Bahrain’s Luca sets early Junior MAX pace in Rotax karting

TDT | Manama                                                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Luca Houghton was top of the timesheets in Non-Qualifying Practice (NQP) one for Evens in the Junior MAX class yesterday, as the 2023 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) got underway with on-track action at Bahrain International Karting Circuit (BIKC) in Sakhir.

Luca had a best lap of 55.141 seconds, fractionally edging out France’s Tom Dussol by 0.008 seconds, followed by Mika Van De Pavert. Thirty-two drivers were separated by 0.864 seconds after the chequered flag, with Japan and France represented by the final two drivers that rounded out the top five.

Timo Jungling was fastest in the opening Junior MAX session for Odds, being one of a handful of drivers to initially break under the 55-second barrier with a 54.860s, leading a British one-two in front of Kenzo Craigie, who was only 0.071s slower.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s Knud Nielsen was fastest in the opening NQP for the E20 Senior category. Nielsen had a best lap of 55.970 seconds—0.399 seconds in front of Germany’s Mats Johan Overhoff, whilst Marius Lyager Rose completed the top three, a further 0.007 seconds adrift.

It saw a close top six, who were covered by 0.540 seconds and completed by Bahrain’s Lewis Smith. In the E20 Masters, Brazil’s Joao Goncalves was quickest of the field in their opening session, putting down a marker of a 57.570s lap time. The Micro MAX contingent saw Team UK lead the way in the opening venture onto BIKC’s 1.414km circuit, with Oliver Spencer one minute 01.936 seconds and Emerson Macandrew Uren (1:02.157) fastest out on track.

In the Mini MAX’s first Odds NQP, Canada’s Ilie Tristan Crisan topped the timesheets with a best effort of a 59.359s lap time, closely followed by Lithuania’s Majus Mazinas (59.439s). In the Senior MAX, Belgium’s Kai Rillaerts led the way in the first NQP session of the day, posting a 53.859s fastest lap, followed by Japan’s Kenta Kumagai (53.912s) and France’s Adam Rahali. Kuwait’s Fahad Alkhaled secured third spot on the times with a 54.193.