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Millory's Italian Championship Campaign Begins With Victory |
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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 |
Surrey karting star Ollie Millroy began his 2007 championship season with victory and second place in the two finals, at the opening round of the Winning Series of Karting (WSK) at Sarno in southern Italy yesterday. The combined results put the 16 year-old into the lead of the KF1 (Formula A) class with four rounds remaining.
The works Zanardi racer qualified fifth for the first of two nine lap heats around the newly modified track, which Ollie has always professed to be one of his favourites. With a fourth place finish in the first heat and a third place finish in the second heat he qualified third for the first of Sundays finals.
Sunday’s first final, held over 12 laps, saw him move into the lead
early on and after some fierce racing he went over the line in second
place. However the winner was found to be under weight and excluded
setting Ollie up well for a pole-starting position for the second race,
held over 15 laps.
The race was to prove Ollie’s best of the weekend. After an early
incident dropped him down to fourth he enjoyed a race-long battle for
position before his Zanardi team-mate Luca Giacomelli, managed to find
a way past at the mid-way point and pull out a lead.
Ollie hung on well and over the remaining laps was involved in a
three-way battle for the runner-up spot. On the final lap, it was
anybody’s guess who would take second, but a determined drive by the
reigning Super 1 ICA British Champion saw Ollie take the place and with
it, the championship lead.
“I’m very happy with my performance this weekend,” said Ollie. “The
second final was definitely the best race, although I got launched out
of the way from pole position, I managed to fight my way back and it
was a real scrap at the front. The racing this weekend was close,
really close. The competition was tough, not least from my Zanardi
team-mates, who were all very much on the pace this weekend.
“The race provided the perfect opportunity to find a good set-up for
this track, as we’re back here next week for the first round of the
Italian Open Masters.
The WSK Championship brings together some of the best karting talent
from across Europe together for a five round series, held in Italy,
France and Spain. The KF1 class is the toughest of all, putting the
reigning British Champion right at the sharp end of international
competition against current and past World and European Champions.
To follow Ollie’s progress visit Ollie’s website on www.olliemillroy.com
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