Dorian Boccolacci took advantage of the 4th meeting of the Italian Championship held on 14-15 September at Lonato to discover 125 gearbox karts in a competition. After just two days of preliminary tests, he threw himself into the deep end of competition on a circuit very demanding for drivers of the powerful karts competing in KZ2. The young French driver’s performance was very convincing already in timed qualifying.
He drove an Energy kart powered by a TM engine prepared by the Italian engine mechanic Bruno Daldosso, the same who prepares engines for Davide Forè. Right at the start, Dorian set the 4th time, just 0.08 seconds short of the pole position, and preceded several well-known Italian drivers who compete regularly in this class and know the South Garda Karting track very well, as well as a driver from New Zealand, Daniel Bray, who last year was one of Max Verstappen’s rivals in the World Cup. The first qualifying heat confirmed the verdict: the young rookie has already understood well how to drive a KZ2 kart. He ranked 3rd in his very first race in 125 gearbox. The rest of the competition was more problematic because of a series of collisions that caused two withdrawals.
“I really enjoyed this experience!” said Dorian at the end of the meeting. “I felt at ease right away and I was very fast. Of course I know that I need to improve in several areas: standing starts, the ideal speed to change gears, the best racing lines, overtaking, … But I feel confident! Conditions were difficult because of the high grip on the track new surface, of LeCont tyres that I did not know, as well as of the track layout and the Italian drivers competing at home. Physically it is harder than in KF, especially at Lonato, but I did not suffer. Competing in this meeting was really useful with a view to the international competition to be held at Varennes next weekend“.
Dorian will compete in the “Super Coupe Internationale KZ2” in France from 20 to 22 September, the most important world event for this class in 2013.
Info Kartcom / © Photo Fernando Morandi – ACI Sport