international events last year confirmed the quality of the Parolin Racing Kart chassis and prompted the Italian factory to reinforce the competitive presence of its Racing Team in 2017. The exceptionally difficult conditions of the first round of the WSK Super Master Series at Adria did not achieve the expected results, but the level of competitiveness of Parolin / TM suggests considerably better results at their next racing appearance.
To start the 2017 season, the Parolin Racing Team is relying on a more extensive programme consisting of four drivers. Lorenzo Camplese and Michelangelo Amendola defend the colours of the Venetian brand in KZ / KZ2, Gabriele Mini is the spearhead in the category 60 Mini, while the Omani driver Shihab Al Habsi is in OK-Junior. According to the categories available, the competition programme for Parolin Racing Kart includes the events of the WSK Super Master Series, then those of the CIK-FIA European Championship and the World Championship, a few races of the DKM and the Supernationals of Las Vegas at the end of the year.
The arrival of an additional driver in KZ / KZ2 will allow the intensification of the development work on the chassis of the queen category. The deplorable weather conditions of the first event of the WSK Super Master Series made it very difficult to find good results. Constantly wet throughout the weekend, the track often changed grip and complicated the objectives of the technicians and drivers. The frequent clashes and the numerous penalties for dropped spoilers clearly disrupted the course of the competition.
In spite of this unfavourable context, the team nevertheless managed to collect a lot of data needed to follow its plan of equipment development, and the balance of the meeting of Adria is far from negative. For his first race at the wheel of a Parolin with an IAME engine, the young Omani Shihab Al Habsi posted very promising performances. He returned to the top 10 of his second heat after setting the 20th time of qualifying practice. A penalty of 10” for an unhooked spoiler unfortunately cost him his place in the Final.
It was in 60 Mini that the very beginning of the season was the most convincing for Parolin Racing Kart. The Italian hopeful Gabriele Mini was able to use his new chassis straight away. At the WSK Champions Cup, he finished 2nd, on the podium with more than 100 participants, and for a long time held the first place in the WSK Super Master Series the following week. In the Final, four laps under the yellow flag and one incident after the restart prevented him from fighting as he knows how to do for victory, and he finished in 7th place.
All the resources of the Parolin Racing Kart team have been mobilised to approach the next race with the best chances of success, at the beginning of March on the 7 Laghi circuit at Castelletto di Branduzzo.
The final result of the 2016 World KZ Championship does not reflect the overall performance of the Parolin Racing Team during the competition at Kristianstad. Lorenzo Camplese was equal to the top names in the premier class of karting throughout the Swedish weekend, with remarkable consistency for his first participation at this level. Parolin Racing has completed the CIK-FIA international season on an extremely positive note, further motivating the Italian brand to increase its efforts in racing.
“We are very pleased with our first season at the highest level in KZ,” said Marco Parolin after the Kristianstad evening. “We have demonstrated throughout the year that our chassis was capable of competing with the best, even though the team was making its debut in KZ against very experienced competition. Our driver Lorenzo Camplese was able to fight at the front during a very tough World Championship in Sweden. It means a lot to us and to all those who trust us. What is certain is that we will not stop there!”
Camplese never left the top five until the Prefinal. From Qualifying onwards, he set the 3rd fastest time, beating the already increased number of champions on the entry list. The qualifying heats confirmed the speed of the Parolin chassis, as he was in the top three on Saturday night with successive extremely fast laps. After his beautiful 5th place in the Prefinal, Camplese made an excellent start in the first few laps of the Final and took 2nd position. He then lost a few places as the intensity of the struggle for the victory reached its height.
“The Kristianstad competition will remain engraved in my memory,” explained Lorenzo. “I have never had the opportunity until now to use competitive equipment. It was like a dream. The team has done a great job. While we’re all a little disappointed to have been only classified 13th due to a penalty, but that’s racing and it’s fine. We have progressed throughout the season and we are all very motivated to go even further. Parolin Racing has demonstrated that it fits right in among the best!”
Before planning 2017 with and a more developed ambitions and structure, Parolin Racing will compete in the famous Las Vegas Supernationals in November, an extraordinary event where the qualities of Parolin chassis will again have the opportunity to shine.
The CIK-FIA European Championship has just ended at Genk. With drivers entered in both KZ and KZ2, the Parolin Racing Kart Team can be proud of its return to competition among the best teams. With good performance, Lorenzo Camplese was too often delayed by on-track incidents to get results that show his potential. The new recruit in KZ2, Michelangelo Amendola also completed a fantastic journey into the top 10 in the Final.
“We are generally satisfied with our level of performance in KZ,” said Marco Parolin. “Luck was not on Lorenzo’s side throughout this European campaign, but he still managed to cross the Final finish line at Genk in 7th position, after many sporting hazards. The speed is there, the time sheets prove it, but we lack a bit of success to achieve in terms of results. It’s a good thing to be able to compete with the most experienced teams in our first international season.”
During the round of the DSKM German Championship run at Genk two weeks before the European round Lorenzo Camplese had already demonstrated high speed, in particular gaining nine places during Race 1. At the European Championship, he was first the victim of a collision in the last heat and was subsequently last from the first corner of the Prefinal. Only in the Final was he able to show the real standard of complete Parolin / TM by moving up 11 places to 7th position. A penalty of 5 ” for a jumped start unfortunately downgraded him to 11th.
A newcomer to the Parolin Racing Kart Team, Michelangelo Amendola did not miss his debut on the international stage in KZ2. Starting 38th after Qualifying, he first reached 19th place after the heats. He then regained two positions in the Prefinal, but in the Final he got his best result by finishing in the top 10, with a gain of six places in front of many leaders in the category who have the advantage of much more experience.
“Michelangelo is a young Belgian driver of 15 years who has started this year in KZ2,” explained Marco Parolin. “He raced in the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy in 2014 and 2015 and continued his training in our Championkart academy. We wanted to give him a chance in international racing and we do not regret it!”
It was not obvious that Parolin Kart would return to competition in the most competitive category, KZ, where the most experienced and highest standard of teams and drivers can be found. The initial Parolin Racing Kart Team performance has confirmed the wisdom of its choice. This sporting approach has also enabled new business achievements. The title of Asia-Pacific Championship for Camplese last year in Macao is a good example.
“We cannot reveal our comprehensive strategy for the future, but it is certain that we will get further involved in racing. Our first results are already conclusive. We need to develop our structure, both in terms of the drivers and logistics, to better prepare us to compete. We will now focus on the Kristianstad world event in Sweden in early September with greater ambitions.”
Despite the highly variable and difficult to grasp weather conditions at Ampfing, Lorenzo Camplese demonstrated the effectiveness of his Parolin-TM at the second round of the German Championship (DKM). The Italian has consistently been faster when the track was dry. This was confirmed by a stunning rise from 14th to 5th place in Race 2. Promising for the rest of the season …
Able to meet the greatest challenges with the quality of its equipment and the expertise of its technical staff, the Parolin Racing Kart team returned excited from its trip to Germany. Immediately, Lorenzo Camplese posted excellent times during free practice, frequently among the five fastest in the KZ2 category.
“Due to a busy schedule, we did not participate in the first round of the DKM in Wackersdorf,” the Italian team confessed. “But that didn’t stop us from quickly taking our brands to the top of this championship. On this very technical track, Lorenzo quickly felt comfortable driving his Parolin.”
Fastest Lap
Alas, it rained for the timed session and Lorenzo suffered from a lack of benchmarks in these conditions. He had to settle for 23rd in mid-table (46 entries in total). Fortunately, he managed to gain seats in the two heats with a very encouraging rise to 6th position in one of them. He also set the fastest race lap with a faster time than the drivers ahead of him such as De Conto, Fore and Hajek.
Nine places and a top five to finish
The rain was back for Race 1 and Lorenzo failed to achieve the target he had set. He then gave everything in Race 2, and with superb overtaking eventually reached 5th place. “The performance was truly there in the dry and it’s a shame that the weather played tricks us, because a podium was possible. However, Germany is a very important market for the Parolin brand, so we are pleased to have demonstrated our very high potential. The team is very motivated to finish the European KZ Championship in Belgium in style” This will be at the end of July in Genk …
Eagerly awaited by the Parolin Racing Kart Team to get back into the title race, the second round of the European KZ Championship Lorenzo Camplese was hit by two incidents with heavy consequences on the track. But we knew the Parolin chassis was very effective at the Spanish circuit of Zuera as had been proven by Francesco Celenta last year by winning the KZ2 Prefinal and crossing the finish line ahead in the Final.
The presence of a strong wind from Saturday morning onwards did not make the work of the technicians of the Parolin Racing Kart Team easy. While he had the fastest time in the last free practice session on Friday Lorenzo Camplese finished Qualifying in 7th place less than two tenths from pole position. After a great start in the second heat, he surprised his opponents and found himself sandwiched between Marco Ardigo and Jérémy Iglesias. He could do nothing to avoid crashing and gave up after a few metres.
Ready to turn the corner in the Prefinal, Camplese made an excellent start but experienced a new nightmare on the first lap because of an incident in front of him. Far behind the pack, he was unable to regain ground despite very good speed (4th fastest lap). Though marked by these two incidents, Lorenzo trusted his Parolin / TM and the work of his team to catch up in the Final. He had already gained five places on lap 1, this time completed without incident. He battled firmly subsequently against his slower rivals before continuing his advance to the finish. He was in 9th place, with nine places gained when he crossed the finish line.
“It was a really difficult weekend!” commented Lorenzo Camplese. “The team has done a good job, I did not make a mistake and yet we have had to deal with two blows of fate. It’s a shame as the Final went reasonably well and I was able to show that the equipment was on form. Other famous drivers faced recurrent of technical problems and it would have been interesting to be in a better position because everything was going well for us in this regard. Unfortunately, it is no longer really possible to do well in the Championship. However, we will do everything we can to get a good result at the last European round in Genk, I think Parolin deserves it!”
The first round of the 2016 European KZ Championship was held this weekend in France at Aunay les Bois / Essay. After the good performances produced early in the season, Team Parolin Racing Kart harboured legitimate ambitions for its driver Lorenzo Camplese. The Parolin chassis has demonstrated excellent competitiveness, but several factors upset the smooth running for everyone, the first of which was the accelerated wear of the Vega tyres on the abrasive asphalt at Essay which was difficult to overcome in these conditions, and the complex weather.
To begin with, early testing was very convincing at the front of the KZ category, whether dry or rainy. Unfortunately, the track was changing between wet and dry when timed practice was held on Saturday morning. Lorenzo was fully prepared in the rain during the previous warm-up, but the team could not find the set-up best suited for Qualifying. In this complicated mix, Lorenzo set the 18th time.
The rapid degradation of the tyres since the beginning of the meeting then made it possible to conceive an alternative strategy. Instead of trying to regain some places in the two qualifying heats, it was tempting to sacrifice intermediate classification to save a set of tyres by not taking the start of the heats. This was a bold gamble in the face of the exceptionally complicated situation that met all participants.
There was a lot riding on this to succeed. Lorenzo was obviously very fast in the Prefinal, as he set the fastest time of the race while overtaking many rivals, an achievement at this track. He regained no fewer than 11 places and crossed the finish line in 10th position. However, a penalty of 10” for a dislodged spoiler relegated him to 21st place, canceling out his efforts. Starting at the back of the grid for the Final, Lorenzo managed to take six places, but his 15th place finish was far from the original target.
After that first difficult meeting, Team Parolin Racing Kart is already looking towards the Zuera track in Spain where the Parolin chassis performed very well last season in KZ2 in the hands of Francesco Celenta. Lorenzo Camplese intends to take his revenge in this second European event as long as the tyres keep pace.
“I’m still very confident in the competitiveness of the equipment that Parolin has put at my disposal,” said Lorenzo after the race at Essay. “The circumstances were not favourable for the start of the European KZ Championship, but the Parolin chassis was never unworthy. That’s racing and we’ll do everything we can to respond at the next race in Spain.”
The third meeting of the 2016 WSK Super Master Series at Muro Leccese has posed new challenges for the new Parolin Racing Kart team. The La Conca circuit has in fact had a special coating that generates a lot of grip, what is rarely found on other tracks, especially as the temperature rose quickly in sunny southern Italy . In these unusual conditions Lorenzo Camplese tested various configurations before finding a good balance. Finishing in the top 10 of KZ following a rise of 11 places in this context should be seen as an encouragement for the upcoming events calendar.
“We were well aware that the competition at La Conca would not necessarily allow us to shine as we have done since the beginning of the year,” says Alessandro Levratti, the young team manager of Parolin Racing Kart. “We expected to find new grip conditions for our team and our equipment. This allowed us to work on the versatility of our chassis and prepare for the rest of the season. This irreplaceable experiment in a race situation will bear fruit in the coming months.”
The main problem faced by all teams on a track with very high grip such as La Conca regarded the functioning of the tyres. Vega tyres suffered in KZ at Muro Leccese, under the combined action of the grip, temperature and the power of the 125 gearbox engine. Early wear and blisters dampened the enthusiasm of the top competitors. It was a first for the Parolin Racing Kart Team, founded at the beginning of the year, against very experienced teams that have collected a lot of data in the past.
The performance itself was not the main concern for Parolin. The challenge was to find the best possible set-up during the races, taking into account the constant changes of grip over the event. After great time in free practice, but an average lap time in official qualifying, the team provided Camplese with several configurations to enhance the use of the tyres. During his second heat he achieved his best performance at just 0.064 ” from the fastest lap. During the pre-pfinal, he fought in the top five before losing some speed at the end because of a tyre damaged by a blister.
The team synthesised this experience for the final and Camplese was able to rely on the consistency of his machine to gain 11 positions. His fastest time on the 16th of 20 laps of the race confirmed the decisions of the Parolin technicians.
Although such conditions will not perhaps not often recur during the season, the learning from the La Conca meeting will have the opportunity to be reinvested in the important races looming. In less than three weeks, the European Championship will begin in France on the Aunay les Bois circuit at Essay and Parolin Racing Kart Team will be there with strong ambitions.
While the WSK Super Master Series began in the cold of Castelletto, the second round saw sun on the Circuito Internazionale Napoli. A new challenge awaited the Parolin team in KZ with Lorenzo Camplese the driver on the first fast track of the season. It is clear that the performance was again excellent, among the best specialists in the discipline. The race was unfortunately cut short for Camplese, who was a victim of a collision in the Prefinal.
Despite the development work being disrupted by free practice on a wet track, Lorenzo Camplese’s Parolin / TM was immediately on the pace during the official timed practice with the second best time in the KZ category 34 thousandths from pole position. The tone was set. Always among the top five in the field, the Parolin Racing Kart driver finished the qualifying heats in a good position, 4th, before tackling the final stages with strong ambitions.
He made a very good start in Prefinal A. As fast as he is determined, Camplese went on the attack without taking too many risks at the start. He had seized 3rd position on the second lap of the race when he was pushed and spun. He was able to restart, but had to retire shortly after.
“It is a great disappointment,” admitted Lorenzo Camplese. “This kind of incident should not happen at this level of competition. Until then, the meeting confirmed our competitiveness in conditions very different from those of the first races of the year, proving the quality of the Parolin chassis on any circuit. Although I completed just four laps in the Prefinal, I was able to set the second fastest time of the race. This means the potential was there! I am even more disappointed to have been forced to retire as it jeopardises our chances in the championship. I finished up in 11th place while I was aiming for the top five. That’s racing though and we’ll keep fighting to demonstrate the quality of Parolin Racing Kart product.”
Since the beginning of the season, Parolin has been battling at the front in KZ, the highest level of international competition, among the best in the discipline. The young Racing Team from the Italian brand has produced achievements in each of its races, highlighting the quality of the Venetian factory’s products in the most spectacular way against the most experienced teams. It is a great satisfaction for Parolin Racing Kart to defend its colours in this excellent way and to support its customers in their wise choice. The adventure is just beginning, the best is yet to come!