CRG in Sarno for the opener of the European Championship

The International CIK-FIA season is about to get underway at the International Circuit Napoli in Sarno with the much awaited opener of the OK and OK-Junior European Championships. The two direct drive categories have always had the privilege of “promoting” great karting champions over the years.

CIK-FIA events are the highest expression of International Karting and the opener in Sarno is also awaited to see the new promoter RGMMC Group of James Geidel in action. The promoter is called, alongside CIK-FIA, to give a strong push to making international classes more and more popular, helping their diffusion also on national markets.

From the technical side, after the excellent results obtained in both categories in early season events, there is a lot of optimism at CRG, especially because the new chassis CRG Heron, to be used by OK and OK-Junior in Sarno, turned out to be easy to drive, combining excellent grip levels with flow, two important factors in the direct drive grades.

CRG will field its full ranks in CIK-FIA 2018 Championships and particularly in this first round in Italy, where the Italian outfit will have great chances with its best drivers in both classes. The CRG lot in OK will be led by a champion of the likes of the 2016 World and European Champion from Spain Pedro Hiltbrand, and will include other great drivers of the category, while some young emerging drivers will make it to the start for CRG in OK-Junior like the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, who has been putting in a crescendo of results in this first part of the season.

OK. Several CRG drivers can aim high in OK: alongside Pedro Hiltbrand, expectations are high for the Spanish drivers Kilian Meyer and Ayrton Fontecha, as for 2016 CIK-FIA Academy winner from UK Callum Bradshaw, the Italian Andrea Rosso, the Argentine Franco Colapinto and Brazilian Olin Vieira Galli.

OK-JUNIOR. In OK-Junior, alongside the mentioned Gabriel Bortoleto, who is now ready to get a prestigious international result, CRG's lineup will include some of the most promising young drivers like Enzo Trulli, son of former F1 driver Jarno Trulli, who recently won the Andrea Margutti Trophy and the first round of the German DKM Championship, Alfio Andrea Spina who comes from the successful 60 Mini campaigns and now is ready to fight for the victory, the Italian Leonardo Bertini Colla, the Chinese Xizheng Huang, the Americans Tyler Maxson and Elio Giovane Gonzales, who are at their first international experiences in Europe, Malaysia's Adam Putera, and the other Italian Paolo Gallo on Kalì-Kart chassis.

CRG'S HALL OF FAME. In the recent years, CRG's prize list in the CIK-FIA European Championship of OK has been made more precious by the victories taken by Max Verstappen in 2013 and Pedro Hiltbrand in 2016. In the most recent 2017 edition, the victory went to Sami Taoufik in OK (who already switched to motorsport) and to Jonny Edgar in OK-Junior, who will contest OK this year.

CRG RACING TEAM FOR THE EUROPEAN CIK-FIA CHAMPIONSHIP

OK
105 PEDRO HILTBRAND (ESP) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
108 CALLUM BRADSHAW (GBR) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
111 KILIAN MEYER PRAT (ESP) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
128 ANDREA ROSSO (ITA) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
140 AYRTON FONTECHA (ESP) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
170 FRANCO COLAPINTO (ARG) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone
182 OLIN VIEIRA GALLI (BRA) CRG / TM Racing / Bridgestone

OK-JUNIOR
202 GABRIEL BORTOLETO (BRA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
222 XIZHENG HUANG (CHN) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
229 ALFIO ANDREA SPINA (ITA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
231 ENZO TRULLI (ITA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
248 TYLER MAXSON (USA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
258 LEONARDO BERTINI COLLA (ITA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega
264 PAOLO GALLO (ITA) Kalì-Kart / TM Racing / Vega
265 ELIO GIOVANE GONZALES (USA) CRG / TM Racing / Vega 

THE PROGRAM IN SARNO

CIK-FIA European OK & OKJ Championships, 20-22.04.2018
Friday April 20th, 2018: Free practice from local 8:30; Qualifying practice from 15:40.
Saturday April 21st, 2018: Qualifying heats from 9:30.
Sunday April 22nd, 2018: Qualifying heats from 10:30. Finalists presentation at 13:35. Finals: 13.55 (OK-Junior); 14:35 (OK).

Results, Live Timing and Live TV will be available at www.cikfia.com