FIA Karting, European Championship Zuera - Egozi and Bouzar take pole position

The Spanish weekend starts with the first reversals, almost unexpected compared to Portugal. Two unprecedented pole positions that herald a close fight for the leadership between those who want to defend their position and those who already have to recover it. 

OK - Pole Position made in USA with Egozi
When on the eve of the race it's his teammates who are among the great expectations, here's how James Egozi displaces all the competition in the Senior class by scoring the perfect kick on the good lap of the qualifying session. Chronometer fixed on 1.00.327 and first position in safe with almost two tenths on the competition, so the Tony Kart driver has sent the first signal, even to their respective companions. It must be underlined that Egozi, in the last period, is not new to the fight at the top, having already shown to be able to stay there without problems. 
Not only the first position but also the second one (and pole for group B) snatched the Friday titles, Gabriel Gomez returned to the top for the joy of CRG men. The Brazilian preceded also the Junior World Champion, Kean Nakamura-Berta, among the best in the fight for the overall leadership and pole man of group C. The last three first positions of the group were assigned to Enzo Deligny, among the great expectations after the podium in the COTF race, followed by Evan Giltaire with the fifth time (pole group E), and Tuukka Taponen for group F. 
Not the best qualification for the leader of the ranking Turney with the ninth general time but in any case second in group C and therefore in the second row for the heats, worse luck for Stolcermanis beyond the general top 20 and forced to recover immediately. 

OKJ - Bouzar what a surprise
The Junior starts its weekend in an even more unexpected way than the Senior. Six more pole positions in the group with most of the names "on the list" for the first time at the top. 
A different poleman but the same team or Koski Motorsport, the Finnish certainty didn't make a mistake this time either, placing itself in front of everybody with the Luxembourger Guillaume Bouzar, absolute surprise up to this point with the best lap recorded in 1.02.347, enough to rule everybody. Second for +0.100sec gap Thomas Strauven, already fifth in Portimao and now the first rival of Matveev for the overall classification of the Junior. Group C opened by the first place obtained by the French Arthut Dorison a step away from the time of Strauven. Firsts in Groups D, E and F for Lewis Wherrell, Zac Drummond and Andres Cardenas in that order. 
Dark day so far for the leader of the standings Dmitry Matveev with the 24th overall time, sixteenth Renè Lammers. Remember that Anatoly Khavalkin, currently second in the standings, was unable to take part in the competition in Zuera due to bureaucratic problems with his passport. 

First heat just started in the Spanish afternoon, remaining programme scheduled for tomorrow. Live timing and streaming on fiakarting.com.

S.C.
Photo: Motorsportpictures - M.Perrucca