After the start of the OK and OK Junior European Championship in Angerville, France, on the weekend of May 5th in Wackersdorf, Germany, it’s the turn of the FIA Karting European Championship for the KZ and KZ2 shifter classes, where the CRG Racing Team boasts an important hall of fame with 24 titles, and the last 2 laurels won in KZ with Jorrit Pex in 2018 and Paolo De Conto in 2017.
Even this year in Wackersdorf the CRG brand will be the most represented in both shifter classes, about 20% of the drivers. In the KZ category, the CRG official team lines up Paolo De Conto, two times World Champion and European Champion in the top category in 2017 and 2011, and Pedro Hiltbrand, that after winning the KZ2 International Super Cup in 2016, now looks at the KZ title. In KZ, with private teams, there are also the Finnish Jan Kuovi and the Czech Karel Simon and Eliska Simonova.
In KZ2 with the official team, there are the Spanish Gerard Cebrian and Javier Sagrera, the Italians Marco Valenti and Filippo Berto, the Greek Fotios Sotiropoulos. But there are also many private drivers with CRG chassis, lead by Andrea Dalè, European Champion in 2014, Benjamin Tornqvist with the CRG Holland team and Kas Haverkort with the CRG Keijzer Racing team. There are the Swiss brothers Jean and Samuel Luyet, the young Max Tubben and the Swedish Andreas Johansson with CRG Holland, then the Swiss Cyril Ratl and the German Christopher Dreyspring.
The drivers’ comments:
Paolo De Conto: “The CIK-FIA Championships for CRG are primary and crucial within the agonistic programs and we worked hard to be ready for it. From the technical point of view, we start from our benchmark, the Road Rebel chassis, that always proved to be very competitive both in Wackersdorf and in Sarno. About the TM engine, instead, we collected a lot of data in the first part of the year and we are sure they will be the engines to beat once again. I am very confident and determined to retake the title, after being deprived of it that last year for a questionable decision of the stewards.”
Pedro Hiltbrand: “The season officially starts with the CIK-FIA Championships, so if in the first races of the year our primary work concerned the development of technical equipment, now it’s time to achieve results. I will be committed in all the FIA Championships (OK and KZ), but in KZ the challenge will be particularly hard and I will give 110% to reach my goals. We know we are very competitive for what concerns technical equipment and we have a team made of valuable people. I am sure we’ll make a great season.”
The schedule:
Friday: Qualifying practice h. 3:35 pm.
Saturday: Qualifying heats.
Sunday: Qualifying heats since h. 9:25 am; Final KZ2 h. 12:20; Final KZ h 2:25 pm.
The 2019 FIA European Championship calendar:
21.04.2019 - Angerville (F), OK, OK-Junior
05.05.2019 - Wackersdorf (D), KZ, KZ2
19.05.2019 - Genk (B), OK, OK-Junior
02.06.2019 - Kristianstad (S), OK, OK-Junior
16.06.2019 - Sarno (I), KZ, KZ2
21.07.2019 - Le Mans (F), OK, OK-Junior
CRG Racing Team Hall of Fame in the FIA Karting KZ and KZ2 European Championship:
2018: KZ, Jorrit Pex
2017: KZ, Paolo De Conto
2016: KZ2, Fabian Federer
2014: KZ2, Andrea Dalè
2014: KZ, Rick Dreezen (Tinini Group)
2013: KZ, Max Verstappen
2012: KZ1, Jorrit Pex
2011: KZ2, Fabian Federer
2008: KZ1, Jonathan Thonon
2003: 125 Super Icc, Alessandro Manetti
2001: 125 FC, Alessandro Piccini
2000: 125 Icc, Valerio Sapere
1996: 125 Icc, Stefan Haak
1996: Formula C, Alessandro Piccini
1993: 125 Icc, Stefano Marcolin
1992: 125 Icc, Stefano Rodano
1989: 125 Icc, Gianluca Paglicci
1988: 125 Icc, Vincenzo Saitta
1987: 125 Icc, Paolo Pulliero
1986: 125 Icc, Lamberto Di Ferdinando
1985: Intercontinental-B, Stefan Friatsch
1984: 125 Icc, Riccardo Franchini
1979: 125 Icc, Jan Svaneby
1979: Formula C, Giancarlo Vanaria