First KWC 2018 qualifier finished (Brazil)

Sunday December 3rd and the first NQS event for KWC POLAND 2018 was raced at KARTODROMO INTERNACIONAL DE VOLTA REDONDA just 100 km from Rio de Janeiro.

Among the drivers some that have participated several times in KWC including 2007 world champ Rodrigo Faulhaber that is back Karting after 7 years absent from local and international championships.

The event´s format was three qualifying races, moving the 16 best drivers to a final race counting double points, preceded by a Match Race for forming the grid and picking the Kart. After the three qualifying races we had Fabio Konrad in first place with 146 points (two wins), followed by Gustavo Zimmerman with one win and 143 points, local driver debut in KWC 2017 Thomas Dantas in third just one point behind Zimmerman and Rafael Henning in fourth with 137 points. On the first round of the Match Race all the favorite drivers advanced. On his first round 5th positioned driver after the “q” races Rodrigo Vieira eliminated 2007 world champ Faulhaber scoring the best times in the shootout. For those that don´t remember Vieira he was the son of the owner of KARTODROMO NOVA ODESSA where KWC 2014 was raced. Two and a half years later that Junior kid holds an extensive mustache and has showed a tremendous performance against the time clock. On the second round we had Chico Lopes upsetting Fabio Konrad as the first surprise, then Rodrigo Vieira eliminated Rafael Henning, also a 2014 KWC Match Race finalist, Thomas Dantas advanced against Giovani Vicente by one tenth and Felipe Pimentel beat Gustavo Zimmerman by one cent. Vieira made it to the final by beating Chico Lopes, and Felipe Pimentel beat Thomas Dantas, In the final shootout Rodrigo Vieira was faster in both karts to score the pole and the first Kart choice.

When the final race started Thomas Dantas passed Felipe Pimentel and pulled away from the pack following the pole sitter Vieira throughout the race. In the second pack Felipe Pimentel and Chico Lopes followed five seconds behind while Konrad, Zimmerman and Henning fought for the fifthe place. With two laps to go Zimmerman guaranteed the fifth place leaving Henning and Konrad in 6th and 7th respectively. Pimentel kept his position towards Chico Lopes finishing third and Thomas Dantas had to pass Vieira three times to take the checker flag and the KWC entry with the air ticket. By finishing second Rodrigo Vieira got the entry and also confirmed his participation in KWC POLAND 2018. Below the final result of NQS – BRAZIL / RJ.

1 – THOMAS DANTAS (RJ)
2 – RODRIGO VIEIRA (SP)
3 – GUSTAVO ZIMMERMAN (SP)
4 – FELIPE PIMENTEL (RJ)
5 – FABIO KONRAD (RJ)
6 – RAFAEL HENNING (RJ)
7 – CHICO LOPES (RJ)
8 – LEANDRO AHMED (RJ)
9 – ANDRE MAGNO (SP)
10 – EVERTON CARAJELEASCOW (SP)
11 – RODOLPHO SOLINO (RJ)
12 – ANDRE PAIM VERGAMINI (SP)
13 – RODRIGO FAULHABER (RJ)
14 – ROMULO FRIAS (RJ)
15 – ELISSON GANDOLFO (SP)
16 – BRUNO GALLI (SP)
17 – BRUNO ROCHA (SP)
18 – GIOVANI FILHO (RJ)
19 – YVIS RODRIGUES (SP)