The fifth round of the Italian Speed Championship [September 20-22] at the Mugello Circuit ends with a spectacular second place for Maxwell Toth for the Kuja Racing team in a Race 2 made very difficult by the rain. To complete the picture of a sensational day for Pioltello’s team, Diego Palladino concludes an insidious fourth place, just short of the third step of the podium.
After a first day of sunny races on Saturday, Sunday was wet from the first minutes of morning warm-up, where immediately the small Kuja Racing pilots were able to be distinguished. Toth, in fact, finished with a good fifth overall time, while his team-mate Palladino finished eighth, proving he also had a good pace ahead of a wet race.
But despite the fast times and having proven to be competitive even on the water, rain is always an insidious enemy, not to be underestimated, especially in the delicate phases of the race.
In the afternoon the track conditions deteriorated further, forcing the race direction to delay the program by a few minutes. Both Kuja Racing Team riders managed to maintain concentration. Both Toth, starting 14th, and Palladino, starting 17th, were protagonists of a good start in Race 2, managing to recover some positions without taking too many risks from the first laps.
While the slippery asphalt betrayed many of the protagonists of the season, the two Kuja Racing team riders continued to remain calm, scoring fast laps and closing in on the leading group. Toth found himself at the head of the race, after three of his opponents left the scene in front of him, and kept the first position until the last corner on the last lap, but in the sprint he was mocked by the wake of his opponent, finishing in second place.
For the American, this is the first podium of the year in his debut season in PreMoto3 and, having obtained it in these adverse conditions, for the small American driver it is a result that feels almost like a victory.
The same can be said of teammate Palladino, who started from the 17th position and made a sensational comeback, scoring fast laps in an attempt to close the gap on the leading riders. Recovering himself in the fight for the podium positions, the young Pugliese driver finally had to settle for fourth place, obtaining his best result of the season in a very difficult race conducted with intelligence. The Kuja Racing team and its drivers will now be back on track from 4 to 6 October for the last race of the season at Vallelunga .
P2 – Maxwell Toth, PreMoto3
“It was really an incredible race. I didn’t expect anything from such a difficult trial today. I simply went on the track without knowing if I could have stayed with the front group, if I would have arrived last, or if I would have even fallen. It’s incredible! I saw three riders fall in front of me and this also scared me! I thought I would be involved in some racing incident, instead I stayed calm and I did it! I arrived on the podium.”
Link to a Max Toth interview on another website:
http://www.palmeninmotorradsport.com/civ-premoto3-maxwell-toth-interview/