Kart-SM: Lots of action on all fronts

FIGHTING FOR RACE The second round of the Kart Championship in Wohlen surpassed everything in terms of excitement. With the exception of the Super Minis, where there was a surprise, every winner had to fight hard. The second round of the 2020 autobau Swiss Kart Championship in Wohlen offered everything you could wish for in motorsport. The only downer: due to the strict [...]

Editorial - September 16, 2020

Elia Epifanio (left) and Tiziano Kuzhnini started from row 1 in the Super Mini, but the winner was not the first to cross the finish line (Photos: Eichenberger, Weibel).

The second round of the 2020 autobau Swiss Kart Championship in Wohlen offered everything you could wish for in motorsport. The only downer: due to the strict coronavirus protection measures, the event was held behind closed doors.

It's a shame - because with the most beautiful late summer weather, this event would have deserved a few hundred spectators as a backdrop for great races.

Winner of the Super Mini disqualified
In the absence of Enea Frey, Tiziano Kuzhnini, who had already made a positive impression in 7 Laghi, confidently came out on top in both preliminary heats, distancing his closest rival Matt Corbi by more than two seconds in each case. The eleven-year-old from Eich LU was also crowned the winner in the final.

But the joy was clouded. Kuzhnini was disqualified for making unauthorized use of technical assistance at the pre-start. The beneficiary was Elia Epifanio, who took his first victory in the Super Mini. A harsh verdict, but rules are rules.

Dario Cabanelas, Elia Sperandio and Ekaterina Lüscher fought a nice three-way battle in the OK Junior.

Caught off guard at the top of the table
There was an exciting three-way battle in the OK Junior between Elia Sperandio, Ekaterina Lüscher and Dario Cabanelas. Although all three were on different chassis, you could cover them with a bath towel in almost every phase of every race.

Defending champion Sperandio put his experience to good use in both heats, securing 20 points for both victories. In the final, he had to give way to the other two opponents.

Lüscher was in the lead until 100 meters before the finish. But on the last bend, 14-year-old Cabanelas saw a gap and successfully squeezed past. Lüscher remains ahead of Sperandio and Cabanelas in the championship, even without a triumph in Wohlen.

Podium OC Junior: Ekateriona Lüscher, winner Dario Cabanelas and Elia Sperandio.

From midfield to the top
In the largest field of the X30 Challenge Switzerland, last year's champion and overall leader Savio Moccia only managed 15th place in qualifying, but the man from Lys did not let this get him out of his stride. He worked his way forward place by place.

He finished ninth in the first heat and second in the second. In the final, Moccia re-established the pecking order from fifth on the grid - closely followed by two-time pre-race winner Danny Buntschu, who scored the most points in Wohlen with 65 points, and Michael Sauter.

Danny Buntschu (left) won both X30 heats, Savio Moccia took the biggest trophy in the final.

New winner in the OK Seniors
The starting position in the OK Seniors was also open before each race. Patrick Näscher, overall leader after the season opener in Italy and 2018 champion, did not have the best weekend. However, with 4th, 6th and 3rd place, he kept the damage within limits.

Lukas Muth did better. With one win and two second places, the 20-year-old privateer from Lucerne catapulted himself to 7th place from a standing start.

The best OC senior in Wohlen was Nathan Neuhaus. Still competing in the X30 Challenge Switzerland last year, the man from Jura put in a strong performance and secured 61 points with second place in the first heat and victories in the second heat and the final.

Lukas Muth, Nathan Neuhaus and Patrick Näscher finished on the podium in the OK Senior category after the final run.

Victory and top of the table for Rohrbasser
There was no sign of boredom in the KZ2 shift karts either. Théo Vaucher came out on top in the first heat. Nicolas Rohrbasser and André Reinhard took second and third place respectively, with Rohrbasser coming out on top in the second heat and the final.

Reinhard crossed the finish line in second place behind the 2017 champion, who now leads the overall standings. Third place went to Timo Moser, who was clearly delighted with this result.

The autobau Swiss Kart Championship continues on October 3-4 in Mirecourt, France. Let's hope that the current coronavirus situation doesn't deteriorate before then. Because the 2020 Karting Championship has only just really picked up speed.