The speed young Kiwi karter Marcus Armstrong has shown in the two early season ‘Cup’ meetings in Italy this year bodes well for the 15-year-old from Christchurch’s fortunes at the opening round of this year’s WSK Super Master Series at Pavia near Milan this weekend.
Works Tony Kart driver Armstrong has been quick since stepping up to the 6-speed/125cc KZ2 class at the start of the year. He qualified fourth and started the Pre-Final from P6 on the gird at the Champions Cup meeting at Adria early in early February, then qualified ninth and set the fastest race lap and finished 12th in the Final at the Winter Cup meeting at Lonato in Brescia a fortnight later.
The four-round WSK series attracts all the top professional teams in Europe and gives drivers like Armstrong and Tony Kart team leader, three-time World Champion Marco Ardigo, a chance to get their eye in for the three-round CIK-FIA European Championships and single round CIK-FIA World KZ Championship meeting later in the year.
At just 15 years of age Armstrong and Italian hot shot Leonardo Lorandi are by far the youngest drivers contesting the KZ2 class this year, with Marco Ardigo now 32 and most of the drivers between 20 and 35 years of age.
If anything Armstrong’s task will be made harder this weekend by the combining of the premier KZ and KZ2 classes to make a 46-strong field.
Despite that the young Kiwi is forthright about his chances.
“We have all the aspects covered to gain some results but it’s a case of displaying it among all these professional drivers.”
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