After numerous events in Italy, the season accelerated a little more with the launch of the 2023 Champions of the Future Euro Series, which started in Spain in Valencia. In both OK and OK-Junior, KR chassis dominated the Finals with two wins and even two double wins! Meanwhile, at the WSK Euro Series in Lonato, the first official outing of the KR Motorsport team in KZ2 resulted in a double podium. Successes in the Mini and Mini U10 classes were added to the impressive list of achievements during the second weekend of March.
Eight podiums including four victories for KR
There is no doubt that the KR-IAME teams will have to be reckoned with in 2023 and probably as soon as the FIA Karting European Championships begin in Spain from 24th to 26th March for the OK and OK-Junior categories, then from 14th to 16th April for KZ and KZ2. The final rehearsals before these two highly anticipated events, the Valencia and Lonato events confirmed the extreme competitiveness of the equipment produced in the Padova region. During their conquest of the first step of the podium, some of them added extra panache, such as Thibaut Ramaekers. In OK-Junior, the Belgian driver took pole position, as well as winning all his heats and the Final. Stepan Antonov secured the KR-IAME double. Niklas Schaufler and Noah Monteiro made it into the top 10, while Kian Fardin and Oleksandr Bondarev also deserved to be there.
Second race in OK for Turney in 2023 and already a success
Busy with his programme in the United States, from where he returned with a Winter Series title, Joe Turney did not have to wait very long to impose his new Kart Republic colours in OK. Faced with strong competition, the Briton overtook all his main rivals to cross the chequered flag as winner. The Prema Racing team was also in the limelight with Alex Powell taking 2nd place and Enzo Tarnvanichkul 4th. An unfortunate collision prevented Kean Nakamura-Berta from joining the party!
Entering the scene through the front door in KZ2
European KZ Champion in 2022 with the KR Motorsport team, Paolo Ippolito made his return to the track in a major international event, as did his team mate Danilo Albanese. For three days, the two Italians were able to showcase the KR chassis for the gearbox categories, as well as the IAME Screamer engine. Ippolito won two heats and his Super Heat. During the 21 laps of the Final, he followed the leader closely, unfortunately without being able to take the lead. This is a particularly positive result for the brand, however, especially as Albanese completed the podium ahead of another KR chassis, that of Stan Pex.
KR dominant in Mini
Every weekend many teams can benefit from the expertise of the KR Global Motorsport Company. In Valencia or Lonato, VDK Racing, Prema Racing, DPK Racing, Sauber Academy, SP Motorsport, Kidix, IKart and Team Driver Racing Kart all achieved a high level of performance and several of them confirmed this with a podium. This was particularly the case in the Mini class at the South Garda Karting. The Dutchman Dean Hoogendoorn came out on top in the Final after a hard-fought battle. And in Mini U10, Antoine Venant took the lead on Saturday evening, before winning the Super Heat and the Final with his KR in DAP colours.
What a weekend for the KR brand!