With his European program now in full swing, Canadian Parker Thompson would descend on the International Circuit Napoli in Sarno, Italy for round two of the WSK Masters Series. Competing with the Energy Corse squad, Thompson would again impress running very quick throughout the week and closing the weekend with a solid fourth place result.
“I was very happy with the progress that we made this past weekend,” explained Thompson. “We were able to turn quick times early in the week, make the Super Pole qualifying session as well as lead a few laps in the heats. It was a testament to how far we have come as a program and how I have developed as a driver.”
Starting the week with test sessions, Thompson proved to be very quick in dry conditions. Topping the charts in several sessions, Parker started his week of competition off strong. With times getting closer as more practice sessions were in the books, Thompson was pleased with his pace and looked forward to qualifications.
Thompson continued, “Sarno is a difficult track and I did not get the opportunity to test here before the event. Several teams and drivers have run here in the past and tested within the past month so I felt that we were well on top of our game despite our lack of testing.”
Qualifying would see a milestone for the young Canadian as he managed to make it into his first career Super Pole session. With two separate groups posting times, the top six from each session would be put into the Super Pole group and battle for the top spot and ultimate front row starting position for each heat race.
“I was really excited to be in the Super Pole group but disappointed with my end result,” added the Energy Kart driver. “We did not know until after we had started the run at pole that we had suffered a major engine problem that would cause me to be 1000 RPM below the norm and a major loss in horsepower. With all the issues, I would end up in the 12th position.”
Qualifying 12th, Thompson would start all four of his heat races from the third row and would look to be consistent to ensure a good starting position for the prefinal. Showing the pace to run at the front of the field, Thompson would lead laps in two different heat races but would settle for a third, fifth, second and third in his heats. Never running outside the top-five, the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals podium finisher would start the KFJ prefinal from inside row two in the third position.
Moving forward early in the prefinal, Thompson would take the lead on the third circuit and hold it for three laps before being aggressively overtaken by a fellow competitor. With contact being made, Thompson would fall back to the sixth position and eventually would end the race fifth.
Determined to redeem himself in the final, Thompson was a man on a mission. After starting in the tenth position, the hot shoe quickly made his way to the fourth position on the opening lap and advanced to third on the second circuit. Looking to position himself for a shot at the victory, Thompson attempted to move to the second position before contact from behind sent him into the driver he was trying to pass, forcing him to fall outside the top-ten.
Refocusing his efforts and looking to make a march back forward, Thompson would turn some of the quickest laps of the event as he maneuvered his way back forward to the fourth position before the checkered flag would fly.
“This race was without a doubt Parker’s best race in Europe with us,” explained Energy Corse’s Mick Panigada. “His tuning of the carburetor during the races was quite good, a big improvement from the past. His qualifying on the new tires was good, usually we struggle with the new tires but Parker is learning how to treat them, and we made Super Pole (top-12) a big improvement on his part. The program I have put him on, training for four hours every day he is not driving, dieting, working at the factory, and in a trusted family environment with my family is a winning combination.”
“The WSK Masters Sarno was definitely Parker’s best race,” expressed Luigina Guerrini, Technical Supervisor for the Italian-based team. “He made vast improvements to all aspects of his racing. His race craft in the final was very good, the best I’ve seen out of Parker since his arrival to Europe.”
Parker would like to thank his current supporters and partners: Energy Corse Factory, GFR Engines, TM Racing, Tillotson Carbs, Racing Against Cancer, Panigada Transport, Tillett Racing Seats, RLV, Douglas Wheels, Newline Racing Products, Bell Racing Helmets, Sparco, CanadianKartingNews.com and Sylvan Lake RV.
For more information on Parker Thompson including partnership opportunities, please visit him online at www.ParkerThompsonRacing.com or Parker Thompson Racing on Facebook and Twitter @parkertracing.
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