A third best time in time qualifying, a success in one of the heats and a best lap time in the pre-final of the KZ2 category should have allowed Beitske Visser to conquer another victory at the 22nd edition of the Andrea Margutti karting trophy. But on the Castelletto di Branduzzo circuit, in Italy, during the final race, things did not work to her advantage just when her podium chances were materialising.

A week after a difficult meeting in Sarno, it did not take Beitske Visser long to go back to top positions thanks to a superb race. "I was rather optimistic after the time qualifying session, where I set the third best time just one tenth away from the leader. We improved the equipment even more before the first heat, and I won a heated duel with my opponents. Saturday was pretty encouraging", she said.
The second heat took place on Sunday morning. There were some heavy rains during the night and the atmosphere changed. "Maybe my carburetion was not ideal, because I had an engine problem on the second lap of the race. This misadventure pushed me back to 16th place in the start grid of the pre-final. Luckily, I felt that the technical choices we had made for my kart with a view to the race were the right ones. I quickly conquered two places and climbed up the standings". Despite a race interruption that forced race officials to prepare a new start, Beiske showed a superb progression up to sixth, with a record lap in her pocket.
At the wheel of her Intrepid-TM with Praga colours, Beitske was determined to keep the momentum going in the final. Unfortunately two problems spoiled this decisive race. "First of all, I did not make a good start and I got stuck in the pack. Then, I could not catch up as much as I wanted because my chassis was no longer as balanced as in the pre-final. We had mounted new tyres for the final race, maybe that is why". It was with some regrets that Beistke Visser finally crossed the finish line sixth after some nice overtakes.

A Very Exciting Race

The Andrea Margutti Trophy is one of the great classic races in the international calendar. It is held in the memory of an Italian young hopeful who died in 1989. The roll of honour of this meeting includes prestigious names such as Giancarlo Fisichella and Robert Kubica. This Trophy was held for long on the famous circuit of Parma. But since its closure, it has been held on the 7 Lakes circuit in Castelletto di Branduzzo, south of Milan. Last 20th March 2011, Beitske Visser was determined to write her name on the big golden book of the 22nd edition of the Andrea Margutti Trophy, but a few race mishaps decided otherwise.

A Year Later

Seeing Beitske Visser at the top of the standings in the Andrea Margutti Trophy this year does not come as a surprise. In 2010, she had already made herself noticed with a pole position on the difficult Castelletto circuit. Always very fast at each event she attends, the Dutch girl has gathered more experience now and is one of the favourites in the 125cc gearbox category. She does not seem to mind this additional pressure which, on the contrary, enhances her motivation.