Just when it seemed that the standings in the 2007 Italian Championships were beyond doubt, the 4th round revealed new leaders thanks to the renewed competitiveness of some of the machines in the field. Julie's colours mounted the podium on no less than 6 occasions, with 3 outright victories on the famous South Garda Karting track.

In KF1 it was back to business for five times world champion Davide Fore', as he signed a brilliant victory in Race 2 on his Maranello/Parilla. This was his first win for his new team, after a number of good performances marred in the end by engine trouble. There is always a smile on the face in the Fore' family and now things are looking up! In KF2, the progress being made by young Spaniard Miki Monras (Maranello/Parilla) was underscored by victory in Race 1, a result which puts him in 3rd place in the championship standings going into the last round, which takes place in Val Vibrata at the end of July. Burkhard Maring, who was out of the reckoning in this meeting, keeps his second rung in the standings. Over with the juniors in KF3, Matteo Vigano (Birel/XTR) dictated events by coming 1st and 3rd in the final stages and increased his lead at the top of the class standings. And to finish off a fine weekend in Lombardy another world champion was on the podium: in KZ2, Alessandro Piccini, also driving a Maranello, got his reward for all the hard work he's been putting into testing and set-up since the start of the season.

Pure emotion:
One of the pleasures of going kart racing, as no doubt with other sports, is the chance you get to meet some extraordinary people. Renato Merlin is one such person, a rare mix of elegance and heart. If you should ever come across this guy, you'll never forget his intense manner and knowledgeable conversation. This 41-year-old Italian puts all he's got both into his sport and into human relations. His is not the typical route to fame - he was never been a kart driver. As a teenager, however, he caught the kart bug from his brother, and has since become an engineer of considerable repute. He worked for a while for Rotax, before setting up Atomik. He has navigated his way through life in contact with all the big teams, without ever losing his own drive and natural warmth. Many a glorious exploit haunts his memory. For example, the 1989 world championship race in Valence and his personal friendship with Emmanuel Collard. He recalls with pleasure all the time he spent with Tonykart from 1997 to 2002 and the success of Jean-Philippe Guignet, and then his arrival at Giancarlo Tinini's CRG team to take on a fresh challenge. Renato talks freely. The conversation ranges from his esteem for the hard work and engineering savvy of Tonykart boss Roberto Robazzi, to his admiration for Giovanni Corona (the genius of Vortex, of whom Renato talks almost as if Giovanni were his father). He enthuses over the fine human relations skills of his boss at CRG and over the privileged relationship he enjoys with the drivers.
Sometimes he stops in full flow to reflect for a moment. It's not that he is absent-minded! He is just letting the flow of emotion engulf him. The name Ayrton Senna is likely to trigger such a pause, as will mentioning the names of Gérard and Julie Tonelli. Renato is full of admiration for the extraordinary relationship those two had, father and daughter united in their passion for the sport, as if in a dream. He recalls a Julie full of talent, who managed to get the better of experienced drivers on her first international outing. Needless to say, Renato is a staunch Julie supporter and his effective but discreet involvement is second to none. Much like the man - always true to his word.