CRG (kart manufacturer)

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CRG is a kart chassis manufacturer. Notable members include Alex Zanardi, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

CRG was founded in the late 1970s by three Italian racers (Carlo Vanaria, Roberto Vanaria and Giancarlo Tinini), and were originally known as Kali Karts. In the beginning, the company was viewed as unfavorable, with Zanardi being told by his original team, DAP, that if he didn't stop complaining they would "send him to Kali". By the mid 1980s, Kali had recovered from its inauspicious beginnings and was winning world championships with drivers including Mike Wilson.

Kali changed its name to CRG in the early 1990s. They soon competed in more world championships with drivers including Danilo Rossi and Alessandro Manetti. CRG also goes under the name of Tinini Group, which was created in 2017, which is now visible on all sticker kits. CRG has also relations with Dino Chiesa (Chiesa Corse); the notable Italian chassis mechanic assisted multiple world champions as well as many other drivers through CRG.

CRG began building engines in the mid-1990s, but they were never widely used outside of the factory teams. In 2001, they were replaced by the Maxter brand which produces 100 cc and 125 cc gearbox engines. They also have been involved in the Maxter engine range. They were also the main supplier for brands including Maranello, Vanspeed, Zanardi, Dino, and DR Kart. In recent years, the team has partnered with TM racing.

In the past 30 years, CRG has been one of the most successful brands and has been chosen by several current motorsport champions. For this reason, CRG Racing team is considered the “Champions Factory”. Drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, Alex Zanardi, Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella, and others have competed for the brand.