KR triumphs in KZ2 with Alex Powell

After the two victories for the KR direct-drive chassis at the opening of the European Championships in OK and OK-Junior, it is now the turn of the “Shifter” model to win a major FIA Karting competition. On the difficult Zuera circuit, Jamaican Alex Powell dominated the KZ2 class Final from 5th position. Similarly, the competitiveness of the KR Motorsport team was clear in KZ, but events did not go in favour of Italian Paolo Ippolito, the reigning European Champion.

KZ2: Win-win partnership with Prema Racing

The red colours of the Kart Republic factory karts driven by Alex Powell and Kean Nakamura-Berta shone brightly in Zuera. It all started with the brilliant pole position achieved by Powell, the only driver in the KZ2 category to go under 58 seconds at an average speed of over 105 km/h. The young Jamaican went on to win three heats, while his team-mate won two heats and the Super Heat. The two drivers also collected fastest laps in the race: no less than eight for Alex and Kean!

5th on the first lap, Powell overtook his opponents one by one to triumph with a lead of almost four seconds. Nakamura-Berta, winner of the Super Heat, could also have claimed the podium, but the first corners lost him four places. He came back to 4th place in the direct wake of the two drivers in front of him.

On Sunday evening, the only small regret of the team was not to see Alex Powell leading the provisional Championship. Instead, the new rules distribute a significant number of points to the total of the heats and Super Heats, giving a lesser advantage to the winner of the Final compared to previous years.

KZ: A poorly rewarded level of performance

Involved in a collision on the first lap, Paolo Ippolito was clearly penalised by the rule that came into force from this new edition of the European KZ Championship. “During Free Practice we work hard to prepare for the race, as well as for Qualifying. But the latter are only used to define the starting grid for Heat 1, the next two starting grids being determined by the order of finish of Heats 1 and 2,” explained the KR Motorsport team. So, despite his two fastest laps showing that he could have fought with the leaders, Ippolito had to be satisfied with an 11th place finish at the end of the Final.

His team-mate Danilo Albanese showed undeniable panache, winning the Friday heat, but also consistency by finishing 7th in the Final. All the points scored in Spain put him in 3rd in the provisional championship.

Dino Chiesa’s comment

“Technically, Zuera is a difficult circuit and we had to adapt to the changing conditions, with often very strong winds and temperatures that never stopped changing during the four days. I am delighted with Alex Powell’s victory in KZ2, which confirms the effectiveness of our equipment. This is the third time in four races that one of our team managers has stood on the podium with our mascot! The IAME engines of the new homologation are also very strong. They have actively participated in this new success.

“I notice that other teams are benefiting from the performance of the KR chassis. The two drivers from Dörr Motorsport, Daniel Stell and Jannik Julius-Bernhart, won their qualification for the Final in a KZ2 class with 87 starters. Daniel Macia fought throughout the race in the leading group with the DPK Racing team. And in KZ, Stan Pex came 8th in the Final. In Sarno, we will again aim for victory in both categories and therefore a new FIA Karting European Championship.”

Kart Republic – Press release / Photo © KSP – Arthur Saulnier 

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