SA drivers dominate Euro Rotax podium
Former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen gives Wesleigh
Orr the thumbs up pic by Steve Wicks/SA Racer |
South African drivers claimed three of the
four classes in the European Rotax Max Challenge karting
championship at final round held in Genk, Belgium today.
Driving for the factory CRG team, Wesleigh
Orr completed a historic double by winning the both the
DD2 and Max Challenge classes while former Rotax Max Challenge
World Champion Claudio Piazza-Mussobagged the Rotax Max
Masters class for PCR.
Going into the final round, Orr had already
clinched the DD2 championship, but elected not to race
the class in order to focus his efforts on the Max Challenge
championship.
A minor technical infringement saw his official
practice times disallowed and he started the two qualifying
heats from last on the 34 kart grids. Hard work and clever
driving in the pre-final saw him finish second and earn
himself a front row starting position for the final.
Being on the outside for the first corner
wasn’t ideal and he dropped to fourth before regaining
second place shortly before the end, which was enough
to claim the title.
“Nobody’s ever won the championship
in two different classes before so this is a very special
moment for me.”
Piazza-Musso overcame a bent chassis and
a resultant poor starting position to win a thrilling
final after a race long duel with Dennis Kroes (Alpha
Kart). “I hadn’t sat in a kart for two months
prior to this race so I was a bit rusty to start with
which put us at a disadvantage, it wasn’t an easy
weekend but everything came together in the final,”
he explained.
Adding to the South African domination
was a stunning performance from 16-year-old Arnold Neveling
who claimed the runner-up position in the DD2 championship
after retiring his PCR from the pre-final with a clutch
problem and having to the final from the back row of the
grid. In what was later described as the drive of the
day he hauled himself up to second place when the chequered
flag was waved.
|
