- Text: IAME Belgium
- Photos: Pascal Verheuge
Extended to five events, this year’s edition of the IAME Series Benelux will end this first weekend of November on the Karting des Fagnes of Mariembourg. With more than 150 drivers entered, this Final confirms the rise of interest around the Benelux competition while, at the same time last year, only 95 competitors were registered for the former IAME Series Belgium. Quantity will be in Mariembourg with a lot of new drivers willing to prepare 2020 while some have decided to change category. As for the quality, the best X30 drivers from everywhere in the Benelux will be joined by many foreigners with a total of 11 nationalities represented.
Keep an eye on the counts!
The main focus in this final round will be the allocation of titles, given according to the eight best results out of ten. As usual, points will already be given after the Qualifying Heats then after the Finals. Despite the counting rule, none of the six categories has revealed its 2019 champion and the “Best Lady Driver” is still to be known between Caroline Candas, Sita Van Meert, and Manon Giraudeau.
The Qualifying Practice will take place on Saturday from 13:40 before the first Qualifying Heats for the six categories starting at 15:15. On Sunday, the heats will continue from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm before the Finals from 14:00. On Sunday night, a presentation of the championship awards will be held in the wake of the podiums.
X30 Senior: van Spluntere as the main favorite
As the reigning champion, Joey van Splunteren is the big favorite to make it two titles in a row in X30 Senior (14-30 years old). Fast as always, the Dutchman has also been much more consistent than his rivals. After his sprint victory at Genk, he only has to finish once in the Top 5 at Mariembourg to be crowned again. The only one able to compete with van Splunteren is Matteo Raspatelli but the Belgian must score at least 156 points (the equivalent of a win and a second place) while expecting van Splunteren to fail. The Belgian, who has just finished in the Top 5 of the International IAME Final at Le Mans, must, therefore, count on other contenders mixing the races’ order between him and his rival. The Frenchman Corentin Collignon, Tuur Stalmans, the brothers Esteban and O’Neill Muth, the French Enzo Lévêque (the best rookie), Elie Goldstein or Sam Balota will also amongst the names to keep an eye on!
X30 Junior: a British champion but which one?
One thing is certain in X30 Junior (12-15 years old): the 2019 champion will be a representative of the United Kingdom! The Scotsman Cian Shields seems to have a fairly comfortable lead but the Englishman Zach Ripley has still something to say in the fight! Absent at Genk, another Englishman – Liam McNeilly – appears only down in the 11th place of the provisional classification but he could nevertheless swing past his two opponents after the points count. In this highly contested and increasingly international category, all scenarios are possible! Among the other drivers hoping to be on the final podium of the championship are the Dutchman Bart Ploeg and the Belgians Yani Stevenheydens (winner of the Genk Final) and Noah Maton.
X30 Cadet: Can Abraham surprise Kok?
He was very close to becoming this year’s X30 Cadet Champion (10-13 years) in Genk but a overtake from Kimmy Abraham in the Final meant that the Dutchman Milan Kok would see his hopes of the title being postponed to the first weekend of November. Watch out, still, for Kimmy Abraham who has to achieve the perfect score while hoping for his rival not to finish once in the Top 3 (either after the heats or in the Final) for clinching the champion crown!
Initially committed to a single race after winning the wheel contest by the Icepol Racing Team, Rayhan Mouôya went on to do the whole season. The former Belgian Indoor Karting (BIKC) Champion would like to thank those who trusted him by climbing the podium of the championship. But this is also the goal of Simon Lacroix! Take note that several new drivers – beginners or from the Mini category – will appear in a category that retains a place of choice between the Mini and X30 Junior classes.
Mini: van’t Pad Bosch against Outran
After dominating the start of the season, Sacha van’t Pad Bosch stumbled at the last weekend in Genk. The young Dutchman is still the favorite before the season’s Final but the Frenchman Clément Outran – double winner at Genk – can still surprise him at the time of the final countdown. Behind this duo, the fight promises to be intense for the podium step of the championship between the Belgians Patrice Kowalewski, Thibauld Geladé and Thibaut Ramaeckers, which will face the Dutch René Lammers and Dylan Visser as well as the Czech Lukas Horcicka.
X30 Master: duel at the top between Kieltyka and Bauthier
The suspense is total in X30 Master! Before heading for the last meeting in this class of more than 25 years old or more than 75 kilos, five points separate the leader Fabio Kieltyka from his runner-up Hubert Bauthier. But if we count already the two worst results, it is Hubert who finds himself at the top with three more points. So, everything will be played on the Karting des Fagnes. 2018 Vice-champion, Hubert Bauthier started his 2019 season with a victory but Fabio Kieltyka, already champion in 2017, intends to take his revenge.
Third in the championship, Benjamin Berghmans Jr. keeps a mathematical chance to take the crown but he will need a miracle. More than anything, we will follow a duel with, besides Berghmans, potential contenders like the 2018 champion Justin Bonnes, Nicolas Chapelle or Quentin Henry. Watch out also for Adrien Brucculeri (already seen to his advantage in Genk) and Thomas Van Obbergen, certainly able to claim the podium. Already champion in Gentlemen (more than 45 years), Luxembourg’s Alain Bazard also hopes to mix up the cards in a particularly flourishing X30 Master category!
X30 Super Shifter: Piirimagi favorite, watch out for Huibers
Just like the X30 Master class, the X30 Super Shifter (175cc engines with gearbox) has seen a renewed interest this year. Unhappy hero of the IAME International Final in the category, Sten Dorian Piirimagi hopes to take his revenge by winning the IAME Series Benelux title for the second year in a row. Like last year, the ultimate rival of the Estonian will be Christof Huibers, although he lost much of his hopes after a technical failure in Genk. For the smallest step of the podium, Sam Claes is in the best position but the Estonian Kaspar Korjus as well as Frédéric Op de Beeck and Ronan Waelbrouck still have dreams of a final Top 3.
Provisional standings
Mini: 1. S. Van Het Pad Bosch (NL), 605; 2. C. Outran (FRA), 568; 3. P. Kowalewski, 551; 4. R. Lammers (NL), 877; 5. Th. Geladé, 545; etc.
X30 Cadet: 1. M. Kok (NL), 616; 2. K. Abraham, 597; 3. R. Mouôya, 594; 4. S. Lacroix, 584; 5. W. De Ridder, 560; etc.
X30 Junior: 1. C. Shields (SCO), 597; 2. Z. Ripley (GBR), 566; 3. B. Ploeg (NL), 547; 4. Y. Stevenheydens, 527; 5. N. Maton, 508; etc.
X30 Senior: 1. J. van Splunteren (NL), 594; 2. M. Raspatelli, 569; 3. C. Collignon (FRA), 546 ; 4. T. Stalmans, 545 ; 5. N. Smit (NL), 527 ; etc.
X30 Super Shifter: 1. S.D. Piirimagi (EST), 606; 2. Chr. Huibers, 584 ; 3. S. Claes, 566 ; 4. K. Korjus (EST), 545; 5. F. Op de Beeck, 542; etc.
X30 Master: 1. F. Kieltyka, 598; 2. H. Bauthier, 593; 3. B. Berghmans Jr, 567; 4. J. Bonnes, 544 ; 5. N. Chapelle, 537 ; etc.
Translated from French by Guillaume Alvarez
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