Daniel Vasile (Birel ART/TM) and Freddie Slater (Birel ART/TM) shared the front row of the KZ2 Final in this first round of the European Championship. Three KR/Iame followed in the top five with Kean Nakamura-Berta, Daniel Macia and Alex Powell. With the intensity already high in the Super Heats, the Final looked to be superb under the blue, windy skies of Zuera.
Slater jumped into the lead at lights out against Vasile. Macia was then forced to drop back to 7th while Tomass Stolcermanis (Energy/TM) was 3rd and Matteo Spirgel (Sodi/TM) 4th ahead of Powell, Jorge Pescador (Kali/TM), Cristian Bertuca (Birel ART/TM) and Kean Nakamura-Berta (KR/Iame). Vasile attacked Slater for P1, and a duel ensued between the two Birel ART Racing team drivers. Powell came back to Stolcermanis. Slater regained the lead on lap 6, with Powell passing Stolcermanis in 3rd.
At the halfway point, there was no significant gap between the top 24. Powell bridged up to the leading duo and set the fastest lap. The Jamaican went up the inside of the hairpin on Vasile with authority to take P2. Nakamura-Berta was also very fast and made up for his delay at the beginning of the race in 4th position. Powell did not wait to take the lead from Slater with seven laps to go. Nakamura-Berta moved up to 3rd while Pescador moved into the top five ahead of Stolcermanis, threatened by Spirgel. Powell escaped, Slater resisted Nakamura-Berta. But Pescador continued to move up to 3rd and threatened Slater. The attacks were multiplying in view of the finish in the chasing group. Powell took a big win 3,8” ahead of Slater. Pescador was 8 hundredths behind in 3rd place. Nakamura-Berta and Spirgel finished in the top five while Vasile had to settle for 6th place ahead of Stolcermains, Macia, Genis Civico (Parolin/TM) 9th and Jean Nomblot (Sodi/TM) 10th. Thomas Imbourg (Sodi/TM) was 15th and Gabin Leuillet (Birel ART/TM) 18th. Bertuca did not reach the finish.
Info Kartcom with Kartlink / Photo © KSP