A brilliant start to the DEKM season in Wackersdorf
- 15 drivers from twelve nations ensure internationality
- Champion Luka Wlömer and rookie Aleksi Jalava victorious
- Choppy weather created additional excitement
After a break of almost eight months, the German Electric Kart Championship (DEKM) was back from its winter break last weekend at the Prokart Raceland Wackersdorf. 15 pilots from all over the world ensured a successful start and once again underlined the high level of performance of the innovative electric kart racing series.
Luka Wlömer from Berlin had waited three years for the championship title in the German Electric Kart Championship. In Oschersleben last year the time had come and he was crowned champion. In 2021, with this success as his background, he made it to the Porsche Sports Cup, but did not miss the opportunity to be a guest driver in Wackersdorf.
Overall, the field presented itself at a high level and at the same time very balanced. Experienced drivers and rookies from Europe, Asia and North America fought each other on the modern track in Wackersdorf. The high-performance racing e-kart “Project E20” from BRP-Rotax was used again. All drivers compete with the uniform e-karts and tires from DEKM partner Vega.
Luka Wlömer wins the first final of the year
The start of the fourth DEKM season turned into a thriller. While Aleksi Jalava secured the first pole position of the year on Saturday, the weather became the decisive factor in the pre-finals. Light rain turned the tire selection into a game of roulette. In the end, slicks turned out to be the right choice – on the slightly drying track, Jens van der Heijden from the Netherlands and the US-American Ellis Spiezia benefited from their choice of tires and crossed the finish line on first and second place. The Danish guest driver Bastian Buss followed as third.
The sun was shining for the later finale. This time the reigning champion Luka Wlömer used all his experience. After just a few laps he took the lead and defended it to the finish line. The competitors caught up again in the end, but Jalava and Oscar Pellemele from France could not find a way past the German guest driver. “It’s a nice feeling to be back at the DEKM. After the changing conditions in the pre-finals, everything was clear now and I’m happy about the win, ”said Wlömer in a good mood.
Flying Finn Aleksi Jalava couldn’t be beaten on Sunday
Alekis Jalava already showed his ambitions in the DEKM on Saturday and built on them with an impeccable performance on racing Sunday. Once again, he was fastest in qualifying and then won the pre-final and final with confidence. In both races he set the pace at the front and started the journey home as a deserved overall leader. “The speed was very good today. Driving the e-kart is great fun and the level of the other drivers is very high,” Jalava summarized his impressions. Behind the Finn, this time the young Luxemburger Maxime Furon-Castelain established himself closely followed by Oscar Pellemele, who made it into the top three again after Saturday.
The next race will take place in Arena E in Mülsen
In four weeks (July 9-11, 2021) the DEKM is going into its second round, then a double premiere awaits the e-kart racing series. DEKM is making its debut in the Arena E in Mülsen, which opened in 2019, and is represented for the first time in the supporting program of the Rotax MAX Challenge Germany. “We are very satisfied with the start of our fourth season and are already looking forward to the coming weekend. The quality of our field is very high, and we are expecting a thrilling title fight. The feedback on the BRP-Rotax e-kart is very good and the races in Wackersdorf have shown that we can look forward to thrilling battles for positions throughout the further course of the season,” said Oliver Schielein, managing director of DEKM promoter IKmedia.
Championship ranking DEKM after 2 of 8 finals:
1. Jalava, Aleksi (FIN) 74 points
2. Pellemele, Oscar (FRA) 57 points
3. Furon-Castelain, Maxime (LUX) 39 points
4. van der Heijden, Jens (NLD) 34 points
5. Spiezia, Ellis (USA) 33 points
Overall championship standings: https://www.dekm.de/en/championship/
