Vortex: two podiums in the WSK Super Master Series - round 1

At the World Circuit La Conca in Muro Leccese, the OTK Kart Group's ‘engine division’ jumps the 2026 season with a positive start, with two third places, thanks to the performances of Jindrich Pesl (OK) and Zane Pace (MINI Gr.3).

OK – In a category with 85 drivers at the start, Vortex Engines climbs onto the lowest step of the podium in the final with Jindřich Pešl (Tony Kart Racing Team). The Czech driver, reigning champion of the WSK Final Cup held in the final phase of the 2025 season, is one of the main protagonists from the early stages of the weekend, recording one victory and three second places in the qualifying heats, before winning the B pre-final on Sunday morning.

From the pole position, Pešl starts the last race of the weekend, maintaining a firm lead in the early laps and then remaining in contention for victory until the chequered flag, finishing in third place. Endo Arata (Tony Kart Racing Team), Iskender Zulfikari (Tony Kart Racing Team), Thomas Pradier (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Ilie Tristan Crisan (Tony Kart Racing Team) also take part in the final.

OKJ – The units from the OTK Kart Group engine division stand out thanks to Julian Frasnelli (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Henri-Constant Kumpen (Tony Kart Racing Team): the Italian driver sets the fastest time in his warm-up on Saturday morning and recovers twenty-eight positions between qualifying and the pre-finals, coming close to the top 10 in the final; the Belgian, on the other hand, sets the fourth fastest time in his group in qualifying, takes the second place in heat A-E and the fastest lap in heat A-B; a stop in heat A-C and an unlucky final, affected by a few collisions, denies him a result in line with his performance during the event.

Oiva Vettenranta (Tony Kart Racing Team) also attends the final, after managing to finish third in the second group of the chrono practice sessions.

OKJ-N – The Vortex VTS-N makes its way through the category, achieving a victory as the best result in the qualifying heats. The final sees Victor Thomas Gorun (Tony Kart Racing Team) finishing in the top ten, ahead of Linghan Li (Tony Kart Racing Team), Valentino Manassero (Tony Kart Racing Team), Augustin Feligioni (Tony Kart Racing Team) and Dominik Wojcik (KB Racing Experience) in the standings.

MINI Gr.3 – The VTM engine once again proves to be reliable and competitive in the smaller categories. Vortex scores two victories and a fast lap in the qualifying heats, while in the final he is running for the first place, battling with Zane Pace (Tony Kart Racing Team) from the outset. In the end, the Maltese driver gains the lowest step on the podium.

David Aagten (Tony Kart Racing Team) is the second best-ranked driver with a Vortex engine, ahead of his teammate Alvaro Medeiros (Tony Kart Racing Team). In the Under 10 category, Blake Hsueh (Tony Kart Racing Team) is also running for a possible podium finish, missing it by less than 0.3 seconds.