Archive for category: Championships

This weekend the curtain will rise for Karol Basz in the Italian GT Championship for Marco Antonelli’s team. The highly successful karting champion (2015 World Champion and 2016 Vice Champion) will make his debut on Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup on the first of seven double appointments in the season calendar.

Having just come from his excellent performance in the first round of the European CIK FIA Championship on the Sarno circuit the driver from Krakow has been called to make a difficult and total debut in which he will have only ninety minutes (two trial sessions of 45’ each) to find a feeling for the car and the track in preparation for the qualifying sessions which will determine the starting grid for the two races of 48’ + 1 lap scheduled for Saturday 29th (12.40pm) and Sunday 30th (3.55pm). In this new challenge Karol will share the wheel of the super car from Sant’Agata Bolognese with the Japanese driver Kasai.

“I don’t know what to expect because it will be a weekend of discovery for me. The Lamborghini Huracan is a fantastic car and I can’t wait to take to the track at its wheel. It will be like the first day at school for me. I will have much to learn and little time available. I want to give special thanks to all those who are helping me,” commented Karol.

“Karol is beginning a new challenge and a new programme that will run parallel to the karting championships. It is an important jump forward for the sporting and professional career of a driver who has already shown all his worth in kart racing where he achieved incredible results. We expect a lot of work but during the days of testing ha has already shown that he has a good feeling for the car and the Antonelli Racing Team,“ said Giovanni Minardi and Alberto Tonti.

Fans will be able to follow the two races in live streaming on ACI Sport’s website (http://www.acisport.it/it/acisport-service/live-streaming) and on RAI.

It is a season rich with commitments for Karol Basz who came out of a fantastic weekend at the Sarno circuit in the last round of the WSK Super Master Series and he has already doubled up his on track commitments. On April 30th at Imola’s Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit the Polish driver who is guided by Minardi Management and already a protagonist of the karting world with the Kosmic Racing Team (2015 world champion and 2016 vice champion) will make his debut in the Italian Gran Turismo Championship at the wheel of the Antonelli Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super GT Cup

For Karol it will be a complete debut as he will have to familiarize himself with both the supercar from Sant’Agata Bolognese and the six circuits on the calendar. After the first race at Imola the season will proceed to Misano (June 2-4), Monza (June 16-18), Mugello (July 14-16), Imola (8-10 September) and Mugello (October 6-8). Due to a clash of dates with the Ok world championship in England Karol will miss the second last race at the Vallelunga track.

It was at the Imola track that the driver from Krakow took part in two days of testing at the wheel of the “Lambo” showing constant progress and he already has an excellent feeling for the vehicle and track confirming his place in the highest positions of the table and sharing the driving with the more experienced Kasai.

“I can only say I am satisfied with having reached this agreement with the Antonelli Motorsport team. It will be a completely new experience for me and I have a lot to learn in a very short time. At Imola i managed to run many kilometres always lowering my times, especially on the final day and I must thank all the members of the team. The Lamborghini is a surprising car,” commented an enthusiastic Karol Basz.

“We are truly happy at having reached this objective and to be present for the Italian GT Championship with Karol who naturally will continue the entire programme in the karting world with the Kosmic Racing. It will be a completely new experience for him coming for the kart and having to get to know the team, the car and the circuits. In the two days of testing however he showed his talent and above all his versatility. He only needed a few kilometres to adapt to the driving style needed for the Lamborghini giving excellent results in his times,” was the analysis of managers Alberto Tonti and Giovanni Minardi.

The doors of the Lamborghini Blancpain have opened for Antonio D’Amico in the Asian Super Trophy with Vincenzo Sospiri Racing.

After the exciting season in the Italian GT Championship at the wheel of the Lamborghini supercar next weekend (April 7-9) he will fly to Sepang in Malaysia to sign on for the first of the five appointments of the Asian Super Trophy which will be followed by races in Thailand (Buriram on May 19-21). Japan (Suzuka on June 23-25 and Fuji on August 18-20) and China (Shanghai on September 22-24).

“I am eager to start this new experience in Asia, my first championship outside Italy but the second at the wheel of a Lamborghini. It will undoubtedly be a demanding season as I will have to learn new tracks but it is also exciting,” commented Antonio D’Amico

“I am happy that Antonio can begin this new experience. With the experience of Vincenzo Sospiri Racing he will become a protagonist of an important season, “was the analysis of manager Giovanni Minardi.

The driver from Rome will share the wheel with Brazilian Nicolas Costa and the objectives are already clear.

“We will start well aiming for victory, It will certainly not be easy but we have the potential to reach important results beginning with the first race in Sepang,” continued Antonio, “Wednesday and Thursday will be two half days of collective testing to familiarize ourselves with the track, the car and the team.”

The second race of the WSK Super Masters Series took place at the 7 Laghi International Circuit at Castelletto di Branduzzo. Karol Basz was the protagonist with placings and impressive come backs which showed solid nerves, concentration and coolness even in the most delicate of situations.

In the three qualifying heats Kosmic Racing’s Polish driver won in order a victory, third place and second place thus placing himself well for the final phase. The cold shower came at the end of the third heat when the marshals disqualified the 202 kart because it was underweight, plunging him down to 17th place overall. Placed within Group A of the pre-final the Minardi Management flag bearer recovered four positions to fifth place and completed the job with a fourth place in the Final, the result of another five positions recovered.

In two weeks Karol Basz will be back on track at Muro Leccese for the third round of the WSK Super Masters Series.

“The weekend began really well with a win, third place and second place in qualifying. Sadly the disqualification cancelled the results. In the Final I lost time behind some drivers, but the championship is still long and our material is ok,” commented Karol Basz.

 “Even if he missed out on the podium, we must absolutely compliment Karol. On a very technical and tight circuit like Castelletto he kept his nerves without making the slightest error and made himself the protagonist with important come backs in both the pre-final and the Final. We still have things we must get right in performance, but we are on the right road to get back on the podium beginning at Muro Leccese,” said manager Alberto Tonti.

Photos by Alex Vernardis & Loredana LRN / The RaceBox

In the first weekend of the WSK Super Master Series on the track in Andria in a race strongly affected by the weather Karol Basz looked for the best results and finished on the podium, only to be penalized 10” by the stewards for a contact with Novalak ftom Great Britain and finished in sixth place overall.

For Kosmic Racing’s driver from Krakow it was the occasion to gain confidence in the new wets supplied by Bridgestone in anticipation of the next rounds.

As we await the next round of the WSK Super Master Series scheduled for Castelletto di Branduzzo on March 2nd, Karol will return to the track at Lonato for the 22nd edition of the Winter Cup on February 17th and 18th.

 “It was not an easy end of the week beginning under heavy rain and trying to find the best set up for the cart, but it ended on the podium. Unfortunately the stewards then decided to penalize me for a contact during the race. I am happy with the speeds obtained and now I will concentrate on the Winter Cup,” said Karol Basz, the Minardi Management driver.

 “The final penalty concluded a difficult weekend in which Karol was not as fast as usual. He had to fight to find the right set up and the best tyre pressure for the new mixes supplied by Bridgestone,” was the analysis by his Manager Alberto Toni.