07.08.2014 21:55

Edite Garjane, 6^th August 2014

The start of the hottest week in Latvian history came with a heated go kart race at the 333 Sports Complex on the 2^nd of August. It was the fifth stage in the ongoing Pro-Kart race.

It was a record-level of 192 drivers who competed against each other divided in 17 classes on Saturday. Three of the classes gathered even 20 and more drivers, who came to race from not only the Baltics, but also from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. 

The first place in the RM Junior class was won by Juri Vips, leaving Kaspar Korjus and Mihails Budovskis in the second and third place.

RM Senior class saw the Estonians Aavo Talvar (1^st), Kairo Kivi (2^nd) and Sten Dorian Pirimagi (3^rd) on the podium.

The winners after a fierce race in the DD2 class were Ernests Veismanis, leaving the second and third places for Zigmars Lapa and Jevgenijs Stragovs.

RM DD2 class saw Haralds Garkaklis (1^st), Martins Lapins (2^nd) and Martins Steinerts (3^rd) on the podium. In an interview after the race Lapins didn’t seem too gutted about staying in the second place. He said: ‘This race gives an impulse to do everything as best as I can in Madona [the final stage of the race]. Only there will we get to know who’s the best this year.’

The fastest in the RM DD2 Master class were Ilja Aloskin (1^st), Uldis Timaks (2^nd) and Priit Sei (3^rd)

The first in the finals from the Junior class was Titas Jurkonis from Lithuania, leaving Kert William Reinaste and Paulius Zidoveinis behind.

In the Open 100 class the places on the podium were taken by Vahur Vene, Zymantas Butkus and Ivar Kuusik.

In the fastest, KZ2 class, Kaspar Kallasmaa won the first place, Tonis Liigmann – the second and Hanno Rajamets the third place, but in the KZ2 Master class which gathers the most experienced drivers, the three top places were won by Latvians Vitalijs Sakalovs (1^st), Eriks Gasparovics (2^nd) and Jevgenijs Rudans (3^rd).

One of the most famous go kart drivers and trainers in Latvia, Gasparovich commented on his views: ‘This stage again showed that Pro-Kart is on the right track as we can see from the high attendance numbers.’

The fastest in the MicroMax class turned out to be Rimmo Kadapik (1^st), Arturs Jansons (2^nd) and Karl-Markus Sei (3^rd)

Raket class, which is open to anyone from the age of five, saw Sergejs Gusanovs (1^st), Johann Vain (2^nd) and Andrejs Atroscenkovs (3^rd) on the podium.

The first three places in the MiniMax class were won by Estonians Georg Koss (1^st), Ragnar Veerus (2^nd) and Martin Leotoots (3^rd)

Aloyzas Cekavicius came first in the N125 class, leaving Jevgenijs Rudans (2^nd) and Roman Grigorjev (3^rd) behind, but in the Retro class three Latvians took places on the podium – Arnis Seidlers (1^st), Oskars Zeila (2^nd) and Guntis Silenieks (3^rd)

Open 125 class race earned a bit of extra attention as one of the most famous young Latvian drivers, Haralds Slegelmilhs participated and came fifth in the finals. In an interview Slegelmilhs, who hasn’t participated in races since 2012, told of his passion - the KZ2 class.

He admitted that even the decision to participate in the 5^th Pro-Kart stage came spontaneously in the previous night: ‘We’re currently assessing what chassis to use for the 333Autosport team during the next season’s races. So we decided to test them out last Saturday in the race regime.’ The driver added: ‘The level of racing and the go kart development in Latvia as such has increased significantly. Without a good engine and full-on training beforehand it’s not that easy at all to drive in the Open125’.

The fastest in the Open125 turned out to be Georg Linnamae (1^st), Konstantin Ivanov (2^nd) and Andrejus Apockinas (3^rd)

TK class was won by Reinis Masulis (1^st), Kriss Jaunzemis (2^nd) and Zigmars Zolmanis, but the TK Junior class saw the following on the podium: Austris Ceris (1^st), Jelizaveta Aleksejeva (2^nd), who was also the only awarded girl in this stage and Filips Emersons (3^rd)

The sixth and final stage of the Pro-Kart race will take place on the 23^rd of August in Madona.