Will wins both Finals at Round 1 of WSK International Series
18th March 2008
Will stormed to victory in both Championship points scoring rounds at the first round of the WSK International Series at La Conca on 15/16 March. Having also secured third place in the new format Super Pole qualifying session before racing began, he left Italy with almost maximum points from the event to take a good lead in the Championship.
The WSK International Series has effectively replaced the International Open Masters as the premier multi-round Championship this year with all the World’s top drivers competing. In the KF1 class Will is competing against the very best professional kart racers including; current World and European Champion, Marco Ardigo, current International Open Masters Champion, Gary Catt, five time World Champion, Davide Fore as well as a number of experienced career kart racers such as Sauro Cesetti and Jonathon Thonon. Marco and Gary are Will’s team mates in the World famous Tonykart Racing team. It is therefore extraordinary given that this is Will’s rookie year in KF1 that he should take two such commanding wins so early in the season.
The weekend started extremely well for Will with him turning in very fast times in the two free practice sessions and then topping the two timed practice sessions on Friday. On Saturday, Will was second in timed qualifying just 5/1000th of a second off pole position which put him through to the new one lap Super Pole session which determined the starting grid for the heats. In the Super Pole he qualified third having elected to make the run on used tyres to conserve his new ones for the heats.
Starting from grid 2 for both his heats, Will convincingly won both races to give him pole position for Sunday’s first points scoring final.
In that race he took the lead from one-third distance and pulled away from his rivals for a dominant 2.2 second margin at the chequered flag. Will’s team mate Gary Catt was second, with FA Kart driver Antonio Piccione third and Marco Ardigo fourth.
In the second final, again starting from pole position, Will exchanged the lead with team mate Gary Catt before making what was to be the winning break and going away to a 1.8 second margin from Gary in second and Holland’s Jack Te Braak on the Zanardi kart in third.
The weekend’s results gives Will the lead in the Championship with 38 points with Gary Catt in second with 30 points and Antonio Piccioni third with 19.
Will said of the weekend – “I was very pleased with the whole weekend, we were fast from the outset and the Team found a great set-up to conserve the tyres. To come away from the first round of the Championship leading with good points was my objective so I’m very happy. It also bodes well for the World Championship which is back here at La Conca in September, hopefully I can carry the form from this weekend into that race when we return”.
SEE THE RACE RECORDING AT WWW.STOPANDGO.TV
