Euro KZ kicks off: CRG with 9 official drivers in Genk
The 2022 edition of the FIA European Championship KZ & KZ2 is about to start in Belgium, where the first round of the season is scheduled at the Genk circuit for this weekend. According to the schedule, there will be 2 races for this Championship with the 2nd and final appointment that will take place in Italy at the new Cremona track in June. The KZ2 title, where 94 drivers will race against each other, as well as the KZ top class one, with 33 registered drivers, are up for grabs.
In this important International meeting, the CRG Racing Team will line up 9 official drivers: 6 in KZ2 and 3 in KZ. Paavo Tonteri, Brandon Nilsson, Lorenzo Giannoni, Natalia Balbo, Jorge Pescador and Andrea Bosetto will be defending the CRG colors in the KZ2 category, while Jeremy Iglesias, Alex Irlando and Viktor Gustafsson will be on the track in KZ. It’s forbidden to make mistakes here in Belgium: with only two races this Championship will reward the drivers who will be able to score points in both events. Obviously, the ambitions and the expectations at CRG are very high, as the Shifter classes have always represented one of the historic conquest grounds for the Italian Factory which boasts 23 FIA titles in the Palmares of this Championship for the Shifter categories.
From a technical point of view, CRG will focus a lot on the Road Rebel chassis and also on the strong partnership with the TM engine factory, which will equip all CRG drivers with the support of Gianfranco Galiffa.
The event program includes the start of free practice on Thursday and qualifying practice on Friday when the first qualifying heats will also take place. Saturday will still be an intense day of heats, while on Sunday the Super Heat and the Finals will be held in the afternoon. For KZ2 the heats will have the function of qualifying the top 34 for the Final, while in KZ they will only determine the starting grid.
There is great expectation for this first fundamental seasonal meeting of the KZ classes to verify the values on the field among the most important teams and drivers on the international scene. Almost all the Covid restrictions have been finally dropped and the paddock will come back to life, as well as the grandstands, but those who cannot follow the races from the circuit will have the chance to watch them through the Live Streaming available from Saturday and Live Timing will also be at one's disposal for the whole event.
CRG drivers expectations
Jeremy Iglesias (KZ): “In the early season races we did a good job with the 2022 chassis and also with the TM engines, so we are leaving for this first important trip of the season aware of our potential. The KZ format will allow us to do 3 heats and a Super Heat with all the drivers on the track at the same time and this comparison will allow us to better prepare for Sunday. I like the Genk track a lot because it is fast, but also technical and I am sure it will offer a good show”.
Paavo Tonteri (KZ2): “This weekend we will find out if all the work done in the winter tests and in the preparation races that we have done between February and March went in the right direction. Our technical base in KZ is very good, both in terms of the chassis and for what concerns the TM engines that we will use and this is an objective strength for us. It will certainly be important not to make any mistakes in the qualifying phases because with more than 90 drivers who has entered the competition will be very tough; moreover, the Championship format over just 2 Rounds does not offer much recovery space in the final race if we do not do well here in Belgium".