Parolin Motorsport, competing in the European KZ Championship, returned from the first round with a very encouraging top three thanks to Lorenzo Travisanutto's superb Final run. Other Parolin / TM Kart teams enjoyed similar success in Spain. In KZ2, Maksim Orlov also finished 3rd with the Modena Kart team, while Riccardo Nalon finished on the KZ2 Masters podium with Erre Esse Motorsport.
The first of the two events in the European competition reserved for gearbox karts took place from 4th to 7th July in Spain on the MotorLand Aragón circuit. Coming to this 1671m long track for KZ was like discovering a new track, as the Alcañiz venue had not hosted an FIA Karting competition for more than 10 years, and gearbox karts had never been hosted there at international level. Another new factor to take into account was that the tyres chosen by the international authorities were Dunlop 'Option' hard compound tyres for all three categories.
So it was essential to adapt quickly to these new conditions. This is what Parolin Motorsport did in KZ with Lorenzo Travisanutto and Paolo De Conto back in racing. Travisanutto started in a favourable position thanks to his 8th place in Qualifying. However, the Qualifying Heats were not always easy to manage and he started the Final in 10th place. Thanks to the experience he had gained over the laps, he mastered the circuit much more successfully. Climbing back up to 4th, he managed to close in on the leading trio and attacked to get into the top three thanks to a high level of competitiveness at the end of the race. De Conto gradually found his feet and fought his way into the Final top three before being delayed by an incident.
"Reaching the top three in the premier class at the first round of the European Championship is extremely satisfying," said Marco Parolin. "We are aware that we still have some development to do, but the team is very motivated by this first result. Lorenzo has put in a superb performance. We'll also be able to count on Paolo De Conto's improved performance as we head into the second round with even bigger ambitions. The Val Vibrata circuit has very different characteristics, which will give us new opportunities. The Modena Kart team put in an excellent performance in KZ2. Maksim Orlov, who has been fast since the start of the season, proved that he has a place among the best thanks to his progress in the Super Heat and the Final. Finally, Riccardo Nalon confirmed the strong potential he has shown in KZ2 Masters for the last three years.”
Parolin Motorsport is fine-tuning its equipment for the fourth round of the Champions of the Future Euro Series at Kristianstad, in preparation for the final round of the OK and Junior European Championship which will take place in Sweden two weeks later.