This season the national championships only last until the end of the summer. The Open Masters season drew to a close in Val Vibrata last week and this week it was the turn of the French Championships to reach their conclusion when the final FFSA Grand Prix race took place in Lyon. It's harvest time in France, and the first crop of medals is already in. So it is the right time to take stock of the Tonelli movement’s activities in France, before the major European action gets under way.

Thanks to the efforts of Gérard Tonelli and of all the drivers who have pledged their support, Julie's colours have been much in view on both the French and international kart scenes. Support is increasing, as we saw in Lyon, where over half the drivers were sporting Julie's pink stickers, badges, bracelets and tee-shirts. The purpose of this support is to ensure that the name Julie Tonelli is not forgotten and that the children's foundation set up in her name is able to grow. Gérard Tonelli does his level best to ensure that these press releases go out to as wide a public as possible, in order to promote the action of everyone who supports the movement. But that's just the first step in what is a highly-ambitious plan. This current format doesn't allow us to do justice to all those drivers who are actively supporting Julie's cause. That's why the internet site www.julietonelli.com was set up. It's important that you should be registered on the site. Our congratulations go to the 2007 season champions: Anthony Abbasse, the newly-crowned Elite champion, wasn't expecting to do as well when the season begun. Sébastien Bailly won his 1st major championship title, topping the Junior category. Thomas Mich had to be content with the vice-champion's medal in the France 125 class after coming within a whisker of the title. Loïc Réguillon, on the other hand, will be delighted with his runner's up medal in the rookie 'Espoir' class. It comes as a just reward for all the hard week he has put in throughout a season in which he got better and better as time went by. Such tenacity should see him go far. In the KF1 (Elite) class, Benjamin Bailly didn't manage to hold on to the top spot he occupied earlier in the season. The problems he's been having with his kart told in the end. Mike Courquin didn't get the result of which he is capable, but the sight of him lapping flat out was as impressive as ever. Florian Alfano's return to form in Lyon didn't go unnoticed either.

In the KF2 (Espoir) class, rookie William Benedetti got caught up in a prang which left him with only his talent intact. It must be hard for him to swallow coming on top of what happened to him under similar circumstances in Essay during the European qualifiers. It was good to see Norman Nato back at the top level now that he has a kart fit for a man of his calibre. But the Julie Tonelli movement is not only about those whose names are regularly on the winners board or who have become press favourites. The challenging KF1 category is full of drivers who have a passion for racing, none more so than Gianni Gazzurelli. This 19-year-old from Franche Compté caught the kart bug from his dad as soon as he could walk and was already quite at home in minikart by the age of seven. The passion for this sport which runs in the family has never left Gianni since he acquired it at such an early age. After taking the Alsace-Lorraine regional championship two years running (1999, 2000), Gianni leapfrogged the next category and started racing directly in the Junior class. Racing a Tonykart for Malevault Sport, he took part in the French and European championships. 2002 saw him in 13th place overall in France and he was the 4th-placed qualifier for Europe. The same happened in 2003, although this time in the ICA class. In 2004 he moved to Swiss Hutless and made a name for himself on several occasions. He finished that season in FA at the world championships in La Conca, where the level of competition was high. He particularly remembers one heat that he won on a very slippery track. In 2005, Gianni came 6th in the Grand Prix race in Essay and took part in the world championships, racing a Sodikart for Braun Racing. He changed teams again mid-way through the 2006 season, and the World Cup in Angerville saw him racing once again for Tonykart. He has turned in some great KF1 performances both in France and in Europe, for example this fine 5th place in the final in Lyon. Gianni will be racing a KZ1 in the world cup in Sarno and plans to mix KF1 and KZ1 racing in his 2008 season, still with Tonykart. He is a long-standing Julie Tonelli afficionado, and has been sporting her stickers ever since Virginie Barandon told him about Julie when they raced together in Lavelanet at the end of 2002. He's been a staunch supporter of hers ever since.