Season 9, Round 1 - Zuera (ESP)
Introducing a new Season of OKC, the drivers decided to battle their way for an early championship lead in an extremely awarding season. the opening round took place at Zuera, which featured early rain in free practice and a drying track in Qualifying. However, this did not stop the drivers to give it all that they could, and they set some pretty fast times!
First pole position of the season went the way of Season 8 Vice-Champion, Alessandro Ceronetti. The FPR driver set a storming 1'02.334. Less than a tenth behind him, was his own team-mate Alessandro De Tullio, who makes his official full season debut! 3 time OKC champion, Aaron Heathman, completed an FPR 1,2,3 for the Pre-Final starting grid. 8th in last Season, Leon Rullit managed to place himself behind the FPR train, with Season 8 Amateur Champion, Carmine Caruso behind him.
Ceronetti took an early break with Heathman, from the rest in the opening laps, giving them a fair gap from De Tullio and Rullit, who were doing a lonely race. Caruso spun on the opening lap, forcing him to have to climb back up through the field in a 12 Lap Pre-Final. This promoted Frank Mossman into P5, and rookie Murray Adams into P6. Half way through the race, Ceronetti and Heathman ended up colliding, which sent them both into a spin and promoted Rullit and De Tullio into 1st and 2nd. In the mean-time, Caruso had a huge comeback drive, and promoted himself back into P5.
De Tullio managed to get past Rullit quickly, and started defending for his position. Rullit managed to get the cutback on him, but at the end it wasn't enough, as De Tullio swept by him on the last lap and took the win of the Pre-Final, followed by Rullit, Ceronetti and Heathman.
The final brewed an epic battle between De Tullio, Ceronetti, Rullit and Heathman for the lead. De Tullio maintained his lead early doors, while Ceronetti managed to move himself in front of Rullit. Heathman had a poor start, dropping back to P6, and letting Daniel Muallem and Caruso past! Soon enough though, Caruso was involved in an incident with Muallem, that cause Caruso to spin out back to P12. heathman took advantage of this and got past both back into P4. Mossman took P6, after starting last in a Pre-Final that he would have rather have forgotten.
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Rullit managed to make his way back into P2, and dropped Ceronetti into P3, and allowed Heathman to close back in, with Muallem behind him. One lap after, Rullit took the lead and Ceronetti with him into P2, and dropped De Tullio to P4. Straight after, Ceronetti sent a move on Rullit which made both lose time to De Tullio and Heathman who took advantage and ran away with a 1 second gap. This allowed Muallem to come back into terms with Rullit, who was having his best race of OKC! It was cold war in the FPR awning though, as Heathman and De Tullio did not bother taking eachother's measures, and instead battled hard for the race lead, allowing Ceronetti and Rullit back into contention.
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Ceronetti managed to make his way back into the lead, leaving his team-mates to battle it out with Rullit. Heathman managed to make his way into the lead for the first time in the race, following an amazing cutback move on Ceronetti, and valliantly defended his position. After another set of lead changes between Heathman and Ceronetti, Heathman managed to get the move he was looking for, to attempt to clear the rest and run away with the victory. Unfortunately for him, the three behind him stopped battling and started to work together to catch him back up, and did for an epic final 3 lap showdown!
As expected though, it all ended in tears for Heathman, as he ended up facing backwards, taking him out of contention. Involved in the accident were also Rullit and Ceronetti, which allowed De Tullio to have some breathing space in the closing stages of the race. Rullit did not give up though, and worked hard to close back onto the rear of De Tullio on the last lap, but it wasn't enough for the German, and De Tullio took his maiden OKC win! Ceronetti was third, but following a post-race penalty, that affected Rullit, he moves to P2 and Rullit into P3. Heathman was 4th. Rounding out the top 5 on track, was Muallem, who had a spectacular race from his point of view. Unfortunately a post-race penalty for him, meant that he moves back down to P7, and donates Top Amateur to Caruso, who had an amazing comeback race!
Of course, De Tullio takes the early championship lead, with Ceronetti behind him. Rullit, Heathman, Caruso and Bill Wright follow them in that order, with Caruso being the Top Amateur at the moment. It is still too early to call! If this is how every race is going to go though, we cannot wait for the rest of the season! Next round will be at Le Mans (FRA) on the 4th of April 2021! Be there or be square!