Organised over four Competitions in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Belgium, the 2016 CIK-FIA European Championship was the first devoted to the new OKcategory. The specialists of the discipline like the Polish Karol Basz, the World Champion in 2015 or the Briton Tom Joyner, World Champion in 2013, faced several ambitious young drivers like the Dane Christian Lundgaard, the Spanish Marta Garcia Lopez, Logan Sargeant from the US and theAnglo-French Clement Novalak, before being overtaken in the rankings by the talented Spaniard Pedro Hiltbrand in the Final of the last Competition in Genk (BEL).
Basz opens the scoring at Zuera (ESP)
Although Tom Joyner (Zanardi / Parilla / Vega) was fastest before the start of the first Competition at the long fast track at Zuera, Karol Basz (Kosmic / Vortex / Vega), who had already threatened inthe Prefinal, took over the controls and won against Christian Lundgaard (Ricciardo Kart / Parilla / Vega) and Marta Garcia Lopez (Evokart / Parilla / Vega). Logan Sargeant (FA Kart / Vortex / Vega) finally came back to 4th place ahead of Hannes Janker (CRG / Parilla / Vega).
Hiltbrand the winner at the finish at Adria (ITA)
After pole position for Sargeant during Qualifying Practice on the new AdriaKarting Raceway, the Finn Paavo Tonteri (CRG / Parilla / Vega) led after the Qualifying Heats. While the track was changing very rapidly due to multiple changes in weather, Hiltbrand won the Prefinal on slicks in the rain before winning in the last metres of the Final on wet tyres on dry asphalt. Sargeant finished 2nd to Joyner and Basz.
Joyner the new leader at Portimao (PRT)
In Portugal, Marta Garcia Lopez dominated Qualifying Practice and the Qualifying Heats. The European Champion of 2015, Ben Hanley (Croc Promotions / TM Racing / Vega) came back in force and imposed in the Prefinal. Hiltbrand started at the front of the Final, but two Britonswere ahead of the fray and Joyner took the victory ahead of Hanley and Hiltbrand. Garcia Lopez finished 4th ahead of the Russian Alexander Smolyar (Tony Kart / Vortex / Vega).
Genk (BEL): victory for Novalak, the title to Hiltbrand
On the Genk circuit, the German Hannes Janker (CRG / Parilla / Vega) dominated Qualifying Practice, against Garcia Lopez and Sargeant, and the Qualifying Heats ahead of Clement Novalak (Tony Kart / Vortex / Vega) and Hiltbrand. Hiltbrand won Prefinal 1 with a comfortable lead while Novalak won Prefinal 2. Basz retired after a mechanical problem on the final lap of Prefinal 1 when he was in 3rd place and still holding the lead of the Championship. Novalak took control of the Final against Hiltbrand who knew his 2nd place secured him the title of European Champion. He was ahead of his main rival, Joyner, on the track and on points, with Basz taking 3rd place in the final standings.
Info CIK-FIA / © Photo KSP