Maltese karting talent Zane Pace has moved to the top of the Campionato Italiano ACI Karting Mini Gr.3 championship after a strong weekend at Sarno.
Pace finished second in the final at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli, a result that proved enough to lift him from third in the standings into the championship lead.
It was another confident performance from the young driver, who competed against a large 63-driver field in one of the most competitive categories on the Italian karting calendar.
Pace started the weekend well, qualifying second before winning the opening heat. His weekend was not completely straightforward, however, as he was pushed off during the second heat and dropped to tenth through no fault of his own.
Rather than letting that setback affect him, Pace responded with a third-place finish in the final heat, keeping himself firmly in the fight for the prefinal.
That prefinal became one of the key moments of the weekend. Pace led from the front, took the win, and secured pole position for the final. In the final, he kept himself at the sharp end of the field and crossed the line in second place.
The podium was especially important for the championship standings. Pace had arrived in Sarno sitting third in the Mini Gr.3 table, but his consistency across the weekend pushed him into the lead.
His Italian campaign has already included strong results, including fourth place at Lonato and a prefinal win at La Conca. Sarno now adds another important result to what has become a very promising season.
Pace is also carrying momentum from earlier success, having won the WSK Super Master Series Mini GR3 title. His Tony Kart and Vortex package has continued to keep him competitive at the front of the field.
There is little time to pause, as Pace is already preparing for the next part of the season, with testing planned at Cremona.
Speaking after the weekend, Pace said every race is another chance to learn and improve, adding that “the work never stops.”
For Malta, it is another encouraging result from a young driver making his mark on the international karting scene.
Source/Credit: Zane Pace
