OK/OKJ European Championship, penultimate round at Kristianstad

After three seasons Sweden is once again decisive for the Presa Diretta, a penultimate round before the grand finale in July at the Franciacorta circuit. 

Where the weather has usually played an important role, the OK and OKJ grids will also have to reckon with a track that is difficult to interpret and select especially at the top. 

OK - Turney wants to run away
Starting from the Senior category, the "flight to victory" of Joe Turney is renewed once again, more than ever the leader with two wins out of two races held. The Englishman has made no mistakes so far, finally proving himself to be up to the task. With a high level weekend also in Sweden, the Tony Kart captain could almost put an end to the fight for the Championship. Seventy points round for Turney, tailed by what we could call the "next gen", starting with the announced surprise Enzo Deligny, in good strength especially at Zuera and the only one able to seriously overtake the Englishman even if only for a few fractions of the race. The Frenchman will try to get his wheels in front of his rival right away by trying to overturn the breakaway. Attention also to Kean Nakamura-Berta, strangely not given as favourite on the eve of the race, due to a pre-season of adaptation to the Senior, and now only two points behind Deligny with full possession of his potential. A three-way fight or rather a two-way chase towards Turney who is probably hoping for 'British' weather. 

OKJ - Tye and Sodi against all
Almost in the same way as Turney, Nathan Tye will be looking even more for an escape in the general classification after having consecrated himself in Zuera with a more than overwhelming victory. It is a magical moment for the Sodi Kart house, especially after having won and taken the lead in KZ with Emilien Denner, a moment that seems to be increasingly charging the French team, an element that could also make the difference at Kristianstad. Fifty-three are the lengths of Tye, a margin useful but not entirely reassuring on the first pursuers starting from Dmitry Matveev at thirty-nine points, despite a weekend undertone at Zuera and out of the podium fight, followed by Rene Lammers with thirty-eight points and definitely on the ball. To the leading trio will be added as usual outsiders or expected returns such as that of Anatoly Khavalkin, absolute protagonist at Portimao (second place for him) and forced to skip Zuera. An incident that has put the Parolin driver in the position of having to aim for victory in the last two races to regain the top spot. 

From tomorrow the official qualifying and the first heats, followed by Saturday's day dedicated entirely to heats between groups. Sunday 5 June the grand finale with Super Heat and category finals, visible in streaming on fiakarting.com. 

 

EVENT INFO

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Photo: FIA Karting Media