ROK CUP Romania: Time to crown the first champions?

The penultimate round of the season takes place this weekend at Prejmer Circuit. Some of the gaps that our championship leaders are building may prove to be unassailable in the final, if they keep on putting the same dominant performances as recently seen.

A technical problem in Târgu Secuiesc and a dramatic incident at the start in Bucharest for Tudor Jercan (Formula K RO) are limiting his points lead in the general ranking of the Mini ROK category, despite the 6 victories recorded. Calculations indicate Jercan as a possible first crowned champion this season, not because he has the biggest points gap, but because of the alternation of his rivals on the podium steps - so far half of the grid knows what it means to finish a heat in the Top 3.

Even if the score of victories in the Micro ROK category indicates 8-1 in the match-up between Patrick Săliștean (Autosally) and Răzvan Ciobanu (Drinago Racing), the leader enjoys a buffer of only 35 points, because whenever he looked back, the same rival finished right behind him. No other driver could interfere with this pair, and in the battle for "best of the rest" Robert Pulbere (Formula K RO) took a serious option with the three podiums in the third stage.

In the Junior ROK ranking, Kevin Vlăsceanu (Toka Racing) arrives in Prejmer with 42.5 points ahead of Luca Paul Viișoreanu (Real Racing) and with an ascendancy given by the score of victories so far (7-2). In the last two races, Zoe Florescu Potolea (Real Racing) placed herself between the two contenders for the title, thus facilitating Vlăsceanu's mission.

Costin Tudor Ion (Real Racing) seems unstoppable in the Senior ROK races, reaching 7 consecutive victories and a gap of 45 points compared to Andrew Denis Boriceanu (Drinago Racing). If Boriceanu has another round to forget, like the most recent one in Bucharest, the mathematical calculations can end in favor of Ion as early as this weekend. The Gold subcategory finds Bogdan Ionescu (Legend Racing Team) and Bogdan Irimia (Drinago Racing) separated by the smallest possible gap - only half a point!