Genk CIK: KZ2 pole for Köhler

The Genk trail has had time to dry in the sun and wind after rain during the night. The conditions were therefore excellent for Qualifying for the first event of the European KZ2 Championship.

Alessio Piccini (Tony Kart / Vortex), Tom Leuillet (Sodi / TM), Leon Köhler (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Alex Irlando (Sodi / TM) monopolised the top of the first session. Köhler was the fastest with 52”067, Irlando 2nd by 0.076”, Leuillet 3rd by 0.083” and Piccini 4th by 0.085”. Emil Skäras (Tony Kart / Vortex) finished 5th by more than 2 tenths, with Nicolas Gonzales (Maranello / TM) 12th by 0.449”.

The most visible drivers in the second session were Riccardo Longhi (Birel ART / TM), Hubert Petit (Sodi / TM), Jean Luyet (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Pierre Loubère (Zanardi / Parilla), but Brandon Nilsson (Righetti / TM) surprised everybody in the last few seconds with his lap of 52”188. In 2nd, Luyet was only 9 thousandths behind, Loubere 3rd at 0.054s, Longhi 4th by 0.120”, Smal 5th by 0.132”, and Alexander Schmitz (CRG / Vortex) 6th by 0.134”. Thomas Landais (Tony Kart / Vortex) was 11th fastest, 0.347” away.

Martijn Van Leeuwen (Energy / TM) outpaced Matteo Vigano (Tony Kart / Vortex) for the fastest time of the 3rd session and finished with 52”131, 5 hundredths ahead of his rival. Benjamin Tornqvist (CRG / TM) posted the 3rd fastest performance of the group ahead of Francesco Iacovacci and Adrien Renaudin (Sodi / TM) 0.231” off and Nicolas Picot (Tony Kart / Vortex) 7th at 0.343”.

In the overall standings, Köhler kept 1st position, followed by Van Leeuwen, Irlando, Leuillet and Piccini for the top five. Loubère ranked 9th, Petit 12th, Renaudin 16th, Oliver Rasmussen (Kosmic / Vortex) 22nd, Picot 25th, and Landais 28th. Several penalties for excessive noise changed the hierarchy slightly.

Info Kartcom / © Photo KSP