KZ Kiwis in Belgium for International Super Cup

Auckland karters Daniel Bray and Matthew Payne are at Genk in Belgium this weekend, contesting the premier event on the CIK-FIA world karting calendar for the KZ2 class, the 2018 International KZ2 Super Cup.

The International Super Cup event shares the programme this weekend with the first of the CIK-FIA’s 2018 World Championship title events – for the KZ class – as well as the final round (of three) of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy series.

Daniel Bray (pic – Fast Company/Sportinphoto Agency)

Bray is now a veteran of a number of CIK-FIA International KZ2 Super Cup campaigns, leading the final before being punted off the track by a then 14-year-old Max Verstappen in Italy in 2012, and ending up third after again leading the Final in France a year later.

This year the now 30-year-old finished 8th at the first round of the 2018 CIK-FIA European KZ2 Championship in France in May, and 12th at the second round in Italy in July, leaving him 10th equal in the 2018 class points standings.

His young teammate in the works GP Karts/Alu Group/TM Racing/Le Cont squad this weekend, Matthew Payne, 15, showed good pace on his European debut in Italy though did not make the Final that weekend.



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Bray has raced at the Genk circuit before, contesting a round of the European KZ2 Championship there in 2013, and believes that his experience from that meeting will be key to doing well, both for himself and Payne.

“It’s a really cool track with long sweeping turns but the three passing spots come off the three tight hairpins, so as well as a nice high speed balance you also need good drive off the lower speed turns if you want to be able to pass so it’s actually quite a hard track to set up your kart for.

Matthew Payne (pic – Fast Company/Sportinphoto Agency)

“Matt, obviously, has never raced there before, but he proved in Italy that he is a quick learner and is not daunted by a big occasion so I think he will have as good a shot as any of the other first-timers from around the world.”

Intertest in the KZ2 class is at an all-time high, with Bray and Payne just two of 105 entries the CIK-FIA has received for the Super Cup meeting this weekend.



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