In Belgium, the second round of the World Endurance Championship took place on the fantastic 7km track of SPA Francorshamp, with the 8h of Spa.
Kevin Manfredi from La Spezia, standard bearer and leader of the 777 team, did an incredible job right from the start.
After the fall he suffered at Mugello in the MotoE round which caused him a cracked rib and a large bruise on his knee, he took to the track with the sole aim of being fast and giving his all.
So it was, Kevin achieved the second fastest time in qualifying, coming close to the new Superstock class circuit record by just 0.2 tenths and beating his previous record from 2022 by over 1 second and 4 tenths.
A weekend with a mix of incredible emotions, from rejoicing for a fantastic first stint, to crying over a fall from teammate Webb that put an end to the games.
Precisely in qualifying, the tactic chosen by Kevin was to go out on track with the EWC and squeeze the Honda CBR 1000 and the Dunlop of the Wojcik Racing Team to the maximum, first scoring the 4th time and then improving again in the second qualifying where he achieved the second best time of the day for Superstock. A great feat for the Spezzino and for the Polish team who are only in their second race on the Honda and without tests behind them.
The weekend was interrupted, however, with an unfortunate ending, due to a bad highside by teammate Danny Webb just as they were in full battle for the podium, which caused him to have several broken ribs and vertebrae as well as putting the bike permanently out of play.
Kevin: “This weekend I started smiling again, despite the pain I've been carrying with me since Mugello, I've always been fast and always had a great feeling on the bike, so much so that I came close to breaking the track record on my first time on the Belgian track with the Honda. .
The ending did not give us the joy we had hoped for but we must maintain concentration and the awareness that sooner or later the wheel will turn on our side too, every now and then it is just a question of time and from the dark moments I am sure that we can emerge even stronger and determined.
The second time in qualifying and the first stint demonstrate that when I am in optimal conditions I can express myself at my best and for this I must certainly thank the Team who listens to me and trusts my sensations a lot to find the right setup. I can't wait to be on track for the next race!.”
Kevin Manfredi, after his commitment which ended at the 8h of Spa Francorchamp with the second qualifying time, is now preparing for a new and exciting challenge, which he will soon reveal.
Kevin thanks all the sponsors and technical partners of the 2024 season.
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