UK Karting

2010 News Archive

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News Archive
2010 News Items & Press Releases

Fusion End Of Year Sale   (31/12)

Click for larger image...Investment in other areas has forced the sale of several of Fusion Motorsport's British Championship winning cadet engines and chassis.  The engines come with an impressive pedigree, having been used by Charlie Robertson (Vice British Champion 2008) and Nathan Aston (British Champion 2010) and, as with the chassis, have been maintained to an excellent standard.

Prices for engines range from £2,000 to £3,000 and for chassis from £1,000 to £1,500. Complete packages (chassis/engine/carb/exhaust) from £3,000. Chassis, engines and carbs are also available for hire at club meetings (from £50 per day).
 
For more information on this Championship winning equipment please contact Dan Hazlewood on 07733 011221
dan@fusionmotorsport.co.uk, or Neil Doran on 07880 776993 neil@fusionmotorsport.co.uk
.
 
Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Ellough Park Raceway   (29/12)

Ellough Park Raceway will be hosting the following events over the coming weeks...

Thursday, 30th Dec - open testing available from 2pm till 6pm.
Saturday, 1st Jan - Lazer Combat Games Open Day from 2pm till 6pm (Please call to book).
Sunday, 2nd Jan - open testing and Arrive & Drive session available from 10am till 12pm and 2pm till 5pm.
Monday, 3rd Jan - open to Arrive & Drive and all Owner Drivers for testing from 10am till 4pm.
Tuesday, 4th Jan - Open Team Endurance Championship (Please call for details).

Please contact us on 01502 717718 for more dates for 2011 or check out our calendar at
www.elloughparkraceway.co.uk/whats-on
.

Plus, it's the Ellough Park Raceway Presentation Evening!

Tickets are selling fast so please contact us to book your place for the End Of Year Presentation Evening on Saturday, 8th January 2011.

Black Tie - 3 course meal - guest speakers - raffle - championship presentations - special awards - 'Scratch the Cat' live band - all are welcome to join in the celebrations!

Adults tickets are £30.00 per person and Children £15.00 per person.

7pm arrival at the Holiday Inn - Norwich Airport.

Please contact us ASAP to book your seat or table.

Details of awards being presented can be found on the ellough park website -
www.elloughparkraceway.co.uk.

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S1 Partners With iZone   (29/12)

The Super One Series and iZone have linked up to offer all 2010 and 2011 seeded drivers a free workshop including time on iZone's amazing state of the art driving simulator.  And that's not all!  One lucky driver from 2010 and 2011 will win a full day with iZone's expert trainers at their Silverstone facility.

Topics covered in both the three hour workshops and the full day first prize include:
- Goal setting and strategy
- Optimising personal performance
- iZone 'Vision Method'
- Visualization skills
- Ongoing self analysis and skill development
- The accumulation of marginal gains
- Detailed planning and record keeping
- Productive and non productive thinking
- Fitness training for Karters
- Diet and nutrition
- Mental tenacity
- Track etiquette
- Overtaking safely
- The Judicial process

All seeded drivers will receive their prize voucher at the Super One awards, to be held at the Autosport International Racing Car Show on Saturday 15th January.  The TKM and Honda Cadet classes will receive their awards at 12pm, the Rotax classes at 1pm and the Super KF, KF2, KF3 and Comer Cadet at 3.30pm.  Drivers will then have a choice of two dates in the Spring to attend the free workshop.  Super One Marketing Director John Hoyle said: "We are excited to offer our seeded drivers this great opportunity to hone their racing skills with iZone's state of the art equipment and tap into the knowledge of the Porsche Human Performance Centre coaches."  John Pratt, from iZone, added: "
We are delighted to be joining forces with the Super One Series and to offer their seeded drivers a boost in their racing careers.  I can assure them it will be time well spent."

More details about iZone is here
www.izoneperformance.com, and the Porsche Human Performance Centre is here: www.porsche.com/silverstone/en/human-performance-center
.

For Super One registration forms for the 2011 season, come to Stand 6210 at the Autosport Show, or visit
www.s1series.co.uk.

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New TKM 2-Stroke Fiche   (29/12)

Tal-Ko Racing has issued a totally new and fully revised engine fiche for the Formula TKM 2-stroke class as part of its updated Regulations and Technical Guide for 2011.
 
The new fiche brings totally up to date the many small changes that have taken place over the 20 or so years the class has been running. Its new format is much easier to use and understand, and contains a wealth of additional information aimed at assisting drivers.
 
Explaining the reason for an updated fiche, Tal-Ko boss Alan Turney says: "We have faithfully listed all the updates and amendments over the years but after a couple of decades we had reached the point where there were more updates than original so we took the decision to make the change.
 
Click for larger image..."I should stress that we have not changed anything with the new fiche, simply presented the same information in a new much clearer modern format."
 
The new fiche has been approved by the MSA and is available as a free download from the
www.tal-ko.com website. It comes into effect from January 1, 2011.
 
The full TKM Regulations and Technical Guide incorporate the new fiche as well as full definitive regulations for both the TKM 2-stroke and 4-stroke classes. It also includes extensive information to help in the setting up and running of engines for those classes to provide the most comprehensive help available for any karting class in the world.
 
The full guide in book form is available from Tal-Ko or from Karting Magazine at a cost of £4.50 plus postage.

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2011 World Karting Champs   (29/12)

Click for larger image...The CIK-FIA Karting World Championship is getting ready for a new take-off. In 2011 it will adopt new technical regulations and a new format.

Introduced in 2009, the Super KF category will only have lived for two years, a victim of too liberal engine regulations. Switching back to a more accessible type of engines showed the way in Spain in September 2010 at the last World Championship: for lack of a sufficient Super KF field the CIK-FIA had to find an alternative solution and opted for the well-tried definition of KF2 engines. This choice proved so judicious that the event enjoyed an entry list with no fewer than 125 Drivers.
 
Further to negotiations with a panel of major Manufacturers, upon their proposal it has been decided to reserve the 2011 World Championship for a new version of KF1, which will have free chassis & tyres and with KF2-type engines.

"This technical definition has several important advantages", explained Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, President of the CIK-FIA. "The experience of the 2010 World Championship speaks for itself: uncertain in Super KF, the field considerably got thicker when it was announced that the event would be held for KF2s. The engines of the latter karts are more accessible, less costly and much more widespread as they are also used in the ASNs' national Championships. The solution retained with this redefinition of KF1 suits the largest number of parties involved: chassis and tyre Manufacturers, who still have a good room for manoeuvre to develop their products, engine Tuners, who are still in with a say in the matter - which was not really the case any longer with the too specific SKF engines -, and private Drivers, who still stand a good chance of winning even against works Drivers."
 
With this new kick-off, the CIK-FIA will reintroduce a World Championship held over several events and has resolved to regroup the former European Championship and World Cup in Japan under the same World Championship label. In 47 years of history, the Karting World Championship was organised over a series of events only 6 times. It was from 1966 to 1969, as well as in 2001 and 2002. While the formula of a World Championship held in a single event has indeed its own virtues, the series format will enhance to a larger extent the Driver who ends up winning it. The programme of the year 2011 comprises a total of 5 events, with a very prestigious opening at Suzuka, in Japan (22 May), followed by stages in Germany (Wackersdorf, 12 June), Spain (Zuera, 24 July), Belgium (Genk, 4 September) and Italy (Sarno, 18 September).

"The idea is to reinforce further the impact and value of the World Champion title", Shaikh Abdulla continued. "Each event will be composed of 4 races with points allocated, and the Driver who eventually wins it is bound to have had a strong season. The Championship will also be reserved for a maximum of 34 Drivers. Only the Japanese event will benefit from ''wild cards'', aimed at encouraging Asian participation."

Revealed by the World Council on 3rd November, the new technical & sporting format of the World Championship has immediately aroused the interest of the most ambitious Manufacturers, Teams and Drivers. The reigning World Champion, Nyck de Vries, will be present. "I am very much interested by the dimension of this Championship", comments the Dutch Driver, "and it will even further enhance the Drivers' sporting achievements. I fully support it. Although I won in 2010, the idea of landing another edition of the most official and renowned Karting Championship is a huge motivation for me, especially in this new context! In 2011 I shall remain completely focussed on Karting and have every intention of enriching my experience before switching to automobiles."

With the participation of the major Manufacturers, the interest shown by semi-official or private Teams and the fact that the most competitive KF2, KF3 and U18 Drivers in 2010 confess that they have a fad for this Championship, there should definitely not be a lack of applicants for the 34 available places! The opening date of entries is scheduled for 20 January 2011.

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Chassis Alignment & Correction   (24/12)

West Yorkshire based Tony Kart agents, 4G Racing, are pleased to add to their existing services full chassis alignment and correction work for all the Tony Kart range.

We are also providing this service over the Christmas and New Year period to support customers with limited time off work.

Whether you want your kart checking following a crash, lost some on track performance or wanting to make sure its correctly aligned before starting winter testing our service for just £70.00 + vat gives you the best starting point.

The service is by appointment only, please call Matt to arrange on 07976 350089 anytime.

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Walker Racing Success   (24/12)

Click for larger image...Walker Racing the leading Arrow kart race team would like to congratulate team drivers David Higgins Ellis Hanks and Luke Hughes on the team success's in 2010  racing on the highly rated Arrow X1 and the AX9 with the latest WR engines, Higgins won the formula blue championship at GYG placing the kart on pole and winning every  race all year bar one.

Hughes won the Minimax championship at GYG with a round to spare then at the last round raced in the Junior Max class dominating the whole meeting placing the kart on pole in timed qualifying winning both heats and the final in fact he never got over taken all day showing that the latest Arrow kart is a consistent pace setter.

Hughes also wrapped up the Kimbolton Minimax championship with a round to spare
 
Hanks moved to the Arrow AX9 cadet chassis mid season after struggling with his old chassis, As soon as Hanks got settled with his new kart he started producing stunning results winning 3 out of the last 4 rounds at Kimbolton.

Click for larger image...The Arrow X1 coupled with the WR race engines enabled Higgins and Hughes to lead their respective championships all year. Whilst Hanks with his Arrow AX9 with Pitts race motors  secured 2nd in the cadet championship at Kimbolton.
 
Luke Hughes racing in Junior max at Kimboltons last round of 2010  soon got into his stride with consistent race pace and a 5th and 9th in his heats placed Luke on P6 for the final, coming out of turn 1 after a very brave drive around the outside saw Luke emerge in 2nd place the front four karts soon pulled out a large gap over the rest of the quality grid, Luke got bundled  wide in the bus stop losing around 100 yards with shear determination Luke set about closing the gap setting fast times lap after lap the lead 3 were soon in his sights reclaiming 3rd spot but running out of  laps before he could do anything about the front two. But Luke and the team were pleased with a podium finish.
 
The Walker Racing Arrow combination also dominated Juniors at Wombwell with Mathew Booth and Lewis Bradley finishing one two, Also a podium finish for Catherine Conner in senior max and Tom Clarkson in TKM all using the X1 chassis.
 
The Arrow karts have not only been claiming titles in 2 stroke racing but have had a very successful 2010 in Super 1 TKM 4 stroke with the following results-
 
Click for larger image...Luke Graver Arrow X1  2nd  super 1
Michael Rich Arrow X1  4th  super 1
Joel Saunders Arrow AX9 6th super 1
Sam Lloyd Arrow X1 8th Super 1
Carla Wellings Arrow AX9 12th Super 1
Jason Gilbert Arrow AX9 15th Super 1
 
Adam Cross  Arrow X1 1st Lydd MSA sprint race
Jason Gilbert Arrow X1 1st  Bayford Meadows 11/2 hour endurance
  
The Arrow kart team will be competing in Super 1 and FKS in 2011 and have a couple of place left anyone wishing to have a test on either the X1 or AX9 cadet please contact Neil Walker on 01226 721356 or email Neil on
neil@walkerracing.co.uk 

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An All RL Podium   (24/12)

Click for larger image...At the final round of the Hunts kart racing club championship 2010, RL Racing dept dominated the Mini Max class with a podium 'lock out'. UK number 13 Josh White took the win, while Sam Oram Jones tried his best to take the win on the last lap from his team mate but having to give best to White and their team mate Matthew Arnold, taking his first Mini Max podium and with his great turn of pace a few weeks ago, the Capel St Mary youngster is sure to turn heads in 2011. Their other team mate Harry Campey took 5th position.
 
Matthew Arnold's brother Shaun took a strong 5th position in the Junior max class, Shaun showing his progress in the class, this only his 4th race in Junior.
 
The team have this past week been carrying out an intensive test schedule at the fantastic Campillos circuit near Malaga in the south of Spain, the Department choosing this venue to gain some all important data and time in seat for their 2011 driver line up, due to the bad turn of weather in the UK - stunting many teams progress with the change in tyre for Rotax in 2011.
 
For information on the RL Racing Dept please contact Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (mobile), +44 (0)1502 716200, or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

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4 Out Of 4 For Jack Mitchell   (24/12)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Recently signed driver, Jack Mitchell, has been right at the front of the field with Global Karting in Minimax, with 4 wins at southeast clubs.
 
Having worked before with Mike Spencer in Honda Cadet, Jack took no time at all to adjust to Minimax, and in his first outing with Global at Whilton Mill, came away with the winning trophy in the October meeting. Then onto Rye House in November, where he once again won in style. Not stopping there, he went onto Buckmore Park and convincingly won by 3 seconds, and then returned to Whilton Mill and against a very strong field won again by over 2 seconds.
 
"Since his signing with Global, Jack has shown that he can really drive at the front and get top results, with four wins out of four. We are now looking forward to winter testing with Jack and then competing in all major series in the UK next year, with possibilities of Europe as well", commented Mike Spencer.
 
Jack is using Grice Racing Engines and OTK karts with Global Karting. For more information on Global Karting visit their website,
www.globalkartingltd.com.

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Global Round-Up For 2010   (24/12)

2010 was the debut year for Global Karting, and its team managers Rob Hanscomb, Chris Rogers and Mike Spencer have made some fantastic achievements with lots of drivers seeded in the national championships, and winning at club level as well as initial success in Europe.
 
Congratulations for the following successes...
 
Super 1:
Jake Dalton, 3rd in KF3
Callum Bowyer, 3rd in KF2
Michael Epps, 6th in Senior Rotax
Lewis Plato, 12th in Junior Rotax, 2nd in Rookie Cup
James Robinson, 14th in Senior Rotax
Reece Wade, 1st in Rookie Cup, Senior Rotax
Ollie Varney, after switching to Global drove at the front, finished unlucky 16th
 
Formula Kart Stars: Dylon Phibbs, 5th in KF3
 
London Cup: Michael Epps, Senior Rotax Champion
 
Euromax: Lewis Plato, 3rd in First Final, Round 3 in Senior Rotax, unlucky to not get a podium in the Second Final.
 
Club championships:
James Robinson, Senior Rotax Champion at Whilton Mill
Lewis Plato, 3rd in Junior Rotax at PFI
Josh Price, 2nd in Comer Cadet at Rye House
Michael Houghton, 2nd in Minimax at Rye House
Matt Lambert 8th, Jack Powell 9th, Jordan Nallett 10th in Junior Rotax at Rye House
 
Recently signed Global driver, Jack Mitchell has been winning in Minimax at club meetings all over the southeast including Rye House, Whilton Mill and Buckmore Park since joining the team.
 
Global Karting has been organising their 2011 team, which is nearly full. Global compete in all levels from club, to nationals, to racing in Europe. If you would like information about joining the Global team please contact Rob on 07957 463109, or via the website,
rob@globalkartingltd.com
.

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2011 FKS Awning Space   (23/12)

Kart-Tek Racing have awning space available for the 2011 Formula Kart Stars series, and will also be carrying spare karts, spare engines and carbs.
 
Not only is space available at FKS, but in 2011 we will be providing awning space and advice at club meetings, including Whilton Mill, Shenington, Kimbolton and Rissington.
 
Engine and carb hire are also available.
 
Plus, cadet karts for hire at club meetings which will include a mechanic, and awning space available for Rotax Max karts.
 
Kart-Tek Racing also offer tuition, kart storage, race preparation and carb re-builds.
 
British Champions in Comer Cadet.
British Champions in Easy Kart in 2010
Club Champions/Open Champions.

For more information call us on 01327 349615 or 07792 990592.

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Leading Arrive & Drive Series...   (23/12)

Visitors to next year's Autosport International Racing Car Show at the NEC in January (13-16), will be able to get behind the wheel and experience just how much fun kart racing is, courtesy of Kart Racing Promotions. The company behind the renowned 100cc-based Club100 championship is running the indoor circuit, located in Hall 4.
 
Club100's Managing Director John Vigor says: "This is the first time we've run the arrive and drive track at Autosport International, so it's very exciting and a big honour for us. We're hoping to bring something different to the show and give people a first-hand taste of grassroots karting, whilst also showing them other aspects of the sport."
 
Customers will be able to sample the same chassis used in Club100's enormously popular series - the Birel N35 -  which despite its enhanced safety features for the corporate market, handles like a purebred racing kart.
 
A series of Easykart demonstrations throughout the weekend will also give potential kart racers of all ages, an insight into Britain's fastest growing 'owner/driver' championship.
 
"You'll be able to see and talk to some of the best drivers in Britain, and the World, right now. Reigning Easykart Cadet champion Ronan McKenzie, Junior star James DeHavillande plus 2007 World and current British Heavy champion Barnaby Pittingale will all be giving it large - so there'll be plenty of noise, sticky rubber and two-stroke oil turning the air blue."
 
Club100 and Easykart will also have a comprehensive range of karts on display; from the new-for-2011 C100 chassis through to the complete Easykart family (Bambino, Cadet, Junior and Senior).
 
Club100 is also supplying David Brabham's annual Celebrity Kart Challenge with the karts that some of the world of motorsport's most recognised faces will race on 13 January, in the Live Action Arena.

For more information on Club100 visit
www.club100.co.uk
.

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R&S Motorsport   (22/12)Click for larger image...

R&S Motorsport would like to congratulate all of their drivers for an outstanding season this year, resulting in many wins and fastest laps.

Alana Taylor proved to the boys that they cannot have it all their own way in the Junior Blue class. Having only sat in a kart for the first time in May this year when she joined R&S Motorsport on the Tecno Mini 101 chassis, Alana has showed outstanding progress and pure talent. In only her third race she managed to rack up a fastest lap at Llandow and then once the race craft had come, heat wins and final wins were soon to follow. In her first season she was seeded number 14, even missing rounds and dropping crucial points through starting late. Her first outing at Clay Pigeon resulted in her first win; she then made it 2 out of 2 and won at Clay again by a massive 9 seconds - well done Alana!

Next season she will be making the jump to MSA Super 1 in the KF3 class, on the Tecno SS30 kart. She is joined at Super 1 with KZ driver Jamie Rush in the new exciting KGP class.

Click for larger image...Also Duncan Mcleod cleaned up in the Formula Blue Masters and Top Weight winning the southern series and the grand finals in both classes, the O Plate in the Masters and securing number 4 overall in the Formula Blue class.

R&S Motorsport would like to thank Jose, Graziano and all at the Tecno factory for all of their support and hard work throughout this year.

We have just homologated the Tecnokart Scout 95 for use in the MSA Super Cadet class, testing is available.

Drives are available for MSA Super 1, in Super Cadet, KF3, KF2 and the new KGP class, ranging from awning space to a complete arrive and drive package. Please contact Brian on 07824 324255 or email on
info@tecnokart.co.uk. To check out the range of karts available, check out http://tecnokart.co.uk
.

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Discount On TKM Engines   (22/12)

Competitors taking part in the 2011 S1 Formula TKM National Championships are being offered a special deal on engines to help ease the effect of the VAT increase and other price rises which are taking effect in the New Year.
 
For all registered S1 competitors there will be a special price discount of 15% on engine purchase up and till the end of January. That represents a saving of £226 on a 2-stroke TAG engine and £319 on a 4-stroke engine with enduro radiator.
 
Explains Tal-Ko boss Alan Turney: "We know this can be a hard time of year for drivers so we are doing our best to provide a cushion against the cost of new engines."
 
The offer is valid for just one engine per S1 competitor and the driver must have completed an S1 TKM series registration and paid the registration fee for the special engine discount price to apply. The discount is only available on engines bought direct from Tal-Ko Racing.
 
Engines will be available off the shelf when Tal-Ko open after the Xmas break on Monday January 10.
 
This engine discount offer is only valid for the month of January 2011 so hurry and get your TKM S1 registration sorted!

For more information on Formula TKM visit
www.tal-ko.com
.

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Aim Motorsport Scholarship   (21/12)

Click for larger image...Aim Motorsport is offering the chance of a lifetime for talented karters with a winning attitude, to secure a fully paid for arrive and drive season at Super 1 in the Rotax classes!

Aim Motorsport are a prestigious race team with a strong team of talented drivers, data engineers and mechanics.  We pride ourselves on earning respect in the paddocks through fair and honest driving.  
 
"We have introduced the scholarship for 2011 to create an opportunity for a driver who believes he / she has the potential and the desire to succeed in karting, to step up to the plate and be recognised.  This is a win win situation for both driver and race team, and, both are required to win a championship.  This is a fantastic chance to enjoy a very successful 2011 season!" said Steve Lake, Director Aim Motorsport 
 
The winner of the Aim Motorsport 2011 Scholarship will be given a full Aim team drive, including a new 2011 Tony Kart EVRR chassis, top level Ogden motor, tyres and, all running costs to compete at the highest level of Rotax racing - The Super One Rotax Max British Championship.

Click for larger image...Please note: The winning driver will be responsible for commuting to and from the circuit and, subsistence i.e. accommodation and meals.
 
If you feel you have what it takes as a driver to qualify for a fully paid for team drive, then you will have the opportunity to prove yourself at one of the Aim Motorsport Scholarship Assessment Track Days.

Applicants will be assessed by the Aim Motorsport personnel, who won't just be judging your performance by the stopwatch, but by your personal characteristics and attitude required to win at the highest level.
 
Applicants are welcomed from all over the world who will be eligible to race in the following categories: Mini Max, Junior Max, Senior Max and Rotax 177.
 
To enter you will need to call Aim Motorsport to first have your eligibility assessed.  You will then be invited to an Aim Scholarship track day where your driving will be thoroughly assessed. The fee to enter one of the Aim Scholarship Track days is £500, payable upon booking.

Places will be taken up very quickly so call now on 0844 800 2183 to reserve your spot! Overseas drivers will need to call on +44 (0)1538 266195.
 
You can also book your Aim Scholarship Track Day online by
clicking here.

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New Kart Supermarket   (21/12)

Opening in mid Summer, Britain's biggest kart supermarket!

The new outlet in Hertfordshire is within easy reach of the A10, M25 and Rye House rail station, filling the gap left by Zip Kart moving out of the area. Our aim is to supply the cheapest top quality parts for all makes of kart manufacturers and engine manufacturers. Access to our offers and facilities will be by membership card only. We will have free storage for 100 karts. Also we can offer kart cleaning, preparation and repair, including a bespoke built laser flat bed aligner. Axle straightening and realignment of most parts available. Free advice in-store or by email.

We have engine rebuilding and sealing facilities by  top engineers and can rebuild on the same day, even while you wait at no extra cost. Our best pieces of equipment are two dyno machines, one a static machine with specially written software and the other a specially developed unit that allows the whole kart to be dyno'd with the engine and driver in situ to give a true "at wheels" hp output. This unit can be linked to the kart controls and driven by the computer to simulate nearly every track in Britain to give the best sprocket, carburettor and power valve settings, wet and dry. Paul Bailey will be managing the store.

Further details will be released soon, so watch this space for more!

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KartForce In Action   (20/12)

Double amputee soldier, Sapper Ash Hall, was injured by an IED in July 2010 and only 5 months later has enjoyed the thrill of karting with hand controls with the help of KartForce.
 
Watch the video in the link below to see the pleasure this has brought to him and his family - the smiles say it all...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7kpb8aOEuI
 
This was only his second time out in a kart, ever.  He did a 44 sec lap when ex-Formula 1 racing driver Johnny Herbert did a 42 sec lap with the hand controls - the lap record is 40 sec.  This more than demonstrates that our hand controls give injured lads the rare opportunity to compete on a totally level playing field with non-injured drivers.

For more information on KartForce and our aim to get more injured troops to enjoy the adrenaline fueled thrill karting can offer, visit
www.kartforce.org
.

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Taylor International Motorsports   (17/12)

Taylor International Motorsports would like to congratulate both Jack Mayle and Henry Easthope on their fantastic results at Kimbolton at the weekend. Making its first UK outing, the new for 2011 Sodi ST32 TTT chassis aided both drivers to cruise to pole position for the finals with Jack taking a lights to flag victory in the Junior Max Final whilst also setting the fastest lap and Henry taking a fourth place in Senior Max despite a  major power valve problem and both drivers commenting on how easy the new chassis was to drive - a great result against some tough competition.
 
Congratulations and thanks go to Jake and Greg Blackledge on their 3rd place overall finish in Comer Cadet in the Kimbolton Club Championships. Both Greg and Jake have been loyal supporters of the Sodi and together with us have worked really hard to achieve this fantastic result and we look forward to building on this for next year.
 
We would also like to thank the President of Sodikart Gildas Merian, Race Team Manager Nicola De Cola and all the mechanics and drivers. Sodikart have been extremely supportive of us during 2010 and we look forward to welcoming them back to race with us again in the UK next year.

The new Sodi ST32 TTT chassis, with its new Boro bodywork, new brake system and three-position rear ride height will be available to test from the 3rd weekend of January. There will be a £150.00 test fee that will be taken from the cost of a new kart if ordered and paid for in full.

For further details contact either Tim Taylor on 07811 252949 or Josie Easthope on 07973 911148 or email Josie at
josieeasthope@aol.com.

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Easykart Driver Program   (17/12)

Click for larger image...Easykart UK is delighted to announce that James Dehavillande has been chosen from the Easy Kart Driver Program and will drive in KF3 in 2011 for the Birel Motorsport Junior team in the WSK and European Championships. After completing a KF3 evaluation test in July in Casteletto with Birel James was selected by Birel management for a KF3 seat in 2011.
 
"I am delighted that James now has this opportunity with Birel. Thanks to the Easykart driver program James now has an opportunity to make an impact for himself in European Junior karting. Easykart is an incredible formula, it can get people starting in karting, deliver fabulous racing at a  realistic budget and for 9 to 14 year olds offer the chance to be selected for the Easykart driver program. We will of course be following James's progress with great interest"  commented Easykart UK boss Andy Cox.
 
Easykart 2010 Cadet Champion Ronan Mckenzie moves into Juniors in 2011 as does fellow EDP sparring partner Will Stowell. Both drivers have had there EDP contracts renewed for 2011 and both could get a shot at a KF3 test in 2011 with Birel depending on their progress in Easykart Junior. " I'm really pleased that  the boys have had their EDP contracts renewed, they were the backbone to the success of  Easykart Cadet when we launched it, they have had some epic races in 2010. I'm sure like James they will get there chance with Birel in 2011" said Easykart UK promoter John Vigor.
 
Three more drivers have been enrolled into the EasyKart driver program for 2011. Tom Thickpenny, Zack Nickson and James Lay. The three were chosen by Andy Cox and John Vigor for their perfomances in 2010. Thickpenny burst onto the Easy Cadet scene in 2010 and narrowly missed out ending up runner up in the Championship. Thickpenny moves up to Easy Junior in 2011.
 
Zack Nickson only started karting in 2010 selecting Easykart Cadet. In an incredible season Nickson ended the year in 4th place and even made it to the Easy World Finals. Nickson will also drive in Easy Junior in 2011.
 
James Lay was also in his first season in Easy Kart Junior in 2010. Showing signs of talent similar to his  elder brother  Patrick, James finished  in 10th place in the Championship before taking a fantastic win at the "E" plate at Lydd. An impressive first year.

For more information on Easykart visit
www.easykart.co.uk.

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World Motor Sport Council   (17/12)

At its meeting on 10 December 2010 in Monaco. and on proposals of the International Karting Commission Members, the FIA World Motor Sport Council took in particular the following decisions concerning Karting...

CIK-FIA "U18" Karting World Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy 2011 Final
At its meeting on 3 November, the World Council had ratified the programme of the CIK-FIA "U18" Karting World Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, granting the organisation of their third and last event to Bahrain, where a brand-new circuit is currently being built and has already been pre-inspected by the CIA-FIA Officials. The date of this event has been validated: it will take place on 3, 4 and 5 November 2011.

The complete 2011 calendar of these two competitions therefore appears as follows:
08-10 July - Ortona (ITA)
26-28 August - Essay (FRA)
03-05 November - Bahrain (BHR)

The preliminary test days will be staged on 3 and 4 June 2011, on a track which remains to be determined.

2011 Calendar of the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship
14-15 May - Magny-Cours (FRA)
10-12 June - Most (CZE)
05-07 August - Assen (NLD)

Tenders
Within the framework of the invitations to tender issued by the FIA as regards Karting, the following bidders have been retained:
- Panta for the single-supply of fuel in the CIK-FIA Championships held in Europe on short circuits in 2011. Second-generation "E10" type fuel (non-food bio-ethanol) will be supplied to the competitors of the 2011 "U18" World Karting Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy;
- Dunlop for the single-supply of tyres in the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies for KZ1 and KZ2 in 2011;
- Vega for the single-supply of tyres in the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies for KF2 and KF3 held in Europe in 2011;
- Le Cont for the single-supply of tyres in the 2011 "U18" Karting World Championship and CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.

For each of the six categories concerned by the invitations to tender issued by the FIA for 2011, the tyre-Manufacturers will offer free racing tyres to all participants! To this exceptional promotion the tyre-Manufacturers concerned will still add rewards for the prize-winners, either in the form of money prizes or as sets of new tyres.

Complete 2011 CIK-FIA Calendar
The 2011 calendar of the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies has been voted as follows:

CIK-FIA "U18" World Karting Championship (drivers under 18) & CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy
08-10/7 - Ortona (ITA)
26-28/8 - Essay (FRA)
03-05/11 - Bahrain (BHR)

CIK-FIA World Karting Championship (KF1)
19-22/5 - Suzuka (JPN)
09-12/6 - Wackersdorf (DEU)
21-24/7 - Zuera (ESP)
01-04/9 - Genk (BEL)
15-18/9 - Sarno (ITA)

CIK-FIA World Cups FOR KF2 & KF3
15-18/9 - Sarno (ITA)

CIK-FIA World Cups FOR KZ1 & KZ2
01-04/9 - Genk (BEL)

CIK-FIA European KZ1 & KZ2 Championships
09-12/6 - Wackersdorf (DEU)

CIK-FIA European KF2 & KF3 Championships
North European Trophy...
28/4-01/5 - PF Int'l, Brandon (GBR)
South European Trophy...
28/4-01/5 - Varennes s/Allier (FRA)
Finals...
21-24/7 - Zuera (ESP)

CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF1 & KF3 Championships
01-04/12 - Macau-Coloane (MAC)

CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship
19-22/5 - Suzuka (JPN)

CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship
14-15/5 - Magny Cours (FRA)
10-12/6 - Most (CZE)
05-07/8 - Assen (NLD)

CIK-FIA KF2, KF3 & KZ2 Viking Trophy
17-19/6 - Rudskogen (NOR) *

CIK-FIA KF3 & KZ2 Monaco Kart Cup
14-16/10 - Monaco (MCO) *

* subject to the re-homologation of the circuit.

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Last Minute Xmas Gift   (16/12)

Click for larger image...Only a few days left before Christmas and still looking for that unique present?  Look no further; 2010 British and Super One Cadet Champions, Fusion Motorsport are offering Limited Edition Xmas gift vouchers, for a variety of experiences ranging from a half day training session to an intensive 3 day coaching program including data analysis and physical conditioning. Vouchers can also be purchased for a full arrive and drive package where cadet drivers can have the opportunity to test British Championship winning equipment.

Looking for a present for Dad? - Fusion also offer Equipment Preparation vouchers (including chassis alignment and carb rebuilds).
 
Junior and Senior Rotax and KF drivers also catered for (equipment not included).  Voucher values start at £100 (full price range on request).  There are only a limited number available, so contact Fusion asap on 07733 011221 or email
dan@fusionmotorsport.co.uk for prices and full terms and conditions.
 
Visit the Fusion website at
www.fusionmotorsport.co.uk.

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Playscape Academy Final   (16/12)

The final round of the popular Playscape Academy Cadet and Junior championships took place at Streatham Kart Raceway recently.

In Cadets, Asha Brookes went in to the last round leading the championship, from Rasaan Malcolm-Moore and Vincent Souillat in 3rd place having a mathematical chance of taking the title, but in truth, it was Asha's title to loose. And after qualifying, the normally unflappable Asha was looking
shaky with only 24 points gained against Rasaan's 33, and pole sitter Vincent had smashed in 38 from a possible 40. Newcomer Musab Achi secured 2nd on the grid with last months winner Bailey Campbell completing the top four.

Click for larger image...With double points available for the A Final, there was much more to go for.  On the last lap Bailey Campbell slunk around the inside of pits corner then raced to the apex of Howler and took the long time leader Musab Achi by surprise, who then dropped to 3rd place as Vincent Souillat also came past.  The race finished 1st Bailey Campbell, 2nd Vincent Souillat, 3rd Musab Achi with the other championship contenders Rasaan Malcolm-Moore in 5th and Asha Brookes 6th.

Final Cadet Standings:
1 - Asha Brookes - 366 points
2 - Vincent Souillat - 351
3 - Rasaan Malcolm-Moore - 340
4 - Krishaan Sivagnanam - 307
5 - Roberto Ferreira - 296
6 - Jacob Lefevre - 290

No-one was going to put their name on the line in the junior section to predict a winner from the championship contenders with just 28 points covering the top 5 contenders.

Lining up on the grid for the A final there were a few surprises, firstly Michael Iacovou, and Rasaan Malcolm-Moore, starting from girds 7 and 8 respectively, the latter repercharging through from the B final. The other surprise was, newcomer to the Junior class Musab Achi qualifying in 4th, and looking good after taking 3rd earlier in the day in the Cadet class.

Click for larger image...The final lap sees Scott leading with a small margin, but the action is Aguirre-Conde overtaking Shah into Parabolica. Almost at the same time, championship leader Iacovou slammed into the tyres at the entrance of Howler Hairpin after a failed manoeurve, and this would be the defining moment of a title won and lost.

Final Junior Standings:
1 - Andre Aguirre-Conde - 342 points
2 - Michael Iacovou - 338
3 - Rasaan Malcolm-Moore - 336
4 - Prajesh Shah - 331
5 - Shane Scott - 329
6 - Sipho Manzi - 310

For more information on the Playscape Academy including full results and report form the final round, visit www.playscape.co.uk.

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HR Drivers Excel In 2010   (15/12)Click for larger image...

Henderson Racing is delighted to announce that between 3 of our successful team drivers, the team has won 6 club/single event championships throughout 2010. Ben Davies in Minimax has dominated the Rissington Club championships, securing the title with 2rounds to go. Ben has recently won the Celtic Cup held at Llandow, winning the Final by over 15 seconds in tricky conditions. Truly an amazing season with many other wins at Dunkeswell and other venues.

In Junior Rotax, Josh Collings dominantly won the Celtic Cup at Llandow and has also secured the Llandow Junior Rotax Club title with the extensive help and management of Peter Stephens. Josh has also won more A Finals in Junior Rotax at Rissington Kart Club throughout 2010 than any other driver. He has secured numerous wins at Dunkeswell and Clay Pigeon on very few visits and has performed amazingly throughout 2010.

Click for larger image...In Senior Rotax, Liam Revell performed consistently well all season, with moments of brilliance just when he needed too. Liam has secured the Rissington Club championship in 2010 along with winning the prestigious Midland Champs.

HR Drivers have also secured national round wins at this year's KZ2 Super4 championship and secured another set of seeded finishes in the national championship.

For more information about Henderson Racing and driver opportunities, please visit
www.hendersonracing.co.uk or contact us via e-mail to sales@hendersonracing.co.uk, or call 07884 067126.

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PFI Christmas Opening   (15/12)

The PF International Kart circuit will be open on the following days over the festive break...

Dec. 16 - Prokart Open Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 17 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 18 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 19 - Prokart Christmas Meeting - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 21 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 23 - Prokart Open Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 24 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-4PM
Dec. 25 - Circuit Closed - Shop Closed
Dec. 26 - Circuit Arrive 'n' Drive Only 11-3PM - Shop Open 11-3PM
Dec. 27 - Circuit Arrive 'n' Drive Only - Shop Closed
Dec. 28 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 30 - Prokart Open Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
Dec. 31 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-5PM
Jan. 1 - Circuit Closed - Shop Closed
Jan. 2 - Circuit Arrive 'n' Drive Only 11-3PM - Shop Open 11-3PM
Jan. 4 - 2/S General Testing - Shop Open 9-6PM
 
The JM store will have sale items on show from Boxing Day, with suits from £40, boots from £25, gloves from £10.
 
For more details call 01636 626424 and select option 1 for the Shop or option 2 for the Circuit.

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KartDavid - Congratulations   (14/12)

KartDavid - Karting Graphics, would like to say a huge well done to Owen Griffiths for winning the 2010 Whilton Mill Comer Cadet club championship and becoming Ace of Clubs champion.

He has had a great season in 2010 winning many rounds across the country on his Wright Kart and is now starting to test in preparation for 2011, where he will be closely supported by SWRD to improve on his current success in both of the national championships.

We would also like to say thank you and merry Christmas to all our our customers who we have worked with this year and wish them every success in 2011.

If you are looking for the highest quality graphics for yourself or your team then please contact us on
david@kartdavid.com, 07787 390313 or visit our website www.kartdavid.com and we will be more than happy to get you prepared for 2011.

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CRG Drivers For 2011   (14/12)Click for larger image...

After a very successful 2010 in Senior Rotax with Ross Wylie (O Plate winner) 11th in Super One, Shaun Slavin 4th in Super One and Mat Mason 8th in Super One, and in Junior Rotax Ash Hand the FKS winner and 9th in Super One, CRG UK are looking to expand there driver portfolio in Mini Max and Junior TKM.

For further details please contact Mark Collings on 07967 159199, or email
mtc@mandp.com.

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JKH Kart Doctor   (14/12)

How's your chassis?
Ready for next season?
Probably not! 
Just a little off the pace recently? 
Is it true? 
Maybe not!
 
Get your chassis trued up and checked over with a JKH Kart Doctor end of season health check, only £25 to check alignment and £25 if it needs to be straightened.  Then in the sure knowledge of a perfectly aligned kart you can face the new season with renewed confidence, aiming to win. 
 
All sorts of additional checks can be made at the same time, brake services, full steering alignment etc just ask for details.  Make an appointment on 01928 740090 or 07774 646784, you can drop the kart off or wait and watch the experts at work.  Can you do better, book today - email
johnhoylejkh1@btinternet.com

 
All prices exclude VAT at current rate.

JKH, Manley House Farm, Manley Lane, Manley, Cheshire, WA6 0PF - just off the M56.

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S1 Registrations Rolling In   (14/12)

With an exciting year of British and ABkC national championship racing ahead, and four new classes to consider, the registrations are rolling in.  Have you entered yet?  Don't delay, do it now, the form is on the www.s1series.co.uk website.
 
To help the newcomer to national level racing, or the impecunious, or just a driver who wants a completely level playing field to show off their talents, S1 Marketing Director John Hoyle is offering budget rental classes in Junior Max and Honda Cadet.  How does £5995 for Junior Max, or £4495 for Honda Cadet grab you?  And that price (plus VAT) covers everything you will need - kart to keep for the season and use elsewhere if you wish; pooled engine at every round; registration and entry fees; control fuel; set of wets to get you started; new slicks at alternate rounds.  And the Junior Max includes the clutch Unilogger package. What a bargain!
 
The ABkC national championships for the Rotax classes kicks off at Whilton Mill on 11 - 13 March, the first of seven rounds.  And now with Mojo tyres, the Junior and Senior championships are fully integrated as the official Max Challenge qualifiers, with the Grand Finals taking place in the United Arab Emirates in the Autumn, with free entries for the winners and maybe more.  
 
TKM ABkC national championships commence at Clay Pigeon on 18-20 March, the first of six rounds.  TKM classes have enjoyed something of a resurgence over the last 12 months, with the new grippy and long-lasting tyre so these budget-class championships are sure to be well supported and hard fought.
 
Seeded numbers from these championships are recognised at all clubs, these are the only official national championships.  A total prize fund of some £60,000 to £70,000 is on offer, so there is something for all the top seeded drivers.  And in 2011 the senior MSA British Champion will trouser a whopping £10,000, with second place getting £5,000 and third £2,000.  Not to be sniffed at for sure.  The MSA series starts at PF International on 25 - 17th March, and includes two new championships, Super Cadet for 10 - 14 year olds, and the exciting new senior Formula KGP class, both of which have already had highly successful demonstration races.
 
Still not sure?  Have you looked at the comparison prices on the registration form and seen that Super One Series offers best value for money of any equivalent kart series, or even against some of the similar car race championships.  And it's one of the most competitive kart series in the world as proved by our alumni success. Our Junior British Champion Jake Dennis has been crowned the CIK U18 World Champion, one of our KF drivers became the World vice-champion this year and our Rotax drivers were amongst the fastest In the Grand Finals.  Enter now and reserve your favourite competition number, first come first served.
 
You can download a registration form direct from
http://www.s1series.co.uk/competitor-info/forms/Forms%20Listing/RegistrationForm2011.pdf
.

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Special Sticker Kits Offer   (13/12)

Click for larger image...Christmas is almost upon us and kartstickers.com would like to offer a very special deal to anyone searching for the ideal Christmas present.
 
This year due to the recent success we have experienced in supplying kart stickers, not only in the UK but around the world, we are offering buy one get one free on all full set sticker kits purchased between now and the Christmas break.
 
This only applies to a duplicate of the full price kit and only on full kits not parts.
 
To take advantage of this very special offer please email
abbeysigns@hotmail.com and we will arrange a Paypal invoice to be sent and commencement of your sticker kit design.
 
To see our full product range visit
www.kartstickers.com.

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KF Team Joins Cadet Arena     (13/12)

AMT Racing Team can now cater for Comer and Super Cadet drivers competing at both club and national level.
 
The team has announced it is already working with the promising Sam Kirkpatrick, but owner Ashley Todd says he has more berths available.
 
"After a successful 2010 with Tom Joyner (4th European KF Championship) and Jonathan Walker (2010 Super 1 Super KF vice-Champion), I decided that we ought to be creating a ladder structure within the team. The Cadet categories are a fantastic way in for many youngsters and I think the way we approach our racing will give newcomers into the sport the best possible grounding. From there we can continue to develop a driver's abilities right the way through their karting career."
 
AMT is also branching into Kart Grand Prix and Rotax Max.
 
"KGP looks an exciting class and I think it will be a popular addition to the Super 1 calendar. It has attracted some big names and could possibly be bigger than KF2. So far the costs are all looking very sensible and for drivers on a budget - but wanting top-class competition - it has to be considered. Rotax continues to be very strong and offers some of the very competition you could wish to find. Just as we can with the MSA classes, drivers racing in each of the Max categories can be accommodated."
 
A small, friendly awning offers the benefit of plenty of one-to-one attention and the presence of the hugely respected and experienced Alan 'Big Al' Mackay. As Ashley says, "We've proven that a small team's focus can produce big results."
 
For more information about racing with AMT, please call Ashley Todd on +44 7711 740 077 (9am - 5pm, weekdays only) or e-mail
amtmotorsport@yahoo.com
.

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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FKS Champions Take Stage   (13/12)

Click for larger image...The 2010 Formula Kart Stars class champions took to the stage to collect their championship trophies at the prestigious Autosport Awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London on Sunday.

MSA British Cadet Champion Nathan Aston, Mini Max Champion George Russell, Junior Rotax Champion Ash Hand and KF3 Champion Ben Barnicoat collected their unique trophies from former FKS Champion Paul Di Resta on one of the most prestigious events in the British Motorsport calendar.

On a night where reigning Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel topped the bill as Autosport's International Racing Driver of the Year, the FKS quartet were joined on stage by former FKS KF3 Champions Alex Albon and Jake Dennis, who won the European KF3 and World Under 18 titles in 2010 respectively.

With the eyes of the global Motorsport fraternity on them, Aston, Hand, Russell and Barnicoat were able to meet many of the biggest names in Motorsport such as Vettel, Jenson Button, Indycar Champion Dario Franchitti, David Coulthard, Red Bull boss Christian Horner, rally legend Ari Vatenen, BTCC Champion Jason Plato and Sauber F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi.

"I was amazed at how many great drivers were there," said a beaming Hand. "It was great to be presented my award in front of so many important people. It was a night full of opportunity with so many team managers there and it was easy to go and talk to different teams about your racing. Overall it was an amazing night and one that I will never forget."

"It is such a great pleasure to give our drivers the opportunity to collect their awards at this event," said Formula Kart Stars Series director Carolynn Hoy. "I was very impressed at how confident they all were in introducing themselves to some of the most influential figures in motorsport and they all did themselves, the championship and British karting proud in the way they conducted themselves."

The official Formula Kart Stars Championship Awards will take place in January's Autosport International Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

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KartForce Awareness Success   (13/12)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Cameron's weekend was a great success for Kartforce as he raced at Kimbolton on the weekend and carried the KartForce branding on his kart with pride.
 
Cameron commented "It was just such an honour and privilege to do something for KartForce to just make people aware, KartForce deserve it and would be happy to help next year in any way I can. This is such a great cause and It's the least I can do to carry their branding on my race kart which I feel very privileged to do. This weekend was not about me but to get KartForce out there and explain to people what they have achieved and have done to help our injured troops which I hope I achieved. I just wanted to dedicate this weekend to all our troops and KartForce."
 
If you would like to support KartForce for 2011 please visit their website at
www.kartforce.org.

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Drives Available For 2011   (09/12)

The newly formed SJR Kartsport team, run by owner Sam Rich, have available drives for 2011 in all Cadet and Rotax classes. Full race packages are available whether competing at club, national or European competitions including kart preparation, storage and transportation and most importantly driver coaching and management.

Whether you are a novice or a national champion, SJR Kartsport have the passion and drive to succeed.

For more details contact Sam on 07979 543757 or e-mail
info@sjrkartsport.com
.

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The TVKC Champions   (08/12)

Click for larger image...Unfortunately the 10th round of the TVKC Club Championship was cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions and this meant that the option to drop a round was unfortunately unavailable.
 
After a year of tough competition and some fantastic racing the 2010 Club Championship was wrapped up. Huge congratulations to all the newly crowned 2010 Club Champions.
 
2010 TVKC Comer Club Champion: Ronan Quinn
2010 TVKC WTP Club Champion: Sean Gee
2010 TVKC Mini Max Club Champion: Harry Webb
2010 TVKC Junior Max Club Champion: Matthew Parry
2010 TVKC KF3 Club Champion: Luke Whitehead
Click for larger image...2010 TVKC Junior TKM Club Champion: Brandon Hunt
2010 TVKC Senior Max Club Champion: Chris Lawrence
2010 TVKC 177 Max Club Champion: Ian Rumbold
2010 TVKC KF Clubman Club Champion: Ian Penn
 
The 2010 club Champions will be presented with their trophies at the TVKC Awards Evening held at The De Vere Hotel, Belton Woods, Grantham on 8th January 2010.
 
For more information and ticket orders please Contact Hannah Edwards, TVKC Deputy Competition Secretary by email to
hannah@tvkc.co.uk.

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BPKC Summer Series Finale   (08/12)

The final round of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Series takes place on Sunday 19th December. All ABkC non gearbox classes welcome including bambino and special Christmas fayre and double points are on offer.
 
Practice is available on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th December between 10am - 4pm. For more information contact Sheila Rose 01634 661604.

For more information and to enter online visit
www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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Formula KGP Winter Races   (08/12)

Trent Valley Kart Club & PFi were delighted to be the place where Formula KGP had its first airing to the UK Karting fraternity.
 
Now TVKC has announced that it will kick off a series of winter races for Formula KGP starting on the 30th Jan, 6th Feb and the 6th March. After that Formula KGP will run through the year during monthly club races at the Lincolnshire track.

Chairman of TVKC Nigel Edwards is delighted to have KGP at TVKC in 2011, commenting "The KGP event which supported the S1 Round in October was a fantastic success and showed us what potential this new class has."
 
"A modern 'hi-tech unsealed engine provides a great base for professionals and DIY engine tuners, its realistic cost and anticipated running costs are a real bonus in our current economic climate. Performance on track has certainly made those who took part in the race smile - and I'm sure there will be many more happy faces in 2011.Vega have embraced the class and will be offering 'state of the art' slick and wet tyres which will make great economic sense as well as offering excellent performance and longevity."

Entries are being taken now along with Club Memberships at 
www.tvkc.co.uk, and there will also be special prizes for Winter Series winners.
 
For more information on Formula KGP visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk.

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Celtic Championships Are On   (08/12)

Llandow Kart Club's Celtic Championships will be held this weekend Sunday 12th December, at South Wales Karting Centre. There are classes for Cadets (Honda & Comer), Junior & Senior Honda, Junior TKM, MiniMax, Junior & Senior Rotax and Max 177.

All classes will have Timed Qualification, heat, pre-final and final. All this for only £45, and if you want to come and practice on Saturday 11th you can do so for only £25 more providing you book before you arrive. There are prizes and trophies in ALL classes, prize for the Best Fancy Dressed Mechanic" and sherry and mince pies (if the Committee haven't scoffed them all before hand).

Come and enjoy the real fun before all that Christmas lark takes over. Call Colin on 07817449617 or see
www.llandowkartclub.co.uk for more details and entry forms.

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Jewelled Steering Wheel   (07/12)Click for larger image...

The team at 'Jewelled Trophies' would like to congratulate the winners of the 'Formula Kart Stars' championships.

The classic wood rimmed steering wheels, encrusted with over 450 Swarovski stones, which constituted the prizes, brought a real sparkle to the presentations which were held at Grosvenor Hotel, London on the 5th December 2010. Paul di Resta presented these prestigious awards.

For further details of the trophies call (+44)7768 127596 or email
jewelledtrophies@anlh.co.uk.

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Ash Hand Lauds CRG   (07/12)

Click for larger image...To be leading the British Championship and elect to switch chassis midway through the campaign is a risky strategy, some might say, and undeniably a bold one - but to do so and then make that chassis work even better than the one you were on before is inspired, and Ash Hand is very quick to pay tribute to the pivotal role played by CRG in his outstanding triumph in 2010.
 
Having begun the year on an Alonso mount - a derivative of the popular OTK brand - Ash rapidly established an advantage over his adversaries in the Junior Max class of the prestigious and fiercely-contested, Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone-backed Formula Kart Stars Championship (FKS), but when his rivals began to eat away at that margin, the highly-rated young Nuneaton hotshot knew he needed to do something about it.
 
Cue the switch to Italian manufacturer CRG, a significant departure from the OTK in many aspects and a kart that - whilst it has achieved tremendous success on the European and international stage - has struggled to gain much of a following on British shores. Ash swiftly demonstrated that such reticence and scepticism from his countrymen has been misguided in the extreme.
 
"At the time, the others were starting to catch me up after the start to the year that we'd had," the 16-year-old recalled, "but when I moved onto the CRG, I just feel it gave me a crucial extra edge over them. It was a massive risk; we could quite easily have fallen off the face of the earth by making the decision we did, and it wasn't an easy decision to make because some people were saying the CRG wasn't as good as the OTK - but we soon found out they were wrong.
 
"People tend to follow each other's lead in karting, and if someone says a certain product isn't good, other people will believe them even if they haven't tried it out for themselves - rumours spread like wildfire. We proved that the CRG is capable of winning races over here, which I don't think all that many people were expecting, to be honest. The kart always performed, and we were fast everywhere by the end."
 
And how, as he wasted little time in both defying and disproving the critics who had chastised him and his P1 Racing team as mad to make such a wholesale change with so much at stake. Conceding that 'it took me perhaps a month to feel fully at home on the CRG', before long Ash was back in his customary position at the front of the field - and even more dominant than he had been before.
 
Click for larger image...Commanding performances at Larkhall in Scotland, Genk in Belgium and an incredible four victories one-after-the-other at Three Sisters near Wigan in FKS and fellow British series Super 1 bore ample testament to the CRG's potential, and meant that come season's end, the Maple Park speed demon was a force to be reckoned with in both national championships as he fairly blitzed the opposition. It was, truly, phenomenal.
 
"I really enjoyed the CRG," enthused the North Warwickshire College student in conclusion. "It's quite simple to set up, and really easy to drive - and by the end we could go to practically any circuit, put the kart down on the track and be fast enough to fight for the win. Once you get it really working for you, I think it's probably the fastest kart out there in the dry or in the wet.
 
"The brakes are amazing; there's nothing else like it for that - they stop the kart so quickly. It took me a while to get used to them to begin with, because most karts' brakes aren't as effective, but once I was, I think they gave me an advantage as I was able to brake half a kart-length later than before, which can earn you as much as a tenth of a second a lap.
 
"We proved that the CRG is good enough to win in Britain, and also good enough to enable us to work our way back to the front of the grid quickly. I think the whole experience really helped to progress me as a driver, and if you are considering trying CRG, then you definitely should. It's a really good kart - and one that you can go a long way with."
 
To keep up-to-date with Ash's latest career news and results, please visit
www.p1r.co.uk, whilst for more information on championship-winning chassis CRG, please go to www.kartcrg.co.uk or contact UK sales and marketing director Mark Collings on 07967 159199.

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Turkey Trot Weekend   (07/12)

Thanks to everybody who made it to a fantastic Turkey Trot weekend at the circuit this weekend. Lee Rennison and his team at the circuit did a brilliant job during the week of clearing the snow and preparing the track, and we couldn't have hoped for better weather over the weekend.

The Awards Presentation and Dinner was held very successfully on Friday evening at the new venue, of the
George Albert Hotel, alongside the circuit. If you haven't already witnessed it, this is a fabulous new facility for accommodation and eating. Congratulations to all trophy winners, and we hope everybody enjoyed the evening, especially the Stiggy Awards and the tandem Space Hopper racing!

The AGM was held the following evening. Thanks to everyone that attended; a number of topics were discussed and if anybody else has any comments about how they would like to see the club being run, please get in touch. We'd like to remind people that the AGM was the deadline for existing pit space holders to guarantee their space for 2011, and for 2010 members to retain preferred race numbers. All other pit-spaces and race numbers are now available on a first come first served basis.

A number of fun events were run on the Sunday itself. The day began just before Drivers' Briefing, with Ian Rennison and club Starter, Paul Skipp, taking to the track on a pair of karts modified especially for the occasion by Club Chairman Mike Wellington, and committee member Derek Hunt. See Tel T's website at
http://www.teltphotography.com/K-CPKC-051210-FUN.aspx for the hilarious results.

Like last year, Wheelie Bin races were held during the lunch break, and after the finals, and were enjoyed by all taking part (
photos).

The rest of Tel T's photos from the day can be found
here, and photos from the Awards Evening can be found here. Please remember that the thumbnails on Tel T's website are for viewing only and must not be copied to Facebook etc. Orders can be placed at http://www.teltphotography.com, including emailed copies of images.

Results from the day are available at
http://kartrac.es/Round132
.

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LT Motorsport Drivers Excel   (06/12)

LT Motorsport is delighted to announce that 3 of its team drivers became club champions at Whilton Mill this weekend with Chris McCarthy winning the Junior Rotax Championship, Matt Barnes winning the Rotax 177 Championship and its newest driver James Webb becoming the Mini Max Champion.
 
Chris McCarthy needed to achieve a clean last round to secure the Junior Rotax title which was within his grasp, but instead of just aiming for points he decided to finish in typical McCarthy style, pushing throughout the weekend and lining up on the front row for the final.  Chris performed outstandingly all weekend and is thoroughly deserved his championship win.
 
Matt Barnes was lying in 2nd place before the final round and needed to put in an extra special performance if he was going to win the Championship.  Matt drove hard all weekend to achieve a win and two 2nd places in the heats and started on pole for the Final.  He still needed to win the Final to win the Championship but he didn't let the pressure get to him and led from lights to flag to secure his amazing Championship winning result.
 
James Webb proved that he is a fantastic new addition to the team and joined us leading his class but still needing to achieve a strong result for the weekend in order to win the Championship.  We are delighted that he managed to this and look forward to working with him as he sets his sights on Championship win number two next year.

Team owner Lee Torrie commented at the end of the weekend that despite challenging weather conditions all the drivers in the awning excelled and achieved personal bests.  He congratulated all his drivers for their efforts and achievements this season.
 
Good luck to those drivers whose championships are still to be decided at Kimbolton in December.
 
For more information about LT Motorsport please visit
www.ltmotorsport.com or contact Lee Torrie by email at info@ltmotorsport.com, or telephone 07921 079766.

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New Governance Structure   (06/12)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has restructured the governance of UK karting, with the implementation of the new Kart Committee from January 2011.

The formation of the Kart Committee follows the recent Karting Review, which highlighted a need for regional representation within the MSA structure.

The Kart Committee will be chaired by MSA General Secretary Rob Jones for its inaugural year and will comprise the following regional delegates:
- Midlands: Terry Bateman and Graham Smith
- South West and South Wales: Ian Rennison and Ron Shone
- South East and East Anglia: Chris Pullman and Colin Wright
- Northern England and North Wales: Malcolm Fell and John Rogerson
- Scotland: Fraser Hallhouse and Clive Steyn
- Northern Ireland: Keith Wilkinson and Paul Fullerton

Russell Anderson will be the representative of the Association of British Kart Clubs (ABkC) which will hold a seat on the Kart Committee for the first three years.

The Kart Committee will be supported by Sub-Committees of Kart Sporting and Kart Technical. The Sub-Committees will be chaired by Rod Taylor (Sporting) and MSA Technical Executive John Ryan (Technical), who will also have a seat on the main Kart Committee.

MSA General Secretary and incoming Kart Committee Chairman, Rob Jones, said: "Karting is the bedrock of UK motor sport and it is essential that the MSA ensures that the Kart Committee represents everyone in karting. We believe that the revised structure will build further on the considerable success of karting in the UK."

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Kart Licence Regulation   (06/12)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has issued a Regulation clarification regarding licences for entrants of karting minors.

Elements of Regulations U14.1 and U14.1.5 were inadvertently published in the 2011 Competitors' and Officials' Yearbook and are not scheduled for implementation until 2012 at the earliest.

Amended versions of the Regulations in question, as they should have appeared in the 2011 Yearbook, can be accessed by clicking
here
.

The Motor Sports Association would like to apologise for this oversight and any inconvenience caused.

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Mojo Tyres Available   (03/12)

Delta Karting have Mojo tyres available now, ready for pre season testing and racing in 2011.
 
Mojo D1 slicks @ £119.85 inc VAT & delivery (to mainland UK only).
Mojo D2 slicks @ £119.85 inc VAT & delivery (to mainland UK only).
Mojo W2 wets @ £139.82 inc VAT & delivery (to mainland UK only).
 
The new Tony Kart EVRR is now in stock too.

We also have the complete range of Tony Kart spares available - call us for your OTK Christmas discount!
 
For further information or to place an order, telephone 01792 792485 or 07970 524150 (mobile).

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Llandow Kart Club   (02/12)

Due to the weather conditions the 2010 Celtic Championships have been postponed from Sunday 5th December until Sunday 12th December.

This event is open to all ABkC classes and will comprise of Timed Qualification, Heat, Pre-Final and Final. There are trophies and prizes in all classes. Entry fee is £45 for non members, £40 for members. If you enter and pay before you can practice all day Saturday for only £25 (practice will be run in sessions).

For further details contact Colin on 07817 449617 or visit
www.llandowkartclub.co.uk
.

Come to Llandow for a great weekends racing and let your partners have a great weekend's shopping in Cardiff!

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Casey Stoner Chooses KGP   (01/12)

The new Honda factory rider in MotoGP, Casey Stoner, in recent days has picked up in person at the headquarters of Birel, a 2011 Birel chassis equipped with the BMB Kart Grand Prix engine.

The Australian is  a big fan of karting and he has chosen Birel/BMB to train during the winter, but mostly for fun, as he himself points out:

"Driving a kart racing gives the incredible satisfaction and is great fun. Karts are driven by instinct, like a motorcycle, and for that I like it very much.
 
To enjoy this passion I have chosen a Birel kart because it was recommended by some friends, but also because, after meeting Ronni Sala, he has been very kind to me, giving me all the support necessary to which I am very grateful.
 
My first day of testing was in Lonato, it was fantastic. In the late afternoon, they had to turn on the lights because I didn't want to get off my kart! I am thrilled that I have used the Birel kart as it is very sophisticated but also easy to take to the limit. The BMB is an  excellent engine that has proved very powerful and has fantastic torque."

On the day of test in Lonato, Stoner learnt the track well, despite the low temperatures, he quickly found the right feeling with the carburettor, adjusting the settings to perfection.

Stoner completed about 80 laps, achieving some good times times when the track dried, his best being a 45.8. 

You can sure he will be back on the track soon!

For more information on Formula KGP visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk.

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Innovative New Racesuit   (01/12)

Click for larger image...To coincide with the launch of the brilliant Racer EVRR, Tony Kart has designed stylish new kit to complete the look.
 
Manufactured in partnership with Sparco - the world-renowned leader in motorsport racewear - the OTK Kart Group's design team has again created a product that offers unrivalled performance and comfort whilst meeting all the CIK-FIA's safety criteria.
 
Key features include:
- X-Light fabric. Ultra lightweight, waterproof, breathable and abrasion resistant.
- Flat seams on the waist and back to offer maximum driving comfort and performance
- Special air intakes on the shoulders, elbows and legs for better transpiration
- Internal reinforced protective gussets for increased durability
 
The new racing suit (product code: 0168.H) is on sale now at Strawberry Racing, and available in Kids (In sizes 0 and 00), Teenagers (Sizes 1, 2 and 3) and Adults (From size 46 to 62).
 
It is also cheaper than the previous model, retailing for just £350 plus VAT.
 
For more information on the new Tony Kart racesuit and Racer EVRR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933.

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Free UK Mainland Postage   (30/11)

As a huge thank you to all their customers new and old, Kartpartsuk is offering free delivery on all their orders to UK mainland addresses. Kartpartsuk have one of the widest stock choices available in the UK and offers a free next working day delivery service. They stock everything from complete karts to Arai helmets which are still being offered at a fantastic price including the new CMR helmet, beat the price increase due 1st December, 2010. Kartpartsuk are also running their superb offers on a range of products from kartmania through to the 31st December 2010.
 
Kartpartsuk are also stockists of the championship winning Gillard range of karts including the all new Cadet kart, the '110'. The 010 V2s kart had huge success here along with 010B winning numerous Super 1 rounds along with winning the European championships in seniors and runners up in juniors. With these titles both being won on the Mojo tyre it all looks good for the 2011 season. The all new Cadet 110 has been ballistic in all testing and promises to be every bit as successful as the rest of the Gillard karts. If you would like any information on any of the Gillard kart range mentioned or spares then please contact us on 01775 712633, email info@kartpartsuk.com or visit the website which shows their entire product range - www.kartpartsuk.com
.

Finally everyone at Kartpartsuk would like to thank all their customers and drivers for a fantastic season, and wish them all a Merry Christmas and a successful 2011 season.

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FKS Drivers Visit McLaren   (30/11)

Click for larger image...Eyes widened, jaws dropped and some of Formula Kart Stars most vocal drivers were stunned into silence as Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren Formula One team opened their doors for an exclusive look at their world famous Technology Centre.

All of the 2010 Lewis Hamilton 'True Grit' award winners were joined by the top three finishers in each FKS class for a special guided tour of McLaren's truly spectacular headquarters followed by a chance to quiz the 2008 World Champion themselves.

It's not every day that you get a chance to take a peek around a working Formula One facility but the lucky drivers were shown around the McLaren museum, the usually top secret wind tunnel and development rooms, the state of the art fitness centre and even had the chance to chat to Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren boardroom.

"I really can't thank Lewis and the entire McLaren team enough for allowing our drivers a truly unique opportunity," said FKS series director Carolynn Hoy. "It was incredible to see a Formula One factory at work and it gave all the drivers a real insight into the amount of effort it takes to put two F1 cars on the grid."

Once the guided tour was complete all the drivers had the opportunity to sit down with Lewis and ask him anything and everything from his favourite kart circuit to how he copes with the pressure of life in the F1 fast-lane.

Click for larger image..."Lewis was just fantastic with the drivers," added Hoy. "He was full of helpful advice and stories from his days in karting right up to the last race he did in Formula One. I think all the drivers really learnt a lot of valuable lessons from what he had to say."

During the day Hamilton presented MSA British Cadet Champion Nathan Aston with his prize TAG Heuer watch, one that Aston had worn each time he won a race in 2010 but that he now gets to keep for good. Every driver was also given an exclusive gift bag of McLaren goodies as part of their experience.

Formula Kart Stars would like to thank all the staff at the McLaren Technology Centre as well as Lewis Hamilton for their time and generosity.

For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit
www.formulakartstars.com
.

Photographs courtesy of McLaren.

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The Launch Of H-Kart   (29/11)

Click for larger image...H-Kart are a new, young and dynamic race team based in the North East, built upon a wealth of talent and experience. We are retailers of new and used karts and kart parts, specializing in Gillard products.

We will be competing in the 2011 NKF series as well as local club championships and are looking for drivers at the moment to compete in all Rotax Max classes. If you are interested in driving for the team please contact us on
Info@H-Kart.com
.

Prices start at just £120 for a full weekend of race support. For more information please visit our website
www.H-Kart.com
.

Contact us to become part of the team, and let H-Kart convert your talent into impressive race results.

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Flash Racing Dominate   (29/11)

Click for larger image...The team's most recent outing was to Kimbolton for the remembrance meeting. After a 2 year absence from the track, Nick Wones arrived on Saturday with confidence and a high goal.

During testing on Saturday Nick was lapping at a great pace. In Heat 1 on Sunday, Nick was gridded 24th for his first race of the day, where an outstanding drive saw him come through the field to finish in 4th place. In Heat 2 he was on Pole which he turned into a 1st place finish with fastest lap and secured pole position for the Final.  Nick said "I knew this wouldn't be easy with Micheal Epps on P2, and front runner seasonal regulars all behind me".

Nick performed outstandingly to come home with a win and a fastest lap of 41.73.

Be part of our winning team today, just call us on 01508 548808 and speak to either Gordon Chenery or Nick Wones. As official agents for Gillard, we can offer everything from karts and parts, engine hire, kart storage, and kart preparation, awning space and full technical support.

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Congratulations Nick Arthur   (29/11)

Click for larger image...Mansell Jensen Kart Team would like to congratulate Junior Max team driver Nick Arthur on dominating Shenington's 2010 Club Championship.

The penultimate round of the championship got off to a bad start for Nick after a poor showing in the qualifying heats, and having to qualify through the B final. The 14 year old however showed great determination in the main final against strong opposition, crossing the finish line in 12th place from the back of the grid and securing the title with a round to spare.

Mansell Jensen Team Manager, Jacques Jensen, was delighted with Nick's performance. "Nick has made great use of the Exprit chassis and Revolution prepared engines this season. The championship win has come as a result of very hard work from the team and Nick has been the man to beat since winning 3 of the first 4 rounds!"

For more information on the Mansell Jensen Kart Team, please call Jacques on 07543 638542.

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Super Cadet Regulations   (29/11)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has issued final Regulations for the new Super Cadet class, following a successful demonstration race at PF International in October.

The MSA has approved applications for both Formula Kart Stars and the Super One Series to run Super Cadet championships from 2011. Kart clubs may also apply to the MSA to run the Super Cadet class as part of their club meetings.

To date, 17 Super Cadet chassis have been jointly homologated by the MSA and the DMSB (the German ASN); click
here to view the list of chassis. Currently, only steel rear bumpers are permitted for the class, but CIK crash tested rear protection systems will be permitted when available.

Engines that are homologated by the CSAI (the Italian ASN) will be eligible for the class, provided that they are registered with the MSA by the manufacturers by 31 December 2010. The list of MSA-registered engines will be published and updated on the MSA website.

Exceptionally, the MSA can confirm that any drivers currently competing in Junior classes will be permitted to revert to the Super Cadet class in 2011 if they fall within the eligible age range.

MSA General Secretary Rob Jones said: "The Super Cadet class is designed to address concerns about young, lightweight drivers stepping into classes with adult-sized equipment too soon. The demonstration race at PF International showed that the class fulfils this objective, and so we are pleased to be able to release the final Regulations package for 2011."

To view the final Super Cadet Regulations for 2011, please click
here
.

As Super Cadet is a development class, the Regulations may be subject to amendment during the course of 2011. Any such Regulation changes will be published on the MSA website.

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2011 Alonso Kart Arrives  (26/11)

The wait is finally over for the much anticipated arrival of the 2011 Alonso chassis! The new revised sticker kit will certainly stand out against the crowd with its sleek, colourful, distinctive design.

New improvements include a chrome round steering wheel complete with fixing bracket for a Mychron, Unipro or PI system, an improved frame design and new shaped fuel tank.

Get yourself noticed on the 2011 Alonso chassis, now in stock at DHR.

Buy now before the VAT rise in January and save £££££. Part exchange of your existing chassis is also available, contact DHR for details.

DHR are offering test drives on the new chassis immediately, to arrange a test or for more info please call Dan on 07960047810 or email
dan@danhollandracing.co.uk, web: www.danhollandracing.co.uk.

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Jack Aitken Dominates   (26/11)

Click for larger image...The World finals of the Rotax Max Challenge held at the prestigious La Conca circuit in Southern Italy were dominated by Jack Aitken in the Junior category.  The Rotax World Finals are the biggest kart meeting of the year attracting over 250 drivers from 60 countries and six continents.  Driving a kart provided by Rotax Jack won every heat to claim pole position for the pre final.  A brilliant victory in that race gave him pole for the World Finals and total dominance was only prevented by an incident half way through the final leading him to crash out.  Still after hitting the barriers Jack returned to the track to set fastest lap by a comfortable margin.
 
Jack's Protrain Racing team had prepared for the meeting in the utmost of detail, testing and training Jack at the track for a week on the same Sodi Karts that were provided by Rotax.  He and the team continued to use the kart at club meetings in the UK despite its lower relative performance to his normal Gillard kart.
 
From this testing and knowledge Jack and the Protrain Team were able to set the pace in testing despite the new Mojo tyres that Rotax introduced for the meeting meaning a different set up was required but could be arrived at using the latest pi data logging and set up feed back.
 
Jack was quickly on the leader boards in timed practice and just after he had set the pace he ended up being launched into the air after a driver had stopped on the racing line but, despite missing the important final laps, it still gave him third position and a front row start in every heat.  These he duly converted into victories despite being pushed back to seventh at the start of his third heat.
 
The Pre final saw Jack leading most of the time, his pace and race craft keeping him in front after a long testing race.  The final looked good, after leading for nine laps, Jack dropped back to second for two laps but was obviously much faster and whilst trying to retake the lead for hopeful victory there was a collision and Jack disappeared off the track and into a wall.
 
It was such a shame, Jack and the Protrain Racing team had totally dominated the meeting and deserved the victory but that is motor racing.  After a successful year in the UK and European Championships everyone is hopeful of returning to the World Finals and working for victory in 2011.

For further information on Protrain Racing contact Gary Chapman on 01280 814774, 07802 966064, or email
protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Double Savings At THC   (26/11)

The Helmet Company is pleased to announce that it is still offering its fantastic Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum packages on the latest Arai helmets. Even the CMR approved Arai CK6 is also included within these fantastic offers!

Buy now before the 1st of December and take advantage of the current low prices as there's an Arai helmet price increase on all products from 1st December. Double the saving as you're probably aware the VAT rate increases on the 1st of January so there's not a moment to lose!

All your racing needs are now catered for with our great selection of big brand names featuring boots, gloves and race suits. Buy next year's race wear at this year's prices! See our website for details.

For more information visit
www.thehelmetcompany.co.uk or alternatively call The Helmet Company direct on 01952 262024.

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TMR Development...   (26/11)

With another year of national competition at a close, the TMR Development "works" setup looks to prepare for more success in 2011 and improve on top seeds in both FKS and Super One. Drivers Zubair Hoque and Ryan Norris achieved podiums, set fastest laps and lap records but now look to a new challenge in Junior Max. Norris, in his first outing in the class took victory at Rowrah last weekend with Hoque also showing promise. Rookie Andrew Finn, after a difficult first year now looks to step it up a gear for another season in Minimax, utilising valuable data obtained throughout 2010 and access to some of the best equipment in the UK. Recent signing, Liam Murphy, looks to take advantage of working with his new team mates through the winter, having already seen his performance improve in a relatively short period.

Almost seven years since its inception, the TMR Development setup has grown from its club racing roots to a national front running outfit and has remained a family run business throughout. Based in the North West of the UK, only 15 minutes from Three Sisters in Wigan, the team has recently relocated to new premises. Soon to boast its own dyno facility and chassis alignment service, the workshop will offer competitively priced services to the general karting public as well as team drivers. Different levels of service are available to drivers, with the more popular "works" service designed specifically to suit those wanting to race at the very front, offering a complete arrive and drive service at an affordable monthly cost - no more paying for the team's hotel bill and nights out!

By running the club and works teams independently each driver works to specific goals in an environment best suited to their needs. Our goal is to provide ongoing support whilst keeping numbers down as well as cost. Although running near full capacity, there is the opportunity for new drivers wanting a top service at club or national level. To discuss the options available simply contact team manager, Chris Norris on 07850 015406 or by email on
tmrdevelopment@hotmail.co.uk.

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Prima Racing Comer Team   (26/11)

Prima Racing is looking good in Comer on the Zip chassis for 2011 with team places still available. The team have been having a great few months in both the Comer and WTP classes recently and are looking challenge for titles.
 
The team has recently started using the Zip chassis in the Comer cadet class and has not looked back since. In his first outing on the kart, Dan Zelos qualified on the front row at the last round of the FKS championship at Ellough Park. He has then gone onto challenge for wins at PFI in October and November and Ellough Park in October as well as being the pace setter in tests at Whilton Mill.
 
Last weekend at Shenington, Dan Zelos was the class of the 52 strong field on his first visit to the circuit - a 4th from grid 15 in heat1 with fastest lap and a convincing win by 4.7seconds in heat2 (again with fastest lap) gave him grid 2 for the final. Dan quickly came through to lead the race at the start of lap 3, then set another fastest lap in his efforts to break the tow. He was unfortunate to lose the lead with 2 laps to go and despite a valiant effort around the outside across the line he finished the weekend with an excellent second place just 0.02seconds shy of the win.
 
The WTP team has also been going strong and had a good outing at PFI in November with Tom Day coming home in 2nd place, again being the quicker driver on the day but unable to find a way past the eventual race winner Sean Gee (now also a Prima Driver in the Super Cadet class). Gaby Weyer finished in 4th place and Tommy Weyer overcame engine problems in the heats to finish a creditable 10th place with the ever improving Bryony King just missing out on the Novice trophy and starting to shake up the full plate racers.
 
To enquire about the remaining places in the comer team or for more information on Prima Racing, contact Neil Berryman on: 07939 162368 or email:
prima.racing@hotmail.com
.
 
Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Tony Kart Unveils Racer EVRR   (26/11)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing is delighted to announce the arrival of the stunning Tony Kart Racer EVRR chassis.
 
The new kart is an evolution of the enormously successful EVR and features several notable developments; including a new petrol tank, bearing carriers and steering wheel.
 
The petrol tank is now flatter and more compact, creating a lower centre of gravity and better weight distribution.
 
The frame, composed of 30mm molybdenum chrome tubes, offers front and rear height adjustability, along with a huge range of caster and camber change options. The EVRR's new one-piece bearing carriers have stronger structural stiffness and offer a number of fixing points for seat stays - allowing a greater range of seat adjustments.
 
Click for larger image...Such have been Tony Kart's efforts to optimize every part of the kart, that even the steering column supports have been redesigned. The steering wheel also boasts a bold new appearance. The new model has a flatter bottom, improved material for better grip and feel, plus four spokes that create a new data logger holder. Three different versions have been designed for use with AIM, Unipro and PI dashboards.
 
To complement the innovations introduced on the EVRR, Tony Kart has also designed new, wind-tunnel inspired graphics which further gives it a bold, exciting look - in the paddock and on the track.
 
The Tony Kart Racer EVRR is suitable for all Rotax and KF classes and is available from £2,835 + VAT.
 
For more information, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk       

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Super Cadet & Formula KGP   (26/11)

Click for larger image...Super One Series are proud to have been selected by the MSA to hold a Super Cadet and Formula KGP championship in 2011.  The seven round series will kick off at PF International on 25 - 27th March but you need to get in quick to reserve your favourite competition number, it's first come, first served for 16 - 99.  Registration forms are available for download on the www.s1series.co.uk website at this link: http://www.s1series.co.uk/competitor-info/forms/Forms%20Listing/RegistrationForm2011.pdf.
 
After a very successful demonstration race with 19 competitors at the Super One Series meeting in October, the MSA has given a full go-ahead for the new Super Cadet class, and awarded S1 one of the only two approved national championships.  Even more raced in the U.K. inaugural Formula KGP demonstration race at the same meeting, and Super One Series has now been awarded the sole approved championship series.  Super One's Marketing Director John Hoyle said: "We are honoured that Andy Cox and Paul Deavin, the instigators of Formula KGP in the U.K., have chosen Super One to be their partners in this exciting new venture and we are sure it will be a great success.  Super Cadet is completing the line up for our young drivers, providing a performance bridge from Cadet to KF3 and the other Junior classes.Click for larger image...  In years to come I am sure we'll find some future motor racing champions will have progressed through the Super Cadet ranks in Super One, just as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton did in Cadets."
 
The technical regulations for Super Cadet will shortly be available on the MSA website,
www.msauk.org, and the 2011 technical regulations for Formula KGP are available on the Super One Website by going to 'Competitor Information', then 'Forms for Competitors'. Further information on approved karts and engines for Super Cadet will also shortly be available on the MSA website.  Drivers who have already moved up to Juniors will be able to revert to Super Cadet during 2011, provided they are in the appropriate age range. 
 
Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Salutary Lesson For Parry   (26/11)

Click for larger image...British number one Matthew Parry has vowed to learn from a frustrating end to his karting career and use it to his advantage as he makes the move to Formula Ford in 2011 with Fluid Motorsport Developments and Van Diemen running a driver development programme on behalf of a team in a higher formula.
 
Having confirmed his reputation as one of Britain's leading kart racers by claiming a second national title in two years, the 16-year old returned to the international stage determined to go one better than his second place in the 2009 Rotax World Finals, but an intensive college and Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence timetable meant that he started the week-long event giving ground to rivals who had been able to test the single-spec Sodikart and/or race at La Conca prior to the finals.
 
Despite improving throughout the few pre-event practice sessions, the Briton remained well adrift when the times were posted, resulting in a career-low 27th position, and his tough weekend didn't get any easier when he was taken out at the opening corner of heat one, finishing an unrepresentative 29th.
 
His luck refused to change later in the day, as he was again the victim of an opening lap incident, but the Briton battled back and managed to post the fastest lap of the race before crossing the line in 15th position. The crucial third heat yielded a top ten result, but the damage was already done, and he duly found himself in the last-chance race for the first time in his career.
 
A good start from fourth on the grid boded well for Parry's chances of making it through to the main event, but he again found himself the victim of someone else's accident, leaving his kart beyond repair, and the Briton a spectator for the rest of the weekend.
 
Vowing to take the disappointment on the chin as he looks to Formula Ford in 2011, the teenager has already had fruitful test outings with Van Diemen works team Fluid Motorsport Developments, and Lindsay Allen's squad has targeted him to lead a prominent new young driver development programme forged with an organisation further up the racing ladder.
 
Parry will continue his testing programme at both Oulton Park and Rockingham in the coming weeks.

Photograph courtesy of Graham Smith/TSR Productions.

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George Switches To TKM   (26/11)

Click for larger image...After George Thomson's successful short 2 years Racing in Honda Cadet, George has chosen to move up to TKM junior 2 Stroke with a TAG version engine to compete in this fast, exciting and highly competitive class. Yet another young driver making the right choice and moving up into the TKM class that will give him close racing at an affordable cost and with a level playing field! Watch out for young George over the next few years as a possible rising star!
 
On another note Forest Edge are now fully behind TKM, both for Juniors and Extreme Seniors, and are forming new grids for next year! With a dozen Dads already committed and another half dozen now considering TKM from other classes, it looks like Forest Edge will be busy for TKM. Tal-Ko Racing have already committed to supporting their club champs with prize vouchers, etc.
 
For more information on Forest Edge Kart Club visit
www.fekc.co.uk
.

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RL's 2011 Line Up...   (25/11)

With a large proportion of the RL Racing Dept's 2009/2010 drivers re-signing for the upcoming 2011 season, the Eastern Tonykart team have only 1 drive left! The drive is open to Mini, Junior, Senior or 177 Rotax for the S1 & FKS championships, with all relevant testing and club races included.
 
With strong pace and results over the past few weeks since ending the year Vice-British Champions in Mini & Senior Max, the squad look set to continue their success into the new year.
 
To be a part of this success story, contact us on the following...
 
For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

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December DKRC @ Lydd   (25/11)

Click for larger image...Time is fast rolling towards the final meeting of the 2010 year for the Daytona Kart Race Club at Lydd. Having witnessed a fantastic year's racing so far at the Kent circuit, the club are keen to see a great turnout for the next meeting to finish the year off in style.
 
Since the inception of the club back in July, when the circuit made the bold move from non-MSA sprint meetings to fully supported MSA meetings, the racing has gone from strength to strength - particularly the ProKarters who, this year so far, have provided packed grids and some great battles out on the track.
 
The club would like to thank its existing members and local drivers, who have embraced the switchover to MSA racing and really made the year one to remember. The club would also urge anyone wanting to race a fantastic track with friendly staff, a great atmosphere in the paddock and fees that won't break the bank, to come down on the 12th December and give it a go!

Racing is great value with Saturday practice £30, Entry Fee £30 for members - and membership is only £10. Entries are due in no later than the Wednesday before the meeting, and should be sent to the Entries Co-ordinator, Daytona Lydd International, Dengemarsh Road, Lydd, Kent, TN29 9JH.
 
Click for larger image...Honda Cadet, Comer Cadet, WTP, Mini-Max, Junior Max, Junior TKM (2 and 4 Stroke) and  Junior Formula Blue, Senior Max, Formula Blue, KF1, KF2, TKM Extreme, Biland, Prokarts and modified Prokarts are all welcome at the track.
 
Live timing, a cafe serving hot food all day, race commentary, indoor toilet facilities, spectating opportunities from the Clubhouse, pit wall and an outdoor decking area overlooking the track all make for an enjoyable day for the whole family at Daytona Lydd International.
 
If you are new to racing, the club and circuit can help to organise ARKS testing at the circuit itself with friendly and professional staff on hand to guide you in the right direction.
 
The circuit is more easily accessible than you may think, only 25 minutes from M20 Junction 10 at Ashford, and with major roads marking the route up until Lydd itself.
 
A new dedicated website for the DKRC at
www.dkrc.org.uk is now up, but is very much work in progress. Competitors can download club application forms and race entry forms from the site and shortly will be able to view all the information that you could need - including weather updates, race reports, leader boards, technical info etc. Call us on 01797 321895 for more information or drop by to pick up an information pack at the circuit.
 
Full results are available courtesy of MyLaps at
www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=594977
.
 
Photographs courtesy of
Martin Webb
.

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MT Motorsport Helmet   (24/11)Click for larger image...

Rogue Racing Ltd now have the new MT Motorsport Helmet in stock - approved for Karting and Car Racing/Snell 2005.

Included in this very special package is a helmet bag and an Iridium visor. The cost is just £165 + VAT with a special introductory offer of £10 off!

We're also offering £20 off our range of Arai helmets including the CK-6 (Junior Helmet) and SK-6. Also available are visors and accessories at competitive prices.

For more information or to order contact us on 01296 330567, email
enquiries@rogueracing.co.uk, or pop in to see us at Unit 11, Pembroke Road, Stocklake Industrial Area, Aylesbury, HP20 1DB.

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Karting Green Paper   (24/11)

The Kart Sporting Committee has issued a discussion document outlining a number of proposals and considerations that it believes will help to shape the future of UK karting.

The Karting Green Paper was originally conceived in 2008 but did not proceed past the draft stage, as the MSA then announced its own review of karting. Following the conclusion of the MSA review and the subsequent restructure of the governance of the sport, the Motor Sports Council requested that the Kart Sporting Committee revisit and update its original document for wider publication.

"There was a great deal of work put into this document originally," says Rod Taylor, Chairman of the Kart Sporting Committee. "It was designed to be radical, to raise the issues that everyone in the sport was aware of, but that no-one seemed prepared even to discuss, let alone address. Unfortunately, instead of taking it as a discussion document, it was rejected out of hand which led the MSA to instigate its own full-scale review of karting.

"Now the restructure is under way, the Motor Sports Council has asked Kart Sporting Committee to reconsider the original paper, to update it where necessary and to circulate it for wider consideration. The Committee is delighted to do so and we hope that these thoughts may stimulate the debate that will lead to a fundamental re-evaluation of karting and secure its future growth and development."

In order to ensure the fullest possible debate, the MSA will attend a series of regional meetings during the first quarter of 2011 to discuss the Karting Green Paper and other issues with kart clubs and other organisations involved in the sport. Please
click here to view the Karting Green Paper. Comments must be submitted to kart@msauk.org by Monday 17 January 2011.

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Tony Kart Racer EVRR   (24/11)

The Kart Shop at Buckmore now have the new 2011 offering from Tony Kart on show, and orders are now being taken.

With the winter firmly here, The Kart Shop is offering some special deals on a Winter service from a strip clean and check over to a chassis strip and powdercoat.

Visit The Kart Shop at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit, or contact us direct on 01634 672256 for details.

More information on the range of products is available at
www.thekartshop.co.uk.

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KartMania Honda Challenge   (23/11)

The 2011 KartMania Honda Challenge, launched at the KartMania show in Coventry earlier this month, has received a fantastic response and now has enough confirmed drivers to ensure the championship goes ahead next season!

There's more good news too - the organisers are looking to include a Heavy class (within the same grid as the main championship) if enough drivers express their interest.  The weight is set at 175kg, but 180kg or even 185kg could be run.  You asked for it, so get your registration forms off now so organisers can plan for the new season and make the only national Honda Sprint series a success!

Dates for 2011 are as follows, and you can keep up to date and get registration forms from the website at
www.kartmania.co.uk/KartMania_honda_sprint_challenge.html
.
 
April 10th - Kimbolton
May 8th - Clay Pigeon    
June 19th - Llandow (double Header)
July 24th - Fulbeck  
August - 14th - Rowrah
September - 25th Whilton Mill

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Bambino & Honda Cadet   (22/11)

Click for larger image...Mectech Motorsport has Bambino karts available for Christmas delivery. The British manufactured kart, designed for 5-8 year olds, features a Honda 4-stroke engine with adjustable steering column and pedal positioning for the shorter driver. The karts come complete with seat, tyres, chain guard and bodywork, factory assembled, for just £1095 + VAT.
 
The new 2011 "Pro Garda 7" chassis - engineered for the Honda Cadet class - are also available. The chassis has shown great pace obtaining various fastest laps and podiums over the last couple of months. The team will be attending the Bayford Meadows club meeting with a test kart.
 
For Enquires and more information, or to arrange a test day on the "Pro Garda 7" chassis, contact Bradley on 01277 372848 or email
Mectechmotorsport@live.co.uk
.

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Formula KGP   (19/11)

Date: Saturday 4th December 2010
Venue: Whilton Mill Circuit Northants
Time: 10.00am 'til 3.00pm

Click for larger image...Formula KGP is offering a test day to anyone who is interested in this new exciting Formula for the 2011 season. Each test slot will consist of a 15 lap sessions and each slot must be pre-booked by calling the KGP Office on 01527 882981 before the 1st of December 2010.

Each slot will be charged at £20 and if, after the test day, you order a KGP engine then your £20 will be refunded. Alternatively if you are a club member of either Buckmore Park, Clay Pigeon, Kart Racing Promotions Club, Hooton Park, Manchester and Buxton (Wigan), PFI (TVKC), Larkhall (WSKC), Shenington KC and produce your club membership card on the day the session slot will be free of charge. Drivers must be 16 years old in 2011 to be eligible to test.
 
Formula KGP has been granted National Championship status by the MSA with the Super 1 series for 2011 - see
www.s1series.co.uk. Plus, the class will also run at monthly club races at Buckmore Park, Clay Pigeon, Hooton park, Three Sisters, PFI, Larkhall and guest races at Shenington.
 
So you have heard all the hype and all the old wives tales, now come and see the facts for yourself and try Formula KGP - you won't be disappointed and you will probably have the drive of your karting life!
 
For more info on Formula KGP visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk, follow us on Facebook, or call the office 01527 882981.

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New Birel Super Cadet   (17/11)

Click for larger image...The 2nd batch of new Birel Super Cadet C28 chassis are arriving soon after the initial stock sold out in just 3 days! Leading cadet drivers like Rory Cuff have already chosen the Birel C28.

The Birel C28 is highly successful in the Super Cadet category in Italy and comes with all the usual Freeline HQ components as used on its bigger brother Birel Motorsport R30 chassis.

The chassis comes complete with Freeline Rims, standard seat, Birel Motorsport Steering wheel and Birel Motorsport graphics pack, Freeline rear pod protection system, castor adjustor, adjustable steering column support and CX brake system for £1695 + VAT.

To reserve yours and beat the VAT increase call the ACR office on 01527 889595 now!

For more information visit our website at www.acrbirel.com

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Rotax Max World Final   (17/11)

Over the past decade, the Rotax Max Challenge, organised in 40 countries across the world, has become one of the most important international karting series. This year, the 11th edition of Rotax World Final will take place at the Circuit International La Conca in Italy.

The 252 drivers, from five continents across the world, are split into four categories:

Junior Max: 72 drivers (aged between 13 and 17)
Senior Max: 72 drivers (aged 15 years and above)
DD2: 72 drivers (aged between 15 and 32)
DD2Master: 36 drivers (aged 32 and above)

The contestants have one randomly allocated chassis per category, with technical modifications prohibited by the regulations. A level playing field is therefore guaranteed and, considering what's at stake, the racing promises to be very competitive and spectacular!

Motors TV will screen a not-to-be-missed 52-minute highlights programme bringing the best action from the World Final on Saturday 27 November at 1pm.

For more information on the channel and full schedule visit
www.motorstv.co.uk
.

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HTR Awning Packages   (16/11)

HTR has awning packages available for the 2011 season for all classes and all chassis to take part in Super 1, Formula Kart Stars, NKF, Rowrah, Fulbeck, PFI and Wigan club meetings.
 
HTR have a large fully equipped awning with excellent facilities and provide a second to none service. We have may different packages available from basic awning space to full arrive and drive. All of which are at very competitive prices.  
 
If you require any further information then please don't hesitate to contact Derrick Hardy - Team Principle on tel 0191 528 9005 or 07836 248459 (mobile), or email
derrick@kart-kart.com
.

You can also visit our website at
www.intrepiduk.com.

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More Success For Grice   (15/11)

Grice Racing has been enjoying tremendous success since the end of the Super1 and FKS championships.

In Mini Max, Ben Hingeley, Jack Bartholomew, Mikey Houghton, Connor Mills and Jack Mitchell have all been setting fastest laps and winning finals throughout the UK. All current drivers have been using our motors set to the new specification and all have enjoyed our latest carb set-up giving more bottom end power and finding it easier to hit the pedal sweet spot.
 
The Junior Max class has been dominated by Grice power throughout 2010, and latest hotshots Harry Crawley, Cody Tree, Ryan Norris, James Singleton, Levi Combes, Bob Thompson, Zubair Hogue, Josh Collings, Jack Taylor and Kieron Gifford are a few amongst many who have chosen Grice power to give them the edge.
 
During the latter part of this season, we have been concentrating on our Senior Max motors with great success. Those present at Genk Euromax would have seen Lewis Plato's domination and pure speed until bending his kart in main final. Wigan Super 1 was also dominated by Mike Epps with pole in qualifying and 2 heat wins, but after getting spun around in pre-final was forced to entertain the spectators with a tremendous fight back through the pack showing amazing power. Other impressive drives at Wigan were Ollie Varney and James Robinson who both finished inside top 10 in the main final, emphasising that our power is available to all of our customers. Since this amazing showing of form, James Darch, Gordon Chenery, Aaron Charles and Adam Shepherd have all been winning races with our new 2010 spec set up.
 
All this development and success doesn't come at a great price as our recession-busting special is still running at the following prices...

Full rebuild inc all bearings, gaskets, labour piston, everything excluding conrod and balance shaft:
Rotax - £340
TKM - £180
Cadet - £160
Dyno run in and power test is £75, carb strip, ultrasonic clean and prepare is £50.
 
Our latest special offer is a brand new unused jag supplied barrel for just £75!
 
Lastly, if you're considering your setup for a 2011 championship, our latest engine/carb hire package will be sure blow you and your opposition away, so please contact us to discuss.
 
If your current engine supplier cannot boast this level of success and prices to match, you can contact us on 01268 727847 or 07768 047253, or email
ricky.grice@virgin.net.
 
Our new website - griceracingengines.com - is online now with plenty of new information available.

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The Driver In Front...   (12/11)

Everyone hits a brick wall sooner or later and you can't always put your finger on exactly where the problem lies; Kart Coach will help you make the break through you need to get your ambitions back on track.  Our structured programme increases confidence, maximises your potential and delivers the performance advantage you need for a successful weekend. Here are a few typical comments from our converts...

"Never seen him so relaxed during a race weekend, we didn't argue, we had fun and we got a result!"
"It's impressive the way you guys made him feel at home."
"He really communicates with the team;  he never listens to me!"
"He just gets quicker every session;  the proof is on the stopwatch."
"I was amazed how quickly he settled in, he's usually a bit awkward meeting new people but he was listening, taking it all in, confident  and doing the times."
Click for larger image..."Can't argue with the results, never seen this  track before and he gets a trophy, we're still smiling." 
"Last month we were no-where; this month, a podium.  He's got his confidence back." 

Professional support you can afford!

The Dad - We'll advise you when to spend your money and what to spend it on; this alone will save you a small fortune. Don't go rushing off to buy new kart/engine/tyres if you don't need them, we'll let you know when it's time to open your wallet. We'll show you how to maintain your kart correctly and set it up for all track conditions. Seat position, chassis alignment (is it bent?). Tracking, toe in toe out camber and castor settings, for wet and dry condition's chain and sprocket alignment, carb settings.

Click for larger image...The Driver - We know how to overcome the barrier that often exists when youngsters meet new people. The shy little lad with the limp handshake who won't look you in the eye on first meeting soon becomes  happy, confident, high fiver with a spring in his step by the end of the day. We'll prepare him or her for their ARKS test if necessary, and ensure they are up to speed for their first race. We'll show them the correct racing line, how to overtake, how to make the best starts and how to win that first trophy.  We'll show them how to move seamlessly from novice to full plates, ensuring they are up there battling in the mid-grid straight away and not languishing at the back of the field.

One to one driver coaching by experts. Relaxed atmosphere, spacious fully equipped awning. Whether you are looking for a big or little step up the racing ladder, Kart Coach can help. All ages, classes and skill levels catered for.

Start on the right track: A cost effective  £169 per weekend! Shenington and Whilton Mill on the 3rd and 4th weekend of each month. However, for December only, Shenington is the 1st weekend of the month.

Visit our website at
www.kartcoach.com or call 07881 908291 for a chat.

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2-In-A-Row For Team TraXXion   (12/11)

Click for larger image...As the Autumn sun rose above the Oxfordshire track, it didn't seem as though it was going to warm the circuit at Rissington by very much. Ice cold wind blew across the circuit making the track stay very 'green' for most of the day!
 
Team TraXXion Junior Rotax drivers Sam Morgan and Scott Rose showed their pace early. Sam setting some blistering laps in The LH1 kart with it's well known livery take from the helmet design of the 2009 Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Scott was also quick but had niggling problems with his electrics that were set to haunt him for the whole weekend! By close of play on Saturday afternoon, it was apparent that Sam was up for the challenge to confirm himself as The 2010 Rissington Kart Club Champion in Junior Rotax. A Championship he had topped from the first meeting, leading on from his dominant form in Minimax during 2009.
 
Opting for 4 meeting old tyres given the track conditions, Sam started heat one on a difficult damp drying track on slicks. Started 10th and making 6 places in the first corner alone he set about chasing the lead drivers and took respectable 2nd. Winning heat 2 confirmed Sam as 2010 Champion. An offer of £5 per place gained towards his holiday fund from Dad saw Sam storming from 21st to 6th in heat 3 securing pole position for the final and £75 in the process.
 
Taking a gamble on tyre pressures made the kart difficult, "It just never really came on" said Sam afterwards. Coupled with making sure there was going to be no contact causing him to be excluded and possibly losing the Championship on the way. Sam put up no resistance to 2 drivers passing him, but wanted to make sure a podium position sealed his weekend.
 
Sam commented, "Other than the final, the kart has been fantastic all weekend. Perhaps a 5th meeting was too much to ask from those tyres as there are virtually no holes left in the rear tyres! I'm over the moon with this season and can only contribute the recent success with the LH. It doesn't seem to matter what the weather throws at us - it works!"
 
If you would like to find out more information about the Lewis Hamilton range of Karts including the exciting new range of LH Bambino, Cadet and Super Cadet karts, book a test drive or find out what Team TraXXion could do for you please contact them on 07835 042083 or
teamtraxxion@aol.com
.

Offering services from awning space to driver training, kart preparation to kart hire, Team TraXXion may be just what you're looking for!

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KF Winter Series/ABkC O Plate   (11/11)

Click for larger image...Following a majority vote by drivers and teams, front brakes in the KF2 class will not be permitted in either the KF Winter Series (incorporating the ABkC O Plate) or the 2011 Super One Series.  The promoters are aware that many competitors are waiting for this decision before committing to the series.  The decision, which has been approved by the MSA, will greatly reduce the cost, especially to new competitors in the class, and more than likely lead to better racing.  All the forms and the amended regulations are available on both the www.sheningtonkrc.co.uk and the www.s1series.co.uk websites.  So don't delay, enter today.
 
The championship is for the international KF2 and KF3 classes and the best driver in each will win the use of the prestigious ABkC O Plate number for the 2011 season. Four rounds will be held, 21st November at Shenington, 7th December at PF International, 23rd January at Shenington and finally 6th February at PFI with the best three rounds to count.
 
Used by the top drivers to keep sharp and prepare for the 2011 British Championships, now in KF2 for the seniors, the series is a great chance to compete against the best and show off your skills. Jake Dennis, now crowned the CIK/FIA U18 World Kart Champion, was the Junior KF3 winner this year, and Jake Lloyd the senior.
 
Remember if a junior is not old enough to compete in the class this year, then registration is still required and entries can be made for the rounds in 2011.
 
Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Vodafone DMAX Championship   (11/11)

Daytona Motorsport would like to congratulate the winners of the 2010 Vodafone DMAX Championships decided at a sunny Daytona Milton Keynes circuit on Sunday. The Endurance Lightweight title was won by Chris Hackworth and the Heavyweight Champion is Chris Carter. The Sprint Lightweight title also went to Chris Hackworth and the Heavyweight Champion is James Brunton. 2nd place in the Sprint Lightweights went to a count back as both Callum Souter and James Pratt ended the season with exactly the same amount of points, but it was Callum who finished as vice-champion due to his superior amount of 2nd places.

Congratulation to all the drivers, here's the top 3 from each class...

Endurance Lightweight:
1st - Chris Hackworth - 400 pts
2nd - Anson Williams - 316 pts
3rd - Hugo Bush - 300 pts

Endurance Heavyweight:
1st - Chris Carter - 390 pts
2nd - David Payne - 311 pts
3rd - Michael Ballinger - 310 pts

Sprint Lightweight:
1st - Chris Hackworth - 1040 pts
2nd - Callum Souter - 979 pts
3rd - James Pratt - 979 pts

Sprint Heavyweight:
1st - James Brunton - 1034 pts
2nd - Chris Carter - 1028 pts
3rd - Neil Fisher - 990 pts
 
Daytona would like to thank all the drivers who took part in some fantastic racing this season, we look forward to making 2011 even bigger and better.
 
We'd also like to thank our partners Vodafone, Demon Tweeks, Amorco Transport, Birel and Rotax for their invaluable assistance in 2010.

For more information on the championship visit
www.daytonamax.co.uk
.

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DHR FA Team Kart Sale   (10/11)

Click for larger image...The official DHR FA Racing kart team is pleased to announce its end of year kart sale. The 2010 Alonso ex team karts have been maintained to the highest of standards! Karts available for Rotax Max, KF and TKM!

DHR have a selection of 10 team karts ranging from 2-20 meetings old. Amongst these include the team kart raced by Sean Babington to Junior Kartmasters Victoy as well as Senior Euro Max Victory at Genk! Also 2 Alonso TKM 2010 karts as used by Randal Lynn to great success with many podium finishes.

All the team karts come as complete rolling chassis with OTK Seat (size to suit), OTK MXP Wheels, Full FA sticker set, Footrest, Magnesium Engine Mount and exhaust brackets as well as all the usual high spec OTK components.

Prices start from just £1100 and all karts are available immediately, so call now to avoid disappointment!

For more info call Dan on 07960 047810, email
dan@danhollandracing.co.uk, or visit our website at www.danhollandracing.co.uk

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BPKC Summer Champs   (10/11)

Round 7 of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Series takes place on Sunday 21st November.  All ABkC non gearbox classes are welcome including bambino.
 
Practice is available on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th November between 10am - 4pm. For more information contact Sheila Rose 01634 661604.

For more information on Buckmore Park Kart Club visit www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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New TKM Wet Cover   (10/11)

Click for larger image...Tal-Ko Racing now sells a very smart carbon fibre look wet cover for the 2 stroke TKM Classes.
 
It is easily fixed to the carb induction box by means of a clever crossed over elastic cable as well as with a cable tie on the lower central lug of the induction box making it very secure and fast to fit!
 
It has been designed to give ample room for gloved hand choking of the induction trumpets as well as good protection from water!
 
It has the TKM moulded at the top to identify the manufacture and quality of this new product!
 
The TKM rules from Jan 1st 2011 have clarified the legality of such a wet cover although most scrutineers will allow it to be used already.
 
It is realistically priced at £22.50p + vat and will be available within the next few days either direct from Tal-Ko (see our website at
www.tal-ko.com for contact information) or your local kart dealer!  

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New Head Of World Karting   (10/11)

Click for larger image...Bahrain's Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, an existing member of Motorsport's governing body the FIA World  Motor Sport Council, has been confirmed as the new President of the FIA's Karting body, the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK). The announcement comes following the meeting of the FIA's General Assembly in Paris on Friday (November 5th). Sheikh Abdulla takes over from outgoing CIK-FIA President Nicolas Deschaux.
 
Incoming President Sheikh Abdulla today said: "I am delighted and honoured to be taking up the Presidency of the CIK-FIA. It is true recognition of the importance placed upon the regions of the world by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, especially with such a vital discipline which sits at the very heart of grass roots Motorsport and is a testament to the diversity of the World Council.

"Karting has a unique role to play in Motorsport, not only as a mature discipline in its own right, but as the very backbone of Motorsport. Many of the world's leading racing Drivers today kick-started their careers through Karting, which still remains the critical route to the pinnacle of motor racing. We have a proud history behind us and, I believe, an exciting future ahead.

"My thanks go to outgoing CIK-FIA President Nicolas Deschaux who has worked tirelessly to develop and promote Karting during his tenure and, in particular, opened a new path for the sport which has delivered robust changes.

"As the International Karting Commission's new President, my aim will be to help further shape and define Karting, not just in its traditional geographies, but further afield too. We have a vibrant and hugely important sport, which not only provides a highly accessible entry point for Motorsport enthusiasts, it provides a spring board for racing Drivers of the future, as evidenced by countless former F1 world champions.

"Karting's continued growth, on a global basis, is essential to increasing awareness, enjoyment and participation in Motorsport and is a fundamental pillar of its future development. FIA President Jean Todt is pursuing a clear vision of the sustainable development of Motorsport, which includes increasing its geographic reach, as well as the continued enhancement of the structures of the FIA, along with a firm commitment to reflecting the role that individual regions have to play in the FIA's development. Karting should be an exemplar in this regard and I welcome the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Karting globally."

The photograph shows (from left to right) CIK President Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, CIK outgoing President Nicolas Deschaux and FIA President Jean Todt.

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Huge Clearance Sale   (09/11)

Dartford Karting are having a huge clearance sale at their old premises in Watling Street, Dartford, DA2 6EP. From 10am - 4pm this Sunday (14th November) we will be offering karts, engines, spares, components, wheels, tyres, 100cc bits, machinery, clothing and more from 1980's Dart karts to 2009 Tony karts - new and used.

There's too much to list fully but you can get more details on our website at
http://www.kartstore.co.uk/news.cfm?story=7.

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Edgar And Cobb Switch   (09/11)

Justin Edgar and Steve Cobb have made the switch to Formula KGP for the S1 series in 2011. After enjoying the first ever Formula KGP race at PFI in October the sparring partners who battled royal through the 2010 177 Max S1 season will be reunited once more.
 
Having the duo in KGP Masters (172kgs division) will surely make for some classic racing in 2011 with Edgar being multiple O Plate and British Champion, Cobb S1 Champion in 2006 and multiple S1 final winner in 2010, KGP Masters has quality written all over it already!

To register for the Super One series in Formula KGP Pro or Masters visit
www.s1series.co.uk
.
 
For more information on FKGP visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on Facebook!

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RL Racing Dept On Top   (08/11)

Click for larger image...In a stunning return to the European Rotax scene the current Vice-British Champions, RL Racing Dept, stormed to victory with Jake Ball in Zuera, Northern Spain last week.
 
With the current Euro Max Challenge top 3 competing at this event, the Suffolk based outfit had their work cut out it would seem at the offset, with no prior testing on the Mojo tyres, front brake system and engine regulations that differ to the UK but drawing upon the experience and expertise that took them to the Euro Max title in 2008 and victories in 2009, they pressed on and with Ball's outstanding talent and determination they took a well deserved win at the flag - his pace showing stronger and stronger as the week progressed.
 
His team mate, Colombian, Tatiana Calderon also made a return to European Rotax competition with the team after a year racing cars in the US. She had torrid heats but climbed from P33 to 12th only to collide on the last lap with 2 others and fall to 19th at the flag. A good warm up race for the young lady ready for the World Finals in Italy next week.
 
In the Junior category, again with no prior testing and even less experienced - the Mini Max duo of Sam Marsh and Josh White stepped up into the faster class and the pace in testing was evident straight away, White posting fastest laps in the last 2 official practice sessions and TQ brought a P4 start, going against the top Euro Max contenders. Marsh was to save his attack for the main final...
 
White took 2nd position in heat 1 but struggled to get to grips after that with the hard wet compound tyre, resulting in a P7 start for the final from where he was pushed of in turn 2, although driving back through to 8th at the flag lapping much faster than the leaders.
 
Marsh made it from P12 right up to 3rd and was taking over 5 tenths a lap from the leaders when he was harshly black flagged. A sour end to what was looking like a definite podium at least.
 
Nevertheless, a good strong showing from the UK outfit so be sure to watch this space!

For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Oram-Jones Signs For RL   (08/11)

UK Mini Max contender, Sam Oram-Jones, this past week signed for the Vice-British Champions RL Racing Dept.
 
His move is intended to bolster his attack on the FKS & S1 series in 2011 and has strengthened the squad's already formidable line-up.
 
This weekend past at PFI was Sam's first outing with the team and was used as an acclimatisation exercise, allowing the two to bond ready for the upcoming season.
 
The team welcome Sam, and Team Principle Steve Armstrong is sure that with the team's guidance they can take Sam to many podiums in 2011.

For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Three Sisters Joins KGP Party   (05/11)

The latest club to sign up to run Formula KGP is the Manchester and Buxton kart club which runs at the Three Sisters racing circuit near Wigan.

The club will run Formula KGP from January 2011, membership and entry forms  are available from
kath@mbkc.fsnet.co.uk
.

"The Three Sisters circuit is one of the historical greats in UK Karting. It will be fantastic to see the Formula KGP going down the famous conrod straight" commented a delighted KGP boss Paul Deavin.

For more information visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kart-Grand-Prix-UK/118241168220144

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Strawberry Reigns In Spain   (05/11)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing dominated the Zuera podium after its drivers occupied four of the six steps available in the Junior and Senior categories at last weekend's (30/31 October) Rotax International Open.
 
Reigning junior Euro Max champion Joel Affolter underlined his quality by topping the rankings after the heats, but had to bow to his team-mate Jack Barlow in the pre-final. The Englishman won in fine style, with the Dutch star claiming 3rd.
 
Their positions were to be reversed in the Grand Final, as Joel made history as the first ever holder of the International Open title. Despite lacking bottom end revs, Jack drove a mature race to make sure he was again among the trophies.
 
Mats van den Brand, Barrie Pullinger, Ed Brand, new signing Berry Torenvliet and junior graduate Jack Marshall contested the senior class for the Tony Kart squad.
 
With the preliminaries completed, Ed had qualified on pole position for the pre-final, with Mats alongside. A controversial decision to declare tyre choice open handed the advantage to drivers at the rear of the field with seemingly nothing to lose. Consequently they gambled on slick tyres, whilst the front-runners erred on the side of caution and chose wet tyres. The track was certainly wet at the start, but quickly began to dry and the slick-shod runners carved their way up the order.
 
As the drivers lifted their karts off the trolleys for the main final, the track was now completely dry, creating a level playing field in terms of tyre choice.
 
From 22nd on the grid, Jack Marshall showed the quality that made him Super 1 vice-Champion as he stormed through to an eventual 4th place. Barrie Pullinger scrapped his way from 21st to 8th, whilst Mats and Ed pushed each other up to 2nd and 3rd. Berry's debut with the team proved to be something of a baptism of fire as the young Dutchman fought hard in the midfield.
 
"It was a quality field, everyone was there" observed Strawberry Team Manger, Warwick Ringham. "Ed and Mats were on top of their game. Jack set the fastest lap, and considering this was his first ever senior race, he did remarkably well. Barrie did very well, taking another top ten finish and Berry learned a great deal - but unfortunately luck was not quite with him."
 
Turning his attention to his junior star, Warwick said: "Joel is a fantastic little pilot. Given the level of success he's achieving, it's easy to forget that he is still very young. He just keeps on getting better. Jack really impressed me with his performance in the wet pre-final. He demonstrated great kart-control, used his head by picking his moment to take the lead and bring it home at the head of the field.
 
All in all, this was a very good warm-up for the World Finals (at La Conca) and next year's British and European championships."  
 
To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of Bas Kaligis.

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Latest Karting Decisions   (05/11)

On occasion of the meetings of 3 and 5 November 2010 in Paris, the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA and/or the General Assembly of the FIA took in particular the following decisions for Karting:

International Karting Commission-FIA:
On proposal of the World Motor Sport Council, the General Assembly of the FIA has designated the President and the Members of the CIK for the year to come.

Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa (BHR) has been appointed President of the CIK and the following countries will be represented within the Commission: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States of America and Venezuela.

The Manufacturers' representative and the Teams' representative will be designated in December 2010 further to the Monaco meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

CIK-FIA Technical Working Group:
With the aim of reinforcing the involvement of Manufacturers in the process of the drafting of technical proposals to be submitted to the CIK Commission and then to the World Motor Sport Council, the composition of the Technical Working Group has been altered by introducing a distinction between Manufacturers, either "A type" (Manufacturers having homologated chassis and engines who in addition can demonstrate that they actively participate in CIK-FIA Championships), or "B type" (Manufacturers having homologated either chassis or engines). The Technical Working Group will comprise 9 members: 2 members from ASNs, 2 representatives of the "A" Manufacturers, 1 representative of the "B" Manufacturers, 1 representative of the tyre Manufacturers, 2 representatives of the Teams and 1 President.

Sporting Regulations:
The format of the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, traditionally held in one single event, will be extended to five events in 2011. The main Karting Manufacturers have committed themselves to participating therein and, with their agreement, the Super KF category will be replaced by a new KF1 category using homologated KF2 engines and with free chassis, brakes and tyres.

Because of its ever more international extension - no longer just confined to certain European countries, a World Cup will be dedicated to the KZ2 category as from 2011. Both 125 cc gearbox categories will benefit by a European Championship henceforth concentrated in one single event and a World Cup.

The eligibility criteria for the different CIK-FIA World Cups (in KF2, KF3, KZ1 and KZ2) have been changed with the aim of extending participation to new countries and of strengthening the Organisers. In order to enter, the Drivers shall prove that they have participated in the 12 preceding months either in a CIK-FIA Championship event, or in a minimum of 3 national events in their original country, or in 3 Zone events in the CIK-FIA category corresponding to that of the World Cup concerned. The latter measure is aimed at reinforcing the development of the CIK-FIA categories via national or Zone competitions.

The European KF2 and KF3 Championships will continue to be held in two stages since their grand final will be preceded by regional selections. The 3 regional qualifying events (Northern, Western and Central) are replaced by two Trophies (Northern and Southern). Participation will no longer be open only to European Drivers but also to Drivers from all continents.

The maximum number of participants in the CIK-FIA Karting Trophy Academy has been increased from 34 to 51 from 2011, while maintaining the principle of granting one kart per nation for Drivers selected by their respective ASNs. Out of the 51 available karts placed on a free basis at the disposal of the participants one kart will be reserved for a lady Driver selected by the "Women & Motorsport" Commission of the FIA.

Technical Regulations:
To avoid finding especially manufactured spark plugs or the sometimes very costly transformation of standard spark plugs aimed at increasing performance or at twisting the regulation concerning the minimum volume of the combustion chamber, a specific article and appendix describing the characteristics of ignition spark plugs has been added to the Technical Regulations.

Technical and Homologation Recommendations for the bodywork of "Minikarts":
To meet the demand of several ASNs and with a view to reinforcing safety and to harmonising national regulations, the CIK-FIA and the Karting Research Group of the FIA Institute for Safety have drawn up Technical Recommendations regarding bodywork for the non-constraining use of ASNs in their national categories for children and youths. The whole required methodology (technical description, mounting, crash-tests, etc.) is inspired by the Technical and Homologation Regulations already existing for bodywork homologated by the CIK-FIA for categories with an international vocation.

2011 CIK-FIA Calendar:
The 2011 calendar of the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies has been voted as follows:

CIK-FIA "U18" WORLD KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP (DRIVERS UNDER 18) & CIK-FIA KARTING ACADEMY TROPHY
08-10/7 - Ortona (ITA)
26-28/8 - Essay (FRA)
TBA (Oct./Nov.) - Bahrain (BHR)

CIK-FIA WORLD KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP (KF1)
19-22/5 - Suzuka (JPN)
09-12/6 - Wackersdorf (DEU)
21-24/7 - Zuera (ESP)
01-04/9 - Genk (BEL)
15-18/9 - Sarno (ITA)

CIK-FIA WORLD CUPS FOR KF2 & KF3
15-18/9 - Sarno (ITA)

CIK-FIA WORLD CUPS FOR KZ1 & KZ2
01-04/9 - Genk (BEL)

CIK-FIA EUROPEAN KZ1 & KZ2 CHAMPIONSHIPS
09-12/6 - Wackersdorf (DEU)

CIK-FIA EUROPEAN KF2 & KF3 CHAMPIONSHIPS
North European Trophy
28/4-01/5 - PF Int'l, Brandon (GBR)
South European Trophy
28/4-01/5 - Varennes s/Allier (FRA)
Finals
21-24/7 - Zuera (ESP)

CIK-FIA ASIA-PACIFIC KF1 & KF3 CHAMPIONSHIPS
01-04/12 - Macau-Coloane (MAC)

CIK-FIA ASIA-PACIFIC KF2 CHAMPIONSHIP
19-22/5 - Suzuka (JPN)

CIK-FIA EUROPEAN SUPERKART CHAMPIONSHIP
TBA (3 events) **

CIK-FIA KF2, KF3 & KZ2 VIKING TROPHY
17-19/6 - Lidköping (SWE)

CIK-FIA KF3 & KZ2 MONACO KART CUP
14-16/10 - Monaco (MCO) *

* subject to the re-homologation of the circuit
** decision on the circuits and organisers will be made by the World Council on 10th December 2010.

All the details of the World Council decisions concerning Karting will soon be available on
www.cikfia.com.

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Subaru Budget Class   (04/11)

After being revealed at the 2010 Kartmania Show, Subaru Junior is generating more and more interest, inviting new drivers into the world of MSA Karting from kart schools across the UK.  It's also proving to be popular with drivers who are karting on a limited budget and cannot meet the costs of entering TKM or Minimax when moving on from a cadet formula.
 
The engine is 9hp and is a sealed unit (by Prokart Engineering) to keep a level playing field across the grid, with the exception of changing the main jet in the carburettor. The class also comprises a weight limit of 135kg and is able to run of Vega SL8's/Mojo Minimax/Junior Max Tyres as they are widely available to the UK, plus any Jun/Snr chassis either second hand or new can be put forward to be used in the class.
 
A special open day as been arranged to try out the engine and talk to the 3 main promoters of the series on Sunday 14th November 2010 at Bayford Meadows Kart Circuit, in Kent.  The cost will be just £15.00!
 
Ambition Motorsport (UK), Project One Racing, and Prokart Engineering will all be on hand to answer any questions and provide information to make sure that you make the right choice in 2011.
 
Please contact either Ambition Motorsport (UK) on 07951 831 236, Project One Racing on 01795 474 720 or Prokart Engineering on 01329 289 783 to book your place.

Buckmore Park, Bayford Meadows and Formula 6 have already indicated their willingness to include the class into their club championships if numbers are acceptable.

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KF Winter Series   (04/11)

Click for larger image...With the first round of the KF Winter Series to be held at Shenington on 21st November, there is still time to complete a registration form and enter. All the details are on the www.sheningtonkrc.co.uk website.

The championship is for the international KF2 and KF3 classes and the best driver in each will win the use of the prestigious ABkC O Plate number for the 2011 season. Four rounds will be held, 21st November at Shenington, 7th December at PF International, 23rd January at Shenington and finally 6th February at PFI with the best three rounds to count.

Used by the top drivers to keep sharp and prepare for the 2011 British Championships, now in KF2 for the seniors, the series is a great chance to compete against the best and show off your skills. Jake Dennis, now crowned the CIK/FIA U18 World Kart Champion, was the Junior KF3 winner this year, and Jake Lloyd the senior.

Remember if a junior is not old enough to compete in the class this year, then registration is still required and entries can be made for the rounds in 2011.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Ambition Organised For 2011   (04/11)

Click for larger image...Ambition Motorsport have been working hard over the 2010 season. Becoming Super 1 Champions in Honda Cadet, helping new drivers from Bambino/Junior Club to get into the sport, and exhibiting at this year's KartMania Show in Coventry where they were on hand to answer questions, offer tuition days and sign up drivers for various championships.
 
The team has gone from strength to strength and now released their 2011 season calendar to meet popular demand. The Ambition Motorsport team will be competing at most Clay Pigeon, Buckmore Park, Bayford Meadows and PF International club meetings as well as supporting the TKM Super 1 Championship (inc. warm up rounds), NKRA Southern Championship and the Rowrah ABkC 'O' Plate.
 
Click for larger image...Classes catered for are Bambinos/Honda Cadet/Subaru Junior/Minimax/Junior Max/Senior Max classes.
 
Ambition Motorsport are also stockists for all OTK Products and Project One cadet karts and parts - a championship winning combination all under one successful race team.
 
To arrange a test or to join the team for your 2011 assault at a circuit/championship nearest to you, please contact Paul Janes on 0795 183 1236 or email
info@ambitionmotorsport.com.  You can also visit us at www.ambitionmotorsport.com to check out results/drivers/latest news/calendar/products.

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New Kart Hand Controls   (04/11)

KartForce hand controls can be quickly fitted and removed from any kart. Our aim is to have these hand controls placed at kart tracks all over the country so injured troops in these areas can just go to their local track and enjoy some karting with their friends and family.
 
If you're interested in purchasing these new design of hand controls contact Dave on
dave@kartforce.org or check our website for more info at www.KartForce.org
.
 
These hand controls will also allow the track to provide karting to other disabled people, and so have the potential to benefit many.

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Gearbox At RaceCar Live   (04/11)

The Long Circuit Racing Kart Club and the British Superkart Racing Club combine to  invite all gearbox drivers to join them to help promote the sport and enjoy a run around the world famous Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on November 20/21st as part of RaceCar Live weekend.

There will be two sessions (AM & PM) on both Saturday and Sunday when a small charge (£30) will levied to help contribute to the cost of putting on the event. It is not compulsory to do both days, one day is fine. There will also be a static display of Karts in the centre paddock. All classes of gearbox karts are invited and you don't have to have L/C bodywork either.

Just come and enjoy yourself and help promote the sport to potentially new people. There are only a few requirements - that drivers should have a gearbox kart complying to MSA regulations, wear a leather suit (we can supply these if required) and be in possession of a current MSA licence.

Contact Ian Rushforth for more details on 01603 746563 or
ian.rushforth@superkart.org.uk
.

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SSR Motorsport   (03/11)

SSR Motorsport are pleased to announce that further to their continued success and participation in the Rotax classes, next year they will also be competing in Comer, Honda and Super Cadet at a club and national level.
 
SSR have chosen to use the successful range of Wright chassis, and will offer full spares and backup to all customers. The Honda Cadet chassis will be on display at the Forest Edge meeting this coming weekend (6th/7th November).
 
The team has over 25 years experience of racing in all classes from club to European level, and can provide a wide range of support packages to suit all budgets.
 
For further information please contact Pat Smith on 07774 626076, or email
ssrmotorsport@btinternet.com
.

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LP Tent At KartMania   (03/11)

Click for larger image...We would like to say a big thank you to Martin and everyone at Kartmania this year - this was our first time showing there and we all had a really enjoyable time. At last we had the chance to show the ZP660 6x6 mtr tent and it drew a great deal of interest from teams and companies who are looking for a stand-alone tent which offers more versatility than their current models. For those who didn't make it we have attached a picture - just wait and see what we are planning for next year! Also very popular was news of our new S50 model due to launch next year - don't buy a 50mm aluminium model until you have seen this one which will also be available in PVC at last!

Next year we will also be launching a new website which will feature all our tents on one site and will make it very easy to buy - this site will also feature an area which will allow you to take advantage of the 15% discount we offer to all fellow Karters without having to call - in the meantime please feel free to keep calling!

We can also announce that LP Tent is intending to take part in Kart Grand Prix next year so expect to see more tents than ever before in S1 - we would like to thank Andy Cox for his enthusiasm and wish him well for the new class.

Finally - to answer everyone who has been asking - the 120 marquees being used by the FIA U18 championship are LP Tents - XP345's in white.

For more information on the range visit www.lptent.co.uk, email us at sales@lptent.co.uk or call us on 01786 449519.

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2011 Karting Calendar   (03/11)

The 2011 version of this popular item (and an ideal Christmas gift!) is now available from Karting magazine.

An A3 size Calendar with a page of colour karting pictures for each month and room to write in your race dates and notes.  Featuring 2010 karting action and sights from Portimao, South Garda, La Conca, PF International, Alcaniz, Genk, Sarno, Braga, Zuera, Val D'Argenton, Wackersdorf and Varennes.

Stocks are limited so buy yours today to avoid disappointment!

You can order securely online at www.kartingmagazine.com, or by telephone on 01689 897123.

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Formula Ford Sampler Day   (02/11)

The MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain will be throwing open its doors to prospective competitors later this month, on the 16th November. The Ford-backed championship's successful annual 'sampler day' will be held at the Rockingham circuit, providing a vital opportunity for karters looking to move into car racing to meet the teams and to drive the cars.

More than 50 drivers attended the exclusive event last season and Sam Roach, of championship promoter RacingLine, hopes for a similar number at this year's event, to be held on 18th November: "We are laying on an open circuit for all the 2010 British Formula Ford teams and it's their opportunity to showcase themselves. We are also inviting aspiring karters to register to attend so that they can meet the teams and sample a modern Formula Ford Duratec car."

The sampler day is open to all drivers aged 16 and over holding at least a kart licence. Prospective participants must register in advance with the championship co-ordinator, Penny Mattocks, on email
p.mattocks@racingline.com. Any karters who are not yet old enough are also very welcome to attend on the day to look around and chat to the teams - indeed, as every year, a group of Kadets will be attending with their parents.

"We aim to make it an informal yet extremely valuable exercise," added Roach. "In addition to the test drives, we will be able to provide all the championship information which competitors, teams and sponsors require to enable them to make their plans."

The newly crowned Formula Ford Champion of Great Britain champions and runner-up will be at the event also to claim their valuable prizes - Formula 3 tests with Team WestTec, the team which this year propelled former Formula Ford champion Callum McLeod to race victories in the F3 Open championship.

More information on the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain can be found via the website
www.britishformulaford.co.uk.

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Lewis Hamilton Kart...   (02/11)

Click for larger image...As the 2010 season draws to a close, the Lewis Hamilton Kart is showing it's metal and starting to confirm it's championship status. Team TraXXion driver Sam Morgan has taken his first club championship of the 2010 season. After dominating the final meeting of the year held by Dunkeswell Kart Racing Club at Mansell Raceway in Devon, Sam confirmed himself as club champion after leading from the first meeting of the year. In mixed conditions throughout the day, Sam proved that the LH kart was fantastic in any weather. Storming from the back of the grid to 3rd place in the first heat on a very 'tricky' drying track on slicks and setting the fastest lap in the process. 2 Heat wins followed, the 3rd being made even more difficult by an early crash halting Sam whilst karts were recovered from the track in front of him. Precision overtaking saw him cross the line first and record yet another fastest lap and securing pole for the A final.
 
A lights to flag drive with Sam only being troubled by second place driver, Harrison Wignall on one lap. Harrison slipped past only to be deposed to second place again at the next corner with one of Sam's trade mark late braking manoeuvres with the LH brakes stopping him when needed. This truly was a championship drive from Sam confirming the honours in the 2010 DKRC Season. Sam commented "The kart was fully planted to the track all weekend. It didn't seem to matter what the weather did, the LH was fantastic in all conditions. I would like to thank Nicky Taylor for the opportunity to represent the LH kart, Steve Ogden for my engines, Team TraXXion for their help and, of course, Mum, Dad and the rest of my family for their continued support. 2010 has been a really good year!"
 
Sam hopes to confirm himself as the 2010 Champion at Rissington, Oxfordshire, this weekend after also leading from the first meeting of the season. "I'm sure the kart will do well at Rissy and produce some more silverware for the team", comments Sam.
 
If you would like to find out more information about the Lewis Hamilton Kart or see what Team TraXXion could do for you please contact them on 07835 042083 or
teamtraxxion@aol.com. Offering services from awning space to driver training, kart preparation to kart hire, Team TraXXion may be just what you're looking for!

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PFI's Series Of Winter KGP Races   (02/11)

Chairman of TVKC, Nigel Edwards, has confirmed to KGP UK that the club will run a series of winter races in January, February and March 2011.

The club was one of the first to sign up with Formula KGP and of course was the venue for the historic first ever Formula KGP race in the UK.

A delighted KGP boss Andy Cox explained "This is just the start to the new year KGP needs, I think everyone was impressed with the first race and we have been flat out on the phones to people ringing in wanting to know where the next race will be! To have the backing of TVKC is an honour, lets hope the snow stays away in the New Year!"

For more information on TVKC or to download a membership and or entry form visit
www.tvkc.co.uk.

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TKM Star Puts On Show   (02/11)

Karting TKM young gun Cameron Leason did something a little different to his usual racing duties when he put on a demonstration run at lunchtime on the Rockingham race circuit last Friday. Cameron was asked to have his Formula TKM TAG kart on display on the day and then was told he could put on a bit of a show on the track at lunchtime which went down well with the spectators and photographers on the day.

The day was a trackday put on by Mazda on Track and partly by Rockingham cars who helped and supported Cameron for his TKM Championship weekend round in October.

Cameron added "it was a great opportunity to say thank you to all my Partners for their support just by having the kart on display and showing it off to people on the day. So to also get the kart out onto the start finish straight to put on a show was a bonus for all and something very unique for a kart racer to do. Rockingham is such a great venue and  also my local race circuit which I am very proud of."
        
Cameron aged just 14 has demonstrated the skills and determination to succeed in motorsport. In just his first  year in a full TKM championship is set to finish in the top ten and now has a great opportunity to compete in the 2011 Super One TKM British kart Championship which F1 star Jenson Button successfully competed in their step towards Formula One. If you would like to Support Cameron for the final or sponsor him for 2011 and would be interested in branding/advertising opportunities please email
nick.njlracing@btinternet.com or telephone 07774 891435.

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Congratulations From THR   (29/10)

THR graphics would like to congratulate many of their customers for the successful 2010 season. Some of the success stories include:
 
Zip Kart RSF - Jake Dennis (Under-18s World Karting Champion, Super 1 Champion - KF3)
Lloyd de Boltz-Miller (World record 24-Hour Karting)
Fusion Motorsport - Tom Harvey (Super 1 Champion, 3rd overall FKS - Comer Cadet)
P1 Racing - Ash Hand (FKS Champion - SNR Rotax)
Jade Kart - James Peace (Super 1 Champion - Junior TKM)
 
Over the 2010 season THR graphics have proven products throughout the Karting paddocks across the UK, and anyone that has used the products and services will understand why. THR's commitment to service and quality along with the keen pricing for both individuals, team and kart manufactures, is why they have become the number 1 choice across the UK. THR are now looking forward to the 2011 season and are gearing up for the influx of new teams and redesigns for the existing customer for the upcoming season.
 
If you are looking for custom graphics that will stand out, then give THR a call on 01656 860006, or email us at
studio@thrgraphics.com.

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Super One Registration 2011   (29/10)

The 2011 Super One Series registration forms are now available on the S1Series.co.uk website here (as a PDF file) and the good news is that there is no price increase!

Competitors will find the Super One Series offers the best value for money of any of the championships. Television coverage continues on Motors TV with free DVD's to the drivers and is coming to Sky.

Two new fixed price classes for Honda Cadet and Junior Max at unbelievable prices come in for 2011. There's another two new classes on offer too, Super Cadet and Formula KGP, so plenty choice in Britain's best  and biggest karting series.

Download a form now, or pick one up at KartMania or Autosport where Super One officials will be on hand to answer any queries.

For more information on the series visit
www.s1series.co.uk.

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Vital Motorsport Results   (29/10)

Vital Motorsport ended their 2010 campaign with strong results in both the Junior & Mini Max categories at Ellough Park during the final round of the FKS Championship.

In MiniMax it was team mates Bobby Thompson and Ethan Patterson who showed raw speed throughout the weekend, unfortunately their result on Saturday did not show their full potential around the tight technical circuit of Ellough Park. Sunday however was another story and would see yet another podium finish for the team and the first of the year for Ethan Patterson, who has only been onboard since the Wigan FKS Round. In his 4 final races Ethan achieved two 4th place final finishes and a 3rd - His best of the season and finished 10th in the championship.  Bobby Thompson finished his difficult season in fine fashion knowing he had to finish well in the final race. Fortunately Bobby crossed the finish line in 4th place giving him a well earned 3rd Place in the FKS championship.

In Junior Max Josh Parker, Archie White & Brandon Grinter all had strong finishes. Brandon finished Saturday with his best final position of the season. Archie had a torrid time on the Saturday and struggled with poor performing tyres. On Sunday showed that the pace shown on Friday proved why he should be at the front. In the final he had another strong top ten finishing position to round his year off in 11th place at his first attempt in the championship. Josh Parker in his final junior race weekend of the year showed speed during Friday though Saturday also had a difficult time and unfortunately did not finish the final. On Sunday however knowing that strong finishes were again required if he too was going to finish well in the championship, resulted in strong heat finishes and 2nd place in the final giving Josh a well earned 3rd place in the FKS Championship.

Again the Vital Motorsport Team had drivers in both Mini and Junior Max on the podium during the same weekend...

Vital Motorsport would like to take this opportunity in congratulating all of their drivers for a truly memorable season full of highs & lows and look forward to even greater results with them during the 2011 season. Opportunities to race with the Vital Motorsport Team are still available though very limited, for further information please contact Gary Rolfe on 07725 367043 or 01525 219852 and you can always stay up to date on
www.vital-motorsport.co.uk
.

Vital Motorsport would also like to show recognition and appreciation to Warwick of Strawberry Racing, Tim, Richard & Steve at Ogden Engineering and Ricky & Mark at Grice Racing Engines and not forgetting Chris Walker of
Kartpix.net for his fantastic pictures!      

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Strawberry Reveals Squad   (29/10)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing has unveiled the drivers who will contest the British Super 1 Championship and selected, key events in the coming season. Once again, it is an exciting blend of promising talents and established, championship and race-winning stars.
 
Highly-rated Harry Webb will lead Strawberry's assault on the Mini Max title, whilst former competitor in the class, Jay Goodwin, graduates to the Junior Max ranks; joining fellow newcomer Nathan Harrison and Jack Barlow - who enters his second term with the Tony Kart team.
 
Also staying on is Super 1 vice-Champion Jack Marshall, who steps up to the senior category for 2011. Strawberry is delighted that Barrie Pullinger has also chosen to remain with the team after a superb campaign that has seen the Essex driver come on in leaps and bounds. John Stewart, the strongest finisher in this year's S1 series - with three wins and a second place in the last four races - comes into the awning for the first time. Along with Barrie and John, Ed Brand will be expected to be a title protagonist. Like Barrie, Ed has taken a win during his maiden senior season and is working hard with the team to launch his bid to lift the title in twelve months time.
 
Team Manager Warwick Ringham says, "I think we definitely have one of the strongest line-ups for next year's championship. It's always important to build on what's gone on before, and of course we had terrific success in 2009 and this year has been even more successful. With this group of drivers, I'm very excited about our prospects."
 
Click for larger image...He added: "Ironically, Harry missed out on the Mini Max title to George Russell. George is moving to KF3 and it is fantastic to have his nearest rival choose Strawberry to go one better with in 2011."
 
Turning his attentions to his Junior drivers, he said: "Since he's come to us, Jack Barlow has really flourished. He is a big, big talent but acknowledges that you have to work at being a top driver. Over the winter, we will be working to make sure that he is again challenging at the front and if we all get it right, go for the number one plate. Nathan and Jay had frustrating seasons but showed great speed and an ability to compete at the front. We will be pushing to improve them in all areas and I believe they have what it takes to consistently deliver the results they are more than capable of achieving.
 
"I can't wait to see them in action," Warwick said of his senior quartet. "All four of them are quality. There's an interesting spread of ages and experience but each one of them is a racer and a winner. Jack Marshall will be eager to prove that he can mix it with the big boys, which Barrie certainly proved this year. He, along with Ed and John will expect to be fighting for the title, so the pressure is on us to deliver. However, the Tony Kart EVR and the engines from Ogden give us a very potent package."   
 
Having wrapped up the Super 1 and Formula Karts Stars titles recently, George Russell is switching to KF3 with Strawberry's sister outfit, the Tony Kart Junior Racing team.
 
For more information about Tony Kart and OTK products, go to
www.strawberryracing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Maxxis Formula TKM Festival   (29/10)

The Maxxis Formula TKM Festival will return home to Kimbolton next year after an enforced three year 'holiday' at Whilton Mill.
 
The Kimbolton club has managed to reach a solution to its planning problems which brought a halt to Friday testing for the event and created the need for the move away.
 
Alan Turney, Managing Director of Tal-Ko Racing, the parent company of TKM, said: "We are delighted with the news. It was with Kimbolton that we first created this special event and after all the effort that the club and its hard working team have put in over the years it is only right that we return."
 
And he added: "We are very grateful to the hard work that Steve & Rita Chapman and all those involved at Whilton Mill Kart club put into housing the Festival for our holiday over the past three years and we would always like to leave the door open for more events in the future. They made us very welcome."
 
News of the move back to Kimbolton for the 14th running of the Festival comes at a time when the club has just set in motion a major financial commitment to upgrade facilities at the circuit which will include new shower/toilet block, catering and spectating areas, as well as major alterations to the dummy grid, parc ferme and scrutineering area.
 
Work on all of that will be completed in good time before the Festival, which takes place on August 12-14. It will of course feature racing for all TKM classes and be open to every driver from novices through to the most experienced.
 
Full TV coverage of the event is again planned with Maxxis Tyres, supplier of tyres to all TKM classes, once again providing major support to the event.
 
Martin Chesterman, Chairman of the Hunts Kart Racing club said: "We were extremely disappointed when our planning problems forced us to turn away the Festival and we are now absolutely thrilled that it is returning. It has been one of the club's major calendar events for so many years and with its return we want to make the 14th running of the TKM Festival the best ever."

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Jet-Wheels Range Grows   (28/10)

Kart Components have added a new 100mm hub fixing wheel to their already comprehensive range of JET-WHEELS.

This new wheel can be used on the front or rear has a 50mm offset and as all JET-WHEELS is available in silver or black.

The whole range of JET-WHEELS can be seen this weekend at the KartMania show in Coventry.

Alternatively visit our website at
www.kartcomponents.com for more details. 

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Great Scott, It Was Brilliant!   (28/10)

Click for larger image...Well that's what the Doc from Back To The Future would have said if he had been there at PFI to see the first Formula KGP race on Sunday. We were delighted with the race it was brilliant. The future definitely looks good for Formula KGP.

An elated Andy Cox said "Lots of people got behind Formula KGP on the run up to its launch and I would like to take the time to mention a few - actually a lot! Firstly Carlo Boscolo and Ronni Sala, Paul Deavin , Peter Fowler, Michael Simpson Jnr and Snr, Steve and Swirve Cobb, John Vigor, Tim Mayneord, John Ryan, Cheryl Lynch, Graham Smith, John Hoyle, Sonja Game, Paul Fletcher, Nigel Edwards, Mark Rose, Lenny Messenger, Louis Diresta, Gordon Finlayson, Steve Ogden, Paul Carr, Kartune, Chris Walker, Daniela Pezzario, Mary-Ann Horley, Mark Burgess and anyone else I have forgotton! Last but not least my wife Wendy and my family who have not really seen me for 3 months - thank you."

"The biggest thank you should go to all the drivers that took part in the first race - you all put on a great show!"

For more information on BMB and Formula KGP visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Congratulations Ross Gunn   (28/10)

Click for larger image...Family and friends would like to congratulate Ross Gunn in his last season of Comer Cadets. Since Ross started to race, he has been Camberley Champion, Shenington Champion and Rissington Midland Champion. He currently holds Comer Cadet lap records at Shenington and Glan Y Gors, as well as the 2010 Easykart lap record at Whilton Mill (this was a one-off race as a guest driver). Ross also achieved the 2009 Comer Cadet lap record at Whilton Mill. In his final season in Cadets, he finished 9th in the MSA British Cadet Championship and 5th in the Super One Championship. 

In the Super One Championship, Ross scored the most points before drop scores. During 2010, he has been on the podium fourteen times and set fastest time in time qualifying on six occasions.

At the final round of Super One at PFi, he was on pole for the first final - not bad for a Father and Son team running a six and half year old chassis!

Well done Ross and Ian for all your success that came from working within a minimum budget!

Good luck next year driving a Mini Max with 'Tooley Motorsport'.

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November Entries Closing!   (28/10)

As TVKC prepare for Round 9 of their 2010 Club Championship, they would like to remind all drivers who wish to compete that entries close on Saturday 30th October!
 
Please note that both Lesley & Clare will be on the TVKC stand at KartMania this weekend so entries can be handed in there too.
 
In addition to the regular classes, TVKC are also looking forward to welcoming back Honda Cadet and Rookie Cup drivers.               
 
After a successful 'trial' at the September meeting, Honda Cadet have now become a permanent fixture in the TVKC race programme and this is set to continue into 2011!
 
Rookie Cup made its debut last meeting and was received very well.  This too is now a permanent fixture at TVKC! Rookie Cup is open to all Novice and National B licence holders competing in either Mini Max, Junior Max or Senior Max.  As the grids for these classes can sometimes seem a little daunting to drivers who are just starting out, TVKC decided to introduce a new concept... Rookie Cup.  It has been designed to give those drivers an opportunity to hone their driving and race skills, giving them experience and confidence to progress through the ranks.  Dependent upon the number of entries received, drivers in Rookie Cup will either be in the same regular grid (based on 1-9 entries) or if 10 or more drivers enter for this category, a separate grid will be catered for. Either way, Rookie Cup drivers will be competing against one another and will be awarded their own Rookie Cup trophy!
 
More information on the above can be found on the website
www.tvkc.co.uk or by contacting either Lesley (compsec@tvkc.co.uk / M: 07545131099) or Clare (clare@tvkc.co.uk / T: 01636 626424)

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Easykart UK At KartMania   (28/10)

After an incredible year for Easykart UK the company will be rounding off its 2010 season by exhibiting at the KartMania show at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry this weekend.
 
Easykart UK bucked the economic trend and increased driver numbers this season with 142 drivers competing in this years Championship. "Its been fantastic year for us! I think its a combination of a Championship that has a big family feel combined with great technical support and realistic running costs that has seen the series grow" says Easykart UK series promoter John Vigor.  
 
Easykart UK will show the new Easy 50 which will run at most EK venues in 2011. The highly successful Easy 60cc Cadet, Easykart 100cc Junior and of course the flagship Easykart 125cc for either Lights or Heavy will also be available to view. The new 2011 Easykart brochure will be hot off the press and available this weekend as well as the full 2011 Easykart calendar. 
 
The company will also combine the weekend of the Kartmania show and the Ricoh Arena's facilities by holding its annual Easykart dinner awards on the Saturday night from 7:00pm, all Easykart class awards will be presented along with some special awards too!
 
For more information on Easykart visit
www.easykart.co.uk or the KartMania show visit www.kartmania.co.uk
.

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Tooley End The Year Well   (27/10)

Click for larger image...The last few championship meetings ended well for the team, with new members joining and good results pouring in at each race. The team ventured to the last 3 major championship rounds, Ellough Park for the last Formula Kart Stars round, Wigan for the closing round of Rotax Super 1 and PF for the last MSA round.
 
It was a very good turn out for the team at Wigan having 5 drivers, all of them racing in the Mini Max category. Oliver Skingley made his team debut along with Leon Hilleard. Keiron Bowness, Adam Mackay and Daniel Fazzone were also contending. Daniel Fazzone and Adam Mackay showed well in testing and were both very quick, but throughout racing the team struggled due to technical issues, Adam achieved 7th in the championship even though he had a very bad round for his standards. The team were very proud of Adam throughout the year winning numerous super 1 finals and being in close contention for other races such as Kartmasters. Dan ended up finishing 26th in the championship which again the team were pleased with as he did not compete in the first round. Oliver also showed good pace throughout testing but had a few problems which caused him to be in the B final, he showed good progress throughout the weekend and the team hope he carries this on.

Keiron and Leon performed outstandingly, Keiron again having yet another good super 1 round. Leon put in a brilliant performance finishing 5th in his first heat and 2nd in his 2nd heat, this put him on grid 6 for the final. Keiron set off 10th in the final which was his second best qualification this year, he managed to convert this into finishing 8th whilst Leon finished 6th. In the second final Keiron and Leon battled throughout and ended up finishing 7th and 6th, Leon was very pleased with this as it was his first national meeting with the team and the future looks promising with him.
 
Click for larger image...Ellough Park was a new track to both the drivers racing that weekend, Ross martin and Ross Gunn hadn't had much chance to test there. Ross martin struggled throughout racing but gained a lot of experience during the weekend, recording a 19th position and an 11th position. Both of these results required a very good drive from the youngster. Ross Gunn wasn't able to test on the Friday so he turned up on the Saturday morning, knowing it was going to be difficult. He struggled on the Saturday only finishing 13th, but on the Sunday he showed major signs of improvement and was running at the front all day, he briefly lead the final but ended up with 2nd which helped him to finish in 9th in the championship.
 
The team then ended the season at PF, the team consisted of Ross Gunn, Chad Little and Zak Fulk. This was Chad and Ross's last cadet meeting so they were hoping to end on a high, Ross started the weekend going well, Chad struggled on the Friday as did Zak. Saturday was a different day and they all knew this. The weather had changed and it was wet for qualifying, all 3 of them were confident going into it, Ross managed to get 2nd, Chad got 9th and Zak recorded his second best qualifying this year getting 18th. Again the weather had changed for Sunday, the drivers still kept their heads throughout this inconsistent weather and managed to start off 1st, 18th and 24th. Ross  finished 3rd after leading for most of the race, Chad and Zak both finished nearer the back due to problems. The second final was different again, the team tried something with Ross and it wasn't quite as good, he still managed to bring it home in 6th which gave him 5th in the championship. Chad again had a few problems which resulted in him finishing 21st, Zak performed brilliantly finishing 17th after battling throughout the race for 15th.
 
For any information on the team please visit our website at
www.tooleymotorsport.com.

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The Helmet Company   (27/10)

The Helmet Company are pleased to announce they will again be exhibiting at Kartmania '10 this weekend coming! The Helmet Company has been overwhelmed with the success previous shows and can't wait for this weekend's show. As a thank you and incentive to all its customers new and existing The Helmet Company will have some very very special show offers on all its products.
 
The Helmet Company has quickly grown into the largest specialist helmet company concentrating on the karting market. Offering all the big name brands amongst the lesser known we can cater for all types of budget! As The Helmet Company is run by karters it's designed for karters and therefore you can be sure to be advised by the very best in the business. The Helmet Company offer style, quality and safety advice on all its helmets and accessories and with over 15 year's previous experience in the helmet industry you'll be in safe hands when it comes to fitting your new helmet!
 
As well as being able to grab a bargain on new helmets, you can join our competition to win a Arai Helmet. Plus come to see what Jake Designs has been up to with some fabulous painted helmets on display.
 
So come and see us at Kartmania 10 this weekend...

For More information please see
www.thehelmetcompany.co.uk or call 01952 262024.

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Stolen Kart And Trailer   (27/10)

Click for larger image...A Tony Kart EVR and Ifor Williams box trailer were stolen from the car park of the Premier Inn in Wigan in the early hours of Saturday morning 23rd October.

The kart chassis number is BY21983 and is fitted with Iame Formula Blue engine no: 344. The pods are stickered number 77. The trailer is a BV85, 4 wheel trailer, 8'x5', serial no: 446072. The kart and trailer carried "Charles Wagner" lettering.

Also taken were Le Cont slick on mustard Tony Kart rims and Le Cont wets on alloy rims.

Please call Chris Wagner on 07831 317371 if you have any information. A good reward is offered.

The image is a still from a CCTV camera recording at the time.

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SAXMAX Live   (26/10)

Click for larger image...SAXMAX is a race Championship run by 750 Motor Club exclusively for 14 - 17 year olds it uses identical Citroen Saxo race-prepared cars.
 
Saturday 6th November has been set up at Bedford Autodrome for potential new drivers for 2011 onwards to come and drive the cars and talk to the teams and the Club officials.
 
There will be briefings, seat and belt fittings and a minimum of three 20 minute test drive sessions on one (or both) of the two tracks. Drivers will be accompanied by a licensed ARDS instructor whilst on track and will be able to receive some tuition whilst doing so. The cost is £250 and anyone attending will receive a discount of £100 on the 2011 Registration fee.
 
Drivers from the SAXMAX Championship have gone on to race in BTCC, Renault Clio, National Formula Ford, Formula Palmer Audi and other high profile championships.
 
For more information or a booking form contact Robin Knight, 750MC Competitions Secretary, on telephone 01379 741641 or fax 01379 741941.
 
Or visit
www.750mc.co.uk or www.saxmax.co.uk.

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Third Title For Bennett   (26/10)

Click for larger image...Already crowned in 2007 and 2009, Britain's Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA) has added a third European Superkart title to his list of accomplishments. And the show was thrilling throughout.

During the whole event held on 23 and 24 October on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans, Bennett was at the front of the stage: first after practice, he initially won Race 1 and then landed Race 2 whereas he could have been content with cruising along. Although he was not in a position to retire (because it would automatically have meant giving the title to his main rival, Damien Payart), Bennett made it a point to conclude the season with panache, adding the fastest lap time to his victory in Race 2.
 
Damien Payart (PVP-FPE) seldom left any respite to Bennett. Leader of the championship before the Le Mans conclusion, the Frenchman knew that it was a tricky situation. A small strategic mistake in practice probably handicapped him: he had prematurely put an end to his second practice session whereas the state of the track, slightly wet on some spots, was improving. Otherwise he could possibly have taken the start of both races closer to Bennett. Instead of what, starting from the 7th place, he had to fight hard during the first laps, in particular with Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC), John Riley (Anderson-FPE) and Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM), while Bennett went it alone in the lead with disconcerting calm and self-assurance.

At the end of the day, Bennett prevails with 4 wins out of 6, ahead of Payart and Roberts, with a win each at Silverstone. The same Roberts concludes the season in third place, ahead of Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM). Analysts will record that this winning quartet includes 3 makes of chassis (Anderson, PVP and MS Kart) and 4 engines of different makes (DEA, FPE, BRC and VM).

The recruits from KZ2 (125 cc karts with gearboxes) made a strong impression at Le Mans: after a splendid fight with Roberts, the Dutchman Arjan Kievitsbosch (MS Kart-VM) made it to his first European podium in Superkart. As for the young Dane Andreas Fasberg (PVP-PVP), who was participating in his maiden European Championship event, he distinguished himself with the 2nd fastest lap time, which earned him many compliments. His two races were less glorious as a broken chain and a seized engine forced him to retire in the last lap of each race. Another "rookie", the Czech Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM), was classified 5th and 6th at Le Mans and, added to his previous performances, these two good results have given him a very honourable 6th place in the final classification of the Championship, between the experienced John Riley and Robert Chilcott (Anderson-FPE).

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Podium For Myles At 'O' Plate   (25/10)

Click for larger image...Mectech Motorsport and Wright Karts would like to congratulate Myles Apps on a well deserved podium at the recent Honda Cadet "0" plate meeting. Myles was competing in the Clubman class using the new Wright Kart Honda chassis along with a Cosworth data logging system and will be joining Mectech as a factory supported driver for Super 1 next year. Click for larger image...
 
Mectech Motorsport has team spaces available in Honda Cadet for the remainder of 2010 and in 2011 will compete in the Super 1 Series and selected club meetings. The team has years of experience competing from Honda cadet through all Rotax classes at a club, National and European level. Support available ranges from awning space to full race management.
 
For More information on the Wright Chassis or joining Mectech contact Bradley Smith on 01277 372848 or 07852 353001.

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Maxter Powered Success   (25/10)

Kartune Motorsport and P F International Karting Ltd, the new UK importer for Maxter engines, had great results again in KF2 class at the last round of the Super One Series. Dennis Gorman won the 1st final from the back of the grid with his Maxter-powered Maranello and Mark Litchfield repeated his Whilton Mill success by winning the 2nd final on his Maxter-powered Alonso, also from the rear of the grid.

We offer a full race engine preparation service and we are an official engine service centre for Rotax and Comer engines and are also equipped with a state of the art Rotronics Dyno.

For more information contact us on 01636 626005. or see us at the KartMania show this weekend to talk about your race engine requirements for 2011.

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TDR Motorsport Results   (25/10)

Click for larger image...TDR Motorsport secured another two top 10 finishes at the October club meeting at Kimbolton.

Saturday testing started with very low cloud cover and a maximum temperature of around 17c all day.  Both of our drivers spent most of the day setting their karts up for race day, and there was some good racing performed by our drivers on Sunday Race day, which was much warmer than Saturday.
 
Race Results:
Dean Stimson Novice Snr Rotax... Heat 1: Started 26th, Finished 17th. Heat 2: Started 26th, Finished 14th. Heat 3: Started 26th, Finished 19th. Final: Started 17th, Finished 10th
Ryan Gray Jnr TKM... Heat 1: Started 16th, Finished 14th. Heat 2: Started 20th, Finished 8th. Heat 3: Started 3rd, Finished 5th. Final: Started 8th Finished 7th
 
Well done to Dean and Ryan for both ending the day in the top 10.
 
We would also like to say thank you to everyone that popped in and welcomed us. Also to everyone that turned up on race day. Don't forget our current special offer for awning space of just £25.00 per day (incl. drinks, machine and 32" television to watch). If you just require driver support please come and see us, we provided two drivers with driver support over the weekend.
 
News Flash! At the November meeting at Kimbolton we will be holding a PS3 F1 challenge on the Saturday to see who is the top driver of the all new 2010 F1 game. Entry fee is just £2.00 per driver, so make sure you come join in with the fun - Mums and Dads are also welcome over to just sit down and chat.

For more information on any of the above please contact us via email at
rich@tdrmotorsport.co.uk.

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TKM To Launch New Kart   (25/10)

The latest superfast TKM karts manufactured by Tal-Ko will be exhibited on the Tal-Ko Racing stand at KartMania with the new Veloce for 2-stroke and championship winning S9-4 for 4-stroke.
 
The Veloce kart has been developed over the course of this year to work in perfect harmony with the 'new age' Maxxis tyres now being used in the 2- stroke classes.  While under development it has already taken the Welsh Senior Championship and won the last TKM S1 round of the year, both with Extreme driver Joe Forsdyke.
 
TKM boss Alan Turney explains: "We recognised the need for some subtle changes to make best use of the new tyres across all conditions from cold club meetings through to hot and sticky championship rounds.
 
"We are delighted with the result and have already notched up many successes in both Junior and Senior with the Veloce."
 
This latest kart uses revised geometry and Italian-made hi spec tubing. Integral to the design of the Veloce is the use of a specially developed unique front cross member to give maximum turn-in control and stability.
 
The S9-4 for the TKM 4-stroke classes has once again taken this year's TKM Senior 4-stroke championship proving its outright pace and quality. The kart's design remains excellent for the switch to the same green label Maxxis tyres as the 2-stroke for next year.
 
Both karts come with a high specification which includes sleeved areas for maximum strength, adjustable front and rear ride height, 50mm hollow axle with black CNC machined components throughout and black high gloss powder coating.
 
They also include a non surge fuel tank, variable pedal positions to suit drivers of every size, CRG fully floating and self adjusting brake system with multi-rod positions, and the latest NA2 bodywork with unique graphics.
 
The steering makes use of accurate spherical location for extra strong M10 king pin bolts. The S9-4 kart includes easy to use variable position castor & camber adjustment, front and rear torsion bars and a third rear axle bearing.
 
Further Information and photos will be available shortly at
www.tal-ko.com.

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British Junior Kart Champs   (25/10)

Ben Barnicoat monopolised the StingrayRV MSA British Junior Kart Championship spoils in the final round of the year at PFi.
 
Barnicoat was aided by the absence of recently crowned Champion Jake Dennis, who competed instead in the senior KF2 class. Barnicoat started the first final from third on the grid and soon leapfrogged pole-sitter Sam MacLeod, before streaking away to victory. There was a fierce battle for second place, from which  Jake Dalton emerged on top.
 
Barnicoat enjoyed a lights-to-flag victory in a slightly less frenetic second final.  Dalton was reeled in and deposed by Daniel Vaughan and Johnson for the podium places, while Dalton had Alex Hamilton snapping at his rear bumper over the finish.  MacLeod clashed with Matthew Graham and was excluded.
 
Results - Final 1:
1 Ben Barnicoat (Tonykart)
2 Jake Dalton (Alonso)
3 Roy Johnson (RK)
 
Results - Final 2:
1 Barnicoat
3 Daniel Vaughan (Tonykart)
3 Johnson

Final Championship Positions (provisional):
1 Jake Dennis - 576 points (CHAMPION)
2 Ben Barnicoat - 572
3 Jake Dalton - 555
4 Roy Johnson - 517
5 Charlie Eastwood - 509
6 Matthew Graham - 477

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Pavesi At KartMania   (25/10)

On behalf of Motori Pavesi, Eurokart Ltd would like to advise that recent rumours regarding Motori Pavesi going out of business are totally misleading.

Come and see these fantastic engines for yourself at KartMania '10 by visiting the Eurokart and Henderson Racing stand.

For those not attending the show or for any further information on these winning engines, call Ian at Eurokart on 01502 567174 or 07769 715442.

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Are You Busy Next Weekend?   (22/10)

Don't forget, next weekend sees the UK's premier kart show open its doors in Coventry.  KartMania has something to offer everyone, from someone looking to take their first steps on the road to Formula 1, to the dedicated club racer.
 
Over 40 exhibitors will be attending and KartBoot is back too, so here is your chance to browse a wide range of products, get some advice, or pick up a bargain!
 
You can also attend the MSA Academy Performance Master Classes being held on both the Saturday and Sunday, aimed specifically at young drivers and parents and intended to equip you with some essential information to progress your racing career.  These workshops are free of charge to all KartMania visitors.
 
So make sure that next Saturday and Sunday, the 30th and 31st of October, you head off to KartMania at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. There is free parking on both days too.
 
For all the information you need visit
www.kartmania.co.uk
.

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Why Not Race At Rissy?   (22/10)

With next year in mind and if you haven't decided where you're racing yet, then why not take the opportunity to come and have a look at the circuit the first weekend in November (6th & 7th). Use the practice on Saturday and get a feel for the track and sample the atmosphere. With 6 to 7 sessions in a day, it will give you a great chance to see why so many drivers enjoy racing here. Race on Sunday! Visit our stand at Kartmania.
 
Rissington is situated in Gloucestershire and is easily accessible. It's under an hour from Oxford, Swindon and Warwick, an hour and a half from Birmingham, Bristol, Reading and Hereford and less than two from Cardiff, Luton, Watford or Leicester. Loads of space to stay overnight!
 
The club runs 9 Championship rounds, racing always on the first weekend of each month, from March through to November
 
You don't have to be a member or competing in the club championship to practice or race at one of the best club racing circuits in the country. Rissy has fast wide sweeping bends, billiard smooth racing surface and large run off areas which makes it a real buzz to drive on, for both experienced drivers and novices. Coupled with competitive grids, and a true club atmosphere, it makes for a great experience. Check the classes and grids in the results section here.
 
For more info about the track and facilities see
www.rissykartclub.com
.

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Aim On Target!   (21/10)

In barely a season in the paddock, AIM Motorsport is quickly establishing itself as a front runner in the national race series under the careful guidance of Team Principal, Steve Lake.
 
AIM wishes to congratulate its drivers on their excellent achievements and performances throughout the year.
 
Callum Pointon secured Number 6 in Formula Kart Stars Junior Max in only his first full year racing, narrowly missing a second podium in the final race of the season.
 
In Euromax, Nathan Harrison was on the podium in his first season in the junior class taking a well deserved second place in Genk and, 4th overall in Euromax. Nathan also ended the season with a creditable Number 8 seed in Super 1.  He will no doubt be one to watch in 2011.
 
Chad Ryan finished the Junior Max season very strongly, with a fine second place at Ellough Park Formula Kart Stars and, Number 5 overall.
 
Jamie Dzyra comfortably took a Number 13 seeding in Juniormax Super 1, with strong and consistent performances.
 
In Minimax, Oliver Myers took his first national title at Rowrah, winning the British 'O' Plate and finishing his season with Number 4 in Super 1. Again, no doubt be one to watch in 2011 in Junior max.
 
Sam Oram-Jones became one of only five drivers in Minimax to stand on the top step of the Podium in Formula Kart Stars by winning at three Sisters. A well deserved result for this talented 12 year old.
 
Outside the National Series, Aim Motorsport Race Team, have secured numerous club wins, podiums and fastest laps during 2010.
 
AIM looks forward to continuing with the development of its drivers in 2011 and to build on the success of 2010.
 
For more detailed information or a test with the team, please visit 
www.aim-motorsport.co.uk.

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Strawberry Signs Off FKS Season   (21/10)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing bowed out from this year's Formula Kart Stars championship on a high after George Russell and Jack Barlow dominated the penultimate round at Ellough last weekend (16/17 October).
 
Russell completed his mastery of the Mini Max class with a faultless display at the East Anglian venue, having already won the Super 1 and Kart Masters titles. The team's sole representative in the category sought to complete the historic treble at the Suffolk track.
 
He signalled his intentions with the fastest lap in timed qualifying and duly converted his pole position in the first heat into a comfortable victory. He won the return encounter to claim p1 on the grid for the final.
 
A matchless performance saw the outgoing Cadet Champion underline his enormous potential with a clear win to seal the championship.
 
"George was sheer quality," said Strawberry's clearly delighted Team Manager, Warwick Ringham. "I think he was very relaxed after winning the Super 1 title just two weeks before and was just really on it at Ellough. He just cleared off in the heats and the final. He was definitely at his best."
 
Click for larger image...In Junior Max, his team-mate, and last year's FKS Mini Max winner, Jack Barlow was equally impressive. Despite never having seen the circuit before, Barlow hustled his Tony Kart EVR to set the second-fastest time and then won the first heat. In the second, he completed a dominant lights-to-flag victory.
 
From the start of Saturday's main final, Barlow got a perfect getaway and wasted little time building a comfortable advantage. With lively scraps for position behind him, he was able to concentrate on maintaining his place, setting the fastest lap, and ultimately crossing the line well clear of the next driver. The points haul he took from the day secured vice-Champion status. 
 
"Jack did exactly the job he needed to do," said Warwick. "He never gave up and kept pushing to the last. He looked relaxed throughout and firmly in charge. He was the class of the field."
 
With the points for their respective championship positions settled both drivers elected not to race in the series' concluding round the following day, with Jack particularly keen to preserve his equipment for the forthcoming International Open at Zuera in Spain (27/31 October). This will be followed by his debut appearance in the Rotax World Finals, at the superb La Conca circuit near Muro Leccese in southern Italy (17/21 November).
 
Opportunities to race with Strawberry and the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team in 2011 are still available - although now limited. For more information, please call Warwick Ringham or Paul Spencer on 0114 269 6215/0114 288 9933 or e-mail
info@strawberryracing.co.uk

To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net and Alex Roache.

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Back To The Future At PFI   (21/10)

What do you get if you take the design of the good old water cooled ICA engine with a two jet carb - no powervalve! and enhance it to 125cc, make it push button TAG start and design a clever balance shaft and driver friendly RPM limiter - Formula KGP by BMB.
 
It really is like going back to get to the future of karting!
 
This weekend see's the launch and very first race for the new Formula KGP the TAG series by BMB engines at PF International. The race will make history having been given special permission by the MSA to showcase the Formula before Jan 2011.
 
A grid of 23 Formula KGP will line up this weekend. The grid consists of drivers that have already purchased BMB engines and some who want to rent with the option to buy.  The race will in essence consist of two races KGP Pro (yellow plates) which is at a  weight limit of 162kgs and KGP Masters (green plates) with a weight limit of 172kgs. Any make of chassis with rear brake only can be used in Formula KGP , the grid will use chassis from Maranello, Tonykart, Octane, Birel, Tonykart, Kosmic, Gillard and Alonso.
 
All eyes are sure to be on the battle that is sure to develop between guest drivers Mark Litchfield, Jack Hawksworth, Michael Simpson and John Stewart - it has all the ingredients of a classic. The KGP Master race will consist of the three drivers that have dominated 177 max in 2010 making the switch to KGP. Newly crowned champion Lucas Orrock will take own usual rivals Steve Cobb and Justin Edgar which will demonstrate the Masters class at the highest level.
 
Owners of BMB Srl Mr Ronni Sala and Mr Carlo Boscolo will make the journey from BMB HQ in Pavia Italy to launch the class and be on hand for technical advice. Formula KGP UK owners Andy Cox and Paul Deavin will also be in attendance and will be happy to answer any questions to visitors interested in Formula KGP.
 
For the timetable of the Formula KGP event visit
www.s1series.co.uk or for more information of Formula KGP visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk.

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Euro Superkart Championship   (21/10)

Click for larger image...After its opening last April on the Silverstone circuit and its second round on the TT-Circuit d'Assen, the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship will end on 23 and 24 October on another prestigious track, the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans. Some 49 Drivers representing 12 nationalities have entered this final, which will be decisive for the awarding of the 2010 European Champion title.

Although there are still six Drivers who can mathematically claim the title, the German Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM), currently 5th, and the Briton Carl Hulme (Anderson-FPE), 6th, already know that landing the final victory would almost be a miracle as they would have to take advantage of a complete failure of the other favourites. Even though they are classified relatively far from the two leaders, Britain's Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC) and Robert Chilcott (Anderson-FPE) still have a few hopes. At this time of the year, the weather conditions can prove uncertain and upset the hierarchy. Winner at Silverstone, Roberts has already demonstrated that he can be as fast as the two main protagonists. If he managed to win both races at Le Mans and if in addition none of the two leaders reached the podium, he could emerge as the Champion. But at the end of the day the two real dominators of the season are France's Damien Payart (PVP-FPE) and the Briton Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA). In the provisional classification of the championship the Frenchman has a 6 points lead, but unlike his rival he has scored 4 times out of 4 and knows that the championship regulations stipulate that only 5 of the 6 possible results are retained to draw up the final classification. If this discount was carried out now, his score would place him 5 points behind Gavin Bennett. The latter, reigning Champion, can therefore appear to have an advantage but on the other hand he is also aware that he no longer has his joker to play since it was discarded at Silverstone further to an unfortunate tyre choice.

As Le Mans is the last race in the season, a few other Drivers will try to finish the year on the best possible note, either to compensate for some past disillusions or to prepare the next campaign as well as they can. Excellent recruit from the KZ2 category (he landed the 2009 CIK-FIA Viking Trophy and distinguished himself with the third fastest lap time in practice for the very competitive World Cup for KZ2), the young Dane Andreas Fasberg (PVP-PVP) will make at Le Mans his maiden apparition in the European Superkart Championship, and it could be followed by a more intensive programme in the discipline in 2011. He will be one of the ambitious young Drivers to watch closely, as will be the Frenchman Emmanuel Vinualès (Anderson-DEA), the Czech Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM) and Holland's Arjan Kievitsbosch (MS Kart-VM).

The Le Mans event will be focused on two days, with practice on Saturday 23 October and the two races scheduled for Sunday 24 October (at 10h05 and 14h05). The Drivers' evolutions and results can be followed in real time on
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/Le_Mans.htm.

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ST Racing On Top Form   (20/10)

At the last round of the Rotax Super One national championships John Stewart, our Senior Rotax driver, did the double winning both main finals. This excellent result gives him a 3rd place finish in the overall championship. The whole team had a good weekend with James Hogg, deciding to move to 177 on the Saturday, managing a 6th place finish in the main final, matching the times of the leaders. This is looking very promising for next year's racing. Also our other 177 driver Tony Dickinson finished 9th in the main final giving him 15th overall in the championship. Our Junior Rotax driver Ross Hodgson just missed out on getting a seeded number after injuring his ribs at Shenington.
 
We would like to thank Steve Ogden Engineering for their support throughout the year with the engines. and also the Tonykart EVR chassis which has been outstanding all year.
 
The team still has room for more drivers for next year. If you are interested in joining the team for next season's racing please contact John on 07711 314454.

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FKS Champions Crowned   (20/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Formula Kart Stars ended its 2010 season with a bang at Ellough Park as the MSA British Cadet Championship went right down to the wire between Nathan Aston, Connor Jupp and Tom Harvey.

The conclusion of the 15th season of competition for the Formula One Management backed series was arguably its most exciting as Aston and Jupp finished the 12 round season tied on points after nearly 40 hard fought races.

Jupp won both finals at the highly technical 1080-metre Ellough Park circuit, which was hosting its first Formula Kart Stars event, but third place in Sunday's final was enough to give Aston the 2010 MSA Cadet crown.

Although Aston and Jupp finished on identical points after dropped scores, Aston's higher overall total gave him the championship on a tiebreaker and meant that it was the Dalston based youngster who received the coveted number one plate from the MSA's General Secretary Rob Jones.

Harvey led the points going into the weekend and still had an outside chance of taking the title in the final race but could only finish fifth as he claimed third place in the final standings.

On a weekend filled with off-track highlights courtesy of the hosting Beccles & District Kart Club there were plenty of highlights on-track as well as George Russell (Mini Max), Ash Hand (Junior Rotax) and Ben Barnicoat (KF3) celebrated their championship winning years.

Barnicoat had already sealed the KF3 title after the previous round at Three Sisters but chose to race and was rewarded with a victory on Saturday. Barnicoat was just two corners away from the weekend double until a clash with Charlie Robertson allowed Sam Macleod to snatch his maiden series triumph in the final metres.

Outgoing MSA Cadet Champ Russell dominated Saturday's Mini Max final to seal the title from Adam Glear and then sat out Sunday's event, which saw Sam Marsh claim his first FKS win for the Ellough Park based RL Race Team.

Hand finally sealed the Junior Rotax crown on Saturday even though his last remaining title rival Jack Barlow won both heats and the final. Fourth was enough to clinch the championship for Hand who has led the standings from the very first round.

Like Barnicoat, Hand chose to race on Sunday but he couldn't prevent Declan Jones from scoring his first series win from Josh Parker, who sealed third place in the standings behind Barlow.

Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Monaco Kart Cup   (20/10)

Click for larger image...Although it is unusual, a local Driver, Charles Leclerc, has landed the CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup for KF3. And to complete the success of regional competitors, the Frenchman Norman Nato, who lives in Antibes (i.e. just about forty kilometres from Monte Carlo), has imposed his master touch on the gearbox kart category, KZ2!

After qualifying practice and heats held in the sunshine and therefore on a dry track, Drivers had to come to terms with the rain in the final phase of the 14th edition of the Monaco Kart Cup. Showers were even so intense that race direction had to take the decision to interrupt the KZ2 prefinal and to give the start of the KF3 and KZ2 finals in "Slow" mode, somewhat equivalent to the Safety Car procedure in Motor Sport, the SC being replaced by a large number of yellow flags.

Click for larger image...In KF3, the preliminary phases of the event had seen the armada of Sodi Drivers, composed of Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc and Léo Roussel, emerge in the lead further to qualifying practice. However, during the qualifying heats, none of the three Drivers of the French team managed to avoid the traps inherent to any race held on a temporary track. Roussel, Gasly and Leclerc indeed qualified for the final phase but they were only respectively 8th, 13th and 28th after these heats. Already remarked throughout the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy, which he finished in 2nd position, the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert proved the most convincing contender, winning each of his two qualifying heats and then the prefinal while he was at it.

After an initially unsuccessful attempt at giving the start under the rain and as a pile-up left many karts out of the track or obstructing it, the FK3 final had to be postponed by one hour. France's Hubert took the lead at the start but Norway's Dennis Olsen (Energy-TM) launched an attack on the 3rd lap and took the lead. Having already recovered from the back of beyond in the prefinal (starting 28th, he was classified 7th), Charles Leclerc (Sodi-Parilla) continued his recovery in a spectacular manner: he caught up with Olsen and, on the 7th lap, he took first place and kept it until the finish, while constantly increasing his lead. And while Olsen maintained himself in second place, the Frenchman Gasly, the Briton Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM) and the Swede Gustav Koch Malja (Tony Kart-Vortex) all managed to pass Hubert in the last two laps.

In KZ2, despite his lack of Karting competition in 2010 (because he was entered in single-seater within the framework of the Eurocup F4), France's Norman Nato (CRG-Maxter) made a strong impression, so much so that in the heats and in the final, both on a dry track and on a wet one, he dominated all the seasoned specialists of the category. At the end of the 28 laps of the final, he was ahead of the 2010 European Champion Paolo De Conto (Energy-TM), of the winner of the 2009 Monaco Kart Cup Anthony Abbasse (Sodi-Maxter), the Czech Patrik Hajek (Tony Kart-Vortex), the "F1 McLaren Young Driver backed" British Driver Oliver Rowland (CRG-Maxter) and the strongman of the year 2010, Bas Lammers (Intrepid-TM).

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22 Podiums For Tom Harvey!   (19/10)

Click for larger image...Soixante Racing would like to congratulate Tom Harvey for a fantastic 2010 Comer Cadet season. Powered by his Soixante W60 engines Tom has secured no less than 22 National podiums with 8 of these being wins! This amazing consistency has earned him the British Super 1 title and, 3rd  overall in the British FKS Championship.
 
Tom powered with his Soixante race engines will be competing in the much anticipated Super Cadet race at the final round of the MSA Super 1 event this weekend at PFI International kart circuit.
 
If you would like to emulate Tom's success, Soixante have race engines available for sale or hire, please call Soixante racing on 01600 890073 for more information.

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JRP Online   (19/10)

JRP are pleased to announce the launch of their new website.

From kart preparation to driver nutrition, JRP provides full race team management to the highest levels of driver and equipment development.
 
For more information on the Italian based team please visit
www.teamjrp.com
.

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Marsh Takes Final Round Win   (19/10)

The all conquering RL Racing Dept took the spoils in the final round of the FKS Mini Max championship against the cream of the UK's finest at the stunning Ellough Park Raceway in Suffolk.
 
Marsh, having not seen the track before Friday mornings first test session steadily grew in stature throughout the weekend and duly took fastest lap in both heats on Sunday and converted his pace in the final from a P6 start to a victory by a decent margin at the flag.
 
This is Marsh's first ever podium at this level and his first victory since joining the RL squad in August. The team would like to say a big well done to Sam.
 
His team mate Josh White, after having such a strong end to his S1 campaign at 3 Sisters, just couldn't get his head around the difference in driving style at the tricky Ellough Park circuit and after a great start rising to third at the start of the final had to give best to the ensuing pack and then had a collision ending his race.
 
Their team mate - in Comer cadet, Shanaka Clay had a storming drive on the Saturday final coming from a p18 start to 8th at the flag but struggled in the final on Sunday with an absence of engine power.
 
The team travel to PFI for the final round of the MSA Super One this weekend and from there straight out to Northern Spain for the Rotax Max International Open where Marsh & White will compete in the Junior Class and Jake Ball & Tatiana Calderon will take on Europe's finest in Senior Max, check the results on
www.rgmmc.com .
 
For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Double Vice-British Champions   (19/10)

In a thrilling finale to this year's Rotax Super One Series held at 3 Sisters, the Suffolk based RL Racing Department put on a strong showing in all 3 classes tackled to take victories, podiums and runner up spots in the final standings rounding out a stunning first year for the newly founded Tonykart team taking over from it's predecessor, RL Race Team.
 
In the 177 class, RL driver and UK legend Justin Edgar took a win and a 2nd to round out his first year in the class and first year back from a long break from the sport.
 
In Senior Max, sole representative Jake Ball, took a 2nd and 4th place in the two finals giving him runner up spot in the championship, narrowly missing out by a few points to associate team, Strawberry Racing's ,Tom Fawcett. A valiant effort after a lowly start at round 1 barely making the finals at all - then making the switch to RL / Tonykart.
 
In the ever popular Mini Max category, the RL Squad is strong and has depth - allowing for some top results throughout 2010... 3 Sisters was to be another suitable showing.
 
Team mates Matthew Arnold, Shaun Arnold, Harry Campey, Sam Marsh, Josh White & Harry Webb all featured well in the heats with Webb taking p1 in timed qualifying, 2 heat wins , White followed up closely to his fellow team mate with a 2nd and a 4th in the heats , Shaun Arnold & Marsh also placed well.
 
However, Matthew Arnold and Campey had 1 bad heat each and had to start in the 'B' Final and after a race long scrap neither managed to progress - although both steadily improving through the year, not having a chance to shine on this occasion, look out for these two youngsters in 2011!
 
In the main finals Webb took the initiative from P1 and cruised to victory by some margin in Final 1, and then took victory by a smaller margin in Final 2 - testament to his progress with RL throughout 2010 and a well deserved victory all round. White was equally as fast as Webb but by the time he had risen to 3rd position the lead duo had all but disappeared, the Leeds youngster taking 4th place in final 1 and a dramatic scrap in Final 2 saw him again rise to p3 and held this for the majority of the race only to fall to 9th at the flag. Shaun Arnold claimed 2 top 13 finishes after a lot of promise in the heats with an outstanding drive to 5th place in heat 2 but struggling to get onto the lead pack in the finals. Sam Marsh had dire finals with a large misfire keeping him well down the order, although the following week would hold a better day for this young man...
 
At the death the Squad have walked away from 2010 with seeds #2 , #12 & #13 in Mini Max & #2 seed in Senior Max and the British Open Championship in 177 Max - a host of victories and podiums to boot.
 
The 2011 RL Racing Dept line up is near completion and will be announced in the next few weeks with 4 of the 6 allocations already confirmed and signed, watch this space.

For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

 
Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net. 

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Paul Carr Racing...   (18/10)

Click for larger image...The Paul Carr Racing outfit rounded off another successful season by cruising to victory taking both the Junior Rotax and 177 titles at the recent S1 round at Wigan.
 
Matthew Parry produced a mature and accomplished performance to safely secure the Junior Rotax Super 1 Championship last weekend at the Three Sisters Circuit in Wigan after a dominant season at the top of the championship.
 
After becoming vice champion last year Matt was relieved to secure the championship title and had this to say afterwards.
 
"This is a great way to end the season, and I am relieved to have finally secured the British title, especially having come so close last year. I have to say a big thank-you to Paul Carr Racing for their support throughout the year."
 
Click for larger image...Lucas Orrock tied up the Rotax 177 Super 1 championship after a great season with the Paul Carr Racing squad. With many victories already to his credit, the final round was a matter of bringing home the Paul Carr prepared Kosmic without dramas. This is the 4th consecutive year that Paul Carr Racing has lifted this title
 
Click for larger image...Lucas was already carrying the number 2 plate from the previous season's success and was determined to go one better in 2010. He had already won the prestigious Kart Masters title in 2010, and the Super 1 title rounds off a near perfect year for the Cambridge based champ.
 
To round off a great weekend, and finish the year on a high Dan Graham took a 2nd and 3rd in the two main Senior Max finals and was joined by his team mate Tom Oliphant in the top 10.
 
Team spaces are still available in the Paul Carr Racing squad for 2011 in the TKM and Rotax classes in the UK and European Championships, and any enquires are welcome.
 
Call Paul Carr Racing on 01608 663239 or visit
www.paulcarrracingltd.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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British Cadet Kart Champs   (18/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Nathan Aston clinched the 2010 MSA British Cadet Kart Championship title in dramatic fashion at Ellough Park.
 
Aston ended the year tied on points with Connor Jupp - who won both finals - but the former took the crown for having had a higher number of points before dropped-scores were taken into account.
 
Jupp won Sunday's decider by just five hundredths of a second from Ross Gunn, with Aston two tenths further back in third - just enough to take the crown. Erstwhile Championship leader Tom Harvey dropped to third place overall after fifth and sixth place finishes.
 
Results - Saturday Final:
1 Connor Jupp 19 laps in 16m04.64s
Click for larger image...2 Trevyn Jay Nelson (Zip) +1.18s
3 Nathan Aston (Zip)
 
Results - Sunday Final:
1 Connor Jupp (Zip) 19 laps in 16m08.36s
2 Ross Gunn (Zip) +0.05s
3 Nathan Aston (Zip)

Final Championship Positions (provisional)
Click for larger image...1 Nathan Aston - 1858 points (Champion)
2 Connor Jupp - 1858
3 Tom Harvey - 1830
4 Trevyn Jay Nelson - 1783
5 Rory Cuff - 1722
6 Callum Ilott - 1695

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Stolen Equipment   (18/10)

Zip North, the popular retailer run by Ian Shaw, suffered a break-in at their shop at the Three Sisters race track last week.

A large amount of karting equipment was stolen, and a substantial reward is being offered for any information leading to recovery of the goods.

Please be especially vigilant if you're offered quantities of equipment, and if you have any queries or information please contact Ian on 0161 794 5511 or email
sales@zipnorth.co.uk
.

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Prima Racing Line Up   (15/10)

Prima Racing have been busy testing the new Tonykart Rocky Super Cadet Chassis. The team also already has a full driver line-up signed for the 2011 season as well as the Super One invitation race at PFI...
 
Sam Priest (2010 WTP LGM Champion and GP Winner)
Billy Monger (2010 Honda Cadet Super One Champion)
James Kellett (Comer Cadet, FKS and Super One)
Sean Gee (WTP, 3rd LGM 2010)
Gaby Weyer (WTP, 8th LGM 2010)
Sean Brough (WTP LGM  2010)
 
For 2011 the team will be competing in the Super Cadet Winter Series, the Super One and FKS championships as well as the planned Super Cadet Championship running alongside the LGM.
 
There are still places available in the Cadet squad to run alongside Tom Day, Briony King and Tommy Weyer in WTP, and in Comer with Dan Zelos and Tommy Weyer. Tom Day had a great season with the team finishing the LGM Championships in 5th place and was one place behind his team mate Gaby Weyer at the Kartmasters GP where she finished in a superb second place behind the 2010 LGM Champion Sam Priest.
 
Tommy Weyer continues to improve in leaps and bounds and came home 6th in tricky conditions at the final round of the LGM at PFI at the start of the month, narrowly missing out on a seeded number for 2011. Tom Day was in 4th place with Gaby Weyer 7th. Debuting with the team at the PFI meeting was lady racer Briony King who put in a string of good results in the heats and drove to an excellent 2nd place in the Club WTP final showing the skills on a slippery track that mark her out as one to watch in the LGM in 2011.
 
There was also an excellent performance from Dan Zelos in Comer against a top class field. Dan has just switched chassis to a Zip chassis and was very fast all weekend, consistently being one of the top 5 on the timesheets in the wet and dry conditions. In the final Dan worked his way up to the battle for 2nd place, eventually finishing in 5th, but still it was an encouraging performance in a grid consisting of all the British Championship front runners.
 
For more information on Prima Racing, contact Neil Berryman on 07939 162368 or Jamie Croxford on 07889 981631, or email
prima.racing@hotmail.com
.
 
Photographs courtesy of Amateur Sports Stars and
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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End Of Season Sale   (14/10)

Grice is having an end of season sale of all its motors.
 
All our engines have been raced and won various races and championships throughout the 2008 and 2009 seasons in Euromax, Super1 and Formula Kart Stars.

After accumulating upwards of 48 engines, we have decided to sell all of our motors - Minimax, Junior max and Senior max.
 
Minimax engines are £3000.
Junior max engines are £2500.
Senior max engines are £2500.
 
All our works motors have been serviced and come complete with steel clutch, radiator, starter motor. A full pedigree can be obtained to go with each motor.
 
Please contact Ricky Grice on 01268 727847, or email
ricky.grice@virgin.net.

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Monaco Kart Cup 2011   (14/10)

Click for larger image...Famous for its Formula One Grand-Prix and its Rally, Monaco also knows how to give Karting its just deserts by hosting in mid-October the now traditional Monaco Kart Cup. And to add character to this event, the circuit implemented for the occasion uses part of the track frequented in May by F1 cars, in particular the "S" of the Swimming Pool and the Rascasse corner.

Scheduled for 16 and 17 October 2010, the Monaco Kart Cup gathers a very high-quality field both in the KF3 category (Juniors) and in KZ2. The selection committee of the ACM has also had to be solicited as the number of entry applications was quite superior to that of available places. 45 KF3 Drivers have finally been retained for the "Junior Monaco Grand Prix", and they will be 34 in the KZ2 category. As usual, the programme of the meeting will be completed by a 6-hour endurance event, where amateur Drivers will be able to compete with a few VIP and seeded Drivers on identical "turnkey" KF4 karts.

Already very strong in 2009, the KZ2 field will be even more so this year, with the Dutchman Bas Lammers (Intrepid-TM) at the start, namely the 2010 European Champion, who also won the World Cup just a few weeks ago. Last year, Lammers had dominated the Prefinal under the Monaco rock and had started the Final in the lead before being betrayed by the water pump of his engine. He will therefore be determined to take his revenge especially against the one who prevailed twelve months ago, the Frenchman Anthony Abbasse (Sodi-Maxter). Runner-up to Lammers in the European Championship and World Cup, Jérémy Iglésias (Intrepid-TM) will be a serious contender, and so will be Manuel Renaudie (PCR-TM), Paolo De Conto (Energy-TM), Thomas Mich (Birel-TM), Jack Hawksworth (Maddox-Parilla), Norman Nato (CRG-Maxter), Pierre Ragues (Sodi-TM), Viktor Öberg (Gillard-Parilla), as well as Simo Puhakka (PCR-TM).

Concerning the KF3 13-15 year-olds, the entry list also looks very promising with the European Champion and World Cup winner Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM), who already wears the colours of a well-known energetic drink... also very present in Formula One. In the streets of Monaco, Albon will compete against some Drivers who fought against him for wins throughout the season, like the Driver from the United Arab Emirates Edward Jones (Zanardi-TM), the Monaco Competitor Charles Leclerc (Sodi-Parilla) or France's Pierre Gasly (Sodi-Parilla), Léo Roussel (Sodi-Parilla), Rémy Deguffroy (Tony Kart-Vortex) and Esteban Ocon (Exprit-Vortex).
Amongst the front-runners, there are also some of the Drivers who animated the new CIK-FIA Academy Trophy, in particular the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Estonian Hans Villemi (Birel-Parilla), the Luxembourg Driver Oliver Thill (Tony Kart-Vortex) and the Swiss Séverin Amweg (Tony Kart-Vortex).

Qualifying practice and heats will be held throughout this coming Saturday 16 October and in the morning of Sunday 17 October.

Prefinals and Finals are on Sunday afternoon from 14:10 local time (13:10 BST). Results can be followed in real time on www.cikfia.com.

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Easykart UK: World Finals   (13/10)

Click for larger image...Twenty nine drivers from the Easykart UK series have qualified for this weekend's World Finals at the Pista Sette Laghi, thirty miles south of Milan.
 
This is the largest squad the British series has fielded at the annual gathering of the many international franchises from across the world. Apart from the UK, Venezuela is also sending a large contingent to Italy. The Italians will naturally hold the upper hand, but the British team is rich in talent. In Cadet, Easykart Driver Programme members Ronan McKenzie and William Stowell raced at Castelletto last July and will definitely put their experience to good use. E-Plate champion Jordan Sanders also qualified for last year's World Finals at Siena, and will reasonably be expected to play a strong role this weekend.
 
Click for larger image...Junior front-runner James DeHavillande joined Stowell and McKenzie at the round of the Italian Easykart series by virtue of also being on the EDP, and thoroughly impressed Birel's management. Of the Brits, he is arguably the favourite to do well, but don't discount 2010 champion Toby Sowery or Thomas Grainger. Both are extremely quick and very capable racers.
 
Click for larger image...Although he missed the cut to qualify last time around, Elliot Rice will be fired-up and out to prove a point. The 2009 E-Plate winner and now 2010 Light Champion will relish his first opportunity to perform on the world stage. According to his Facebook page, Owen Jenman's focus is solely on the top step of the podium come Sunday. His compatriots will push him hard all the way. Last year, Jack Sales took a brilliant 5th - he could well do even better this time around. Kieran McCullough (our highest finisher in 2009 with 4th) was a joy to watch last year in the Heavy category, and with Sam Dimelow and Joe Paterson in the mix this trio will surely provide the spectators with some spectacular, 'muscular' racing.
 
The only English driver to have a nickname in Italy is Barnaby Pittingale. 'Il Dominator' won in Heavy at Cervia in 2007 and would score an historic treble if he can add the World title to his UK and Euro crowns. Mark Lawrence and Tim Hill return to the Finals for the third time and on the evidence of the way they have driven throughout this season, will surely enjoy their best results yet.
 
The complete Easykart UK team is:
 
Click for larger image...Cadet: 1. Ronan McKenzie, 2. Tom Thickpenny, 3. William Stowell, 4. Zack Nickson, 5. Sam Faulkner, 6. Kieran Wragg, 7. Jenson Murchison, 8. Jordan Saunders
 
Junior: 1. Toby Sowery, 2. Thomas Grainger, 3. James DeHavillande, 4. Alexander AJ Morris, 5. Kieran Gordon, 6. James Ludlam, 7. Jake Hughes
 
Senior Light: 1. Elliot Rice, 2. Owen Jenman, 3. Kieran McCullough, 4. Sam Dimelow, 5. Joe Paterson, 6. Jack Sales, 7. Jamie Crease
 
Senior Heavy: 1. Barnaby Pittingale, 2. Mark Lawrence, 3. Sir Timothy Hill, 4. Simon Mace, 5. Will Gibson, 6. Jack Bruce, 7. Damien Hodge

If you're looking for a fast, friendly series where the emphasis is on driver ability rather than budget, you'll love Easykart. Visit
www.easykart.co.uk for more information.  

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Parry Wins Jnr Rotax Title   (13/10)

Click for larger image...Matthew Parry confirmed his reputation as one of Britain's leading kart racers by claiming a second national title in two years, wrapping up the Super 1 British Junior Rotax crown in the final round at Three Sisters.
 
Having already posted the 2009 Formula Kart Stars crown on his résumé, the 15-year old was determined to go one better in Super 1, having finished as runner-up last season, but a mid-season hiccup meant that what would usually have been a weekend of self-preservation took on a slightly more urgent feel, despite Parry carrying an advantage of more than 20 points into the meeting.
 
Comfortably in the top six in testing, things did not run quite so smoothly in Saturday's qualifying session, as the strong field proved closely matched at the front and, despite being just a couple of tenths off the pace, Parry found himself only eighth on the combined timesheets.
 
Torn between trying to race his way to the front and retaining a sense of caution in the heats, the Paul Carr Racing driver posted ninth and second place finishes, which actually dropped him to ninth on the grid for the first of the weekend's two finals. The inside starting slot, however, was a good one to have heading into the first turn and Parry emerged unscathed before finding himself in sixth position, content to make space for himself while the top five battled over the podium places.
 
Despite starting Final Two from the outside of row three, he kept his wits about him into turn one and again set about consolidating sixth position knowing that, provided he made no mistakes, he would be crowned as British number one.
 
With an eye on graduating to single-seaters next season, Parry's final kart meeting is likely to be the Rotax World Finals at La Conca in Italy in the middle of November. Having finished second in last year's event in Egypt, he will again hope to go one better to round out his karting career on a high.

Photograph courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Jack Ends Season On A High   (13/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Jack Barlow concluded his maiden season in the Junior Rotax category by finishing 4th overall in the British Super 1 Championship at Three Sisters near Wigan, last weekend (9/10 October). The Strawberry Racing driver was also the highest-placed rookie.
 
In a close-fought timed qualifying, Barlow recorded the ninth-fastest lap, but went far better in his two preliminary heats - taking 3rd and 2nd respectively.
 
This put him on the second row of the grid for the penultimate final of the eight-round series and after 22 laps of the fast, exciting Lancashire circuit he took the chequered flag in 3rd position.
 
In the opening laps of the title-deciding main final, a pulsating battle developed between Barlow and a small group of other drivers, who relentlessly chased each other over the undulating ribbon of tarmac.
 
He eventually settled for a fine 5th and said: "That was great. I really enjoyed the weekend. The racing was hard but fair and to end the championship with another trophy and finish in the points as top rookie is fantastic. I am very grateful to everyone at Strawberry Racing. It is thanks to their hard work, the brilliant Tony Kart EVR chassis and skill of Steve Ogden my engine tuner, that I have been able to get such a good result. Next year, I want to challenge for the overall championship."
 
Although the Super 1 series has drawn to a close, Jack is still one of the title-protagonists vying for the Formula Kart Stars championship, which reaches its conclusion at Ellough Park near Beccles this weekend (16/17 October). He currently lies 2nd in the points table and says: "It won't be easy but I will give it my best shot. Ellough is known for producing exciting, close racing and I hope that works to my advantage. We'll just have to see!"

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Twin Titles For Strawberry   (12/10)

Click for larger image...The results speak for themselves. Strawberry Racing won two of the three Super 1 titles it contested, narrowly missed out on the third and saw six of its eight drivers awarded a coveted seeded race number for the 2011 season.
 
Yesterday (10 October) at Three Sisters, George Russell added the Super 1 crown to the 'GP' plate he won at Kart Masters last August. The reigning MSA Cadet Champion delivered a mature performance to finish each of his races well inside the top ten. Although pressed hard by his rivals, George held his nerve to finish in 7th and 5th places to win the championship by just three points.
 
With no time to celebrate, and bidding to take their second series victory of the weekend, the team saw Jack Marshall pipped to the overall Junior Max victory - despite scoring a brace of podium finishes (2nd and 3rd). Jack Barlow's 3rd and 5th place finishes were good enough to see him complete his first year in the class as top rookie with 4th. Shaun Pirie endured a torrid weekend, but was able to complete his year as a seeded driver with 14th in the title race.
 
Click for larger image..."Jack (Marshall) could only do what he could do," said Team Manager Warwick Ringham. "Had we not had difficult rounds at Larkhall and Buckmore Park, it could have been a different story because he actually scored the most points, before dropped rounds were factored in."
 
In stark contrast to George Russell's on track celebrations, Tom Fawcett's triumph in the senior category was completed in the paddock. 4th in the pre-final was enough to seal his first national title from his season-long rival, Jake Ball. With his points advantage secure and not needing to jeopardize it in the second final, Tom wisely chose to sit it out. He watched Ed Brand overcome damaged knee ligaments to take a superb 3rd on his debut with the team. Barrie Pullinger's double 7th-place finishes secured 11th in the championship. James Greenway and Ren Nagabuchi both had a trying time at the Lancashire venue, compounding a tough learning year for the Japanese star and a frustrating one for Rotax Winter Cup winner James.  
 
Click for larger image..."Tom kept his head and didn't panic," observed Warwick. "Although I feel a bit sad that he couldn't celebrate winning (the title) on the track. You don't get anywhere near the same euphoria standing in the pits. I would like to congratulate Tom, George and Jack Marshall for their successes and the rest of the boys for their efforts and achievements throughout the year."
 
Click for larger image...Strawberry's season is still far from over. George Russell and Jack Barlow are vying to win their respective classes in the Formula Karts Stars championship, which concludes at Ellough Park on 17 October. After that, Jack travels to Zuera with Ed, Euro Max Junior Champion Joel Affolter, Mats van den Brand, Barrie, Berry Torenvliet and Jack Marshall, to compete in the inaugural International Open (27/31 October). 
 
Opportunities to race with Strawberry and the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team in 2011 are still available. For more information, please call Warwick Ringham or Paul Spencer on 0114 269 6215/0114 288 9933 or e-mail
info@strawberryracing.co.uk
 
To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net (George Russell) and Alex Roache (others).

 

LKRC & Children In Need   (11/10)

Linc's Kart Racing Club is hoping to raise money for Children in Need at their October meeting.

The following traders have already pledged their support by giving vouchers:- Kart Parts UK, Dartford Karting, Zoom Kart Mart, AF Racing, Project One and JM Racing.

Various fun games are planned such as a trolley race and wheel changing competition.

Entries are open until Monday 18th October and full details are available at
www.lkrc.uk.com
.

So come and show your spots and support Pudsey!

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British Cadet Kart Champs   (11/10)

Connor Jupp and Trevyn Nelson shared the spoils of the penultimate MSA British Cadet Kart Championship double-header at Three Sisters.
 
Jupp won Saturday's final thanks to a final lap pass on Nathan Aston at turn one. Callum Ilott followed Jupp through to take second place, just two hundredths of a second shy. Aston held on to third, thus gaining ground on Tom Harvey in the Championship race.
 
Nelson was a popular winner in Sunday's typically spectacular duel, not least because he was pushed back to the back of the 14-kart lead train at half-distance. The young Irishman fought back and capitalised when leader Lando Norris was pushed wide with three corners to go.

Results - Saturday Final:
1 Connor Jupp (Zip) 20 laps in 16m00.90s
2 Callum Ilott (Wright) +0.02s
3 Nathan Aston (Zip)
 
Results - Sunday Final:
1 Trevyn Jay Nelson (Zip) 20 laps in 15m56.47s
2 Connor Jupp (Zip) +0.48s
3 Callum Ilott (Wright)

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British Superkart Championship   (11/10)

Jason Dredge rounded off his MSA British Long Circuit (Superkart) Championship-winning season by collecting two more wins in the final rounds at Croft.
 
Dredge was beaten away from pole position in race one by outgoing champion James O'Reilly and Sam Moss. On lap two O'Reilly's engine broke and Moss took over at the front, only to spin on lap six and hand Dredge a comfortable lead that he held to the finish.
 
Dredge made better use of his pole position in race two to eke out a 2.5-second lead over Moss during the first half of the race. But all eyes were on the meteoric progress of O'Reilly from the back of the grid; having taken second place from a spinning Moss by lap six he hunted down Dredge. The pair then battled to the line, with the new Champion winning by 0.15 seconds - a margin that was extended when O'Reilly was penalised for having jumped the start.
 
Results - Race One:
1 Jason Dredge (Anderson / Honda) 14m24.852s (88.45mph)
2 Sam Moss (Anderson / Honda) +13.135s
3 Adam Underhill (Anderson / Honda)
 
Results - Race Two:
1 Jason Dredge (Anderson / Honda) 14m 13.969s (89.58mph)
2 Sam Moss (Anderson / Honda) + 10.945s
3 Adam Underhill (Anderson / Honda)

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New Honda Cadet Team   (08/10)

Mectech Motorsport is pleased to announce they have teamed up with Simon Wright Racing Developments to run the Honda cadet factory supported team and are South East agents for Wright Karts.
 
SWRD has a long tradition of producing race and championship winning equipment since 1978 and have helped launched the careers of drivers such as Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti, David Coulthard and the current F1 world Champion Jenson Button who won 34 out of 34 finals in 1991. More Recently Wright Karts have had Success with Alex Gill who won the 2009 Super 1 Series in comer and have been front runners in the comer class ever since.
 
Mectech Motorsport has team spaces available in Honda Cadet for the remainder of 2010 and in 2011 will compete in the Super 1 Series and selected club meetings.
 
The Team uses Cosworth Data loggers for driver coaching and kart setup. Cosworth are Technical Partners with the team along with Rotax European champions Supertune Engines.
 
Mectech has years of experience competing from Honda cadet through all Rotax classes at a club, National and European level. Support available ranges from awning space to full race management.
 
To arrange a test day or for more info on joining the team and packages available contact Bradley Smith on 01277 372848 or 07852 353001 and Nick at Wright Karts on 01353 648648

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Hobzie Congratulates...   (08/10)

South-West storm kart agents Hobzie Motorsport would like to congratulate the following competitors on their recent successes using Storm chassis...
 
South-West champion Sam Morgan in minimax at Dunkeswell.
South-West champion James Lovell in 177 at Dunkeswell.
Chris Davies win in senior max at Llandow September meeting.
Stuart Bakers win in 177 at Dunkeswell September meeting.
All of the above races were achieved using Revolution Racing Engines.
 
The Storm chassis also won the Rotax cup at Wigan and the TKM Scottish Open championship.
 
Hobzie Motorsport would also like to welcome RJR motorsport as South-Wales dealers for Storm chassis and spares. Karts and spares will be stocked by RJR as well as a test kart.
 
RJR motorsport will be attending Llandow, Clay Pigeon, Dunkeswell and Shenington club meetings for the rest of the year and throughout 2011.
 
For South-Wales Storm enquiries please contact Richard Raymond on 07852 000896, email
rjrmotorsport@hotmail.co.uk
.
 
Hobzie Motorsport can be contacted on 07909 520208.

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Strawberry Signs Ed Brand   (08/10)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing has signed Ed Brand to contest next year's Euro Max and British Super 1 titles, ending much speculation over the young star's future.
 
He joins the Sheffield-based Tony Kart team with immediate effect and will make his first official appearance in their trademark white, green and red livery at this weekend's (9/10 October) final round of the Super 1 championship at Three Sisters near Wigan. 
 
Announcing the deal, Strawberry's Team Manager Warwick Ringham said: "I'm delighted to welcome Ed to Strawberry Racing. I have watched his career with great interest over the past three years and have been consistently impressed. He has proved that he has a considerable ability to adapt to and develop new material. We have a wealth of talent already here at the team, but Ed will strengthen and add to it."
 
The reigning Super 1 Junior Max champion and World number three commented: "To join what is effectively the works Tony Kart team in Rotax is a very big deal for me. The EVR chassis is fantastic and I have been very impressed with everyone's professionalism. I am confident that we will continue to gel successfully and before long, challenge for wins."
 
Opportunities to race with Strawberry and the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team in 2011 are still available. For more information, please call Warwick Ringham or Paul Spencer on 0114 269 6215/0114 288 9933 or e-mail
info@strawberryracing.co.uk
.
 
To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of Alex Roache.

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FKS Ginetta Prize Revealed   (08/10)

Leading British sportscar manufacturer Ginetta will offer ten lucky Formula Kart Stars drivers a place on their inaugural Junior scholarship this winter with a potential place on the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship grid, worth £60,000, up for grabs.

The top five finishers in the Formula One Management backed series' Junior Rotax and KF3 classes will win the places, with the final list being decided at the series' final two rounds at Ellough Park.

"It's really pleasing to see Ginetta offer our drivers this fantastic prize," says series director Carolynn Hoy. "A good number of our 'old boys and girls' have enjoyed success in the Junior Series and are doing so again this year. I can see no reason why the eventual winner of the scholarship shouldn't come from the group of drivers we send."

The scholarship, which is open to all, will see the ten FKS drivers put through their paces by Ginetta with the winner getting a free lease of one of the championships' G40 cars for the season plus a team to run the car at each of the ten rounds, all of which are on the popular British Touring Car support bill. The winner will also have their entry fees for the season paid for, free tyres and fuel for the season, insurance for the car and an official Ginetta racesuit.

"Ginetta have shown a great commitment to promoting British racing talent from the Junior Series all the way to Le Mans," Hoy continued. "I feel the same about Formula Kart Stars and I hope that this prize gives another one of our drivers a first step into a long career in motorsport."

The three most recent Ginetta Junior Champions, Nigel Moore, Dino Zamparelli and Sarah Moore, all raced in Formula Kart Stars while former series champion Moore became the youngest British driver to race an LMP1 car at Le Mans in 2009 when he drove for Ginetta's factory sports prototype team.

Ex Formula Kart Stars Mini Max and Super ICC Champions Tom Ingram and Frank Wrathall hope to add to the FKS/Ginetta roll of honour this weekend in the final round of the Junior and G50 Cup Championships at Brands Hatch where both are in contention for their respective titles.

The 2010 Formula Kart Stars Championship, and the ten lucky prizewinners, will be decided in the final two rounds of the championship at the Ellough Park circuit in Suffolk on October 16th/17th.

For more information on the championship visit
www.formulakartstars.com.

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Fund-Raising Endurance Race   (08/10)

Click for larger image...Don't miss your chance to enter a fantastic fund-raising endurance race at Buckmore Park, in aid of The Philippines Schools Project.  The event, organised by Kelvin Nicholls will take place on Friday 22nd October (arrive from 6:15pm) and bookings are now being taken.

Not only will this fun evening feature a 1.5 hour hire-kart event, but there will also be top auction prizes which already include 2x three-day passes to any F1 GP next year and Scalextric race sets!

The cost is just £165 per team, and supports this excellent project - more details of which can be found at
www.kelvin-nicholls.co.uk
.

To book contact Chris Pullman at Buckmore Park on 01634 661601 or for more information speak to Kelvin on 07973 176806, but book soon as past events have proven to be extremely popular.

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£17,000 Cash Prize Fund   (07/10)

Super One wish to announce that in the KF2 MSA British & ABkC 2011 Championship, the winner will receive £10,000, second place £5,000 and third place £2,000 - a total of £17,000 just for these three places. Of course there will be other prizes for the top contenders in what promises to be the most hard-fought British Karting Championship for many years.

Have you got what it takes to race against the best senior drivers in the U.K. and beyond? If so contact John Hoyle on 07774 646784, or keep in touch through the
www.s1series.co.uk website for further exciting developments.

To keep costs down in KF2 & 3 only one chassis can be scrutineered and test tyres are to be limited to two sets per weekend. The Super One Series will be exhibiting at KartMania and the Autosport International Racing Car Show, where registration forms will be available.

Meantime if anyone wants to try out the class earlier, Super One Series are offering free 2010 registrations for the last round, to be held at PF International on 22 - 24 October. Contact Sonja Game on 01869 320157 for details.

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Clubs Embrace Formula KGP   (07/10)

Buckmore Park Kart Club in Chatham, Clay Pigeon Kart Club in Yeovil, Hooten Park Kart Club in the Wirral Cheshire, WSKC at Larkhall in Glasgow and TVKC at PF International near Grantham have all signed up to run club races for Formula KGP in 2011.
 
The races will be run under a closed to club basis which means a driver must be a member of the hosting club.
 
"We are delighted that these clubs have recognised what Formula KGP has to offer " says KGP boss Andy Cox " Too many drivers have lost interest in club karting, we are confident that Formula KGP will breath new life into club racing. Formula KGP will support these clubs with trophies, tyres and spare part vouchers on a monthly basis from April to Sept 2011 giving back the driver  some rewards for participation in club races. This will help them with their running costs and hopefully make their racing more enjoyable ! We are also in discussions with SYKC at Wombwell and hope to be able to confirm their support in the near future"
 
Formula KGP kicks off with a  feature race supporting the S1 MSA series at PF International on the 24th October, owners of BMB who make the Formula KGP engine will be in attendance for its launch into the UK. Its not too late to get involved both nat A and B licence holders can race, you buy or rent engine for this historic first Formula KGP club race!
 
For more information visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on Facebook.

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Little Green Man 2011   (07/10)

The all new Little Green Man series will be getting bigger - already 18 WTP's have pre-registered for next year's championship demonstrating the WTP class is being well supported as ever.

New for 2011 will be the Super Cadet class, which will run along side the WTP's in a class of their own. 10 drivers have pre-registered already, but there will be a maximum of 30 drivers per class so as to run within the supporting club meeting. All the usual cost effective LGM rules will apply, with great prizes & awards, though rules are yet to be finalised for Super Cadet.
 
The 2011 provisional dates 7 venues are...
Round.1 - P.F. International - 3rd April
Round.2 - Whilton Mill - 21st May
Round.3 - Ellough Park - 18th June
Round.4 - Buckmore Park - 16th July
Round.5 - Rowrah - 28th August
Round.6 - Rowrah - 29th August
Round.7 - Kimbolton - 11th September
Round.8 - P.F. International - 2nd October
 
All the rounds are well spaced, with a double header bank holiday race at Rowrah. None of the events clash with the main Super 1 MSA or Rotax championship rounds.

For more information or to register (£50) call Mike on 01636 626424, or visit
www.wtpuk.com.

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Record Breaking Performance   (07/10)

Click for larger image...Record breaker Lloyd de Boltz-Miller has praised the Tony Kart EVR chassis he used to break the 24 Hour World Record at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire, last week (30 September - 1 October).

The 25-year old endurance star said: "For me to successfully bring the World Record to the UK there was no room for a weak link, which is why I insisted on using a Tony Kart. In the run up to the event there were several key points that needed to be considered on equipment selection; reliability, pace, sustainability and predictability.

I needed something that offered outright pace on a hot lap, but was able to deliver consistent and reliable performance. A single component failure could cost valuable running time. Whilst this is obvious in any form of racing, the key to 24 hours is solid, reliable pace. It is easy to gain a tenth on a lap, but trying to reclaim even a minute in an hour requires you to lap a second faster every lap!"

Throughout the 24 hours, Lloyd - who has a BSc in Motorsport Technology - had the opportunity to give Strawberry Racing's Tony Kart the ultimate track test.

"From a handling perspective, it offered high levels of mechanical grip with good balance on corner entry, mid corner and exit. It was important that the chassis was able to offer this in both high and low temperatures. With the constant threat of a dramatic change in the weather, I needed good dry and wet pace. When the rain came, we fitted wet tyres but opted not to change the set-up as the kart felt balanced and consistent. The EVR continued to offer the required pace without over working me."

Using Barrie Pullinger's four-meeting old Euro Max Challenge kart, Lloyd was able to take advantage of its OTK front brakes.

"They really came into their element in the wet and allowed me to brake considerably later and therefore maintain the quick pace. Prior to the rain, I was 160 laps ahead of schedule and my object was to maintain this advantage. Whilton Mill has three heavy braking points; turns three, six and nine. The OTK front brakes were used in these corners every single lap of the whole event with turns one, seven and eight being added in the wet. That means I used the front brakes over 5,200 times and the rear over 7000, without a single issue of fade! Overall, I used three sets of pads on the rear brake without any glazing. The pad compound offered high levels of retardation with consistent feel."

Incredibly, Lloyd's fastest lap in the dry was set 14 1/2 hours into the challenge and his fastest wet lap was set in the heaviest rain, during his final stint.

"This proves the chassis' consistency and sustainability after incredibly heavy use, on one of the toughest circuits in Britain. Anybody who claims that Tony Karts are too soft and wear out easily is talking rubbish.

I can say this as the only driver to have driven one from start to finish, over 24 hours, in all conditions, that the EVR is solid, reliable, predictable and sustainable. Given the choice again, I would only do it with a Tony Kart."

To find out more about the World Record setting and multiple championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Peace Is S1 TKM Champ   (06/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...James Peace, MSA Academy driver, secured the 2010 Super 1 Junior TKM Karting Championship at Buckmore Park last weekend. In very changeable conditions, there was no change for Peace who has led the competition from the first race in Wales. "We set ourselves this goal two years ago" commented James, "we know that winning this championship elevates my profile on the driver radar, so I had to drive with my head and finish the job off, second in the championship was not an option!"
 
Peace won 4, and secured 8 podiums out of the 12 finals this year in a totally dominant display of his talent. It is always difficult closing out a championship but Peace never once deviated from the script driving well within himself in the last races. In an emotional parc ferme, Peace was almost unable to speak to reporters and mechanic alike. "I have worked for this day for my whole karting career and I just can't believe I've finally done it", said an exhausted Peace. "I would obviously like to thank all my supporters and Jade Karts who have made such a versatile chassis."
 
The Super 1 Junior TKM Championship has been won by notable names including, Jenson Button (current Formula One World Champion) and Gary Paffett (McLaren test driver). Peace is currently positioning himself for a transition from Karting to single-seater cars and will be testing a Fortec Formula Renault 2.0 car in a couple of weeks time with a view to contesting the 2010 Formula Renault Winter Series and 2011 Formula Renault UK Championship. Great exposure opportunities exist in this televised series, and James is looking to work with dynamic enterprises to enable his career to continue.
 
More information on James Peace can be found by viewing the website
www.54racing.com.

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BPKC Summer Series R6   (06/01)

Round 6 of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Series takes place on Sunday 17th October and incorporates the ABkC Honda Cadet O Plate.
 
Practice is available on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th October between 10am - 4pm. For more information contact Sheila Rose 01634 661604.

For more information on the club visit
www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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Victory For Scott Hutchins   (06/01)

Following his success at Mansell Raceway (Dunkeswell) last weekend, Mansell Jensen Kart Team's Senior Rotax driver, Scott Hutchins took another victory at the weekend, this time at the Rissington circuit. Fast all weekend in both wet and dry conditions, Scott qualified third on the grid for the final and a textbook start saw him take the lead before the second corner. From here the 18 year old was pushed hard to the flag but never looked like settling for second.

In the Junior Rotax Class, Mansell Jensen Team drivers Nick Arthur and Will Maslin had a mixed day in the wet. A dominant win in heat one for Will helped him to a front row grid position for the final, whereas Nick qualified further back. Luck was not on the team drivers side as they were both involved in a six kart pile up, on the first lap, however they both managed strong drives to recover to 5th and 7th respectively, both setting times faster than the leaders.

Promising Minimax driver, 14 year old Ollie Chadwick showed great improvement as he set the pace through Saturday and Sunday morning's practice. From fifth place on the final grid, Ollie was set for a podium but was involved in some carnage in the dog leg.

Mansell Jensen was pleased to run Jamie Chadwick (Ollie's younger sister) during Saturday practice in the comer cadet class. This was Jamie's first taste of serious karting and to everyone's amazement was setting very quick times.

Team manager, Jacques Jensen said, "Difficult weather conditions made it a challenging day for drivers and mechanics but Scott's second successive win was fantastic."

The Mansell Jensen Kart Team will continue to race at Dunkeswell, Shenington and Rissington for the remainder of the season. For more information about the team, call team manager Jacques Jensen on 07543638542.

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Stolen 125icc Kart   (06/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...On Thursday 30th September/Friday 1st October, the following was stolen from Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire...

An Energy Kinetic 125icc Racing Kart - Electric blue chassis, Blue bodywork, Silver, Red, White & Blue Energy Graphics.
TM K9 Engine, with K9C barrel and exhaust.
Set up for Long Circuit racing so has a rear high intensity red light, with wiring and Front bubble.
Transponder & Alfano fitted plus Tillet XL Seat
Douglas Black mag rims, Dunlop DCH tyres

The kart had the number 03 - white number on a green background, a Saxon Motorsport Blue cover and was with a black 3 wheel trolley with orange wheels.
 
Also stolen was a beaten-up Honda Generator (2Kw).
 
All engine numbers/seal numbers are logged - if you have any doubts about what you have been offered or have bought, or have any information you think may be of use, please contact Kevin on 07779 425727 or email
kev.g76@ntlworld.com
.

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Racing Perfection Academy   (05/10)

Click for larger image...Racing Perfection is pleased to announce the launch of the Racing Perfection Kart Academy being held at the TeamSport Southampton Kart Circuit.
 
The purpose of the academy is to provide drivers with the skills and knowledge to succeed in motorsport. Drivers receive expert tuition from instructors with over a decade of experience in both kart and car racing and provided with the opportunity to experience competitive racing before making the leap into national motorsport.
 
Steve Bell, Managing director of Racing Perfection said, "The Academy provides a fantastic opportunity for drivers to experience truly competitive kart racing before making the decision to commit to purchasing their own kart. For those that get the 'bug' and want to make the leap then we provide support packages to help ensure the drivers/families are making educated decisions on what route they take".
 
For further information visit
www.racingperfection.co.uk.
 
The next academy is being held on Sunday 10th October. There are only a limited number of spaces available for each event so book now to avoid disappointment. 

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KGP International Trophy   (05/10)

Castelletto Di Branduzzo will host the first International race of Formula KGP - The Kart Grand Prix International Trophy.

The meeting will be held on the 17th October and will see on track some professional pilots, like Cesetti and Toman and Simpson of Birel Motorsport.

During the event BMB will officially present the first International competition for the new Kart Grand Prix category. The event will be held in conjunction with the World Easykart Finals, so it's a contest that will have the highest standards of organization and very important media exposure.
 
The competition will aim to launch on the international stage a category that, from 2010, will race in England and Greece. Some drivers will arrive from these countries and, for promotional purposes, BMB will deploy some of its official drivers in the International KF categories. The presence of Sauro Cesetti and Libor Toman from the SKF has already been announced as well as Basz and Lennox Lamb from KF2. for all the drivers that run in the national championships there will be a chance to enjoy the experience of competing against these professional racers.

There will be a total of 34 places available for the event which will be staged over 3 days. The competition will begin on Friday with 3 sessions of free practice and the qualification, then on Saturday there will be the different heats and on Sunday there will be the first official competition. The regulations for the Trophy will be to use the BMB TAG engine and Vega Green tyres, while chassis choice is open.

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Want2Race Competition   (05/10)

Click for larger image...Over 80 drivers attended PPiK's new racing driver talent competition in September - and with a fantastic prize of the chance to win a drive in a race prepared Lotus - it's no wonder why!

Pole Position Indoor Karting in Leeds launch Want2Race, a new driving talent competition aimed at grass roots motorsport enthusiasts and karters to get the opportunity to experience a real race car on a top UK circuit.

The budding want to be racing drivers, aged from 16 to 48, participated on the 600m tarmac circuit to show over a number of heats who had the best average lap time to make it through to the final.

The overall winner was Sam Clegg, 19, from Hedben Bridge in West Yorkshire. Sam drove sensibly and consistently quickly all evening and commented on his victory "It was a fantastic evening - loved the format of heats and finals. It was great to be able to watch others people's races as well as taking part myself. I'd recommend this to anyone whatever their ability. And what a brilliant prize!"

Sam will get to experience the speed and 'go kart like' handling of the PPiK Lotus Elise on a top UK circuit in November and then be put forward into the Want2Race Final in 2011 when one lucky winner will get to race the car as part of the Elise Trophy.

Want2Race runs on the last Monday of every Month, and costs just £15 to enter. Drivers are invited down whatever their ability to join in the fun and you can enter as many times as you like.

The photograph shows the PPiK Race Lotus the Want2Race winner will drive!

For more information please visit
www.ppik.net
.

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A Successful September   (04/10)

Grice Racing has enjoyed yet more success during September.
 
New Senior Max rookie, Lewis Plato showed his potential at his 1st race in Senior Euromax. Starting 2nd Pole in main final, Lewis had a 1st lap incident bending his kart but his true pace all weekend was awesome! Tristram Viidas, George Williams and Erik Johansson all showed great pace but only Tristram reached the podium.
 
In the UK, Ash Hand has been dominating FKS in Junior Max with back to back wins at Wigan, virtually sealing the title. Bob Thompson, Zubair Hogue and Ryan Norris all achieved podiums and secured a large haul of points. Grice power simply dominated the London Cup. Jack Bartholomew won Minimax with Max Cartoux, Connor Mills, Mikey Houghton and Jack Mitchell taking the rewards of 5 in the top 7 finishers. Jack Taylor and Lewis Plato dominated Jnr Max proceedings with Jack taking the honours. Senior Max was taken by Michael Epps, again powered by a Grice motor and Aaron Charles giving a spirited chase in 2nd.
 
All these various results emphasising the point that we provide all our customers the same attention and dedication to performance that everybody deserves.
 
Our legendary recession busting special offer is still current offering: A Rotax full rebuild, including all moving parts but excluding conrod and balance shaft inside motor, is just £315. Additionally, we can fit a new cylinder, fully prepared for £75.
 
Each engine is prepared and fiche checked to current regulations Extras are dyno run in and power test with printout for £75. Carb strip, ultrasonic and clean for £50.
 
Ask your existing Rotax service centre for a price before committing yourself for the winter season racing.
 
Lastly, remember our Storm package at an unbelievable price. For a full Junior or Senior Max package complete less tyres is £2995 plus vat. We carry these packages in stock and welcome your questions or visit the website
www.stormkart.co.uk
.
 
For more information on any of the above, please call Ricky Grice at Grice Racing 01268 727847, email
ricky.grice@virgin.net.

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Stan Owen Funeral Arrangements   (04/10)

The service for Stan Owen, who passed away on September 6th aged 94, will be held at the West Herts Crematorium, Garston, near the M1 and M25, at 11.20am on Thursday October 7th.

Stan's son Ken would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support and would like to invite anyone who knew Stan to the service.

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Lloyd Goes The Distance   (04/10)

Click for larger image...Britain has a new World Record holder after Lloyd de Boltz-Miller set a new World Record for driving a kart solo for twenty four hours.
 
The 25-year old from Norwich broke South African Myk Prescott's benchmark distance of 1,152.54km at 7:36am with three hours remaining on the clock. By 10:37am (1 October), a full twenty four hours after he started out, Lloyd had eclipsed Prescott's 2008 achievement and established a new record distance of 1,289.12km (801.38 miles).
 
"I feel fine. Right as rain," he said remarkably after his gruelling drive to raise money and awareness for the Wings for Life charity. "In the last stint I went hell for leather to make sure that the record stays with me for as long as possible."
 
The challenge had got underway in near perfect conditions at the renowned Whilton Mill circuit near Daventry, Northamptonshire (30 September), although rain had been forecast to fall from 7am the following morning. However, just before 2am, droplets of water began to spot on Lloyd's helmet visor and quickly turned into persistent, heavy rain.
 
Click for larger image...Shortly after he pitted to take on board fresh fuel and change his slicks in favour of wet tyres, Lloyd's kart stopped on the circuit. He was pushed back to the paddock and some frantic work by AMT Racing's Ashley Todd and Alan McKay traced the problem to water in the fuel tank. This was quickly changed, along with the engine's carburettor and the fuel itself, following a dash over to nearby Silverstone to collect fresh petrol from Sunoco, Lloyd's fuel partner.

"It was a hard night," said John Devlin, the event's Chief Engineer and Strategist. "The rain came five hours sooner than forecast. That put us all under a little pressure and at a time when he was feeling quite fatigued. Thankfully, he'd done enough in the first part to allow the lap times to drop by a couple of extra seconds and we just got him to modify his (racing) lines, so he could withstand the physical punishment of driving in the wet."

Ironically, it was heavy rain that had put-paid to Lloyd's attempt last summer, he observed: "This time I was better prepared. I have never had an engine like the one Ogden Motorsport had prepared for me and the Tony Kart EVR chassis (courtesy of Strawberry Racing) was phenomenal. The equipment definitely played a key part in coping with the conditions, and of course I had brilliant back up from a dedicated team of volunteer helpers and event partners."

He added, "Last year I didn't break the big one but established British and European records. Now, I've broken all three and will use this success to spur me on for my next big challenge, to drive a race-prepared Porsche Carrera Cup car flat-out for 24 Hours round a Middle Eastern circuit - We'll let you know which one soon!"

For more information about Lloyd and his World Record Attempts, visit
www.24hour.org.uk.

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Congratulations Jake Dennis   (04/10)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) congratulates Jake Dennis on beating an international field of competitors to become the first ever CIK-FIA "U18" World Karting Champion.
 
Racing Steps Foundation-backed Dennis took the title with eighth place at Val d'Argenton in France, having won the first round at Wackersdorf in Germany and finished fifth in round two at Alcaniz in Spain.
 
Dennis, 15 from Leicestershire, said: "I was shouting inside my helmet as I went over the line; it felt unbelievable to become the World Champion and it's definitely my biggest karting achievement so far. Along with the Racing Steps Foundation and my MSA British Junior Kart Championship title it should move my career a good chunk forward."
 
Fellow Briton and round two winner Adam Stirling, 15 from Moira in Northern Ireland, secured third place in the final standings. Also flying the Union Flag were Sam Snell, Jordan Chamberlain, Henry G Easthope, Alexander Walker and Jake Lloyd.
 
Supporting the "U18" Championship this year has been the new CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. Former MSA British Cadet Kart Champion, Roy Johnson, was selected by the MSA to represent the UK against more than 30 national motor sport governing bodies, and he ended the season in a fine sixth place overall.
 
MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton said: "I am delighted that we now have another British World Champion in Jake, further bolstering the UK's position as the world leader in motor sport both on and off the track. We have followed the progress of each British driver in these new championships with great interest, and I wish them all well for the coming seasons."

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Performance Master Classes   (04/10)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has arranged for the Sainsbury's Try Team to support its MSA Academy Performance Master Classes at Ellough Park Raceway on Friday 15 October.
 
The Try Team will show Formula Kart Stars competitors how they can eat healthily during race weekends by delivering three 30-minute cooking demonstrations. These will take place alongside the Eating to Win workshop, which explores the principles of diet and nutrition.
 
MSA Performance Director and 2001 WRC champion co-driver Robert Reid said: "The Performance Master Classes are designed to get young drivers thinking about the relationship between what they do off the track and what happens on the track. Diet and nutrition are a key part of that, and I'm sure that the Sainsbury's Try Team will do a great job of engaging the karters at Ellough Park."
 
The Sainsbury's Try Team's Sian Fox said: "The Sainsbury's Try Team's mission is to inspire the nation to cook and we are delighted to be attending the karting event at Ellough Park. We will be demonstrating simple, great tasting, healthy recipes sure to appeal to youngsters. There will be tasting for all and recipes to take away."
 
Performance Master Classes are delivered free of charge at motor sport events across the UK, and aim to introduce young drivers to the concepts of sports science and human performance. As well as Eating to Win, the programme comprises the following modules: What does it take; Talking to Team You; Goals and planning; Race fit; and Racing Parents.

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Dennis Is World Champion   (03/10)

Click for larger imagel...Even though he didn't take victory on the Val d'Argenton circuit, it all turned out well for Jake Dennis (Top Kart) as he ended up the happiest driver on Sunday evening at the end of the third and final round of the new World Championship for drivers under 18 years of age. The winner of the opening round at Wackersdorf in Germany, the British driver had arrived in France as a co-leader in the Championship after his fifth place in the Spanish round at Alcaniz.

Second in the provisional classification after the qualifying heats, the protégé of ex World Champions Terry Fullerton and Martin Hines secured himself a place on the front row for the Final. Unfortunately, the anticipated duel between Jake Dennis and Teemu Suninen (Maranello) failed to materialise : the Finn, 7th on the starting grid, was involved in a collision in the first corner and eventually set off again in last place.

"I clearly saw that Teemu was in the gravel", explained Jake Dennis, inevitably very happy. "From then on I didn't want to take any unnecessary risk. When Stefan Riener and John Norris got close to me, I quite simply let them past to make sure I did not get involved in a collision. In any case I did not have enough speed to get the victory today and so I concentrated solely on the Championship. I knew that a place in the top 10 would be sufficient and I eventually finished 8th. But I knew that was good enough to take the World Crown. I dedicate this title to the Racing Steps Foundation. Without their financial support I would not be here! My thanks also to Terry Fullerton for all his help. I am proud to be the first Under 18 World Champion!" By winning the Championship, Jake has also delivered a World Championship to Top Kart. He will also be further honoured at the FIA Annual Gala, along with the World Champions in Formula 1, in Rallying, in Touring Cars and in GT.

In addition to the honour for Dennis, this third round of the Under 18 World Championship was marked by the first ever victory in a World Karting Championship for a driver from Thailand. So unlucky in Spain where he was amongst the fastest drivers, Tanart Sathienthirakul (Intrepid) was this time not going to let slip his opportunity. Starting on pole position, Tanart led the final from start to finish and built up a significant lead over Finnish driver Matias Köykkä (Maranello), who became the Vice-Champion of the World, and over the Austrian Stefan Riener (Intrepid), who made superb progress from his 20th place on the starting grid. In a top 10 showing decidedly fine style, we found the Irishman John Norris (Intrepid), Italian Damiano Marchesan (Parolin), the Frenchman Vincent Fraisse (Intrepid), British driver Sam Snell (Intrepid), the new World Champion Jake Dennis, the American Andrick Zeen (Sodi) and Northern Ireland's Adam Stirling (Intrepid), 3rd in the Championship after his victory at Alcaniz. As for poor Teemu Suninen, his misfortune dropped him down to 28th place, which in turn dropped him to 4th position in the Championship in which at one time, he had been one of the revelations and one of the brightest stars.

Click for larger image...As with the Under 18 class, suspense was maintained right to the end of the last round of the new CIK-FIA Academy Trophy, organised as a supporting class to the Under 18 World Championship. In this competition where all the drivers - coming from 34 different countries - have exactly the same machinery, the French lad Anthoine Hubert arrived at the Val d'Argenton circuit as the Championship leader. But the Finn, Niklas Tiihonen, several points adrift took all his chances. Right from the qualifying heats, it was clear that the battle for the title was going to come down to a duel between these two young drivers, after the outcome on the three circuits.  But, for the minor battles, the races remained very open…

Closely following in the wake of Tiihonen during the first of the two races, the Argentinian Federico Paoloni mounted an attack on the last turn… But though he then took the chequered flag in first place, the Argentinian was then penalised and dropped down to 9th place. Consequently Niklas Tiihonen won this first race in front of his rival Anthoine Hubert, thus cranking up the pressure a notch. However he still did not have his destiny in his own hands before the second race. If Hubert again managed to finish immediately behind him in the second race, it would be the French lad who would be the first winner of the Academy Trophy. If he fared worse, the title would go to the Finn… From the start Tiihonen took control over Hubert. But, 6 laps from the end, the French lad was to yield in the face of constant challenges from Norwegian Oystein Helgheim, third in the first race. It was then the Greek  Filipos Kalesis who benefitted from the scrap between Hubert and the driver from Monaco Charles Leclerc to secure his 3rd podium of the year... and 3rd place in the Championship. With his 4th place, Anthoine Hubert missed out on the title by only three points.

"I am so happy", confided Niklas Tiihonen for his part. "To win this Championship where everybody has the same machinery is a big moment in my young career. " In any case there we have a formidable launching pad for this young Finn who we must be hearing more of in the future. After all, this is, as well, the principle role of karting!"

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Iztech Kart Seats   (01/10)

Iztech Kart Seats would like to congratulate Comer Cadets TJ Nelson and Connor Jupp.
 
TJ Nelson, racing with SAS Motorsport and using an Iztech Carbon Aramid seat and floor tray won, in superb style, the FKS round at Wigan this month.
 
Connor Jupp, also using a lightweight and flexible Iztech seat and floor tray combination won the Cadet London Cup, adding to his GP Plate that he won earlier this month.
 
Also at the London Cup, Jordan Brown-Nutley in his Honda Cadet took a superb win from a 5th place start on the grid. This follows on the back of his fantastic win at the Ace & King of Clubs meeting last month.
 
All of these drivers can rest assured that despite the rumours, carbon and aramid seats and floor trays are not banned in Cadet racing in 2011.
 
For further information on Iztech's winning range of seats, floor trays and chainguards please email
kevin@iztechkartseats.com, or call 01908 511000, or 0796 775 7096.

Visit our website at
www.iztechkartseats.com
.

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Evolution's Recent Success   (01/10)

Evolution racing would like to congratulate Jack Bartholomew on his recent London Cup victory, and Jay Goodwin after collecting a bag-full of championship points at Wigan's FKS meeting!

Jack dominant the weekend at the London Cup event. He scored pole position in qualifying, pole in the hot lap qualifying, won all 3 heats from mixed grids and then went on to win both finals as well as setting fastest lap of the weekend! A great result for Jack. New team driver Max Cartoux also had a great weekend. It was only Max's 3rd race under the Evolution management and he scored a 3rd in the pre final and 2nd in the main final making it a 1-2 for the team. Conor Mills came home in 4th place, narrowly missing out on 3rd and an all Evolution podium!

Jay Goodwin closed in on a top 3 FKS championship position, after collecting more points than any of his closest championship competitors at the Wigan FKS meeting. Jay lined up on grid 3 for Saturday's final, and then produced a mature drive coming home in a solid 3rd place. Sunday saw the youngster start the final from grid 4 and a great race saw numerous leaders during the 20 lap race. On the final lap any one of 11 drivers could have taken the victory, Jay was sitting in a steady 5th position ready to make his move but he unfortunately got pushed wide and ended up 8th. None the less, a great weekend for Jay's championship campaign.

For all team or Alonso sale enquires, please contact Ashley Whitcroft on 07789932134, or email ashevolution@hotmail.co.uk.

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KR-Sport 3rd TKM Champ   (01/10)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...This weekend (2/3rd October) sees the KR-Sport race team travel to the Buckmore Park kart circuit in Kent for the final round of the TKM British championship where team driver and 2009 British Champion David Eadon has done the double before even turning a wheel at the final round, David was able to seal the championship after the fifth round at Clay pigeon but will still race at the final round aiming to take another double victory, Out to stop David will be team mate James Bartlett who has also enjoyed success taking a double final victory at Shennington mid season.

Their junior team mates of Billy Baxter and Jordan Hankins will be out to finish their seasons on a high after some strong performances from both.

KR-Sport is talking to Junior and Senior TKM Drivers looking to run with a team at TKM Super One in 2011. For more information on the team please visit
www.kr-sport.com or contact Ashley Orchard on 07921 225680.

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Hodgson O Plate Success   (01/10)

Oliver Hodgson has added to his impressive CV with another O Plate this time in the Junior Rotax Max Class. The KR-Sport driver was able to power to success with an impressive win of 2 seconds. KR team mate Charlie Streather was also fast but lacked the final luck challenging as high as third in the final, Charlie dropped down the order to 8th at the finish but with a lap time worthy of a podium finish.
 
At the recent stars round at Wigan Samuel Oram Jones was another KR-Driver on the move in the Mini Max class with Samuel taking victory in the Saturday final and 5th place in the Sunday Final.

KR-Sport is looking to speak with Rotax drivers who intend to compete in the Stars Championship and Super One series for 2011.

With Winter testing starting soon in preparation for the 2011 season for more information please visit
www.kr-sport.com or contact Ashley Orchard on 07921 225 680, or e-mail ash@kr-sport.com.
 

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Honda Racing At Llandow   (01/10)

Llandow Kart Club and South Wales Karting Centre are proud to be the hosting Club for the 2011 Kartmania Honda Challenge and wish to invite all Honda drivers to our October 24th meeting.

Both Seniors and Juniors are invited to the meeting in preparation for next years Kartmania Honda Challenge, remember that Llandow Kart Club are hosting a double header at South Wales Karting Centre next June. For only £70 you can have a days practice (sessions with other classes) on Saturday 23rd and enjoy 3 heats and a final on Sunday 24th October. All you need to do is get yourself and your kart to the South Wales Karting Centre and enjoy a full weekends racing at a wonderful price. Both karts and drivers must meet MSA regulations, engines must be to the present Honda regs. Don't have a licence - not a problem, we can sort you out with a Clubmans licence for the weekend (remember a passport photo is required). Don't belong to an ABkC Club - not a problem, we can sort you out with a short time membership of Llandow Kart Club. There will be trophies and prizes (subject to grid size), why not join us for a highly competitive weekends racing at a great price.

Want to know more? Contact me, Colin, on 07818449617 or by email at
llandowcompsec@hotmail.co.uk - you know you want to!

This meeting is also the last round of our summer Dragon Challenge, if you have taken part in either of the previous two rounds come along and try to win the Challenge. There are trophies and prizes for all classes in the Dragon Challenge.

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John Pike Takes Title   (30/09)

Click for larger image...Following the last round of the NKF Northern Karting Federation Championship at Fulbeck, John has won the NKF title in Senior Rotax for 2010. He was also the NKF Junior Rotax Champion in 2009
Leading the championship throughout since round 1, the title was sealed after the 3rd heat at Fulbeck, putting his KT-1 firmly on pole for the final, also setting the fastest senior max lap of the day.

Starting the final, following a dramatic last minute change in the weather, and conservative set up, he elected for caution on a greasy circuit in the worsening rain and settle on a solid finish rather than risk the title through an unnecessary or forced error.
 
After the race John said "because the rain was light and easing as we went to the grid we gambled on a set up for a drying track, however it just got wetter and wetter so I just wanted to consolidate a great day.  My CRG KT-1 has been brilliant everywhere i've raced this year I just can't fault it.  My thanks go out to the team for their support, especially John at JJR Motorsport, Mark Collins and everyone at Kart CRG UK, Nigel at HRS for some fantastic engines and to my sponsors Forward Builders, RJR and GT Roberts.  I just can't wait to get my new Dark Knight for next year.
 
Demonstrating CRG's world championship reputation, John has shared 12 wins this year between CRG's Dark Knight, Road Rebel and KT-1.
 
Photograph courtesy of Sean Smith/Digital Sports Images.

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Mansell Jensen Dominate   (30/09)

Click for larger image...Fresh from winning the South West Championships in Junior Rotax at Mansell Raceway (Dunkeswell) in August, Mansell Jensen team driver, Nick Arthur took a resounding win at the September meeting. Qualifying on pole at both meetings, Nick was the class of the field against quality opposition.

After a DNF in Sunday's first Senior Rotax heat, Scott Hutchins only qualified 12th for the final. The 18 year old then put in a drive that can only be described as fantastic. He drove through the field to take a well deserved victory.

Team manager, Jacques Jensen said " Two wins, two great drives. It's a good day for Team Mansell Jensen". 
 
For more information on the Mansell Jensen Kart Team call Jacques on 07543638542.

Photograph courtesy of Tel T Motorsport Photography.

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Super Cadet & Formula KGP   (30/09)

Click for larger image...Cadets - have you got what it takes for the new MSA Super Cadet class?  Or for seniors to be one of the first to race in the exciting new Formula KGP class.  Find out at PF International on 23/24 October when Super One and Trent Valley Kart Club join forces to put on the UK's very first demonstration race for these two new classes.  Super Cadet, which has been given outline approval by the MSA, will be for drivers with a minimum of National B licence (no novices) and aged 10 - 14 years old.  The MSA have also given 'in principle' consent for the Formula KGP demonstration race for senior drivers.  Full regulations will be available shortly from Super One and TVKC.  Entry fee will be £120 for the two days with optional Friday practice, and the finals will be televised, so don't miss it, download an entry form now. 
 
Control fuel will not be necessary but there will be a tyre order form for the standard Cadet Dunlop tyres and for the Vegas used in F.KGP.  Provisional Super One ABkC Honda Cadet champion Billy Monger is already signing up for the Super Cadets as well as Comer Cadet ace TJ Nelson.  In KGP multiple Rotax and Kartmasters champion Michael Simpson is expected to be one of many well known drivers trying out the new class, which uses a BMB 125cc TAG engine with performance between Rotax Max and KF2.  Any chassis to MSA regulations may be used.  S1 Marketing Director John Hoyle said: "We are fully expecting a grid of twenty or so for both of these exciting new classes, drivers can race in both Super Cadet and Cadet on the same day if they wish, or KF2 and KGP.  The race format will be just the same as the other classes and although the champions are mostly decided we are expecting a few additional drivers in KF2, including the MSA Junior British Champion Jake Dennis, so the whole weekend is one not to be missed."  KF2 registration and entry has been left open, additional drivers welcome.Click for larger image...Click for larger image...
 
The Super One promoters would like to thank all the teams and drivers who have supported the new Super Cadet class throughout its formative stages and confirm that subject to MSA approval that both these new classes will be part of the MSA Super One Series in 2011.  
 
Contact Lesley Richardson at TVKC for entry forms -
compsec@tvkc.co.uk or download from www.s1series.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of TSR Productions.

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TDR Motorsport   (29/09)

TDR Motorsport arrived at a nice and sunny Kimbolton kart track on Saturday morning and Trevor got to work on the all new Alonso kart. Dean Stimson (Novice) went out for first practice and everything was working fine, a few alterations were made and we had a very productive practice day, we then cleaned everything up and were looking forward to race day.
 
Race Day: Heat 1- Started 30th finished 14th - Best lap 42.77. Heat 2 - Started 29th made a great start and progressed up to 15th when Dean was taken off on lap 9. We managed to rejoin the race to finish in 27th - Best lap 42.40. Heat 3 - Started 28th finished 12th - Best lap 42.54.
 
Final: Started in 17th finished 13th - Best lap time 42.08, some great times set by Dean on Sunday and from the timing sheet we see we were 6th fastest overall in the final. We would also like to welcome a TKM driver Ryan Gray to our team.
 
TDR Motorsport has a special offer on Awning Space from October 2010 to the end of February 2011 for £25 per day.
 
Please contact
rich@tdrmotorsport.co.uk to book your space at the October Kimbolton meeting. For more information on the team visit www.tdrmotorsport.co.uk.

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Promising Weekend...   (29/09)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Tooley Motorsport decided to take part in the penultimate formula kart stars round at wigan, the team consisted of Ross martin (cadet), Ross Gunn (cadet), Chris Middlehurst (Jnr rotax) and the returning Matthew Graham (KF3).
 
The whole team would like to say well done to both of the cadets for the whole weekend, but especially for qualifying 1-2 in the Saturdays qualifying. Gunn ended up 6th in the final and Martin ended up 8th which was his best of the year. On the Sunday both of them had problems, resulting in them finishing in 16th and 17th.
 
In junior max Chris had an amazing weekend, qualifying 3rd on both days and havin g good heats throughout the day. On the Saturday he had managed to set off 5th for the final but he ended up not starting due to a mechanical failure. On the Sunday he put it on 3rd and managed to keep this for the whole race whilst pressuring the current super one championship leader Jack Marshall. Matthew Graham also put in a good performance getting a 5th on the Saturday and a 4th on the Sunday, he encountered problems over the weekend but he managed to drive around them.

 
The team would like to thank all of the mechanics and the drivers for creating a great weekend, for any further information on the team visit the website at
www.tooleymotorsport.com.

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Stars Shine At Wigan   (29/09)

Click for larger image...At 1000 metres the Club Circuit at Three Sisters is the shortest stop on the Formula One Management backed Formula Kart Stars calendar but with plenty of fast sections and some flowing corners it proved to be the perfect venue for some of the best racing of the 2010 season so far.

The two MSA British Cadet Championship finals once again showcased karting at its best and Nathan Aston and Tom Harvey are set to take the title fight down to the wire in the final rounds of the championship at Ellough Park.

On Saturday Connor Jupp passed Aston around the outside going into turn one at the start of the final lap and then held off a charging Callum Ilott to grab the win by two hundredths of a second with Aston and Trevyn Jay Nelson both less than a second behind in third and fourth.

Nelson grabbed his first FKS win in Sunday's final despite falling back to 14th in the early stages. In a frantic 15-kart tussle Nelson passed Lando Norris with two corners to go and led Jupp and Ilott across the line with the next ten karts split by just six tenths.

Click for larger image...There were two new winners in Mini Max in the form of Sam Oram Jones and Lemuel Pay, both of whom emerged triumphant after a pair of spectacular duels.

Click for larger image...Oram-Jones grabbed Saturday's win in the final few metres after Bobby Thompson and Ryan Norris got hooked together coming out of the final corner. Thompson held on for second but Norris, who started 23rd, fell to tenth. Like the previous day Sunday's final saw the top dozen karts circulating as one with the lead continually changing. With three laps to go independent driver Pay forged his way to the front and defended stoutly over the final laps to keep the baying pack behind him. Championship leader George Russell was second with Norris redeeming himself in third.

Despite the small numbers, both KF3 finals were decided by less than two tenths of a second with Charlie Robertson taking his first win on Saturday after a last gasp move on points leader Ben Barnicoat. Barnicoat returned the favour on Sunday after shadowing Robertson throughout, increasing his points lead in the process. Sam Macleod took third on both days.

In the Joe Bloggs backed Junior Max class Ash Hand continued his march towards the title with two more imposing wins. On Saturday he beat title rival Jack Barlow and Chad Ryan by five seconds while on Sunday he bested series newcomer Jack Marshall and podium debutant Chris Middlehurst by four seconds.

The final two rounds of the series take place at Ellough Park on October 16-17.  For more information visit
www.formulakartstars.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Daytona KRC At Lydd   (28/09)

Click for larger image...It's been three months now since the Daytona Kart Racing Club (DKRC) started operating MSA racing at the fantastic Lydd circuit, and, having been blessed with another sunny race weekend, the September meeting held last week on the 11th/12th of the month saw yet another increase in driver entries, the Tyro class in particular boasting an impressive turnout.
 
The racing was therefore fast and furious as the challengers and pretenders to the gold trophy took to the circuit in force, battling it out over three gruelling heats and a final with a tenacity that ensured some exciting action for the spectators filling out the pit wall.
 
Cadets: Some impressive performances during the heats put Cadet drivers Cameron Clarke and Mikey Doble on the front row for the final. After some great dicing and bumper-to-bumper action in the early stages of the race, Clarke managed to break free from Doble, maintaining his concentration and edging out a decent lead to take victory by a comfortable margin from Doble, with Kiern Jewiss placing third.

1st Cameron Clarke
2nd Mikey Doble
3rd Kiern Jewiss
 
Juniors: After a great start, Harry Rootes took the initiative early on in the Junior category to establish a sizeable lead over Samuel Cowlam, George Bryne and Jordan Hollands who were all engaging in a three-way battle for podium places. After some entertaining, clean but not entirely incident free scrapping, Cowlam emerged to claim second place behind Rootes with Byrne coming home to take third position.
 
1st Harry Rootes
2nd Samuel Cowlam
3rd George Byrne
 
Tyro: The large Tyro grid saw Tom Sapsed putting in another solid drive to take an easy win in the ProKart Modified category. Meanwhile, a close battle between Del Paice and Keith Fish saw Paice nipping ahead of Fish to take second, Fish following only a tenth of a second behind over the line.
 
Meanwhile in the standard ProKart group it was the Graham King and Jason Thatcher trading places for the leading spot whilst the number 87 kart of Les Partridge held third place after initially keeping pace with the leaders. After some close racing King held on for the win whilst Thatcher and Partridge rounded off the top three.
 
Click for larger image...
Seniors: The Seniors turned out perhaps the most unpredictable results as a fantastic battle between Sam White, Adam Cross and Graham Mackie turned into a disaster for White, who ended up off the circuit in the latter stages of the race after doing a great job of fending off persistent attacks from Mackie and Cross, leaving him out of contention and causing the frontrunners to tangle themselves up and lose time at the top end of the track. It was therefore a rather surprised Nicholas Gunkel who emerged from the carnage in the lead, with Cross and Mackie doing just enough to hold second and third respectively.

1st Nicholas Gunkel
2nd Adam Cross
3rd Graham Mackie
 
Circuit Manager Phil Stanley was watching the racing. "It was great to see some more fine performances by a number of drivers today - brilliant to watch from race control and I'm sure the spectators were kept well entertained. I was also impressed with the standard of driving from competitors new to the circuit or MSA racing. We've clearly got some budding stars working their way up through the ranks and I'm pleased they're choosing to cut their teeth at Daytona Lydd."
 
Of the turnout in general, Phil commented, "We've worked hard to make improvements to the circuit and venue as a whole, and the kart club are doing a great job encouraging drivers down to Lydd. The racing is superb, the circuit is one of the best to drive in the UK, and I'm glad the improvements that are being made seem to be appreciated by the drivers."
 
For those drivers now eager to get racing at Daytona Lydd International, the DKRC MSA rounds take place on the 2nd weekend of every month - with the next round taking place on the weekend of the 9th/10th October. Honda Cadet, Comer Cadet, WTP, Mini-Max, Junior Max, Junior TKM (2 and 4 Stroke) and  Junior Formula Blue, Senior Max, Formula Blue, KF1, KF2, TKM Extreme, Biland, Prokarts and modified Prokarts are all welcome at the track.
 
Live timing, a cafe serving hot food all day, race commentary, indoor toilet facilities, spectating opportunities from the Clubhouse, pit wall and an outdoor decking area overlooking the track all make for an enjoyable day for the whole family at Daytona Lydd International.
 
If you are new to racing, the club and circuit can help to organise ARKS testing at the circuit itself with friendly and professional staff on hand to guide you in the right direction.
 
Racing is great value with Saturday practice £30, Entry Fee £30 for members - and membership is only £10. Entries are due in no later than the Wednesday before the meeting, and should be sent to the Entries Co-ordinator, Daytona Lydd International, Dengemarsh Road, Lydd, Kent, TN29 9JH.
 
The circuit is more easily accessible than you may think, only 25 minutes from M20 Junction 10 at Ashford, and with major roads marking the route up until Lydd itself.
 
A new dedicated website for the DKRC at
www.dkrc.org.uk is now up, but is very much work in progress. Competitors can download club application forms and race entry forms from the site and shortly will be able to view all the information that you could need - including weather updates, race reports, leader boards, technical info etc. Call us on 01797 321895 for more information or drop by to pick up an information pack at the circuit. Full results are available courtesy of MyLaps at www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=594977
.
 
Photographs courtesy of
Martin Webb.

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10 Drivers Still In Contention   (28/09)

Click for larger image...The first edition of the CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship will enter its decisive phase this weekend on the circuit of Val d'Argenton (Breuil s/Argenton) in France and will designate the first "U18" World Champion of a new era for Karting.

Suspense will be at its peak for this third and last round to be run in France as ten Drivers can still mathematically be crowned, with the two leaders of the provisional Championship classification on the same number of points! The Briton Jake Dennis (Top Kart) and the Finn Teemu Suninen (Maranello) have 36 points each after the events already held in Germany and Spain. Winner in Spain, the Northern Irishman Adam Stirling (Intrepid) is only 4 small points down, and if he were to prevail again at Val d'Argenton his win would automatically give him the title as the points difference between those allocated for the first and second positions is 5 units. Behind these three, seven additional Drivers still have a chance to be awarded the World Champion title, even if circumstances will have to be particularly favourable to enable them to achieve this feat. Everything remains mathematically possible for Finland's Matias Köykkä (Maranello) and Ville Mäntylä (Energy), for the Irishman John Norris (Intrepid), the Italian lady Driver Chiara Poletto (Parolin), the Frenchman Vincent Fraisse (Intrepid), Britain's Jordan Chamberlain (Intrepid) and Spain's Victor Colome (Intrepid).

While the fight for the Drivers' title will be the most visible and commented one, let us not forget that the make used by the winning Driver will be awarded a world title as within the framework of this new Championship the FIA has also created a title of CIK-FIA Karting World Champion for Makes. Out of the 14 entered makes at the start, 5 are still in contention for the supreme consecration before this final rendez-vous!

In the supporting category of the "U18" World Championship, the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, there is also something new in the air of international Karting. With its thirty-three 13-15 year-old Drivers from as many different countries, the Trophy almost looks like a real Nations' Cup and, thanks to the identical equipment for everyone, a very warm atmosphere reigns between all the participants, Drivers, Mechanics, parents or accompanying persons. Double winner in Germany, well classified in Spain, the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert goes to the event as leader, with a rather comfortable lead and the advantage of performing before a public who will totally support him. Behind him, there are nine Competitors who are however still in with a chance of landing the title. Hubert's strongest opponent could be Finland's Niklas Tiihonen, who has finished second, third, fourth and fifth since the beginning of the competition. At the moment, the Top 10 is a stranglehold of European Drivers as it also includes the Greek Fillipos Kalesis, the Estonian Hans Villemi, the Briton Roy Johnson, the Swiss Séverin Amweg, the Monaco Driver Charles Leclerc, the Dutchman Max Koebolt and the Swede Hannes Nilsson. But, having taken their bearings in Germany, Drivers from outside Europe are gradually increasing in power. In addition to aiming at a final place in the Top 10, South-Americans, as well as Asians and a South-African Competitor will have a small internal battle to be the first of those who are not Europeans. In this little game, the Brazilian Victor Franzoni has the edge on the Argentinean Federico Paolini, the Chinese Kang Ling and the South-African Michael Taylor.

Each round of these new World Championship and Academy Trophy is concentrated on three days and has the specificity of beginning with an educational programme called EduKart. Competition will therefore start at Val d'Argenton on Friday 1st October with a small theoretical exam carried out on electronic terminals with touch-sensitive screens: Drivers will have to answer a number of questions focussed on their knowledge of the sporting and technical regulations, on safety, on the history and patrimony of Karting or on the anti-doping fight. Karts will initially run on the track on Friday afternoon, with a succession of non-qualifying practice sessions. On Saturday 2nd October, qualifying practice will take place at the end of the morning, followed in the afternoon by 12 qualifying heats. The morning of Sunday 3rd October will be dedicated to the last qualifying heats, which will be a deciding factor for the constitution of the starting grids of the final phase races scheduled for the afternoon. The FFSA (French Federation of Automobile Sport) has added to the programme of the event a race reserved for KF3 karts. In order to celebrate the return of an international event on his circuit, the Organiser will grant free access to the public, and various attractions are scheduled. Finally, Eurosport will be present on the circuit to prepare a 26-minute magazine to be broadcasted on Thursday 14th October on Eurosport 2.

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Well Done Aaron Charles   (27/09)

Click for larger image...Well done to Aaron Charles, one of the youngest Seniors at only 15 years old, who drove a faultless weekend at the London Cup to take 2nd place in the Grand Final.  After the 15 minute showdown, Aaron brought the new RH1 Octane Kart home only 1.93 seconds behind Michael Epps.

Click for larger image...Aaron, who is also now leading the Kimbolton Senior Rotax Max Championship, said "I'm glad we've put to rest any doubts about the new Octane chassis."  He continued, "It unfortunately came out at the same time as the the bad batch of SL6 tyres and has been a nightmare to prove its speed, but on the control tyres at the weekend it showed it's worth and came home top British manufacturer, and only 1.93 seconds behind the lead kart. The team were over the moon as we had a seat problem earlier that had unbalanced the kart and wrecked one of my front tyres, so we knew we had more there had the tyre been better."
 
Aaron Charles Racing would like to send a big thank you to Marc Dawson and Ricky at Grice Racing Engines for their excellent engine preparation and for their time and effort with Azzy, getting him up to the sharp end in the seniors. Contact Rick at Grice Racing Engines on 01268 727847 or 07768 047253.

We would also like to thank Nick Jest and Josh O'Malley at
www.njrmotorsports.co.uk for the excellent new RH1 Chassis - to book a test drive on the new Octane contact Nick direct at Rye House on 01992 460895, option 3.

Also a very big and personal thank you to Keith Appleyard for all his time, effort, and tenacity helping to get Azzy to the top of his game.  Plus a big thank you to all Aaron's supporters!

Finally, we would also like to thank Denise, Keith and Danny at
www.kartpartsuk.com for their instant and excellent parts service.

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Jordan Does The Double   (27/09)

Click for larger image...Honda Cadet driver, Jordan Brown-Nutley, won the Ace of Clubs meeting at Whilton Mill circuit last month.  Jordan drove an excellent race dominating the field with a pole to flag victory.

Then, at the recent Rye House meeting, Jordan added to his success by winning the London Cup.

Jordan commented, "The grid here at Rye was tough but we had the pace all weekend". He went on to thank his mechanic, team owner of JWR John Williams, Project One for the great new chassis, and RPM racing engines.

For further information on JWR please call 07984 323139.

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O'Sullivan 'Storms' To Win   (24/09)

Click for larger image...Alex O'Sullivan would like to say a big "thank you" to North-West Intrepid Dealers Griffin Racing for their support, and Steve Ogden of Ogden Racing for the superb engine he supplied for the 2010 Rotax Cup/S1 Shakedown event at Three Sisters.

The Chester-based 17 year old took the prestigious trophy on one of the new Intrepid Storm chassis, supplied to Griffin Racing by Intrepid Importer JKH UK Ltd. Alex also has team manager Dave Griffin (ex S1 Strawberry & RL Mechanic) and also his mechanic - 2006 Rotax Cup and multiple Club Champion, Danny Chesters, to thank for their hard work over the weekend.

Despite starting 4th on the grid behind pole man Barrie Pullinger, Tom Fawcett in 2nd, and Lewis Seville 3rd, Alex stormed through the Tony Kart field to win with Fawcett 2nd and Danny Russell 3rd. The Storm chassis provides the club racer with a winning alternative at a very attractive price.

For details of the Storm Chassis and to arrange a test please call Pete Griffin on 07834 708991.

The photograph shows Alex (centre) flanked by Team Owner Pete Griffin (Left) and Team Manager Dave Griffin (right).

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Super One Support Races   (24/09)

Trent Valley Kart Club will be hosting the final round of the MSA Super One Championship at PF International kart circuit on 23rd & 24th October 2010 and are thrilled to be assisting the Championship Series in introducing two new classes that will be showcased at this event! 
 
As you may or may not be aware, Super One have applied to run Super Cadet and Andy Cox's new class (name TBA) at the concluding round of their MSA Championship. The classes will be a support demonstration that will be run to Super One format and regulations and will provide an opportunity to premiere these two new initiatives. 
 
Want to be involved and be the first drivers in the UK to take part in these support classes? Drivers who are interested should have a minimum of a National B licence and the cost of the two day event will be £120, which will include both classes being televised.
 
For race entries or further information, please contact John Hoyle
johnhoylejkh1@btinternet.com or Sonja Game sonja_super1@msn.com.

 
Super one are waiting for approval from the MSA for regulations and permits and will keep you informed... watch this space!

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24Hr World Record Attempt   (24/09)

Click for larger image...Record breaker Lloyd de Boltz-Miller is hitting the track again in a new bid to raise money for, and increase public awareness of, spinal cord research.

After a successful year of fundraising in 2009 - during which he set European and British 24 Hour kart records - the Norfolk-based driver has teamed-up with the Wings for Life charity and is aiming to bring the World 24 Hour Kart Record to Britain for the very first time.

If that wasn't enough, Lloyd is also planning to re-write the phrase 'endurance racing,' with the ultimate test of man and machine - driving a Porsche Carrera Cup racing car, flat-out for 24 Hours.

The kart record attempt will take place at Whilton Mill circuit in Northamptonshire, with the clock starting at 10am on Thursday September 30 2010 and running straight through to 10am the following day.

Lloyd says "After setting the British and European records last summer, this autumn sees me going for the big one. Last year was an incredible experience and a great success, but this time round I'm better prepared, and the support I have from my brand partners leaves me feeling confident that the World Record will come to Britain for the first time. I would be delighted if you could join me on the way. Together we can make a difference. This is your invitation to join the journey and give it wings."

Pace setters will ensure that Lloyd maintains the required lap times to take the record, but he is extending the opportunity for you to join him on track to be part of this unique event. A fleet of twin engined pro-karts will be available for 15 minute slots on the day, with all proceeds going to Wings for Life.

Whilst Lloyd will be going for the record on the international circuit, a 2½ hour team endurance race on the 450m Mill Circuit, plus clay pigeon shooting and quad biking is taking place at the same time. The entry for each team of four is just £325 and will present the ideal opportunity to allow visitors to test their skills.

Away from the track, Lloyd has devised a series of complimentary events to not only get the motorsport community behind the 24 Hour Challenges, but also the general public. He says: "Whilst increasing awareness and raising funds is vital, I also want to leave a footprint in the minds of the general public and encourage them to get involved too."

A selection of racing cars and automotive exotica will also be on display, whilst prizes and gift bags are up for grabs throughout the event.

For those wishing to stay for the duration of the attempt, they will be welcome to an overnight BBQ and party.

For more information visit www.24hour.org.uk.

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Young Journalist & Photographer   (24/09)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is inviting submissions for the ninth Renault MSA Young Motor Sport Journalist and Photographer of the Year awards.
 
Established in 2002 with support from Renault UK Limited, these two awards are designed to recognise and encourage the new generation of motor sport reporters and photographers working within UK motor sport. A panel of recognised experts from the sport and the media will consider the applications and the eventual winners will receive their awards at the MSA's prestigious 'Night of Champions' ceremony in January.
 
The winners not only receive recognition as notable talents of the future, but also cheques for £1,000. The winning photographer will also have their pictures displayed on the walls within Motor Sports House.
 
Renault UK Press & PR Director, Tim Jackson, said: "Renault has supported these awards for almost a decade now and in that time we have recognised many young hopefuls who have gone on to enjoy successful careers within the sport. We are delighted to continue our tradition of nurturing the best young talent in motoring, be they journalists, photographers, engineers or competitors."
 
Last year's winning photographer, Dom Romney, has used the accolade as a springboard to establishing his own independent agency. "It has been a very exciting year," says Romney. "This time last year I was working on a local newspaper and covering motor sport in my spare time, but thanks to the Renault Award I have now set myself up as a freelance photographer. Being able to describe myself as the MSA Young Photographer of the Year has been a huge advantage and invaluable in getting taken seriously."
 
MSA Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, said: "Winning one of these awards is a real boost for any young journalist or photographer looking to make their way in the motor sport media. We look forward to crowning the latest deserving winners at the Royal Automobile Club in January."
 
Candidates must have been aged 25 or under on 1st January 2010 and be able to demonstrate published work involving domestic UK motor sport. They can come from local, regional, specialist or electronic media and are required to submit a minimum of three published articles or photographs from the UK media this year.
 
Application forms are available by email from
media@msauk.org and entries must be submitted by 19th November 2010.
 
Previous winners:
2009 - Journalist: Ben Anderson, Autosport / Photographer: Dominic Romney, Freelance
2008 - Journalist: Ed Foster, Motor Sport / Photographer: Drew Gibson, LAT
2007 - Journalist: Steven English, Autosport / Photographer: Drew Gibson, LAT
2006 - Journalist: Kevin Turner, Autosport / Photographer: Michael Hoyer, Freelance
2005 - Journalist: Glenn Freeman, Motorsport News / Photographer: Gavin Ireland, Racecar Engineering
2004 - Journalist: Gemma Briggs, Racecar/Haymarket / Photographer: Glenn Dunbar, LAT
2003 - Journalist: Tim Redmayne, Motorsport News / Photographer: Jonathan MacDonald, Pacenotes
2002 - Journalist: Will Gray, Collings Sport / Photographer: Jakob Ebrey, Jakob Ebrey Photographic

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Buy A Part Of BMB History   (23/09)

Kart Grand Prix UK Ltd is proud to announce the availability of some Limited Edition Formula KGP BMB engines.
 
To celebrate the launch of Formula KGP in the UK the engines numbered HU01 TO HU20 are available personally signed by the engine's designer, Carlo Boscolo. Carlo has been one of the great innovators in kart engine design over the last 30 years. With the BMB engines arrival in the UK in October the engines are expected to be snapped up by collectors.
 
Of course, the BMB engine used in Formula KGP does not have a power valve! So, on the rear of the cylinder each of the limited edition engines will carry a BMB logo and be engraved and signed by Carlo Boscolo himself. Each engine will also come with a certificate of authenticity.
 
"The Kart Grand Prix engine is unique in its design; it's a traditional kart engine with some clever but simple technology incorporated. The result is an unsealed TAG engine that can be tuned giving exceptional performance. At the same time the KGP engine service schedules will cater to club racing budgets. It's not every day that a new engine and category is started in the UK, Carlo is very modest man but we convinced him that we should celebrate this moment and he agreed to produce these signed engines " commented a proud KGP UK boss Paul Deavin.
 
To reserve a piece of BMB history call the KGP office on 01527 882981 or for more information on Formula KGP visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kart-Grand-Prix-UK/118241168220144.

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O Plate Success For Myers   (23/09)

Click for larger image...Formula Kart Stars would like to congratulate Mini Max driver Oliver Myers for winning the British Open 'O Plate' title at Rowrah recently.

Myers' victory, at the same venue where he scored two podium results in the opening rounds of the Formula One Management backed Formula Kart Stars Championship earlier this year takes the number of FKS drivers holding as national plate this year to a sensational nine.

Recounting his maiden national triumph, Myers was understandably delighted; "We were quick from the beginning of the weekend, in all conditions," said Myers, who took one win and two second place finishes in the heats. "I went into the final starting second with Joe Byrne on pole and Sam Marsh in third, but they were both on the inside unlike me, so at the start I slotted behind them into third."

After a lengthy pursuit of the two leaders Myers made his move in the final five laps, taking the lead with just two of the 20-laps remaining.

"I started to defend, then Joe went into the side of Sam and pushed each other wide, I then got a two second gap going into the last lap which I was happy to take advantage of, and held it together and brought it to the line.

"The feeling of winning my first national race was amazing, I would like to thank Steve Ogden for my engines, my mechanic Paul Fairhurst, Steve Lake from Aim Motorsport and my mum and dad."

Myers' triumph brings the number of Formula Kart Stars drivers holding national plates' this year to an incredible nine.

In addition to Myers, Lando Norris is the O Plate holder in Cadet Comer, while Harry Williams (Cadet), Sam Marsh (Mini Max) and Fraser O'Brien (Junior Max) all earned the right to wear the C Plate after winning the Welsh Championships. Dean MacDonald is the S Plate holder after winning the Scottish Super Series while George Russell (Mini Max), Connor Jupp (Cadet) and Ben Barnicoat (KF3) all won the prestigious GP Plates at this year's Kartmasters.

For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit
www.formulakartstars.com
.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Extra Testing Dates   (23/09)

Extra testing dates are now available at Ellough Park Raceway, of both 2-stroke and 4-stroke open testing!

The dates added are...

Monday 4th October
Tuesday 5th October

It's a 10am start on both days, and the cost is just £40.00 per driver all day.

Due to Ellough Park's calendar being so full with corporate days, we thought you would all appreciate some extra track time for 2-stroke and 4-stroke testing!

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us on 01502 717718, or via email at
enquiries@elloughparkraceway.co.uk.

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Tillett Drivers Claim 1-2-3   (22/09)

Click for larger image...Tillett Racing Seats were used to come 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 2010 CIK FIA Karting World Championship in Zuera.

1st: Nick de Vries using a T10 1/4 covered Tillett seat on a Zanardi chassis.
2nd: Jordan Chamberlain using a T11t Tillett seat on a Tonykart.
3rd: Nicolaj Moller Madsen using a T11R seat on an Energy kart.

We would like to congratulate all three drivers on a fantastic race.

For more information on Tillett Racing Seats visit our website at
www.tillett.co.uk.

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Epps' Third London Cup   (22/09)

Click for larger image...Global Karting dominated grids all weekend for the London Cup at Rye House, Hoddesdon.
 
Michael Epps, drove superbly throughout to win the Senior Max London Cup Trophy making him a three times winner of this prestigious event having also won it in 2007 and 2008 in Junior Max. He was eager to return and complete the triple win.
 
Epps qualified pole in both the qualifying and top10 shoot out by a convincing margin. After the three heats he was on pole for the Pre-final, drove a lights to flag victory and then repeated it in the
Grand Final to win comfortably.
 
"I'm so glad to have the cup back. Big thanks to Global Karting, especially to Mike Spencer and also to Ricky Grice Racing Engines," said Epps.
 
Click for larger image...Reece Wade finished 6th and newcomer to the team, Adam Sadler in 177 had a good weekend finishing 7th.
 
In Juniors Lewis Plato was on P2 for both Pre-final and Grand Final and was leading the final when he had a puncture so finished 6th. Jack Powell finished 9th and Jordan Nallet 15th.
 
Click for larger image...Minimax Ollie Myers raced at the front all weekend, leading the final to the flag, but was given a two place penalty. Michael Houghton finished a creditable 5th. Cadet driver Josh Price finished in 14th place.
 
Team drivers 177 Jason Lijftogt, and Junior Max Matt Lambert didn't finish the championship as both were injured on track and taken to hospital, but released afterwards.
 
Find team news on the Global Karting site at
www.globalkartingltd.com and www.michaelepps.co.uk

 
Photographs courtesy of
Andy Webb.

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Arai Signs Jack Barlow   (22/09)

Click for larger image...After a string of strong performance in his rookie year in the Junior Rotax class, including finishing 3rd overall in the Euro Max Challenge and winning the Rotax Cup, Phoenix Distribution (Arai's British importer) moved to sign the highly-rated Strawberry Racing driver. 
 
Commenting on the decision, its Motorsport Brand Manager Toby Warrington said "We are always looking for the best available talent to represent the brand and Jack is living up to that billing. We have looked at him for a year now and have been impressed with his results and the way he conducts himself on, and off, the track."
 
He added, "We are very selective and try to pick stand-out people in their categories. Individuals who others look to, and those who have the edge on their competitors. Based on these criteria, Jack is doing everything right."
 
As part of the agreement, the 15-year old will now wear an Arai GP5 helmet and says "I have always worn Arai helmets, because they're the best. It is a great honour to be chosen to represent them and I am glad to have rewarded their faith in me with victory in the Rotax Cup. I hope it will be the first of many and am looking forward to working with Toby and his colleagues to promote their karting and motorsport range throughout my future career."
 
Jack's first role as an ambassador for Arai was at the recent charity fundraiser for injured Superleague Formula racer, Chris Van Der Drift, at Daytona Milton Keynes, where he teamed-up with Toby and Formula Renault star Robert Foster-Jones.
 
"I've never done anything like that before," explained Jack. "I was racing against the likes of Red Bull F1's Daniel Ricciardo, 2005 World Kart Champion Oli Oakes, Lotus F1's Fairuz Fauzy and other up and coming drivers. It was pretty lively at times, but a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to help a fellow driver. We came 6th overall - which wasn't bad considering the sheer amount of talent on the circuit."
 
Jack returns to action this weekend (25/26 September) in the penultimate round of the Formula Kart Stars championship at Three Sisters and returns to the Lancashire circuit two weeks later for the conclusion of the Super 1 Rotax series.

Photograph courtesy of Jakob Ebrey.

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London Cup Glory!   (21/09)

Click for larger image...After taking the win at the Stars shakedown meeting at Wigan last weekend, Connor Jupp seems determined to go out of the cadet class on top after now adding the London Cup Trophy to the GP Kartmasters title he secured in early August.
 
The Eclipse team looked dominate all weekend at the Rye house circuit and Jupp did not have it all his own way with team mate Jamie Caroline finding his form after a long break. Caroline started off the weekend with pole position in qualifying and then went on to win the super pole shoot out by
0.4 tenths and adding two heat wins taking the fight to his team mate for the pre-final. Also Enaam Ahmed was putting in a sterling performance during the heats lining up on the 3rd row for the final as well as getting fastest lap in his second heat in what is only his first full season in competitive racing.
 
In the pre-final it was much of the same affair with Caroline and Jupp duo working well together but unfortunately on the last lap a collision with the leading four drivers all going off allowing local driver Thanassi Barnicoat through to take the spoils.
 
With the main final the Eclipse boys knew what was in order in the 17 lap race, Jamie soon seem to hit the front with Jupp close behind and they were joined by Wright driver Callum Ilott and all three of them pulled clear from the chasing pack. With 3 laps to go Ilott and Jupp went past the current Honda British Champion Caroline into the lead, it all looked set for a three way battle however after contemplating backmarkers Caroline fell foul and unfortunately crashed out of a certain podium spot. This left Jupp and Ilott to battle it of for the London Cup spoils, Jupp has developed a cool approach and took lead with one lap to go and defending superbly to take a well deserved win for himself and the Eclipse Team.
 
For more information on the team, and contact information please visit
www.eclipsemotorsport.com or contact James on 07875 375777, or Dan on 07590 350298.

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KartMania Countdown Begins   (21/09)

It's now only 6 weeks to go before the 2010 KartMania show so make sure you visit the website at www.kartmania.co.uk for all the recent updates, on-line ticket sales, to book your accommodation, and get all the news on the workshops that will be happening over the 2 show days.
 
Now is the perfect time to clear out all your old spares and kart parts and book a table for the now well established KartBoot! You can still just arrive on either morning at 7.30 if you prefer not to book, and this year there is a new table layout to ensure enough spaces will be available, but it is still best to book to reserve you place. Anything used, abused or battered can be sold - don't forget, what you think is rubbish might be just what someone else has been looking for.

The show will be held on 30th - 31st October (remember, that's a week earlier this year!) at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Full details on the website.
 
So book now and don't miss the UK's premier kart show - KartMania 2010.

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Sticker Kits Special Offer   (20/09)

Click for larger image...Kartstickers.com would like to announce a special offer to anyone purchasing one of our fantastically priced sticker kits.
 
Traditionally heading towards the Christmas period is a very busy time for us producing the sticker kits as they make an excellent present for the person who has everything, so we thought that this year we would try and ease that rush by offering an incentive to anyone wishing to purchase a kit for the Christmas and New Year time a little earlier.  If you purchase your sticker kit between 1st October and 30th November you can purchase a second sticker kit at half price!
 
This only applies to a duplicate of the full price kit and only on full kits not parts.
 
To take advantage of this offer please email Kartstickers.com on
abbeysigns@hotmail.com and we will arrange a Paypal invoice to be sent and commencement of your sticker kit design.
 
Visit our website at
www.kartstickers.com.

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Freem: New World Champions   (20/09)

Click for larger image...Formula One prospect Nyck de Vries scored a sensational, last-gasp victory to win the CIK-FIA World karting Championship at Zuera, Spain last Sunday (19 September). The Freem-backed flying Dutchman pulled off a classic, late-braking manoeuvre to pip the 2009 European KF2 Champion, Jordan Chamberlain - who also chooses Freem - in the dying moments of the race.
 
Freem-UK's Managing Director Jonathan Walker said, "This is another fantastic result for Nyck and Jordan. It shows that exceptional drivers choose exceptional racewear. Together, they both have to perform under pressure and in the toughest conditions. I would like to congratulate the pair of them."
 
De Vries and Chamberlain's super 1-2 finish for Freem is the latest in a long list of success for the Italian brand. In the Euro Max Challenge, Freem UK-backed Ed Brand became the senior vice-Champion, whilst junior star Jack Barlow finished 3rd overall in his rookie season. In the British Super 1 MSA Championship, the top four Super KF drivers; Mark Litchfield, Jonathan Walker, Elliot Burton and James Godbehere all wore stylish Freem racesuits.    
 
Click for larger image...Visitors to October's (30/31) KartMania show at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry will be able to see the complete range; including racesuits, rib protectors, boots, gloves and paddock wear - and take advantage of special show deals.
 
J
onathan says, "We're sharing a stand with the Helmet Company and it's a great opportunity to see for yourself the unrivalled quality and construction of Freem products and get a special discount. We'd love to see you there."
 
In the interim, for a brochure please call 01254 779 907/ 07887 835 235 or e-mail
jonathanwalker@me.com
.
 
Freem UK is also on Facebook.

Photographs courtesy of KSP.

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MSA Confirms Age Limits   (20/09)

As announced in March 2010, the MSA will introduce a new Super Cadet kart class from 1st January 2011 as an intermediate step between the existing Cadet and Junior classes. The new class has been created to address concerns about small drivers entering classes with adult sized karts too early.
 
However, following a period of consultation into the new regulations, the Motor Sports Council this month ratified a proposal from the Kart Sporting Committee for revised age ranges for the Junior and Super Cadet classes.
 
The original draft regulations had envisaged a change in the minimum age for a Junior class to the year of the 12th birthday, but this will now remain as 11th birthday in 2011. The reversion to this age was agreed following proposals from class sponsors to implement revised minimum driver weights and heights that will see all Junior classes working towards a 2.5 driver to kart weight ratio.
 
As a result, Junior TKM 2-stroke will have a minimum driver weight in full racewear of 38kg, the 4-stroke a minimum weight of 40kg and both categories will be subject to a minimum driver height of 135cm. 
 
Other classes are expected to follow with similar minimum driver heights in 2012.  Maximum chassis weights are to be adjusted to suit in order to limit the amount of ballast carried by a lightweight driver.
 
The maximum age for Rotax Minimax will become the end of the year of the driver's 15th birthday with a minimum driver weight of 36kg. The same minimum weight will apply to Junior Blue, while age ranges for more powerful junior classes remain unchanged.
 
Rod Taylor, Chairman of Kart Sporting Committee, said: "With the Cadet age now spanning up to five years with a corresponding range in height and weight, it was felt that there was a need for an intermediate class for drivers who may wish to progress but not immediately transfer to a junior class.
 
"The new Super Cadet class provides an opportunity for experienced Cadets to transfer after their 10th birthday, and for novices to enter the class in the year of their 11th birthday, and remain to the end of the year of their 14th birthday."
 
The MSA will consider applications for up to two national Super Cadet championships and from clubs who wish to offer the class, although there is no compulsion on clubs to run this new class. There is no restriction on drivers moving from Super Cadet back to Cadet, but once drivers enter a Junior race they may not revert to a Cadet class.
 
Class regulations are being formulated and currently the class weight is envisaged as 115kg, with a maximum kart weight of 80kg.  The chassis for this class must be homologated and details of eligible chassis and the draft technical regulations for Super Cadet can be obtained from the MSA Technical Department, but all karts must use the new CIK crash tested minikart bodywork (except for the rear protection system which is optional).  There are a variety of 60cc air cooled 2-stroke engines eligible for the class. 

Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Executive, said: "Once again we have seen the effectiveness of the consultation process for regulation changes. The MSA would like to thank all those who took the time to comment on the draft regulations and the class sponsors who responded with forward thinking amendments to their regulations. We look forward to the introduction of Super Cadets in 2011."

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De Vries Is World Champion   (20/09)

Click for larger image...At 15 years of age, Nyck De Vries has written the finest chapter of his CV by winning the CIK-FIA World Championship contested this week-end on the Spanish track of Zuera. Already established into the McLaren fold, the young Dutchman just pipped Britain's Jordan Chamberlain on the very last lap of the Final. The Dane Nikolaj Moller Madsen completed the podium.

The majority of the observers had placed him at the top of their list of favourites to win the CIK-FIA World Championship at Zuera. But a world championship is a test like no other during which the pressure never ceases to build right up to the climax of the week-end. However, chasing the peak attainment of his 15 years, Nyck De Vries (Zanardi-Parilla) reached his goal in taking the lead… just a few hundred yards from the finish ! Third at the end of the first lap the Dutchman subsequently passed the Dane Moller Madsen (Energy-TM), then little by little narrowed the gap between himself and the leader Jordan Chamberlain (Tony Kart-TM). After risking an incredible passing move on the very last lap, Nyck then went on to take victory after a battle of the highest order. "What an incredible feeling!", he smiled. "I was closing only very slowly on Jordan. Then at the start of the last lap, I said to myself that this braking manouevre would probably be my very last chance to be world champion. I decided to make my move some way back… and that was how it went!"

The smile on the face of Nyck De Vries in the press conference - where the McLaren F1 protege announced that he wanted to contest another season at the highest level of karting in 2011 - contrasted with the disappointment of Jordan Chamberlain. "Second in the World Championship, this is a good result ", explained the, 18 years old Welshman who was KF2 European Champion in 2009. " But after having started on pole position and having dominated almost the whole of the Final, inevitably I am disappointed… In a straight line I was falling back, but I said to myself that Nyck was too far away to launch an attack. And then, all of a sudden, it happened ! I found myself in the dust, just off the track, and then all I could do was defend my second place again Nikolaj. But well down to Nyck for his race!"

Crowned KF2 European Champion last July, Nikolaj Moller Madsen believed right up to the end that he might be able to benefit from the dice between the two leaders. But finally, the 17 years old Dane had to be satisfied with the lowest step of the podium. "Having to start 24th on the Pre-Final grid, this is already a super result", reckoned Nikolaj. "I climbed up to 6th place in the Pre-Final, then I made a superb start. I was 2nd, but then Nyck passed me in the same place as he passed Jordan a little later and in the same manner. Following that, I was able to maintain my rhythm and I hoped to benefit from the scrap in front. It didn't happen… but no matter! After my European Title this was another good result to add to my prize list!"

Click for larger image...The battle between the three leaders inevitably drew everybody's attention. The more so since, behind them, the Japanese Yu Kanamaru (Tony Kart-Vortex) was on his own in 4th place ahead of the Dane Max Klinkby-Silver (Tony Kart-Vortex) and the Englishman Chris Lock (Tony Kart-Vortex). Benefiting from a penalty assessed on his Belgian team mate Yannick de Brabander for non-observance of the correct starting procedure, the Ferrari Academy Driver Brandon Maisano (Intrepid-TM) recovered to 7th place in front of the Belgian Sébastien Bailly (Kosmic-Vortex), the Italian Stefano Cucco (Birel-Parilla) and Yannick de Brabander, who completed the top ten.

Although he started on the front row of the Pre-Final, the Swede Joël Johansson (Energy-TM) saw all his hopes fly away following mechanical problems during this race which determines the starting grid for the Final. No more success either for British driver Luke Varley (Tony Kart-Vortex), who on Friday set the fastest time in the rain affected qualifying practice, and who started 5th on the grid for the Final… before going out of the race. His compatriot Ben Hanley (Maranello-Maranello), 3rd in the 2009 World Championship, had also gone out in the Pre-Final (engine failure) and then also went out of the Final (a collision on the first turn) whereas the former runner-up in the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship could well have had a part to play in this Championship.

"This World Championship has crowned a promising young talent, blessed with an incredible audacity ", reflected a delighted Monsieur Nicolas Deschaux, the President of the CIK-FIA. "The presence of an enthusiastic public, the Eurosport TV cameras and an entry of 118 drivers proved once more that Karting is at one and the same time a popular hobby and a discipline of the highest level. Finally I pay tribute to the important work of the organiser and officials of the Spanish Federation which has permitted such a worthy outcome to this world ranking event."

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Corner Weight Scales   (17/09)

Click for larger image...Iztech Kart Seats are delighted to offer yet another way to maximise your kart's handling and performance...
 
We have taken delivery of the latest Intercomp wireless corner weight scales from the USA.
 
As many of you already know, corner weighting your kart is crucial if you are to achieve optimum weight distribution. In doing so, you will avoid many of the pitfalls such as under-steer, load variances on tyres and bogging down on corner exits.
 
Seat placement is probably the most important weight adjustment you can make to your kart whereby you can potentially achieve near perfect weight distribution before weight is added to the kart.
 
So, if you think that this sounds like a service you could use please contact Kevin for an appointment on 01908 511000 or 07967 757096 - evening appointments are also available.
 
The cost is just £25.00 for the first hour, and £5.00 for every extra 15 minutes.

For more information on Iztech Kart Seats visit
www.iztechkartseats.com.

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Travel To Spain...   (17/09)

In a return to the European Rotax scene, RL Racing Dept will be taking four of their drivers to compete at the International Open held at Zuera, Northern Spain, during the week of the 31st of October.
 
The team are also offering a set priced carriage/awning space service for this race, to save you the hassle and expense of taking your equipment all that way yourself. Just drop the kit to us and book a flight!
 
Entries for the race are available now at
www.rgmmc.com
.

Call us for a quote!

For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

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Dream Monza Trip   (17/09)

Click for larger image...Nine lucky Formula Kart Stars drivers experienced the trip of a lifetime with an all expenses paid trip to last weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza courtesy of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The lucky nine, Alex Gill, Ash Hand, Thanassi Barnicoat, Jordan Stilp, William Foster, Adam Mackay, Jacob Stilp, James Singleton and Dylon Phibbs, all earned their prize as a result of winning the Bernie Ecclestone backed 'Driver of the Day' award during the 2009 FKS Championship.

All nine were treated to pit and paddock access throughout the weekend, met the drivers and teams and enjoyed grandstand seats with the 'Tifosi.'

The BBC filmed the drivers as part of their qualifying show with Hand and Barnicoat doing a live TV interview with presenter Jake Humphries.

"It was an experience of a lifetime," said Hand, who currently leads this year's FKS Junior Max standings. "Unless you make it to F1 you will never experience the F1 pitlane and paddock like we did over the weekend."

Singleton, who finished third in last year's Mini Max championship echoed Hand's thoughts. "Meeting all the drivers, going into the garages and seeing all the work and commitment that not just the driver puts in but also the team to get the result."

"It was a fantastic prize to be awarded and it was a great and enjoyable experience," added Junior Max driver Jordan Stilp. "It was a truly fantastic experience that I will never forget."

Cadet driver Barnicoat recounted his live TV interview with not a little trepidation: "It was very easy until I was told that it was going to be live then I got a little nervous. As soon as we were half way through the interview everything ran smoothly and it was ok. I was just glad my minute of fame was over."

Series director Carolynn Hoy was one of the chaperones for the weekend and was understandably delighted for the lucky winners.

"Mr Ecclestone put us up in a hotel just five miles from the circuit and provided mini buses to get us around. We were invited into the pit garages of McLaren, Lotus, Red Bull, Hispania and Mercedes as well as a tour of their amazing hospitality centre.

"Formula BMW invited all of the boys to their BBQ and party where they found themselves rubbing shoulders with Vettel, Senna and quite a few GP2 drivers. We were made to feel very welcome in the paddock and it was nice to see so many recognised the Formula Kart Stars name."

For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit
www.formulakartstars.com
.

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Global Success Home & Away   (16/09)Click for larger image...

Click for larger image...Global Karting driver, Lewis Plato, drove stunningly at the final round of the Euromax championship in Genk, Belgium. His first time as a senior, first time in Europe, Lewis qualified an incredible P2, won two heats to qualify P2 for the First Final. His smooth driving style rewarded him with a well-deserved 3rd place podium.
 
Jake Dalton continued to build up the points in his KF3 Super 1 championship with a strong drive winning the First Final at the penultimate round of the MSA Super 1 Championship at Whilton Mill. Jake is now third in the championship and team-mate Callum Bowyer is also third overall in KF2.
 
Click for larger image...There was double success for Global drivers at the home track Rye House, for Minimax Michael Houghton, and Junior Max Matt Lambert, in the September meeting showing strength throughout the team. Matt also won the fastest lap trophy and September's win makes it three in a row for Michael.
 
Team Managers Rob Hanscomb, Chris Rogers and Mike Spencer congratulate all drivers in the team for their recent success. This weekend Global Karting will have a strong team of drivers competing for the London Cup at Hoddesdon. See results and reports at
www.globalkartingltd.com
.

Photographs courtesy of foto.pi-racing.com (Lewis Plato)
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net (Lewis Plato) and Dave Houghton (Michael Houghton/Matt Lambert).

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Strawberry's Cup Runneth Over   (16/09)

Click for larger image...As the domestic season draws to a tense and exciting close, Strawberry Racing drivers Jack Barlow and George Russell's preparations for the penultimate round of the Formula Kart Stars season at Three Sisters (25/26 September) were boosted in the best possible manner with victories in the Rotax Cup.
 
Super 1 title aspirants Jack Marshall and Tom Fawcett were also on the podium, which bodes well for the series' finale at the Lancashire circuit in October.
 
In the Mini Max category, George Russell bounced back from a difficult qualifying session to win his second heat and then comprehensively outrace his rivals to take a comfortable victory in the main final.
 
Warwick Ringham, Strawberry Racing Team Manager observed, "George worked his way into the right spot, waited for his opportunity and then took it. In many respects it was the perfect drive because he made the decisive move at precisely the moment he needed to and then kept everyone else behind him."
 
Click for larger image...His smile was made all the broader after watching his two Junior stars - Jack Barlow and Jack Marshall -convert the challenge of nearly thirty other drivers into a cat-and-mouse battle between themselves. Just as they did at Shenington (29 August), where they scored a 1-2 finish, the pair worked together to clear the chasing pack and then cleanly disputed the win. On this occasion, Barlow prevailed leading home his team-mate by a fraction over a tenth of a second.
 
Click for larger image...In the senior class, the European Junior and World Senior Rotax champions were represented by Super 1 championship leader Tom Fawcett, Barrie Pullinger, Rotax Winter Cup champion James Greenway and guest driver, Ed Brand.
 
In timed qualifying all were comfortably inside the top ten, with Tom and Barrie going on to share the spoils in the following two heats. After what was billed as 'an epic fifteen lap final' round the Valley circuit configuration, Tom eventually claimed 2nd spot with Barrie 5th, Ed 6th and James 7th.
 
"As a warm-up for the last round of Super 1 it was a strong, encouraging performance," said Warwick. "Each and every one of the boys had good overall speed - on balance, I'm very happy."
 
Opportunities to race with Strawberry and the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team in 2011 are now available. For more information, please call Warwick Ringham or Paul Spencer on 0114 269 6215/0114 288 9933 or e-mail
info@strawberryracing.co.uk
.

To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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World Karting Championship   (16/09)

Click for larger image...With its number of entries alone (125 Drivers), the 47th edition of the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship promises to be exceptional. To find as many entries in only one Karting World Championship category, one must go back to the year 1993 (with 127 Drivers in Formula A at Laval, in France), no less! The CIK-FIA's decision to hold the World Championship for the KF2 category rather than for Super KF is the main explanation for this spectacular recrudescence of participation.

It is the long (1,700 m) international circuit of Zuera, located in the north of Zaragoza in Spain, which will have the distinguished honour of gathering the upper crust of Karting's young hopefuls and the greatest teams of this form of sport on 17-19 September. In all, 29 nations will be represented.

The attention paid to young Drivers is in particular illustrated by an expected confrontation between the Drivers of the Mc Laren Young Driver Development Programme, Nyck de Vries (NLD) and Oliver Rowland (GBR), and those of  the Ferrari Driver Academy, Raffaele Marciello (ITA) and Brandon Maisano (FRA). Out of those four, the Dutchman Nyck de Vries will be the one on whom all eyes will turn. CIK-FIA European Junior Champion in 2009 on this very circuit of Zuera, the diminutive 15 years old prodigy has overshadowed all the big names and recognised talents of Karting in all the international non-championship competitions he has entered since the beginning of the season.

Click for larger image...The entry list is so long and rich in talent that it would be risky to launch into any forecasts. Judging by their recent performances, it will in particular be worth following the evolutions of Denmark's Moller Madsen (European KF2 Champion in 2010), Kevin Munkholm and Jakob Nortoft, of the Portuguese David Da Luz (winner of the World Cup for KF2 in 2009), of the Belgians Sébastien Bailly and Guillaume de Ridder, of the Finn Teemu Suninen, the Japanese Yu Kanamaru, the Italians Matteo Vigano and Ignazio D'Agosto, the Australian Gilbert Mitchell, the Britons Jordan Chamberlain (European KF2 Champion in 2009) and Alexander Walker, as well as the Swiss Michael Heche. The field will nonetheless comprise some very experienced Drivers who could prevail in the face of the stakes: Britain's Ben Hanley, Belgium's Yannick de Brabander and Finland's Simo Puhakka to name but a few. Finally, three Scandinavian Drivers will represent the fair sex: the Dane Michelle Gatting (third in the Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship last May in Japan), the Norwegian Ayla Agren and the Finn Laura Koivuluoma.

Each competition day in Zuera will correspond to a major stage of this 47th CIK-FIA World Championship: on Friday evening there will be an initial hierarchy further to qualifying practice. On Saturday, after the 12 qualifying heats, the 34 happy Finalists will be known. And on Sunday the result of the morning prefinal (9h55) will condition the starting grid of the big final scheduled for noon. Those who will not be present at the Zuera track can watch the race live from 11h45 on Eurosport, which will broadcast it on its international channel. Not forgetting that throughout the weekend the results will be published in real time on
www.cikfia.com.

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DHR+Babington=Euromax Win   (15/09)

Click for larger image...Leading UK and Euro race team DHR closed round 4 of the Euro Rotax Challenge with a stunning victory in the Senior Rotax class.
 
UK Junior Max star Sean Babington made his International debut, but due to the age regulations in the Euro Max Challenge he had to enter in the Senior Rotax category.  Amongst some 70 senior drivers with some very big names from the UK and abroad Sean wasn't to be phased. If the step up to Senior Rotax wasn't enough Sean had no experience of using front brakes, Mojo tyres or having ever raced at Genk before.
 
Click for larger image...Team manager Dan commented "He could have easily been forgiven for a steady performance. However there's nothing steady about Babington when it comes to racing." It soon became clear during open testing that he was going to be one of the front runners posting consistent fast laps. Qualifying went well with Babington posting the 4th fastest time overall, and having set several fast laps in a row his race pace looked good also.
 
With 3 strong heats finishes Babington gridded up 3rd for the pre-final. Having set 2 fastest laps in the heats he was in confident mood and after a race long battle going right down to the final corner he crossed the line 2nd at the flag again setting fastest lap.
 
Click for larger image...The nerves then started to set in, a grid 2 start for the grand final wasn't ideal as the outside row was tricky. Babington managed the start well and hung on round the outside and came out from the important first corner in 2nd. After a tense few laps Babington caught the leader made his move and set about pulling a small gap. Despite constant pressure from the pack behind they were unable to catch the Alonso DHR driver. Babington recorded an amazing debut Euro Rotax Challenge victory to the delight his team.
 
Click for larger image..."I was hoping for a top 10 finish when we entered the meeting. I was so nervous before the final. To actually win is fantastic and words can't describe this", comments Babington, "I'd like to thank Dan from DHR for this opportunity and everyone at Ogden Motorsport for the engines and of course my Dad and family at home who supported me all the way!"
 
Dan explains "Sean drove a near perfect weekend, in my view he got the result he and the team deserved".
 
The DHR team would like to thank Ogden Motorsport for the excellent engines and service. For more information on the DHR Alonso team visit
www.danhollandracing.co.uk or you can contact Dan via email at dan@danhollandracing.co.uk or direct on 07960 047810.

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Edgar 'O'ver The Moon!   (15/09)

This weekend just passed, RL Racing Dept's Justin Edgar took the spoils at the British Open Championship held at Rowrah in Cumbria and now carries the coveted 'O' plate for the rest of the season and into next year in the Rotax Max 177 class.
 
In a great last lap battle, 2 corners from the flag, karting legend Edgar made an audacious move on Super One Series points leader Lucas Orrock clean and clear to take a well deserved first victory of 2010, his return year to karting after a few years out.
 
Justin was really due a victory after a good turn of pace since joining the RL stable and with a handful of podiums at the last 2 rounds it's a great way to enter the final race of the season, round 7 of the S1 at 3 Sisters in a few weeks time where although he can't win the series after missing two rounds early in the year, race wins are the aim.
 
Also at Rowrah competing for the 'O' Plate, this time in the Mini Max class from the RL squad were Sam Marsh and Josh White - both FKS & S1 front runners since joining RL. This race they didn't disappoint - under the guidance of RL Racing Dept's Michael Simpson (former Formula Super A European and British Champion from the 1990's) with Marsh challenging for the lead right up to the flag missing out on victory due to another driver clipping his rear bumper thus ending his assault one lap to go coming in 2nd at the death. Team mate Josh White always shadowing the lead trio but not being close enough in the end to challenge for the plate.
 
The team now travel to 3 Sisters next week for FKS...

For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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A Rising Star...   (15/09)

In his Rookie year in Super One and second year in FKS, 11 year old Shanaka Clay has vastly impressed in the last 2 months at S1 and FKS with outstanding timed qualifying and heats results with the next step for him to conquer the all important finals.
 
In his first year with the European & British Championship winning RL Racing Department Ltd, and under team principle Steve Armstrong's direct supervision ,Clay has improved from many 'B' Final conclusions in the 2009 Cadet FKS series to being a top 6 contender in both major championships.
 
Clay's TQ strength grew initially at FKS rd. 6 held at GYG with an outstanding 2nd overall and then going on to take 5th & 2nd in his heats giving him a strong p6 start for the 'A 'Final, only to lose too many places at the start and being unable to find the previous form earlier in the day that gave him such a strong start.
 
Then came the S1 round also held at GYG in Wales, with a 3rd overall in TQ and then 4th and 5th in his heats giving him again p6 for Final 1.….. Only to be push off hard at turn 2 thus ending his challenge on a podium finish.
 
The RL squad then travelled to FKS rounds 7&8 at Genk in Belgium and Clay had done his homework at this venue in dry testing the week before showing in TQ with another 3rd overall - converting this excellent performance into 10th and 7th in the wet heats, Clay struggling with the nasty conditions unknown to himself and the team.
 
Young Shanaka's best showing however, came at round 6 of the Super One held at Whilton Mill 2 weeks ago where he finally took overall pole in TQ and got a taste of the top step- thus taking p1 starts in each of his heats, the team opting to play safe in the heats and took 2nd position and fastest lap in heat 1 and 5th in heat 2 giving him p2 for the first final.
 
His overly relaxed style went against him at the start and duly dropped to around 14th place after 5 laps, managing to make it back to p8 at the flag- very disappointing for all concerned including Clay himself! A similar showing in the main final compounded Shanaka's next step needing to be a big one, to make the podium in the final- the speed of him and his Tonykart EXP Rocky clear to see.
 
Other notable results were Larkhall S1 earlier in the year with 4th and 7th in the heats and 7th and 10th respectively in the finals.
 
Clay looks now to redeem his final performances but to carry on with his TQ and heats performance advantage at FKS rounds 9 & 10 at 3 Sisters next week, then onto his and the team's home circuit ,Ellough Park in Suffolk watch this space...!
 
For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Easykart UK Finale   (14/09)

Click for larger image...And so here we are, at the end of a long and winding road that has taken us through nearly every region of the UK, and yet, incredibly, there have been no scandals. No £1,200-a-go sexy cuddles with, er, professional ladies. No drivers in cahoots with dodgy gambling syndicates, no spying, hooning or spanking on the bum with a leather paddle.
 
Despite all this, the 2010 Easykart season has been far from dull. Quite the opposite. It has been peppered and spiced with some superb racing, eye-wateringly brave and daring overtaking moves and a raft of different winners throughout the classes. Consequently, three out of the four categories remain up for grabs.
 
In the Heavy class, Barnaby Pittingale already has both hands on the trophy and it would take a cosmic event to prevent him from adding the UK title to his recent European crown. Tim Hill is in line for his best ever championship finish, but cannot afford to take his foot off the gas - quite literally - as Mark Lawrence maintains the pressure on him.
 
Fresh from scoring his first ever Easykart triumph, Owen Jenman has made the fight for the Light honours a four-way tie. The Prime Minister's favourite racer and last year's Junior champion, Patrick Lay, has won twice and took a podium at Rowrah to keep himself in the mix and, on dropped scores is, so far, just a point behind Kieran McCullough. Like Patrick, Kieran is looking to make history by winning back-to-back titles in separate classes. Last year's Heavy champion possesses a phenomenal will to win and with everything still to play for, is definitely a threat to Jenman, Lay and current leader Elliot Rice's chances.  
 
Junior stars Toby Sowery, Luca Hirst and Thomas Grainger have chased each other around the kart tracks of Britain all summer long and it is testimony to the closeness of their equipment and abilities that not one of them has managed to break clear. Possible entry into the World Finals will keep these young men's minds focused always the way to the chequered flag on Sunday afternoon.
 
Do Andy Cox and John Vigor have a script writer bashing out 'Easykart Cadet: The Movie'? Surely they do. After seven rounds, Tom Thickpenny and Ronan McKenzie are tied on points. Both were triumphant at Rowrah and Forest Edge could well provide the perfect level playing field - the championship has never visited the circuit before. However, after the FIA sanctioned team orders, Thickpenny would be forgiven for sweating a little on the thought of McKenzie calling on William Stowell for a favour. Both are on the Easykart Driver Programme, are intelligent and work well. Despite his tender years, Tom is an experienced driver and a very cool customer. He has been under pressure before and responded in the best possible manner.
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday at Forest Edge, Barton Stacey - just off the A303 between Andover and the A34.
 
For more information, visit
www.easykart.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Barlow Wins Rotax Cup   (14/09)

Click for larger image...Jack Barlow triumphed in the annual Rotax Cup at Three Sisters, near Wigan last Sunday (12 September), beating a quality field, including an exciting, tense battle with his Strawberry Racing team-mate, Jack Marshall.
 
The Lancashire venue is one of Britain's fastest and most exhilarating circuits, but ironically one that Jack had not competed at before. As a result, his timed qualifying performance was hampered by his lack of experience.
 
"Getting a tow down the huge main straight makes all the difference," Jack explained after qualifying in 14th place. "If you can slot in behind another driver, the slipstream effect can be worth as much as three tenths of a second (off the lap time). At Three Sisters, that's a big advantage and I was unlucky because I couldn't get the tow I needed."
 
Undaunted, he took a commanding win in the first of the two heats. This gave him pole position for the second race, which he duly converted into a lights-to-flag victory, again ahead of Marshall.
 
After making the front row of the main final grid an all Strawberry Racing affair, Barlow aced the start with Marshall slotting in behind and staving off the early challenge from the third-placed driver. Once the opening lap had settled, they followed their team manager Warwick Ringham's orders to the letter. "We both pushed and pushed to keep the chasing pack at bay. Jack (Marshall) could see the driver in third getting closer, so he pushed me even harder. At one point, he was faster than me, so took the lead and I followed him. That gave us the advantage we needed and with two laps to go, I saw my chance and grabbed it."
 
Click for larger image...Once ahead, Jack made sure that he drove a very tidy last lap, defended any passing attempts from Marshall and led his fellow Tony Kart EVR driver home.
 
"I'm really pleased to have come to a circuit I've never seen before and won," Jack said after the podium presentation. "I've been given two fantastic trophies; the Rotax Cup is huge! My win is definitely a big boost ahead of the final round of the Formula Kart Stars Championship, back here in two weeks."
 
He added, "I didn't expect to go to Wigan and win, but this has been a great way to reward the support of Arai UK, Freem UK, Rollersigns and Skinners of Rye. My team played a massive part in this latest success, so I would like to say a really big thankyou to Warwick, Dave 'Dodge' Gregory and my mechanic (and newly-crowned senior Euro Max number three) Mats van den Brand."     
 
Jack returns to Three Sisters on 25/26 September for the penultimate round of the Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton-backed Formula Kart Stars series.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Try The New KGP Engine   (13/09)

Click for larger image...Want to try the new Kart Grand Prix engine for yourself?

You can! Exclusively on Friday 24th September at the Whilton Mill circuit, Northampton from 10am until 3pm.

Kart Grand Prix UK will be in attendance with the new Kart Grand Prix BMB engine mounted on different manufacturer's karts - Birel, Tonykart, Octane, Gillard and Maranello will be available to test drive.

Click for larger image..."We have been bombarded with enquiries for KGP, everyone who has driven the BMB engine has fallen in love with it. But don't just take my word for it, if you're interested in doing KGP then come and have a go and see for yourself - the BMB engine and Vega tyre combination is awesome "commented a delighted KGP UK boss Andy Cox.

All test drives must be pre booked prior to the test. Each driver will get 15 laps for a cost of £30. If a driver orders a KGP BMB engine within 30 days after the test the test fee of £30 will be refunded.

Test drives can be booked by calling the Kart Grand Prix office on 01527 882981. Bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis with only one booking taken per person.

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Introducing The Rookie Cup   (13/09)

TVKC are proud to introduce a new concept into their race programme... Rookie Cup.
 
This new initiative will be available to all drivers at Trent Valley Kart Club that hold a National B licence, or lower and who compete in either the Mini Max, Junior Max or Senior Max classes.  The Club are aware that sometimes the Max grids at PF International may seem daunting to those drivers who are just starting out in karting - hence the introduction of Rookie Cup. Rookie Cup will allow these drivers to compete against others of the same ability, giving them an excellent opportunity to hone their driving and race skills in order to progress up through the ranks.
 
Dependant of numbers, the Rookie Cup drivers will either go off the back of the normal grid (based on 1-9 drivers) or if there are 10 or more drivers entered for this category, a separate grid will be catered for.  Either way, the highest placed Rookie Cup driver in each class will be awarded with a trophy for their hard work!
 
TVKC have incorporated Rookie Cup into their race programme from the October Club meeting (3rd October) onwards and entries are already being accepted! 
 
Further information can be found on the website
www.tvkc.co.uk or by contacting Lesley (compsec@tvkc.co.uk) or Clare (clare@tvkc.co.uk).

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First World Titles...   (13/09)

The World Cups for KZ1 (gearbox karts) and KF3 (Juniors) which were held this weekend on the Portuguese track at Braga produced two superb winners. Both results were well justified because Dutchman Bas Lammers and British driver Alexander Albon had thoroughly deserved their Final victories after having dominated their respective classes all weekend. But behind them there was no shortage of surprises!

Click for larger image...A double European Champion in KZ1, the principal category of gearbox karting, Bas Lammers (Intrepid-TM) had never won the World Cup. But this Sunday he has most certainly made it happen! Classified first after the qualifying heats, the Dutchman dominated the Pre-Final as well as the Final - as he finished with more than 5 seconds to spare - on his way to his first world title. "Obviously, I am very happy this evening", he explained after the race. "I have recently gone through the pain of losing my dad.  Afterwards, I focussed more than ever on this race and it became an absolute desire to win it for him. I know this would have made him very happy also and I dedicate this victory to him."

The Intrepid team had all the more reason to be delighted - for the 4th time in four major meetings (two World Cups and two European Championships), Jérémy Iglésias (Intrepid-TM) stood on the second step of the podium. "This time, I can have no regrets", explained the Frenchman. "In contrast to other major events, I was not the fastest at the beginning of this meeting. I had to battle with some adjustments to my chassis in order to climb up the classifications and this second place is in those circumstances a good performance."

If it was not unduly surprising to find the two Intrepid team-mates on top of the podium, the third man to make it there was a surprise... a complete unknown! With a Ninar chassis powered by a TM motor, the young Finn Oskari Kurki-Suonio confounded any sceptics. Starting in 10th place on the grid for the Final, he steadily climbed up the leader-board to eventually secure an incredible third  place. "I am 17 years old and I usually race in Finland, both in karting and in single-seater car racing", he explained, clearly enjoying the superb result he had just achieved. "The Ninar chassis is manufactured exclusively in Finland and it is super to achieve this performance here, in opposition to these famous makes".

Featuring amongst the favourites, Manuel Renaudie (PCR-TM) quite simply could not match the rhythm of the two leaders at the beginning of the race. Several laps from the finish, it had become a dice with Kurki-Suonio for 3rd place. The top 5 was completed by another Frenchman, Anthony Abbasse (Sodi-Maxter). Benefiting enormously from his fresher tyres following a non-finish in the Pre-Final, he climbed 26 places to head Czech driver Patrick Hajek (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Finn Simo Puhakka (PCR-TM), British driver Ben Hanley (Maranello-Maranello), the Italian Antonio Piccioni (Parolin-TM) and another Czech,  Zdenek Groman (Maranello-Parilla).  On the other hand there was no luck going the way of the young Dutchman Jorrit Pex (CRG-Maxter), fastest in qualifying practice and 2nd on the starting grid of the Pre-Final. But an engine failure in that race, then a lack of power in the Final, put an end to his ambitions.

Meanwhile, Albon won the KF3 dual with Verstappen...

Click for larger image...Even though he had dominated all the weekend, Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM) did not have as easy a task as might be imagined to win the KF3 World Cup (for Juniors between 13 and 15 years).  In the end, the British lad had to face Max Verstappen (CRG-Maxter) in a head to head duel to win the World Title in his first season in KF3. Neutralised after only one lap following a collision involving Edward Jones, Niklas Tiihonen and Igor Walilko, the Final then became the stage for a superb battle between the Brit and his Dutch rival. An over optimistic manœuvre in getting ahead of Max Verstappen enabled Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Sodi-Parilla) to momentarily take the lead, but Albon and Verstappen quickly recovered their places permanently to finally finish in that order. Already European Champion, Alexander Albon thus pulled off a superb double. "I would have considerable difficulty even dreaming of a better season", recognised the driver already supported by a famous energy drink. "I could never relax because Max was right behind."

Even if he might have been inclined otherwise, the son of the ex Formula 1 driver also expressed his satisfaction - "It is my first season in KF3", smilled Max. "I will not celebrate by 13th birthday until next week so this is not so bad. In the Final I was really tested, in particular with the battle after the neutralisation. But Alex was extremely strong today..."

Happy, the two drivers undoubtedly were... but perhaps less than Callan O'keeffe (FA Kart-Vortex). Starting in 9th place it was he who finally made the last step of the podium. "It is incredible!" he exclaimed. "I began karting less than 2 years ago. This is my first season in KF3 and my first world championship race. Despite having progressed all the weekend, I could never have believed I would finish in such a position!"

After his second place in the European Championshio, Pierre Gasly failed to make the podium this time but finished in front of Spaniard Pedro Hiltbrand (Kosmic-Voretx), the Frenchmen Leo Roussel (Sodi-Parilla) and Esteban Ocon (Exprit-Vortex), British driver Jake Dennis (Top Kart-Parilla), the Dane Christian Sorensen (Birel-BMB) and another Spaniard Carlos Gil (Tony Kart-Vortex). With four different engines in the first four places and no less than nine different chassis in the top 10, one can easily see what a particularly open competition this Junior class creates. Without a doubt we shall be talking about some of these drivers in the future!

For further information, images, and full results visit
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/Braga.htm
.

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Daytona Kart Racing Club   (10/09)

It's your last chance to enter the September round of Daytona Kart Racing Club's monthly MSA race meetings at Daytona Lydd International this weekend (12th September 2010). Normal entry closing is the Wednesday before the meeting, however if a disaster has befallen your entry form, or entering the race has simply slipped your mind, it is your last chance to contact us now and secure your place on the grid.

With Cadet Libre, Junior Libre, UK Clubman and TYRO classes, the club are aiming to make the race day as all-inclusive as possible.
 
Honda Cadet, Comer Cadet, WTP, Mini-Max, Junior Max, Junior TKM (2 and 4 Stroke) and  Junior Formula Blue, Senior Max, Formula Blue, KF1, KF2, TKM Extreme, Biland, Prokarts and modified Prokarts are all welcome, the Club are hopeful of great support from owner drivers who like the exciting Lydd circuit. The Club and Daytona Motorsport are very keen to rebuild the enthusiastic owner driver racing community at Lydd. Membership for 2010 costs just £10 and race entry is just £30.
 
A new dedicated website for the DKRC at
www.dkrc.org.uk is now up, but is very much work in progress. Competitors can download club application forms and race entry forms from the site and shortly will be able to view all the information that you could need - including weather updates, race reports, leader boards, technical info etc.
 
Book your place on the grid by calling 01797 321895.

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Prima Racing Signs Kellett   (10/09)

Prima Racing is delighted to announce that James Kellett has signed to race with the team in Comer Cadet for the remainder of the year. James will race in the remaining rounds of the FKS Championship as well as selected club outings using the Tonykart Rocky Chassis. He is also to start a Super Cadet test program with the team on the new Tonykart Rookie Chassis ahead of a full Super Cadet campaign over the winter and in 2011.
 
The team is very excited at the prospect of teaming up with James as well as gaining the expertise of the Kellett camp to strengthen their already strong technical capabilities within the Comer Cadet Class.
 
It was a great debut weekend for James at last weekends Ace of Clubs race at Whilton Mill with a very strong performance from both him and his Comer team-mate Dan Zelos. In the pre-final Dan set the fastest lap on his way up the grid to challenge for 2nd place on the last lap. Unfortunately Dan had a small off as he was squeezed onto the damp side of the circuit whilst going for 2nd place so eventually finished 7th, one place behind James who was recovering from a lowly starting grid due to an off in heat one whilst avoiding a corner cutting kart. In the main final both Dan and James faired strongly with James coming through to 2nd place, challenging for the tightly defended lead on the last lap. There was no way past in the final few corners but James had the award of setting the fastest lap to add to his excellent debut with the team and on a Tonykart chassis, therefore making Prima Racing and the Tonykart Rocky the fastest kart of the weekend in both finals in the Comer Cadet Class.
 
James commented "I just couldn't find a way past but am sure given another lap I could have driven by. The kart was fantastic with so much grip that allowed me go a lot harder into and faster around the corners."
 
There were also strong performances from Gaby and Tommy Weyer at the Ace of Clubs Race in the WTP Cadet class. Gaby came home in 3rd place in the main final after starting the pre-final in pole position whilst her younger brother came home in a superb 5th place to clinch the club title in the WTP class for the Ellough Park Kart Club.
 
For more information on Prima Racing, contact Neil Berryman on 07939 162368 or Jamie Croxford on 07889 981631, or email
neil_berryman@hotmail.com
.
 
Photographs courtesy if Amateur Sports Stars and
Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Van Splunteren Euro Champ   (10/09)

Click for larger image...Dutch driver Joey Van Splunteren, driving the British Gillard kart for DFK won the Rotax Max European Championships at the Genk Kart Circuit in Belgium this weekend. 
 
Joey put together three fantastic rounds on his Gillard 010B V2S chassis, always on the podium in France, Germany and Austria and only missed sealing the title with a round to go by just one point.  His championship rival needed to win both finals in Genk to endanger Joey, but Joey ensured this didn't happen by finishing in front of him.
 
Tim Gillard, who was present to witness the victory, is thrilled at the performance of his karts on the Mojo Tyres that will be used in the UK from 2011 onwards.  The marque has shown that British karts can beat the best from the rest of the world.
 
For further information about the team or the range of Gillard Karts please visit
www.karttraining.co.uk or call 01280 814774.

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MSA Bambino's At Buckmore   (10/09)
 
The BPKC are planning to include a grid of MSA Bambinos (6yr - 7yr) in their club meeting on Sunday 19th September.

Bambinos are being reintroduced in MSA meetings after the MSA issued updated regulations.

Practice will be available for Bambinos on Saturday 18th September.

For more information contact Chris Pullman on 01634 661604.

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Strawberry Retains Title   (10/09)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing is again celebrating after retaining its Junior Euro Max crown at Genk last weekend (4/5 September).
 
The team's senior drivers narrowly missed out on dominating the championship podium after Mats van den Brand, Tom Fawcett and James Greenway finished in 3rd, 4th and 5th places respectively, whilst Joel Affolter sealed his first international title with a sensibly taken fifth place in the Junior Max grand final.
 
The young Dutchman was in title-winning form from the outset, setting the fastest lap in timed qualifying and emerging from the heats in third place overall (having taken 2nd, 1st and 6th positions). His team-mate Jack Barlow had a tougher time, despite winning his first heat, to line up on the sixth row of the pre-final grid.
 
Click for larger image...From the start, Joel made short work of getting into the lead and from there was never headed. Jack again was the victim of some lurid driving, but recovered well to cross the line in 7th place.
 
With one hand now firmly on the trophy, Affolter knew that he simply needed to consolidate his points advantage in the main final rather than go for glory. With some of the drivers around him causing a "bit of a kerfuffle" as team manager Warwick Ringham put it, Joel did what was necessary to bring his Tony Kart EVR home safely and secure the championship. Behind him, Jack had found his engine temperature rising and tried to cool it by removing tape from his engine's radiator. Once he'd done so, he charged up the order and was gaining on the lead quintet when the chequered flag fell. His sixth position also gave him the vital points to put him on the overall podium and guarantee entry into next month's inaugural Rotax International Open meeting and December's World Finals.  
 
Click for larger image...Mats van den Brand made sure that the fight for overall honours would go down to the wire after he won all three of his heats. His fellow title protagonists Tom Fawcett and James Greenway experienced different fortunes however. A crash ensured that Tom would join Barrie Pullinger in the repecharge, which he went on to win, whilst Barrie would sadly not complete the opening lap.
 
Going off p29 at the start of the pre-final, Fawcett showed the talent that could yet win him the British Super 1 title by carving his way up the order to take the chequered flag in 9th place with James 6th and Mats 4th.
 
Click for larger image...In front of a large crowd, the final was fought out in typically hard fashion. After 17, pulsating laps Greenway finished 2nd - ahead of van den Brand in 4th and Fawcett 16th.
 
"It's really good to take 3rd, 4th and 5th positions in the championship," said a pleased Ringham. "It demonstrates how competitive our equipment, and we as a team, are. None of the other squads had that level of consistency to have three drivers all in with a shout of winning the title at the every last round."
 
This weekend see the team turning its attention to adding three British Super 1 Rotax titles to its tally of success. George Russell, Jack Marshall and Tom Fawcett could all win their respective class championships at Wigan in two weeks time. Before then, all three and their fellow team-mates will be using Sunday's Rotax Cup at the fast Three Sisters circuit as a rehearsal for the all-important showdown seven days later.
 
To find out more about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress.

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47th Anniversary Meeting   (10/09)

Round 5 of the Buckmore Park Kart Clubs Summer Series on the Sunday 19th September marks the 47th Anniversary of the circuit and is the last chance for Super 1 TKM and Honda Cadet O Plate competitors to practice and race at the circuit, before they visit in October.

The meeting also features a senior road tax race for the Phil Worlow shield.
 
Practice is available on Friday 17th September and Saturday 18th September between 10am - 4pm. For more information contact Sheila Rose 01634 661604.

For more information or to enter online visit www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk
.

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Aitken Wins Rotax Decider   (09/09)

Click for larger image...The last round of the Rotax Max European Championship at Genk in Belgium saw victory for Protrain Racing's Jack Aitken on his British Gillard kart. This culminated a fantastic season for the UK driver finishing second overall in the Championships and earning his ticket to the World Finals in Italy later this year.

Click for larger image...Jack proved his speed with third in timed practice and fastest lap in two of the heats. Equal first on points for the final starting grid unfortunately put him on second and an outside starting grid for the first final. The usual problematic start from that position dropped him to eleventh but a storming drive through the field to third gave him the perfect starting position for the final.

Immediately Jack took second at the start, and the lead soon afterwards on the third lap, never to be headed much to the pleasure of watching Tim Gillard, owner of Gillard Racing Karts. This was on the back of winning the Belgium National Series at the same Genk circuit just two weeks before.
 
The performance showed Jack's tremendous driving ability and makes Protrain Racing and Gillard Racing Karts look forward to the 2011 season when the UK Rotax racing will be on the Mojo Tyres which matches the British manufactured Gillard kart perfectly.
 
The race meeting also saw great drives from the other members of the Protrain team.  Kaan Onder and Alessandro Latif showed similar speed to Jack Aitken but incidents prevented greater success. In seniors Dave Sutton was lying fifth until his race was curtailed and Dan Holland was unfortunate to come off in the reprecharge when lying second.

For further information about the Protrain Racing Team or the range of Gillard Karts please visit
www.karttraining.co.uk or call 01280 814774.

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Grice September Mega Deal   (09/09)

Grice Racing's September mega deal is for all of our customers who want that bit more.

Our recession busting deal includes a full rebuild including all bearings, piston, small end pin, gasket set, all labour, and full 2010 fiche, all for just £315!
 
Extras are dyno power test and setup available for £75. Ultrasonic carb cleaning and preparation costs just £50.
 
However, from September onwards, we have sourced a large quantity of JAG UK senior cylinders, brand new, and available at an extra cost of only £75!
 
Our existing customers will already know of our recession busting special offer of £315, but to include a brand new cylinder at £390 is an amazing price to have your Rotax motor updates and rebuilt.  Ask your existing to match our latest offer - we're that confident!

All prices are exclusive of VAT.
 
For all enquiries, contact Ricky Grice on 01268 727847, 07768 047253, or email
ricky.grice@virgin.net.

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Double Delight For Brand   (09/09)

Click for larger image...Ed Brand added further luster to an already glittering reputation after delivering a superb performance in the final round of the Euro Max Challenge, at Genk last weekend (4/5 September).
 
The 16-year old had travelled to the Belgian track with high hopes of further success after winning the penultimate round in Austria (17/18 July). But his performance perhaps surprised even himself after he took the title battle right down to the very last race of the series, when he won the pre-final.
 
The Kalman Motorsport driver signalled his intent right from the outset after a strong timed qualifying session saw him in touch with his main rivals by setting the sixth fastest lap before taking 3rd, 5th and 2nd finishes in the preliminary heats to secure fourth place on the grid for the first of Sunday's two crucial finals.
 
"That first final was one of the toughest I have ever had," Ed commented after his victory. "There were four karts, including me, fighting for the lead throughout. I was sitting in third and wanted that position to give me third place on the grid and therefore the vital inside line for the main final. It all got a bit scrappy and the driver in second went for a move on the leader and had a bit of a coming together. I saw my chance and took the win."
 
Click for larger image...With entry into both the inaugural Rotax International Open race to be held at the Spanish circuit of Zuera in October and December's World Finals at the superb La Conca circuit in Puglia, southern Italy at stake, Ed knew that he didn't need to win the second final to secure his passage to the two events and consequently produced a mature, thinking drive.
 
"I could afford to finish two positions behind the Dutch driver Mats van den Brand and still take 2nd in the championship. This took the pressure off me a little and so, after leading for a few laps, I allowed myself to be overtaken by several karts rather than defend and risk a crash. Sure enough, I watched as the new leaders began to fight and they eventually collided. It was like 'Boom! Thankyou very much, I'll take 3rd."
 
It was a patient and intelligent move that successfully saw him return to the podium and complete his maiden year in the senior ranks on a high, which he acknowledged afterwards "This has been an exciting season for me and it was great to finish it in the same way that I signed off my junior career - as Euro Max Vice-Champion. To achieve back-to-back results in different categories is very special and down to the hard work of my team Kalman Motorsport, HRS Engines and the important support I receive from companies such as Freem UK, Brands of Watford and Vogel and Noot radiators, who make my racing and success possible."
 
This weekend sees Ed preparing for the final round of the British Super 1 championship (18/19 September), by competing in the Rotax Cup at the fast Three Sisters circuit near Wigan in Lancashire this Sunday (12 September).

Keep up to speed with Ed's racing career by visiting
www.edbrandracing.net.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache (portrait) and Bas Kaligis/KartXpress (action).

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Barlow Takes Third   (09/09)

Click for larger image...Jack Barlow finished 3rd in the Euro Max championship at Genk circuit in Belgium last weekend (4/5 September), after taking the battle for overall honours right down to the wire.
 
The Sussex teenager - who is increasingly building a following within motorsport's many echelons for his exciting, never-say-die attitude - had gone into the fourth and final round of the prestigious series as one of the title protagonists, although his Strawberry Racing team-mate Joel Affolter held all the aces. However, Jack knew that a strong performance would see him qualify for the World Finals.
 
A frustrating timed qualifying session was soon forgotten after he won the first of his three heats. An exciting second race saw Jack take 4th place, but his hopes of a position high up the starting-grid for Sunday's pre-final were dashed after he was forced off the circuit at the start of heat three. In typical fashion, the Accent Banking and Rollersigns-supported star fought his way from the back of the field to finish in 18th position.
 
This gave him a sixth row start for the first of the two points-scoring - and potentially title-deciding - races.
 
"Had I finished 10th in that third heat, I would have been 5th on the grid for the pre-final," rued Jack. "The slow start caused the driver ahead of me to oil up and I got bottled up behind him, and by the time I'd got past, the rest of the field had gone."        
 
Click for larger image...He dropped down the order, prompting a feisty response in which Barlow duly carved his way up the order to eventually finish in 7th.
 
"During the main final I noticed that my engine temperature had gone up to 68 degrees, so I tried to remove it as quickly as I could but the rules state that you can't just throw it away, so I had to race and wind the tape round my hand. It was flapping away, but thankfully the temperature went down and down and down," he explained after working his way through to 6th place and setting the fastest lap of the final.  
 
"I was catching the front five, but couldn't quite latch onto them. I pushed really hard and in the last two or three laps it seemed like I would be able to close the gap, but I just ran out ran out of time."
   
The points from his two top ten finishes were good enough to seal 3rd place in the championship and guarantee entry to the International Open race at Zuera in Spain at the end of October and December's World Finals, to be staged at arguably karting's finest circuit, La Conca in southern Italy.
 
On Tuesday night (7 September) Jack participated in a charity event to raise funds for the injured Superleague Formula driver, Chris van der Drift - the 24-year old New Zealander whom suffered horrific injuries in a terrifying accident at Brands Hatch in July. Barlow joined a host of motorsport's top stars; including former karting luminaries Robert Foster-Jones, Alexander Sims, Jon Lancaster and 2005 World Champion Oli Oakes, in a two hour endurance race held at the Daytona track at Milton Keynes to help raise money for the Dutchman's rehabilitation. Red Bull F1 star Mark Webber got the race underway before jetting off to Monza for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress (action) and Alex Roache (portrait).

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WSKC History Required   (08/09)

2011 will represent the 50th year of West of Scotland Kart Club. In addition to various events we have planned we will be creating an on-line archive detailing the history of the club.

We request that any past competitors who have images, articles or would like to write about their memories of racing at Larkhall please forward these to
history@wskc.co.uk
.
 
If you have pictures or news articles but cannot get these scanned let us know at the above address and we can arrange this.

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Highly Coveted World Cups   (08/09)

Recent host of two World Championships (2000 and 2005) - the International Circuit of Braga, in Northern Portugal, will welcome on 11 and 12 September the two flagship events of the year for the KZ1 and KF3 categories, namely the CIK-FIA World Cups.

With 84 entries and 26 nationalities represented, the list of KF3 Juniors looks very promising and will even gather more Drivers than in 2009. Many of them can aim at victory, with on the one hand Drivers who already enjoyed the taste of wins or of podiums at the beginning of the season and, on the other one, quite a few Drivers who are hungry for good results after a rather difficult season. The Sicilian Giuliano Maria Niceta is one of the latter: not qualified for the 2010 European Championship, Niceta will be very keen to renew with success exactly one year after his win in that same World Cup for KF3! On the track, he will again compete against his runners-up of 2009, France's Pierre Gasly and Britain's Jake Dennis, who both proved to be in fine form over the last few months: the Frenchman finished second in the CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship and is the provisional leader of the French Championship; as for the Briton Dennis, he is currently in the lead of the new CIK-FIA World Championship reserved for Drivers under 18 years old. Although all the Drivers with a chance of victory cannot be mentioned here, let us nonetheless name the Britons Alexander Albon (2010 CIK-FIA European Champion), Harrison Scott and Roy Johnson, the Finns Niklas Tiihonen, Ville Mäntylä and Mikko Pakari, the Dane Andreas Hansen, the Monaco competitor Charles Leclerc, Holland's Max Verstappen and Peter Hoevenaars, the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert (current leader of the new CIK-FIA Academy Trophy), the Italian Damiano Fioravanti, the Austrian Lucas Auer and the Russian Egor Orudshev.

The field of the top category of gearbox karts, KZ1, will not be as rich as in 2009 but the competition nevertheless promises to be fierce. Official Sodi works Driver, the Frenchman Anthony Abbasse is one of the favourites - but will he not find himself too lonely against the armada of Drivers of the Intrepid team? The reigning double European Champion, the Dutchman Bas Lammers, who will be its spearhead, is aware that his team-mates, the Frenchman Jérémy Iglésias and the Belgian Yannick de Brabander, will not lose their chance. And neither will the big discovery of the year, the young female Driver Beitske Visser: whenever she competes, she does her utmost to tease her male fellow competitors in this KZ1 category which was often - mistakenly - reputed to be too virile for representatives of the fair sex! The very experienced Frenchmen Manuel Renaudie and Thomas Mich will be two additional serious protagonists, and so will the Briton Ben Hanley and the Italians Antonio Piccioni, Simone Brenna and Salvatore Gatto. It will also be worth watching Jorrit Pex (NLD), Jack Hawksworth (GBR), Simo Puhakka (FIN), Oliver Rowland (GBR), Viktor Öberg (SWE), Patrick Hajek (CZE), as well as Zdenek Groman (CZE), who will make his début in KZ1 at Braga.

The verdict will be announced in the afternoon of Sunday 12 September, both on the track and on your computer screen where you can follow the evolution of the Drivers in real time on
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/Braga.htm
.

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Aston Leads S1 Fusion 1-2-3   (07/09)

Click for larger image...Fusion Motorsport's Nathan Aston claimed a hat-trick of consecutive Championship round victories at the penultimate Super One round at Whilton Mill, leading home a Fusion podium lock out which saw runner up Tom Harvey put the S1 title out of reach of his rivals.
 
Aston, fresh from his 10 second victory at Round 8 of the FKS British Cadet Championship was in dominant form on Sunday, following a difficult qualifying session and first heat on Saturday. Once the Fusion driver headed team mate Harvey over the line in Heat 2, he was never beaten for the rest of the day, winning Final 1 on a wet track ahead of Daniel Ticktum, with Champion elect Harvey coming out on top of an intense battle for 3rd, setting fastest lap on the way. Harvey pushed his team mate clear of the field in Final 2, and despite a look up the inside on the final lap, followed Aston across the line, safe in the knowledge he had secured the S1 title a round early, and claimed Fusion Motorsport a record 5th Super One title.

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Fusion new boy Ryan Anderton, in only his second ever S1 meeting shot into 3rd at the start of the final, but was pushed back down the order after an impressive showing. The battle for the final podium position was eventually won by Fusion's Max Vaughan to complete a team 1-2-3 having stormed through the pack, from 17th on the grid, setting second fastest lap on his way and consolidating his 2nd place position in the Championship.
 
Aston and Harvey currently lead the FKS British Championship points standings, which look likely to go down to the wire, with Eclipse driver Connor Jupp, Wright mounted Rory Cuff and Fusion's Darius Karbaley also in contention.

For more information on the team call Dan Hazlewood on 07733 011221, or visit
www.fusionmotorsport.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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3 Classes, 3 Podiums   (07/09)

Click for larger image...At the penultimate rounds of the Super One Series for Rotax Max the Suffolk based RL Racing Department shone once again with a solid 3 podiums from all three classes contested.
 
In the Mini Max class, title contender Harry Webb added another stunning victory to his awesome win at the Rowrah round of the British Championship earlier in the year, coming this time, from grid 14 after a torrid final 1 in the wet conditions. With the sun shining and a dry track for the main final Webb settled back into his rhythm and carved his way through to take the spoils.
 
His team mates Shaun Arnold, Harry Campey, Sam Marsh & Josh White all featured in the main finals...
 
Shaun Arnold struggling to convert his vast turn of speed, lapping within a tenth of the leaders on most laps but the climb from a lowly grid start causing him most of the problems.
 
Sam Marsh had solid heats giving him p10 for the first final, the highest of his team mates , only to stop on the rolling up lap then giving him p30 for the main final which he then converted into 17th at the flag.
 
A victory in itself was found for Harry Campey, taking his first 'A' Final of the year with good strong heat finishes for the Yorkshire lad!
 
Click for larger image...Click for larger image...The strongest drive of the four came from young Josh White driving from p17 right up to 6th position but with 4 laps remaining a crucial error in defence of his position left the door open for 6 competitors to pile down the inside at the hairpin leaving White high and dry in a disappointing 12th at the flag.
 
In the senior ranks veteran Justin Edgar took 3rd place, only after challenging for the lead earlier in the race but for his radiator to work loose causing a vast temperature rise and lack of power ending his assault on victory.
 
Jake Ball made another big in roads into the championship leader taking a fantastic third place in the main final after a very very tight race to the flag between the top 5 drivers.
 
Ball and Webb are now both in shooting distance of the title leaders and this will go to the wire at the final round at Wigan in October, watch this space....
 
For more information on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range, enquire to Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 (cell) or +44 (0)1502 716200 (office), or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. You can also visit our website at
www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Racing Car Christening   (07/09)

It is one of the specificities of the new CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship and Academy Trophy: in addition to the competition itself, an educational programme - called EduKart - has been introduced. In practical terms, on touch-sensitive terminals the Drivers must answer questions concerning various topics: sporting and technical regulations, history of Karting, anti-doping fight, etc.

At Alcañiz, as well as being invited to climb on the podium and being given a financial boost, the Top 3 Drivers of the Academy Trophy also won a christening at the wheel of a racing car on the automobile circuit of Motorland Aragón located within the same complex as the Karting track. On the initiative of the circuit owners, the SEAT Leon Supercopa (305 HP) of the regional Driver David Sanchez was indeed fitted with a second seat in order to give a ride to the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert, the Russian Vsevolod Gagen and the Finn Niklas Tiihonen, who were the quickest to come up with correct answers to all the questions asked.

After two laps of this brand-new 5.300 km circuit eaten up at high speed, the three boys had big smiles on their faces. "What a fabulous circuit!", explained Anthoine Hubert (13 years old), who had already had the opportunity to sit in a racing car before. "It goes up and down, and there are very fast corners… It was really great to discover it like this!"

Russia's Vsevolod Gagen (14 years old) declared himself impressed by the braking. "I was unable to keep my head straight", he said. "It's amazing to see how powerful the braking is! And the speeds reached are impressive!"

As for Niklas Tiihonen (14 years old), he was almost speechless. "Fantastic! The circuit is superb as regards both the facilities and the course. And the sensation on board such a car is impressive… It was really a beautiful gift!"

It must be noted that the EduKart programme proved to be successful, with 22 out of the 31 academicians putting up a faultless performance by answering the 12 questions asked, while 35 out of the 54 "U18" World Championship Drivers did likewise.

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Don't Forget - Stock Clearance   (06/09)

Kart - Tek Racing, in association with Kart UK, are holding a stock clearance and kartboot sale on the 10th, 11th and 12th September 2010 at The Village Hall, West Street, Weedon, Northants (5 minutes from Whilton Mill Circuit).

Everything from new and used kart parts, spares and accessories to complete used karts will be on sale. Rotax engines and spares, Comer spares... new and used, Comer W60 engines, carbs, rolling chassis', frames, complete karts... Comer cadet, Bambino, Rotax, Easykart cadet, pit tables (long stainless type with tyre rack under), new and used spares and accessories and much, much more!

Not to be missed... come along and pick yourself up a bargain.  We're not at Kartmania this year so everything must go this weekend! Doors are open from 9am to 8pm on all 3 days.

Call Darren on 07792 990592, or Paul on 07977 114732 for any further details. The post code for your sat nav is NN7 4QU.

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Marshall Leads Barlow To 1-2   (06/09)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing's drivers were to the fore in the cliff-hanging, penultimate round of the British Super 1 Rotax Max championship at Shenington last Sunday (29 August).
 
After a solid performance in the heats, Mini Max star George Russell had a torrid time. He was knocked off the circuit at the start of the pre-final but battled his way back up to 7th at the chequered flag - only to be told in Parc Ferme that he had been given a 17-seconds penalty, demoting him to 22nd. A characteristically gritty drive in the main final saw him cross the line in 15th - enough to salvage vital points and maintain his championship lead with just one event remaining.
 
The team's fortunes in the Junior category were considerably brighter. After a six race absence, Jack Marshall returned to the podium with a superb performance at the Oxfordshire venue. In a tense and thrilling pre-final he held off a late challenge to take his first win of the campaign, with his team-mates Jack Barlow finishing 5th and Shaun Pirie 14th (having started from the back row).
 
The two Jack's starred in a pulsating second final. After picking their decisive move for 1st and 2nd at precisely the right time, Marshall's victory edged him into the championship lead, with Barlow's mature runner-up spot also lifting him from 9th to 6th overall. The ever-improving Pirie completed the top ten after an enthralling race-long battle, and knows that a strong performance in the season finale at Wigan will give him his highest championship finish to date.
 
Tom Fawcett sensibly opted for points rather than prizes at this crucial stage. Not wanting to risk a crash in the notoriously unforgiving Senior Max class, he raced with his head for a brace of fifth place finishes.
 
Click for larger image...In the pre-final however, Barrie Pullinger had only one thing on his mind - victory. The blonde-haired youngster was in sparkling form and wholly deserved his maiden win. "He's a superstar!" enthused Team Manager Warwick Ringham after seeing his young charge record his breakthrough triumph. In the main final, Pullinger was made to work that much harder, finishing 4th and setting the fastest lap.
 
Rotax Winter Cup winner and Euro Max front-runner James Greenway found his return to Super 1 tough going and was out of luck on his return to domestic racing.
 
In pure racing terms, Japanese star Ren Nagabuchi clearly loves a fight and entertained the crowds with his race-long never-say-die attitude. Whilst this could only yield a best finish of 21st for the rookie, Ren continues to show terrific heart and development.
 
This weekend sees the title-deciding final round of the Euro Max Challenge played out at Genk in Belgium. Joel Affolter and Jack Barlow are amongst the chief Junior protagonists, with the Englishman currently leading the title-chase by just six points over his Dutch team-mate. 
 
Mathematically, Tom Fawcett, Mats Van Den Brand and James Greenway could all be crowned Euro Max Champion on Sunday, although Tom currently has the best chance. In his debut season in the class, Barrie has done remarkably well, and on his current form he will be confident that he can qualify for December's World Finals.
 
Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart EVR chassis and Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines. For more information about the team, Tony Kart and OTK products please visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk. Details about Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines can be found at www.ogdenracing.com.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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British Junior Kart Champs   (06/09)

Click for larger image...Jake Dennis became the 2010 StingrayRV MSA British Junior Kart Champion following a win and a runner-up finish at Whilton Mill.
 
The Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver began the wet first final from pole position but fell behind Jake Dalton and Roy Johnson. Dennis managed to find a way past Johnson, as did Northern Irish karter Charlie Eastwood, but the victory belonged to Dalton.
 
Dennis lost the lead of the dry second final to Johnson on lap two, with Ben Barnicoat subsequently leapfrogging both. However, Johnson fell out of contention, leaving Dennis to outduel Barnicoat for victory and the championship crown.
 

Results - Round 11:

1 Jake Dalton (Tonykart)
2 Jake Dennis (Topkart)
3 Charlie Eastwood (Alonso)
 
Results - Round 12:
1 Dennis
2 Barnicoat
3 Charlie Robertson (Tonykart)

Championship Positions (provisional) after Round 12 :
1 Jake Dennis - 576 points (CHAMPION)
2 Ben Barnicoat - 551
3 Jake Dalton - 527
4 Roy Johnson - 492
5 Charlie Eastwood - 483
6 Matthew Graham - 458

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Pre-Super 1 Test Day   (02/09)

John Orrock has booked a test day for Rotax classes only on Tues 28th Sept at Three Sisters Circuit. Gates open at 8 am and testing will run from 9am until 5pm. There will be Marshalls and Ambulances on site.

The cost for the day is £3000 and the plan is for drivers to sign on before 9 am and we will then count up and divide the cost by drivers we have.  Please note, the maximum you will pay will be £150 even if 20 drivers do not turn up, but as more than 20 have already expressed interest it is more likely to be less. Any driver signing on after 9am will pay the same cost, and any profit made will go to the "Lets go Karting" scheme at Shenington.

Please go to
www.orrock.co.uk and click on 'Contact Us' to e-mail, or text John on 07736 358745 to book your space.

We will close at 60 drivers and may run 20 min sessions depending on numbers.

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ST Racing On Top Form   (02/09)

Well done to John Stewart, our Senior Rotax driver, at Round 6 of the Super 1 Championship at Shenington.

John took his first S1 final win, which puts him in 4th place in the national championship. ST Racing would like to thank Steve Ogden Engineering for all their support and hard work with the engines.
 
Also, we would like to say well done to Lewis Binks - one of our customers - for winning the Gold Cup at Wigan and also the Ace Of Clubs at Whilton Mill.
 
For more information about the ST Racing Team for the rest of this year and next year contact John on 07711314454. 

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Parry Plays It Safe   (02/09)

Click for larger image...Matthew Parry took another step towards securing the Super 1 Series Junior Rotax title with a prudent performance in round six at Shenington.
 
Arriving on the back of a busy academic week - complete with GCSE results, enrolling for the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence at Loughborough and fitting a visit to Lotus Racing at Higham in between - the 15-year old battled a down-on-power engine that left him only fifth fastest in his qualifying group, and eighth on the combined list, before taking a conservative approach to the weekend.
 
Although Saturday afternoon's heat saw Parry settle for third, come Sunday morning, and heat two, he couldn't help himself, and duly claimed a narrow victory ahead of the point-scoring finals.
 
The results combined to produce third on the grid for Sunday afternoon's first final but, once again, prudence reigned. While second may have been possible, the Paul Carr Racing kart crossed the line third, with Parry less than a second behind his two main championship rivals.
 
The front-running trio became a quartet in the main event, with all four drivers sharing the lead between them. Parry led into Wilkins on the penultimate lap but, as is so often the case at Shenington, found himself not only passed for the lead but squeezed back to fourth. In any other circumstances, he would have tried to respond on the final tour but, with one eye firmly on the points situation, he settled for the position he was in.
 
"With the lack of power and the need to be careful with regard to the championship, third and fourth in the finals is a solid result," Parry insisted, "It leaves me with a little room to spare going into the final round at Three Sisters and, while I am not counting my chickens as there is a lot of work to do just yet, I can go there both confident and enthusiastic."

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Shen-sational Barlow   (02/09)

Click for larger image...After watching Jack Barlow push his team-mate to a crucial victory in the penultimate round of the British Super One championship (28/29 August), Strawberry Racing's principal Warwick Ringham observed "Barlow didn't need to win, but Marshall did. Jack (Barlow) told me afterwards that though he could have challenged for the victory, he was happy to do the right thing for the team and take 2nd."
 
Just as the changing weather in the Ardennes turned making accurate set-up choices into little more than a guessing game at the corresponding Belgian Grand Prix, so too was the situation in rural Oxfordshire.
 
The rain held off for Timed Qualifying and Jack was able to make the most of the dry conditions to record the third quickest time in his session. From this promising start, he duly won his first heat and took the runner-up spot in the second to earn a front row start for Sunday's first of two finals.
 
A brief, but torrential, shower caused pandemonium in the pits as mechanics and drivers desperately tried to alter their karts' settings from dry to wet. By the time the moment came for Jack's race, the clouds had rolled back and a combination of bright sunshine and strong winds saw the circuit dry rapidly.
 
At the start he was pushed back to 3rd as the 30-strong field rushed into the opening, left-right-left series of corners. A bold manoeuvre at the circuit's second hairpin - Wilkinson's - saw him take back second place. As the cut and thrust action continued, Jack found himself in fifth position and unable to quite match the pace of the lead quartet, but able to hold off his immediate pursuers.
 
Click for larger image..."I knew that finishing fifth would give me that position for the main final and therefore the inside line for the first corner, so it wasn't a disaster not finishing in the top three," he explained.
 
His comments were prescient. In the opening moments of the pulsating feature race, Jack had already moved up to fourth spot and was attacking for third. With the lead changing hands several times just ahead of him, Barlow edged closer. The Strawberry pair (of Marshall and Barlow) took second and third respectively and from there worked together to close the gap to the leader who, under enormous pressure from his two rivals, ran wide at the hairpin. Seeing this, Barlow seized the initiative and literally pushed his team-mate and himself through the gap. 
 
The last lap was a nail-biter as the former front-runner harried the two Jacks. With Marshall benefiting from Barlow's Corinthian defence of his rear bumper, they recorded their first one-two finish of the campaign.
 
"That was really exciting - one of the best races of the year. I had to work hard from beginning to end. Once we were through into first and second I did consider going for the win, but doing that could have tempted fate. At that point, I thought what was best for the team and settled for second."  
 
With scarcely any time to celebrate this latest success, Jack is already in Belgium to contest the concluding round of the Euro Max Challenge (3-5 September) at the superb Genk circuit.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Tooley Motorsport Triumphs   (31/08)

Adam Mackay took another Super One victory to make it 3 in a row, and also making him a major contender for the top 3 places in the championship.
 
The team consisted of 3 mini max drivers at Shenington Super 1 - Daniel Fazzone, Keiron Bowness, and Adam Mackay. They all went into the round with hopes of all being in the top 10, after a very promising weekend at Wigan the week before. Throughout practice on Friday they were all quick, putting in times that would see them winning races.
 
Come qualifying Keiron had managed 18th on the grid, which he was pleased with, whilst Dan had managed 13th overall which was very good considering problems he suffered. Adam Mackay also had problems and qualified 14th overall, with Adam going from quickest in the last practice session to 14th on the grid.
 
In the heats Dan had a 5th and a 6th which was very good, Adam had a heat win - setting the fastest lap - and a 4th. Keiron had a 5th and a 3rd. In the first heat, Adam and Keiron were half a second quicker than anyone which was very promising going into the finals.
 
The good heat results put the drivers on 4th, 5th and 7th for the first final, Adam Mackay left the field standing and managed to win by 13 seconds! Keiron set off 5th but got knocked off at the first hairpin, this put him back to 23rd and he managed to pull it back to 5th which was Keiron's first ever top 5 finish! Dan had a brilliant start and was in 3rd but an electrical problem caused him to quickly fall backwards and eventually pull in, the team did everything they could to sort this problem for the second final. In the second final Dan's problem had gone, he managed to go faster than both of his team mates and was only 9 hundredths off the fastest lap! Adam and Keiron lead the final for 10 laps but slowly got pulled in by Harry Webb, they battled for a few laps but Harry got a slight gap and managed to win, with Adam getting 2nd and Keiron 3rd.
 
The whole team would like to say well done to all the drivers and the mechanics - thank you for an outstanding weekend! Also we would like to say well done to Hamish Baxter, Graham Methven and Chad little for their results at Rowrah.
 
Also Tooley Motorsport would all like to thank John Davies from Force Motorsport for providing the team with brilliant engines.
 
For more information please contact Andrew or David - contact details are on our website at
www.tooleymotorsport.com.

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MSA Congratulates Stirling   (31/08)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) congratulates British karter Adam Stirling on his victory in the second round of the CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship at Alcaniz, Spain last weekend.
 
Stirling rose above a talented field of international drivers to take the win, despite not having driven since round one at Wackersdorf in Germany last month.
 
Stirling, 15 from Moira, Northern Ireland, said: "When I took the chequered flag I didn't know what to think, but when I got myself together it felt incredible because it's such a prestigious event. I had only been aiming for a top six finish, but the effort put in by my team and my mechanic, Shane McFadden, allowed me to win. I'm going for the Championship now."
 
Stirling's win lifted him to third place in the Championship standings, four points behind fellow Briton and round one winner Jake Dennis, who holds a joint lead in the title race.
 
Also competing at Alcaniz was Roy Johnson, who was nominated by the MSA to represent the UK in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. Johnson, the 2008 MSA British Cadet Kart Champion, secured tenth and fifth place finishes, and shares fourth overall in the standings.
 
Both the U18 World Karting Championship and the Karting Academy Trophy conclude at Val d'Argenton, France on October 1-3.

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U18 World Championship   (31/08)

Click for larger image...The second round of the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Championship which took place this weekend at the Motorland Argagõn circuit near Alcaniz, confirmed the form which was shown in Germany : the general level of the competitors continues to be high and there were several drivers capable of taking victory. After the success of the Englishman Jake Dennis (Top Kart) at Wackersdorf, it was the turn of the Northern Irishman Adam Stirling (Intrepid) to take victory. Trailing throughout the Final behind the Finn Teemu Suninen (Maranello), Adam chose to mount his attack on the very last lap. "Teemu was really very fast", explained the winner after the end of the race. "I concentrated hard throughout the race following him and I was helped by the opportunity to slipstream on this very fast circuit. I had every intention of mounting an attack on the last lap and after a really good passing move it worked. I'm really very happy!"

One of a family of three kart racing drivers, Adam hadn't often had the opportunity to travel abroad to compete in a World Championship. "It isn't at all easy to find the budget", he confirmed, "but this championship on a level-playing field offers new opportunities for drivers like me."

Dominating all weekend, Teemu Suninen finally had to settle for second place on the podium. He was understandably a bit frustrated after having set the fastest lap in qualifying practice and having secured pole position for the Final. "Third in Germany, second here... I hope to finally get the win in the last championship round in France. That will be a most important weekend because I can still win this title." As for the championship, the young Finn drew level on points with Jake Dennis, "only" fifth in Spain. It was the case that Jake had to start further down the grid after a collision in the second prefinal.

Click for larger image...The big Spanish surprise was from the Italian lady Chiara Poletto (Parolin). Seventh on the grid of the Final, Chiara executed a magnificent move into 3rd place before the end of the opening lap, a position she maintained until the end. For a brief moment it seemed it might have been even better if she could have profited from the dice between the two front-runners. "This is incredible to be on the podium of a World Championship round", she smiled. "That has really been a fantastic race for me!"

Behind the leading trio, a fabulous race ensued between no fewer than nine drivers. Exchanging places several times thanks to the slipstream phenomenon, the Brits Jordan Chamberlain (Intrepid) and Jake Dennis (Top Kart) got in front of the Spaniard Adrian Del Rio (PCR), showing good form in front of his own fans, and also the Swiss Levin Amweg (Energy), the Finn Ville Mäntylä (Energy), Irishman John Norris (Intrepid), another Brit Sam Snell (Intrepid), the second Spaniard Victor Colome (Intrepid) and the Frenchman Vincent Fraisse (Intrepid), who had started from the last row.

Click for larger image...In the Academy Trophy Kalesis and Amweg were victorious.

Organised in support of the CIK-FIA U18 World Championship, the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy threw up two new winners here in Spain. In taking the first of the two races which comprised the championship rounds, Filipos Kalesis has also written a new chapter of karting history in becoming the first Greek winner of a CIK-FIA event. To achieve this, he had to pull out all the stops to take a last lap victory passing not only Charles Leclerc of Monaco but also Swiss Severin Amweg, who was leading going into the final corner. But the Swiss took revenge in Race 2 which he led almost from start to finish! This time, he was accompanied on the podium by Finland's Niklas Tiihonen and... Filipos Kalesis, again on the podium. With 5th and 4th places finishes, the Frenchman Antoine Hubert maintained his lead in the championship prior to the final round on the French track at Val d'Argenton on the first weekend of October.

Further information, photos, and full results can be found at
www.cikfia.com/News2010/Alcaniz_U18.htm
.

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Let's Go Karting Milestone   (27/08)

The Motor Sports Association's Let's Go Karting scheme - which offers introductory karting sessions for just £5 - has delivered more than 10,000 experiences since its launch just two years ago.
 
The programme, which is heavily subsidised by the MSA, currently operates at 20 venues across the UK. It provides karts, safety equipment and qualified instructors to enable young people to experience the thrill of karting - traditionally the first rung of the motor sport ladder - without first needing to invest in their own equipment.
 
MSA Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, said: "Let's Go Karting is a fundamental part of the MSA's strategy to get more people involved in motor sport. It has been hugely successful not only in terms of attracting new recruits, but also in demonstrating that motor sport is not exclusive and elitist. Of course, the full benefits of this type of programme are rarely seen in terms of licence increases in the early years, but we know anecdotally that it is having a very positive impact on the sport."

For more information on the scheme visit
www.letsgokarting.net.

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CIK-FIA U18 World Champs   (27/08)

After a very convincing opening in Germany, the CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship and the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy will continue their tour on 28th and 29th August in Spain.

Motorland Aragon at Alcaniz, the second of the three tracks to be visited this season, will plunge all the participants into a new universe: while the Wackersdorf layout was compact and winding, they will find the Alcaniz track to be fast and gigantic. At 1700 metres long, the Spanish track will probably enable the best drivers to exceed an average lap time of 100 kph and will confront them with the problem of slipstreaming. This phenomenon, which is particularly noticeable at Alcaniz, is a double-edged sword, in that while it is easy for the kart behind to take advantage, it is also very penalising for the driver in front, who is obliged to open up a corridor of air for all the karts behind him. So if nobody wants to start the final lap in the lead, the battle will in all probability be decided within sight of the finish line!
 
Motorland Aragon therefore promises some action-packed racing, with a lot of overtaking, ultra-tight finishes and a real strategic dimension for the drivers in managing their race.

The winner in Germany, Britain's Jake Dennis (Top Kart), will of course be looking to consolidate his lead over the runners-up in the first round, the "Flying Finns" Matias Köykkä and Teemu Suninen (both driving Maranellos).

Ireland's John Norris and Tanart Sathientirakul from Thailand, the setters of the fastest two laps in the final at Wackersdorf and who are among the most brilliant representatives of the Intrepid make, will try to confirm their positions and remain in the race for the title before the final meeting in France in October. Also to keep an eye on are the Finn Ville Mäntylä (Energy), Austria's Julian (Mach 1), Italy's Simone Favaro (Parolin), the Czech Jiri Forman (MS Kart) and Spain's Adrian Del Rio (PCR) and Victor Colome (Intrepid) who will be hoping to pull off a win in front of their home crowd.
 
As regards the Academy Trophy, everyone will be trying to prevent France's Anthoine Hubert from running away with the Championship, after his double victory in Germany. His most serious rivals should be the Estonian Hans Villemi, Britain's Roy Johnson, Charles Leclerc from Monaco, Finland's Niklas Tiihonen and the Netherlands' Max Koebolt. Now that their discovery of Europe and of a new racing universe is behind them, the representatives of Asia, South America and South Africa could also show up among the top places. As a reminder, the Academy Trophy starts off with as many nationalities as there are drivers, and pits these juniors, aged 13 to 15, against each other in identical karts, supplied to them free of charge.
 
The educational aspect of the competition, called "EduKart", which enjoyed a successful launch at Wackersdorf, will again consist of a brief theoretical test for the drivers on the Friday morning. After that educational session, the drivers will take to the track for practice on the Friday afternoon. Practice and the qualifying heats are on the menu for Saturday 28 August, while the Sunday will be reserved exclusively for the final phase of racing, with two pre-finals (of which one will have a reversed starting grid) and one long final of 30 km for the 34 drivers qualified in the "U18" World Championship category, and two 20km races for the Academy drivers. It should be noted that Sunday's schedule respects local custom, with the activities coming to a close at the very beginning of the afternoon, thereby satisfying the spectators from the very arid region of Alcaniz as well as the Drivers who are unused to the scorching heat.

For more information visit
www.cikfia.com
.

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Stock Clearance   (26/08)

Kart - Tek Racing in association with Kart UK are holding a stock clearance and kartboot sale on the 10th, 11th and 12th September 2010 at The Village Hall, West Street, Weedon, Northants (5 minutes from Whilton Mill Circuit).

Everything from new and used kart parts, spares and accessories, to complete used karts will be on sale. Not to be missed... come along and pick yourself up a bargain.

Doors open from 9am - 8pm all 3 days. Call Darren 07792990592 or Paul 07977 114732 for any further details.

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Prima Racing Launched   (25/08)

Prima Racing was only formed in June but it is already celebrating great success with it's team drivers Gaby and Tommy Weyer, Tom Day and Dan Zelos. Competing in FKS and the LGM championship, the team's drivers have had a string of excellent results lately. In WTP Tom Day won the first final at the Kartmasters GP, then Gaby Weyer drove to an excellent 2nd place in the main final with Tom Day coming home in 3rd place after an incident whilst going for the lead on the penultimate lap. Tommy Weyer, one of the UK's smallest Cadet Drivers, also drove well and gained places in both finals.
 
A few weeks later the team was out at two different venues - Shenington for round 6 of the LGM Championships, and Genk for Round 4 of the FKS Championship where Dan Zelos had his most competitive showing of the year so far. Meanwhile, back in the UK at Shenington, Gaby Weyer had her first heat win of the year to line up on grid 2 for the final, eventually coming home 9th whilst Tom Day came back from a disastrous heat 1 and a 16th place start to finish 6th with Tommy Weyer lapping within 3 tenths of the leaders time to make places and finish 15th.
 
The new team is headed up by ex-International KF driver Jamie Croxford and data analysis and engine dynamometer expert Neil Berryman. Bringing together Neil's 15 years industry experience with Jamie's 10 year international competition experience, the team boasts one of the most professional set-ups in the UK offering a full and comprehensive service that any driver would benefit from in order to become successful in the UK and in Europe. The services that Prima Racing offers includes expert driver tuition from Jamie with advanced data analysis from Neil, complete race management, equipment preparation, transportation and storage, and an on-going engine development program. 
 
Prima Racing offers fully-supported drives for the Comer Cadet and WTP Cadet Classes as well as the new Supercadet Class using the race proven and highly successful range of Tonykart Chassis. It employs top-level technicians with International experience and benefits from a close working relationship with the UK Tonykart importer Strawberry Racing and with Unipro Data Loggers.
 
The team is anticipating a high demand for the new Supercadet class and as such is now offering arrive and drive packages to join the team in their summer testing program across the UK and Europe, in preparation for a full WSK campaign in 2011, additional races across Europe and the first UK races at the end of this year.
 
For more information on Prima Racing contact Neil Berryman on 07939 162368 or Jamie Croxford on 07889 981631, or email
neil_berryman@hotmail.com.

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Rotax O Plate Next Month   (25/08)

Cumbria KRC are hosting this year's Rotax 'O' Plate on the 11th and 12th of September.

Not only can you compete for the coveted 'O' plate at the fantastic Lakeland Circuit, but better yet - there is still time to enter!

Bumper grids are expected though, so to secure one of the remaining places get your entry in now.

You can download an entry form from the CKRC website at www.cumbriakrc.co.uk or call Competition Secretary Marion Fell on 01229 463748.

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Kart Coach Scholarship   (23/08)

Everyone hits a brick wall sooner or later and you can't always put your finger on exactly where the problem lies; Kart Coach will help you make the break through you need to get your ambitions back on track. Our structured programme increases confidence, maximises your potential and delivers the productive weekend you deserve.  You WILL make progress every weekend, as our satisfied customers can testify:

"After more than three months as both mechanic and coach to my eight year old son Gabriel, my frustration was growing. Having read the books on driving lines and chassis set up, with little if any degree of understanding and making changes to the kart with the well-intended, but all too often miss guided advice of other Cadet dads with some disastrous results, I had to finally admit defeat. That's when I made the call to Kart Coach. Shenington 14th August:  Turning up at the track and the Kart Coach awning at 8am felt like it was my first day at school, but after ten minutes I felt at home. Team manager Michael quickly evaluated my kit, the good the bad and the ugly! Steering column bent in three different places, bent rack rods and oval wheel rims were soon diagnosed and quickly rectified.  Meanwhile top coach Alex was already building up Gabe's confidence and race craft skills."

"I remember Gabe's first practice session, nervously getting into his kart for the first time, out on an unfamiliar track, a step into the unknown. This was in stark contrast to his final sessions, where he was oozing confidence and itching to get into his kart coming in ahead of some of the regular drivers. With Kart Coach's help I felt much more confident in making changes to the chassis, albeit after one weekend. I do realise we have only made a few small steps on a marathon journey, but I know without doubt these steps are in the right direction. I will say that coaching, as with any other sport, is an essential element for success.  With the help of kart Coach I feel that our development and confidence will only going to grow and grow."

"Seven days later we went to Tockwith, our local track, where our previous best lap after three months was 45.20s. We confidently made some changes to the kart and I reminded Gabriel to put into practice everything that Alex had told him, particularly corner entry and exit speed. Twenty minutes later something special happened, something I'd been anticipating for three months: Eight laps in the 44's, Gabe's new fastest lap - 44.53s almost 7/10ths quicker than our previous best! Thank you Kart Coach, see you in September." - Craig and Gabriel Buckley

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...The Dad: We'll advise you when to spend your money and what to spend it on; this alone will save you a small fortune. Don't go rushing off to buy new kart/engine/tyres if you don't need them, we'll let you know when it's time to open your wallet. We'll show you how to maintain your kart correctly and set it up for all track conditions. Seat position, chassis alignment (is it bent?), tracking, toe in toe out camber and castor settings, for wet and dry condition's chain and sprocket alignment, carb settings.

The Driver: We know how to overcome the barrier that often exists when youngsters meet new people. The shy little lad with the limp handshake who won't look you in the eye on first meeting soon becomes  happy, confident, high fiver with a spring in his step by the end of the day. We'll prepare him or her for their ARKS tests if necessary, and ensure they are up to speed for their first race. We'll show them the correct racing line, how to overtake, how to make the best starts and how to win that first trophy.  We'll show them how to move seamlessly from novice to full plates, ensuring they are up there battling in the mid-grid straight away and not languishing at the back of the field.

One to one driver coaching by experts. Relaxed atmosphere, spacious fully equipped awning. Whether you are looking for a big or little step up the racing ladder, Kart Coach can help. All ages, classes and skill levels catered for. Start on the right track: A cost effective, £169 per weekend!

Shenington and Whilton Mill on the 3rd and 4th weekend of each month.

For more information visit
www.kartcoach.com or call 07881 908291 for a chat.

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2010 TKM Festival DVD   (23/08)Click for larger image...

The DVD featuring action from this year's Maxxis Formula TKM Festival at Whilton Mill has just gone on sale.

The DVD shows finals as well as other action and interviews.

The DVDs are realistically priced at £13.51 inc. VAT or £15.28 inc. post, packing & VAT and are available from Tal-Ko Racing on
info@tal-ko.com or 01767 682020.

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Clean Sweep For Hand   (20/08)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Ash Hand, on his CRG Dark Knight run by Richard Amos of P1 Racing, made a clean sweep of the Formula Kart Stars meeting in Genk, Belgium. Not only did he secure pole in both events, but won all heats and finals in wet and dry conditions!

Ash said the kart felt planted  in both the wet and dry, and with his last few results at Larkhall Club and Super One round, and at the Kartmasters GP Plate, any doubts about Ash moving from Kosmic to the new CRG Dark Knight chassis have been well and truly silenced.

Ash and Richard are now both looking forward to their chase on the Super One leaders. and increasing their lead in the Formula Kart Stars standings.

For more information on this championship winning chassis call Richard on 07525812898 or visit 
www.kartcrg.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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UK's Premier Kart Show   (20/08)

The fourth annual KartMania show is rapidly approaching, having moved to a slightly earlier date this year on the 30th & 31st October but remaining at the excellent Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

As the UK's premier kart show, there is something for everyone, from new karters to all the 'old boys', and this year's show will feature a new layout as well as many new exhibitors - it really is not to be missed.

Workshops will run on both Saturday and Sunday covering a range of topics related to karting and personal training.  The popular KartBoot returns but this year advance bookings are being taken from those looking to sell their old karting equipment and accessories - visit the website for details.  You can still arrive at 8am on either day but space will be allocated on a strict 'first come, first served' basis, so if you have second-hand gear to sell, booking in advance is advised.

So don't forget to put the 30th & 31st October in your diary because this is a dedicated kart show that you won't want to miss.  You can also save money on admission by buying your tickets in advance, and don't forget there is free parking on both days!

For more information visit
www.kartmania.co.uk or call the organiser, Martin Capenhurst, on 07974 766529.

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Barlow Maintains Title Push   (20/08)

Click for larger image...The Formula Kart Stars championship moved into its second half with a double-header round held at the spectacular Genk circuit in Belgium last weekend (14/15 August).
 
After reducing his deficit to just three points in the title race, Jack Barlow was eager to maintain the pressure on his fellow title-protagonists.
 
In Saturday's qualifying session Jack recorded the fourth-fastest time to secure second row starting positions for the two heats. In the first race he initially dropped to 8th in a scrappy start, but came back to finish 2nd at the chequered flag. After being hit from behind he dropped to the back of the field but staged a gritty fightback to cross the line in 10th position.
 
"I started the main final from 5th place and had to scrap my way up the order. It was an enjoyable race, although I made a couple of mistakes, which possibly cost me a crack at going for the win. Still, 2nd place gave me more vital championship points and keeps me very much in the overall hunt," he said afterwards.
 
Sunday proved to be a tougher experience, with the Benelux weather creating challenging conditions for the competitors.
 
In timed qualifying, Jack recorded the second-quickest lap and went on to score a brace of 2nd-place finishes in the heats to guarantee his third front row start of the weekend.
 
"I went off p2 and there was a lot of argy-bargy at the start," he explained. "I managed to hold my starting position and to take the lead at one point. I was in a four kart battle for the front and dropped to 4th. I pushed and pushed as hard as I could and managed to get into 3rd but pushed a little too hard in the later stages and ran wide in one corner. This allowed the driver behind me through and I settled for 4th rather than risk any more dramas."
 
He added, "Overall I'm pleased, because I'm a rookie in the class and at this crucial stage of the season I'm consistently running at, or near the front. All is still to play for and I won't give up."
 
The Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone-backed series moves to the fast Three Sisters circuit in September (25/26) for the penultimate round, before reaching its conclusion at Ellough Park in Suffolk on 16/17 October.

Photograph courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress.

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Easykart Rounds 6 & 7 Preview   (20/08)

Connoisseurs are in for a treat with rounds 6 and 7 of the Easykart UK championship.
 
What could be more mouthwatering than Steak and Kidney Pie, Mushy Peas, Chips and lashings of Gravy in the café at Rowrah?
 
As everyone knows, Northern boys love gravy - but a side order of Easykart? Well, now you're talking. This weekend gravy and karting fans will be able to fill their boots with two of the finest things in life a boy (and girl) could enjoy. The annual Easykart double-header at the Cumbrian circuit promises a feast of excitement and could see titles won and lost.
 
Click for larger image...Cadet:
At last month's round at Whilton Mill, Ronan McKenzie edged ahead of previous points leader Tom Thickpenny, to maintain his 100% podium record with another 2nd place finish. In contrast Thickpenny - the winner of the opening two rounds - found himself experiencing a damage limitation exercise and did well to maintain his title challenge with 8th place. After a slow start to his campaign, Will Stowell is now gathering momentum and knows that Rowrah offers him a golden opportunity to bridge the gap to his closest rivals. Whilst he is well out of the title race, newcomer Ross Gunn will be keen to repeat his stunning Whilton performance. Super Novice, Zack Nickson has performed heroically for a driver still on black number plates - it would come as no surprise to see him in the top three over the weekend. 
 
Click for larger image...Junior:
Thomas Grainger makes the long journey from his home in south London to the Lakes spurred on by an 8-point advantage over Toby Sowery. Although he won the opening round and was again victorious at Whilton, Sowery has shown a tendency to drop points like Robert Green does footballs. If he can find more consistency in Saturday and Sunday's races, Grainger will really have something to worry about. A further headache for him could be James DeHavillande. The Easykart Driver programme star has had a similar first half of his season to Sowery and now needs to find his rhythm if he is to add the Junior crown to his 2009 Cadet title. The only other driver in the class to score over 600 points is Luca Hirst. He has been a runner-up three times this year and could finally make that extra step up on the podium this weekend.
 
Click for larger image...Light:
Kieran McCullough is a study in will power. The current Heavy champion decided to enter the Light category at the end of 2009 and signalled his intent with 3rd place in the E Plate. He exudes a desire to compete and win. This has made the tall Londoner such a formidable opponent and the prospect of winning back-to-back title in separate categories must be an incredible incentive for him. Preventing him from creating history and putting their own names in the record books will propel Elliot Rice, Owen Jenman, Patrick Lay and Sam Dimelow to the fore. Like McCullough, Dimelow appears to have his competitive nature etched into every fibre of his being, and after three consecutive 3rd places, is arguably due a breakthrough win. Keep an eye out for the fast but luckless Will Smith and Tony Longstaff - both must be due a break from finishing races as spectators.   
 
Click for larger image...
Heavy:
Thankfully, initial runaway championship lead Barnaby Pittingale read the script and is now making the Heavy class really exciting. After three dominant wins, Pittingale has struggled to maintain his early form which has allowed Tim Hill to close the gap. After his maiden win last month, Will Gibson may feel that a very large monkey has been lifted from his back and could now mount a serious run for overall victory. Michael Roots made a huge impression on his Easykart debut when he finished 2nd to Gibson. Beforehand, Club 100 regulars were very much aware of his credentials, but others weren't. After Whilton, nobody had any doubt that Roots - 'Manuva' as he was predictably nicknamed - will be firmly in the mix from hereon in. For Mark Lawrence, Rowrah marks his return to the circuit where he scored his first victory. A winner again in 2010, the ebullient Scot is quick round the twists and undulations of the Lakeland Stadium and could well replicate last year's breakthrough success.   
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday at the Lakeland Stadium, Rowrah - on the A5086 between Cockermouth and Egremont.
 
For more information, visit
www.easykart.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of Alex Roache.

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Double Delight For Strawberry   (20/08)

George Russell retook the initiative in the Formula Kart Stars championship by stamping his authority on the series' annual visit to the superb Genk circuit.
 
The 12-year old Strawberry Racing driver won all six of the races, covering rounds seven and eight, to re-establish him as one of the title favourites with just two events to go.
 
"He was red hot all weekend, the best I've seen him drive" commented his understandably proud father, Steve. "George was fully relaxed, put his foot down and got on with it."
 
George said, "I went there to do a professional job. It wasn't all about winning - I went there to regain my championship lead. On Sunday, once I'd won all the heats I knew I could win the main final in the wet, even though Genk is very slippery in those conditions. My confidence is very strong at the moment which also helped. I was gutted about Glan Y Gors (the previous round on July 3/4) because I drove really well and was fast all weekend but didn't win. I used that to focus myself last weekend."
 
George's team-mate Jack Barlow also returned to the podium with a well-taken 2nd place on Saturday to keep the pressure on the championship leader. On Sunday, the Benelux weather provided challenging race conditions for the drivers. With a brace of runner-up finishes in the heats Jack put his kart on the front row for the final and enjoyed a race-long scrap as he fought hard for another podium finish.
 
 "I pushed as hard as I could and managed to get into 3rd but pushed a little too hard in the later stages and ran wide in one corner. This allowed the driver behind me through and I settled for 4th rather than risk any more dramas."
 
He added, "Overall I'm pleased with how things went. I'm consistently at, or near the front and all is still to play for. I won't give up."
 
Team Manager Warwick Ringham was suitably pleased with his young stars, saying "George didn't put a foot or a wheel wrong all weekend. He bounced back from GYG in the best possible style and although it will be tight in the points, when you take dropped rounds into account, his performance in Genk underlined his quality as a driver. Jack couldn't quite find the form he showed in Wales (when he dominated the event) but at this stage of the season, it's all about getting good points finishes. He showed his maturity by making sure he did just that. One thing is for sure, he and all of the team will keep pushing right to the very end."
 
The team now turns its focus back to the British Super 1 Championship on 28/29 August.
 
Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart EVR chassis and Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines.
 
For more information about the team, Tony Kart and OTK products please visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk
 
Details about Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines can be found at
www.ogdenracing.com.

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FKS Genk Results   (19/08)

Click for larger image...The Vital Motorsport Race Team continued to prove their worth at the pinnacle of the sport, in both wet and dry conditions, at the challenging Genk Circuit.

At the last round of the Formula Kart Stars Championship (FKS) held at the prestigious Belgian Circuit of Genk, they proved once again that they were a dominant factor. For their Minimax protagonist Bobby Thompson the weekend started with difficultly, though through the sheer hard work of the team and mechanics young Thompson secured P3 at the end of the timed qualifying session on Saturday Morning, less than 6 hundredths of a second from Pole Position. 2nd place finishes in both of his heats would see him start on the outside of the front row for the Final. After in-depth instructions on how to take best advantage of his front row starting grid position, young Bobby made full use of this and even though he dropped a few places at the start, by the end of the first lap he was back in 2nd and pushing the young George Russell. The pair sensibly pulled away from the rest of the field and at the finish line young Thompson finished an impressive 2nd. On the Sunday in difficult changing weather conditions, Bobby once again lined up in P3 in timed qualifying which he turned into 2nd place finishes in both of his heats. The start of the final would however be more treacherous and difficult than that of the Saturday as the weather had turned to a horrendous downpour. After receiving instructions of ensuring he made the first two corners, Bobby dropped down the order to sixth but stayed clear of any accidents. By the end of the 1st lap he had catapulted himself into second and was now chasing down Russell once again. The decision was made to settle for 2nd place and secure the points rather than risk losing out, though Bobby still managed to set the fastest lap time of the final on the way.

Click for larger image...The Vital Motorsport Race Team Junior Max driver, Josh Parker, clearly demonstrated his capability with a sensible drive through the pack on Saturday. Sunday would see him finish 2nd in the Final along whilst taking the fastest lap time, just as Bobby Thompson did in the mini max class.

Click for larger image...Recent Junior Max signing Archie White, who has only been with the team since the beginning of June, has proved he has a bright future in the class. He won his first race with the team, was fastest in timed qualifying at FKS Glan Y Gors on the Sunday, and this time around at Genk catapulted himself from a P12 starting position on the Sunday to 5th by the flag in the final, and his highest placed final position in his first year of FKS competition.

Another recent Junior Max signing, Brandon Grinter, has also proved that there is still a lot to come from this youngster while adapting his racecraft at the highest level. Young Brandon has shown on many occasions that he is able to mix it at the top showing raw pace on many occasions. Unfortunately lady luck was not on his side at Genk, though we do expect results to follow very shortly.

Click for larger image...With their recent success at the Genk circuit Vital Motorsport congratulates all of their drivers, mechanics and parents for their efforts over the course of the weekend.

Vital Motorsport would also like to thanks Steve, Tim and Richard at Ogden Engineering, Ricky Grice at Grice Racing Engines and Warwick Ringham of Strawberry Racing for all their assistance that they have given over the course of the year to the team and drivers, and for the equipment that they supply.

For further information on the Vital Motorsport Race Team contact Gary Rolfe on +44 (0)7725 367043 or +44 (0)1525 219852, or email
sales@vital-motorsport.co.uk. And you can always keep up to date with all the latest team news and special offers via the website at www.vital-motorsport.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Grice Welcomes New Drivers   (19/08)

Latest recruits Joel Affoelter, Sean Babbington  and Jay Goodwin recently choose Grice Power to help them power their way to the front.

Throughout July and August, these young chargers tested the latest motors from Ricky Grice. "We supplied motors when asked, they simply bolted them on with our carbs and off they went. All 3 drivers chose to race these motors and were happy to pay as they all found speed." said Ricky.
 
At the recent BNL Champs race in Genk, Tristran Viidas and Joel Affoelter were 1st and 2nd in the Saturday final with a fastest lap too. Our other hot chargers were Lorenzo Singh and Berry Torrenvliet, again fastest lap and 2nd and 3rd in senior final for Saturday!
 
Larkhall S1 saw Ryan Norris secure two second place finishes in Minimax, whilst Ash Hand and James Singleton were 2nd and 3rd in the junior finals.
 
At the recent PFI Kartmasters meeting, Sean Babbington drove superbly to secure a win in main final, with Ash Hand securing 2nd.
 
Over in Ireland, the Nutts Corner GranPrix was dominated in Minimax by Keith Donegan and Jamie Grant, who finished 1st and 2nd. Craig Stirling meanwhile secured a great 3rd place finish following a disastrous start.
 
Finally, Genk FKS round saw Ash Hand dominating again, with heats and final wins for both days. Bob Thompson showed a return to his old form to land two second place podium finishes over the two days.
 
The above results were achieved on both the customer's own Grice prepared motors, or our own hire engines, showing that both options can give you that Grice advantage. Throughout club racing, various drivers are dominating their classes to prove we can duplicate these championship winning results time and time again.  Drivers such as Cody Tree, Ollie Pidgeley, Kieran Gifford, Jean Luc Laister, Jack Taylor, Mikey Houghton, JJ Wilson, Aaron Charles and many other drivers too numerous to mention (so apologies to anyone not listed!).  All of  the above is a result of our continued drive to provide winning equipment at a cost you can afford.

Our season-long recession busting special offers still stand, for a full rebuild including all parts and labour (excluding conrod and balance shaft) are available for just:
Rotax - £315
KF - £315
Comer - £180
BT82 - £200
 
Dyno and carb service is extra, but ask your existing engine builder to provide rebuild costs and then compare them to our prices.  We're sure you'll be pleasantly surprised!
 
Please contact Ricky on 01268 727847 or 07768 047253 to discuss your requirements or for any further information.
 
Grice Racing Engine - leaders in the workshop, winners on the track.

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Belgian Bonanza For FKS   (18/08)

Click for larger image...The 2010 Formula Kart Stars season entered its second half with rounds seven and eight at the plush Genk circuit in Belgium. At 1350-metres the Paul Lemmens owned venue is the longest on the FKS calendar but also one of the most popular with drivers and their families.

Saturday's round witnessed the best race of the year in the MSA British Cadet final as Tom Harvey regained the championship lead with a last lap pass on Max Vaughan.

In a race that saw the top 18 karts battle in one large group, nine year old Alfie Brown became one of the youngest FKS podium finishers ever with a fine second place, just ahead of Vaughan with Charlie Barlow also scoring his best FKS result with fourth, despite starting 30th.

George Russell's victory in the Mini Max final helped him retake the championship lead although Bobby Thompson put him under constant pressure in the closing stages. Erstwhile points leader Adam Glear completed the podium ahead of Oliver Myers.

After watching Jack Barlow reduce his championship advantage to three points at Glan Y Gors, Ash Hand re-asserted his authority in the Joe Bloggs Junior Rotax class with a dominant win. Barlow took a distant second after a lengthy duel with Jacob Hunstone.

The KF3 grid was reduced by one when Ricky Collard suffered a nasty wrist injury in the first heat. Ben Barnicoat overcame a snapped axle in heat two to win the final from Matthew Graham and Dylon Phibbs.

Sunday's racing took place in a downpour of biblical proportions but thanks to Genk's excellent drainage the racing continued.

Nathan Aston smashed the Cadet field to win by ten seconds, regaining the points lead from Harvey, who retired on the opening lap. Darius Karbaley and James Kellett completed the podium.

Russell won once again in Mini Max, although his winning margin was just six tenths after a stubborn fight from Thompson. George Li Wright surged through the top ten to claim third.

Hand was equally as imperious in the wet as he had been in the dry although an inspired late charge from Josh Parker gave the championship leader some nervous moments. Behind Parker, George Cosgrove overcame Barlow and Hunstone to take third.

Barnicoat completed a weekend double in KF3 although he was pressed all the way by Edward Jones, who scored his best FKS finish in his last appearance before returning to Dubai. Graham was third.

For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit
www.formulakartstars.com
.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Race Engines, Carbs  & Chassis   (18/08)

British Championship winning Cadet team, Fusion Motorsport, have for hire team race engines, carbs and chassis, available at Kimbolton and Whilton Mill club meetings for the remainder of the season.

Options include everything from the hire of a race winning carb to a complete outfit including kart, motors, carbs and exhausts. The perfect opportunity to test your equipment against the best in the country. Exclusive driver training days are also available. Prices start from £50 per day plus VAT.

For more information call Dan Hazlewood on 07733 011221, or visit
www.fusionmotorsport.co.uk.

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Adrenalin Racing   (18/08)
 
Team Adrenalin have continued their recent success, taking the runner up spot at the Brazilian cup (including the fastest lap) after a hard weekend in the heats in Senior Max with Andrew Rees-Reynolds. Showing they had the pace to win, but obviously not the luck that day.
 
At Rye House Tom Harris (
www.tomharrisracing.com) took the fastest lap of the day along with a well deserved 3rd place. At one point the team had 3 drivers in the top 5, until on track contact put Max Clarke (on his brand new Exprit) and Nathan Corsial out of the top 5 spots. Danny Robinson put in some of his best performances and is showing great improvements in race craft and pace with every race.
 
Last Weekend the Team made the trip down to Clay Pigeon for the Dadson Challenge. With difficult conditions Friday and Saturday it left hardly any practice in the dry conditions that they were presented with on Sunday.
 
The first Success came from Ryan Beck (Mini Max). Ryan achieved 2nd place in the final, pulling off some stunning overtaking moves throughout the day.

Andrew Rees-Reynolds not only set the fastest lap of the day but also won the final in Senior Max having not driven the track before and up against strong local racers.

Wayne Smithers also won the Dadson masters Final from 3rd on the grid, with Greg Finke finishing 3rd overall.
 
The team would like to dedicate their results to Danny (Dadson Motorsport) and wish him a full recovery.
 
We are next out at Whilton Mill at the end of the month.
www.Adrenalin-Racing.co.uk

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Ferrucci Moves To Msport   (17/08)

Click for larger image...The last Super One round saw the debut of the American Cadet driver, Santino Ferrucci, with the Whilton Mill based Msport Karting Team.

After qualifying in Pole position in his group, the rain that preceded his session covered up the young American's true pace. Final 1 would see Santino line up on 5th place on the starting grid and although he led for most of the race, a last lap scrap demoted him to 3rd position, but his first podium of the year none the less.

Final 2 started with Ferrucci settling down for the long race with 5-6 steady laps before his kart started to work. Santino then hit the front where he stayed for most of the race, dropping back only a few places which he soon made back in the closing stages. The last few laps produced one of the races of the year with Ferrucci holding off his opposition to take his first win on UK soil, and we believe the first Super One victory for an American driver in Great Britain.

Click for larger image...Santino's new Msport team are delighted with their new star. Msport Team owner Keiran Crawley said after the race "Not bad for our first Super One Cadet race - Santino is a stunning driver in every way and will be hard to beat after this result. This is our First Cadet Super One Race and our First Cadet win so we are all ecstatic. We usually focus on KF3 in the UK so this was a dream start to our Cadet program."
 
Msport Karting has one space for a dedicated Cadet driver to finish the 2010 season; we will also be racing in the Super Cadet class for 2011 with a complete kart in stock ready to test for any interested drivers.
 
Msport would like to thank Shoxx Performance for the engines.
 
For more information contact Msport by email at
info@zanardikart.co.uk or telephone 01327 842778.

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BMB Motorsport Engine   (17/08)

The Kart Shop at Buckmore has available a limited number of slots at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit on Thursday 19th August to test the new BMB Motorsport Engine.

A charge will be made which will be reimbursed against any engine ordered.

To reserve a slot please phone The Kart Shop on 01634 672256.

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TPM And CRG   (16/08)

Reigning British Open Champion Matt Mason delivered a superb performance in the 5th round of the British Super 1 Rotax Senior Max championship when it visited Larkhall (24/25 July). The teenager signalled his intent early on with the fastest lap during his timed qualifying session and was 3rd-quickest overall. His team-mate Ross Wylie also enjoyed a fine top ten performance, recording the 6th-fastest time. In the following heats, Matt took a win and 2nd place, but after Ross' initial good start - with 3rd in his first race - he ended up on the sidelines with a blown piston ring in the next.

Mason led the first of Sunday's two finals from start to finish. In the closing stages, Scottish star Shaun Slavin - also on a CRG - bridged the gap to the leader, but ultimately settled for 2nd behind the TPM driver. Wylie made a good fist of it to finish inside the top ten after starting in the midfield.

Matt was made to work hard for his advantage in the early stages of the main final, but as the race neared mid-distance he began to ease away. Having the broken his pursuers' tow, he cruised to another comfortable victory, with Shaun taking 3rd and Ross going one place better to cross the finishing line in 8th place after a gritty drive. "Larkhall was the most successful race meeting of my career so far, where the kart came into its own, the team coordinated well to give me a perfect kart set-up. The Ogden engine was also very strong due" said Mason, hailing the efforts of his team and the qualities of the Dark Knight chassis. TPM Team Principal Jason Parrott observed, "This result reflects the hard work that has gone into the material over the past months. Matt upped his game and really deserved his double victory."

With barely any time to wash the podium celebrations champagne out of their clothes, the team returned to action just three days later at the annual Kart Masters event (30 July/ 1 August) at PFi in Lincolnshire. Also known as the 'MSA British Grand Prix', the meeting saw Matt's regular mechanic Thomas Arme swap his spanners for a racesuit and make a successful return to competition. Unfortunately, Ross' unfortunate run of luck continued, when his chain snapped during the out lap of his timed qualifying session. Having come through the preliminaries to automatically qualify for the pre-final (without entry via the repecharge), Arme started the pre-final from P5 on the grid, with Mason 8th and Wiley on row 12. "Matt had a bad start but drove consistently to work his way through to 5th and set the second-fastest lap," commented Jason, adding "Ross moved forward 10 places after a crash on the fourth lap to eventually finish in 19th position and set the fastest lap, whilst Thomas had a hard race but held on to take 7th." In the main final, and now racing to win the coveted 'GP' number plate, Mason started brightly but became embroiled in a battle that saw him lose ground to the early leaders. As the race progressed, he worked his way into 4th and was the fastest man in the race. Behind him, a fired-up Wylie stormed his way from 19th to 5th with Arme following him home in 6th.

In the hugely competitive Junior Rotax class Dominic Wheatley completed a fantastic weekend with a hard fought for and well-deserved 7th place. His team-mate Ashley Marshall joined him in the main final, the first time he has achieved this in a major event during his rookie year. "Dominic should be proud of himself. He had to start last in his heats but qualified on the 6th row of the grid for the pre-final. His 7th place showed how much he is improving as a driver," observed Jason with obvious delight.

Mini Max driver Guan Yu Zhou joined the team for the first time on his English debut and exceeded all expectations to finish 15th in the MSA Grand Prix final. "Guan should be very pleased with this result, he progressed well over the weekend, although struggled with overtaking as normally he only races against 6 karts but showed a lot of raw pace!" commented Jason after the final.

Ahead of the Super 1 series' visit to Shenington (28/29 August), Matt Mason laid down a marker for his rivals with a superb victory in yesterday's club race at the fast Oxfordshire circuit. "Matt didn't quite have the ultimate pace in the final but he made sure he got the most out of his equipment and drove brilliantly to take the win," said a delighted Jason.

Tim Parrott Motorsport uses the new 2010 CRG Dark Knight chassis. For race team enquiries contact Jason on 07761 822 281. Details about the superb CRG range is available at www.kartcrg.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Les McLuckie/Les Photo.

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Ellough Non-MSA Race Day   (16/08)

This coming Saturday the 21st August 2010, is non-MSA Race Day at Ellough Park Race Circuit!

All classes are welcome - the entry fee is just £35.00 and there aren't any late fees.

Sign on will be from 8am on Saturday morning, with racing comprising 1x 5 minute practice, 3x 10 lap heats, and 1x 14 lap final.

Classes already entered include Honda Cadet, Libra Cadet (Comer/WTP), Junior TKM, Mini Max, Libra Senior Rotax and Biland

This is followed on Saturday/Sunday the 28th/29th August 2010 by the Beccles and District Kart Club Summer Championship.

All classes are welcome - the cost for member is £43.00 and non-members £51.00.

Practice runs from 10am until 5pm on the Saturday with 20 minute sessions per group at £40.00 all day. Race day starts at 8am with sign on, scrutineering at 8:15am until 9:15am, and race briefing in at 9:30am.

To enter either of these events please call 01502 717718 or email us at
enquiries@elloughparkraceway.co.uk, and remember - no late fees!

Plus, we've added extra test days in August on Monday 30th and Tuesday 31st from 10am until 5pm - Open testing for all owners drivers. £40.00 for the day.

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Last Chance To Practice...   (16/08)

Although there is no race meeting in August we are holding an additional Open Practice date that I thought you would like to be made aware of on Thursday 19th of August from 10am-4pm.

The cost is £45 for BPKC Members and £50 for non members.

As usual, all karts must comply with MSA regulations, as must all drivers safety wear. In the interests of safety the day may be run in sessions.

For more information on Buckmore Park visit
www.buckmore.co.uk.

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British Cadet Kart Champs   (16/08)

Click for larger image...Nathan Aston and Tom Harvey earned a win apiece on Belgian soil as the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship headed for Genk.
 
Harvey opened his weekend's account with victory in an astounding final on Saturday, taking the lead on the final lap as an 18-kart train battled for the lead and traded places at every corner.
 
Harvey's win moved him ahead of Aston in the championship standings, but the latter fought back on Sunday with a brilliant display in torrential rain. Having taken the lead on the opening tour Aston pulled away by nearly one second per lap, eventually winning by 10 to retake the points advantage from Harvey, who retired.
 
Results - Final 1:
1 Tom Harvey (Zip) 15 laps in 16m41.68s
Click for larger image...2 Alfie Brown (Zip) +0.13s
3 Max Vaughan (Zip)
 
Results - Final 2:
1 Nathan Aston (Zip) 13 laps in 16m48.45s
2 Darius Karbaley (Zip) +10.32s
3 James Kellett (Zip)

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Meet The Man...   (16/08)

Come and meet British Touring Car Driver Andy Neate with his 2010 BMW 320 SI Touring Car from 2pm on Thursday 19th August at Rogue Racing's indoor kart circuit in Aylesbury.

Win a pair of VIP passes to the final round of the BTCC at Brands Hatch which include garage tour, grid walk, and being up close and personal with a BTCC team (terms and conditions apply).

Rogue Racing will be selling tickets for this fabulous prize for a limited time only and all proceeds will go to Andy's chosen charity - Bucks Air Ambulance.

For further information on the event and competition etc., contact Rogue Racing on 01296 330567, or visit
www.rogueracing.co.uk
.

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KartMania Honda Challenge   (12/08)

For many years there has been no MSA sprint series for Honda seniors, but that's about to change!

Beginning in 2011, the KartMania Honda Challenge - promoted by Martin Capenhurst - will be launched with support from all the top Honda drivers, circuits and distributors.

Colin Lipscombe from Llandow Kart Club, who are the controlling club for the Challenge, said "This is what the senior drivers have been wanting for many years and running the challenge within club MSA races as we did years ago keeps costs down, we all need to support Martin who has worked with a lot of people to put the KartMania Honda Challenge on."

The Challenge will be supported by KartMania, Howard Lucas, RPM Engines, Pro Kart Engineering and 7 Kart, and will comprise 7 rounds contested over 6 meetings. Circuits are still being finalised out but as things currently stand the first round will be at Kimbolton on April 11th. Other circuits will be Whilton Mill (date to be confirmed), Llandow (which will host a double-header, date TBC), Shenington (date TBC) with possible further circuits to include Rissington, Buckmore, Rowrah, Larkhall and Clay Pigeon.  A final calendar with venues and dates will be made available as soon as possible, but it's already clear that this is shaping up to be an amazing championship.

As the championship will be an MSA licensed event, the Challenge will welcome all National A and National B license holders, plus Kart Clubman - this means that under the TYRO regulations a driver can obtain an MSA Kart Clubman licence to race for just £37 (the price may vary for 2011) with no ARKS test or medical required. This will open up the challenge to the top endurance drivers who do not have a National A or B licence and ensure anyone the competition is open to all who wish to take part.

Regs will be available shortly I Martin will be working with Kelvin Nichols (as Chief Scrutineer) and Colin Lipscombe (from Llandow KC) to finalise details. However, drivers are encouraged to register their interest early and show their support for the only MSA sprint challenge in the UK.  You will also be able to register at the KartMania '10 show - yet another reason to make sure you're at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on the 30th-31st October for the UK's premier kart show!

For more information please contact Martin Capenhurst on 07974 766529 or email
martin@kartmania.co.uk. More details of the KartMania '10 show are available at www.kartmania.co.uk
.

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MLC Motorsport   (11/08)

There have been regular trophies for MLC Motorsport team drivers at Rye House over the last months with many personal best times and finishes, including new team member Mike Sanderson in his first ever race. After some hard work by the team on Saturday practice some real pace was found and carried through to race day, with Sanderson not only taking the novice trophy but also getting a top ten finish and passing some of the regular front runners on the way in the final.
 
At Kimbolton regular driver Thomas Kolasky was lapping at record pace in the July final, but was a victim of on track incidents that cost him a deserved podium finish.
 
August saw regular 177 driver Alex Kolasky find some pace, and since joining the team we have steadily improved his results, finding the right setup. Now mixing it with the front pack, he secured a 6th place finish in the final from a strong grid of 20, his highest ever finish in a final.
 
MLC are official agent for Kosmic Kart Chassis, and can provide full driver support and awning space at Rye House, Kimbolton and Whilton Mill, and also have availability for the London Cup.
 
Please visit the website for more details;
www.mlcmotorsport.co.uk or email info@mlcmotorsport.co.uk.

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Bennett Dominates In Assen   (11/08)

Click for larger image...UK's Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA) dominated this event from start to finish. He was fastest in both qualifying practice sessions and his time of 1'37''3 (168.5 km/h) in the 2nd session was the quickest Superkart lap all weekend. So he would start both races from pole-position.

In Race 1 he was away stunningly quickly ahead of fellow front row starter Rob Chilcott (Anderson-FPE), and 2005 Champion John Riley (Anderson-FPE) soon passed Chilcott for 2nd place. 3-4 laps into the race, Riley closed to within 0.5 of a second of Bennett and looked to be ready to mount a challenge. But Bennett pulled away strongly and from that point his only challenge was to negotiate the backmarkers he would lap in the later stages of the race. His winning margin was 6 seconds.
 
Yet, impressive as this was, the drive by Frenchman Damien Payart (PVP-FPE) was perhaps as good. The former double Champion (2003/4) steadily made his way forward from his lowly 7th row 15th place starting position and into the Top 10. He had a great battle with the 2008 Champion, Germany's Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM), to claim 4th, then forced an error out of Chilcott for 3rd before finally taking Riley's 2nd place later on. "I didn't know where I had finished", he said. "I didn't know how many were in front of me, and there were many lapped Drivers. I am very satisfied with 2nd place in all the circumstances. We had the set up wrong in qualifying practice but I knew the engine was fast, and so it proved."

Riley just held off Chilcott for the final podium place. Elkmann was worth his 5th place and Carl Hulme (GBR - Anderson-FPE) drove from row 7 to a good 6th place. Germans Daniel Hentschel (Anderson-DEA) and Guido Kleinmeyer (Anderson-BRC) were 7th and 8th in front of the Dutchman Marcel Maasmann (MS Kart-VM) with Englishman Paul Kennings (Anderson-FPE) completing the Top 10. The only lady in the race, Priscilla Speelman of Holland (MS Kart-VM), drove well to finish in the Top 20 but the only non-European, Andy Kiker from the USA (Anderson-DEA), went out on the 4th lap. The biggest disappointment was Northern Ireland's Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC). The winner of round 2 at Silverstone had his clutch fall off at the start.

In Race 2 there was a much more even break with Riley and Chilcott side by side with Bennett, Riley even getting his nose in front. But half way round the opening lap Bennett had established an advantage which he built on throughout the race. Indeed his winning margin this time was a massive 9 seconds.
Once again there was good racing behind him with Payart repeating his Race 1 effort to go from the 8th row to 2nd place. This time he had a tougher task to get past Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM), Elkmann and Lehtinen who were having a great race in 5th, 6th and 7th place. But the Frenchman was equal to the task and richly deserved his 2nd runner-up spot of the day. That points tally is sufficient for him to take a lead into the final event in his native France.

Roberts showed what might have been with a terrific drive into 3rd place exemplified by his battle with Chilcott which saw them trade places three times. Chilcott can count himself unlucky to have missed the podium by a fraction of a second for the second time. Germans Elkmann and Hentschel were solid if not threatening to challenge for the podium and Hulme once again drove into the Top 10 from downfield. Priscilla Speelman again made the Top 20 and American Andy Kiker found himself in the Top 20 just after the mid-race distance.

"The circuit was greasy early on", said Bennett, "so I took it steady. I felt the kart went really well and I have been in good form coming into this event, especially my victory in the British GP last month. I tried to overtake the backmarkers on the straights and with my advantage I was able to back off if I needed to. I love Assen, and obviously I have loved this perfect weekend."

Roberts was philosophical in 3rd place. "Obviously I was disappointed this morning, but in all honesty I am not on the pace of these two (Bennett and Payart). I take my hat off to both of them."

What would have happened if Payart had qualified at the front? We shall never know but he gave us a great race coming through the field and clearly these two Champions will be at the forefront of the battle for the 2010 Championship title.

All this took place in front of an official attendance of 58,000 packing the home straight grandstands on the traditional Rizla Racing Day.

So Damien Payart takes a narrow 6 points lead into the final round at Le Mans on 22-24 October.

All the classifications and selected photographs can be consulted on
www.cikfia.com
.

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First Kart Grand Prix Race   (10/08)

KClick for larger image...art Grand Prix can reveal that the first ever UK KGP race will take place at PF International on the 24th October 2010. KGP have been invited by the S1 series to hold a support race at the last round of the MSA series.
 
"We are delighted that John Hoyle and his S1 team have invited us to show KGP at their last round. We already have 32 drivers who want to race at this event including Mark Litchfield who will also race SKF on the day, Michael Simpson and Ed Brand to name but a few will race, it will be fantastic. We are now working closely with the MSA and the S1 team to get everything in place" commented KGP UK boss Andy Cox.
 
The inaugural KGP race comes ahead of confirmation that a deal has been done that will see the S1 host the National Championship for KGP in 2011. "Its important that KGP is present in a National Championship such as the S1 as well as at club level, its a very exciting time and the response we have had so far from drivers, the kart trade and kart clubs has been incredible" said a delighted KGP UK co-owner Paul Deavin.
 
Engines will go on sale on October 1st. KGP engines are £1695 + VAT and come complete with engine mount, exhaust system, electronics and battery pack and 26mm 2 jet Tyrton carburettor. Engines can be ordered and reserved with a £350 deposit, but please be aware that there is a growing list already!
 
For this inaugural race there will be the possibility to hire a KGP engine to participate in the race. These will be in a limited quantity with an option to purchase afterwards with the hire price then waived. These will be rented out on a first come first served basis. The KGP engine comes with an engine mount that fits all chassis including Birel, Tonykart, Alonso, Maranello, Gillard, Kosmic, RK, Intrepid, Energy and Wright karts.
 
Engine builders GFR, S Ogden, and HRS have all ordered engines and have pledged support for KGP for the first race and the 2011 season. 
 
Kart Grand Prix will also race alongside the highly successful Easykart Championship in 2011 run by Club 100 as well as selected kart clubs around the UK.
 
There will also be a Kart Grand Prix challenge which will take place through the 2011 season between April and September. Participating clubs and Championships will be supported by KGP and they will be able to offer their members KGP trophies each month as well as for 1st place a set of KGP Vega XH tyres and 2nd and 3rd places will receive BMB engine parts vouchers. The winners of the KGP challenge from each club or Championship will then receive assistance to race in the 2011 Kart Grand Prix Finals held in Italy in October 2011.

For more information on Kart Grand Prix info please visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk, follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Kart-Grand-Prix-UK/118241168220144, or call the KGP office on 01527 889595.

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Griffiths Dominates At Larkhall   (10/08)

Click for larger image...The GMS team continues to go from strength to strength, with a hugely successful weekend at Larkhall for Round 5 of Rotax Super One.

David Griffiths utterly dominated the 177 class, easily setting the fastest time in qualifying, winning both heats and cruising to victory in both finals, leading every lap of every race. The result saw Griffiths seize the lead of the championship with two rounds to go.

Senior Max rookie Andrew Cole continued to improve, qualifying straight through to the finals and placing as first rookie in both. Fellow 177 team driver Dan Mulvaney also had a strong meeting, comfortably inside the top ten throughout until contact in both finals denied him a good points haul.

Outside of Super One, the X30 chassis took another win with Anton Stamps taking victory at the July club meeting at Kimbolton. Harry Arnold briefly held second on the sister kart, though a mid-race incident saw him fall down the order.

The GMS team are the suppliers and works team for the British designed X30 chassis (available new at just £1850 + VAT), information and test drives can be arranged by calling 01732 850 858 - further details at
www.gms-x30.co.uk.

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DMAX At Whilton Mill   (10/08)

The UK's fastest arrive and drive series visits Whilton Mill this weekend and there are still a few places left for Round 7 of the Vodafone DMAX Championship at the superb Northamptonshire circuit.
 
This fast, flowing track is ideal for the Rotax powered Birel karts and some close and fiercely competitive racing is assured.
 
Two formats are available, the morning's 1 hour endurance is a supreme test of stamina while the afternoon's sprint event, which consists of 3 heats and a final, tests your skill and speed.
 
Lightweight and heavyweight drivers are catered for in both formats with the sprint drivers having totally separate races.
 
If you want the thrills of 2-stroke racing but don't want the hassle of owning your own kart, the Vodafone DMAX Championship is the answer.
 
Call us now on 0845 844 5504 to book your place on the grid.

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RL Turn Up The Heat   (09/08)

The multiple-class winning RL Racing Dept have, over the last two weeks, proved strong in all classes recording front-end results week in, week out.
 
At rounds 9 and 10 of the Rotax Super One Series held at Larkhall in Scotland the Suffolk based outfit enjoyed consistent success in all 3 classes contested with the ultra experienced maestro Justin Edgar taking two 2nd places in the Rotax 177 class, in the Senior Rotax class RL's Jake Ball took a 3rd and a 2nd place to concrete his position now in the top 3 in the points table - slowly chasing down the long time leader Tom Fawcett.
 
In the Mini Max class Harry Webb lead both finals ending them with a 2nd place and a disappointing 5th in final 2 after some poor driving standards on the final turn from a driver not in the title chase, losing Webb some all important points in his quest to also take the title, now in 3rd place in the points also. Consistent driving saw Josh White take 17th in the first final from a lowly grid and a strong drive back to 10th at the flag in final 2, the youngster now pushing for higher positions all the time...
 
Shaun Arnold had a torrid start to each final, dropping right back and then coming back to 14th and 15th in each respective final and his team mates Campey and Skingley failed to move further from the Repercharge and played no further part although Campey showing flashes of brilliance in the heats struggled to convert this form.
 
Oliver Skingley proved too hot to handle at Kimbolton in their July round taking the final victory and fastest lap!
 
At this past weekend's Kartmasters race the team again proved their mettle and duly took overall pole in Rotax 177 and Mini Max in the Timed Qualifying sessions, with Edgar and Webb taking the top slots in their respective classes, Shaun Arnold and White followed Webb up with 2nd and 9th overall also and RL returnee, Tony Rumball stunned after over 9 months out of the seat to go 8th overall in TQ in the Senior class.
 
This meant an RL Racing Dept 'Lock' out on the front row for the 177 and Mini heats and Edgar took some strong results taking p2 for the pre final coming out 2nd and Webb, Shaun Arnold, Josh White, Matthew Arnold & Harry Campey all battling in the heats with Webb showing best and taking a front row start for the pre final where took 2nd at the flag. Rumball started the Senior pre final p12 but was sent spinning at turn one and drove back through to 18th.
 
The Main finals proved a mixed bag with Edgar being smashed off at turn two , not able to take any further part with a damaged kart, Rumball again being sent off on lap one but a fantastic drive through again saw him climb to 18th lapping within a tenth of the fastest lap!
 
In the Mini max grand final Webb lead 14 of the 20 lap final only to be muscled wide at turn one 2 laps to go with an unreachable gap to the leader being only 2 laps left but he did manage to overhaul the other 2 drivers who benefited from his misfortune earlier that lap, unfortunate for the Norfolk lad who had driven so well and consistently all weekend. Josh White however, had a storming drive coming right through to 4th at the flag from a lowly grid 14! An awesome effort - his talent and pace starting to shine now after a small period of time in under the attention of the RL squad.
 
Some could say that Shaun Arnold was the surprise package of the weekend with a stunning last lap in TQ and putting himself firmly in place to run at the front of this race weekend - his speed was clear to see, but minor inconsistencies in his race craft with lack of experience at the very sharp end proved costly and he couldn't convert his pace in TQ in race results, until the main final where he drove up from a p18 start to 7th but disaster struck with his nosecone detaching itself from the chassis and he had to make a pit stop to replace it.
 
Harry Campey and Matthew Arnold struggled in the heats to get to grips with the changing surface conditions but Campey showed an awesome display of what he can do with a 34th to 20th drive in final 1 but a skirmish in the start of the grand final saw the chassis bent and made cornering virtually impossible, and unfortunate end to the Selby lad's attack, Arnold showing good pace in the heats also.

For more info on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range contact Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 or +44 (0)1502 716200, or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.  Visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Marsh Joins RL Racing Dept   (09/08)

RL Racing Dept Ltd have just this week signed Mini Max protagonist Sam Marsh to bolster the RL assault on the FKS and Super One Championships.

Sam is looking to rectify problems causing a lack of performance over the past few months and has made the step into an already strong team at RL Racing Dept. Sam's first outing with his new team will be at Genk next week for FKS.... watch this space!

For more info on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range contact Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 or +44 (0)1502 716200, or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.  Visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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MSA British Kart Champs   (09/08)

Click for larger image...Jordan Chamberlain monopolised the StingrayRV MSA British Kart Championship spoils at Glan y Gors.
 
Chamberlain converted pole position into the lead at the start of the first final, during which he was chased hard to no avail by eventual runner-up Dennis Gorman.
 
The second final also belonged to Chamberlain, who described the race as "no trouble". Championship leader Mark Litchfield and James Godbehere completed the podium.
 
Results - Final 1:
1 Jordan Chamberlain (Tonykart)
2 Dennis Gorman (Maranello)
3 Jonathan Walker (Tonykart) 
 
Click for larger image...
Results - Final 2:
1 Jordan Chamberlain
2 Mark Litchfield (Alonso)
3 James Godbehere

Meanwhile, Ben Barnicoat produced two perfect performances on the StingrayRV MSA British Junior Kart Championship's first ever visit to North Wales.
 
Barnicoat - sporting GP number plates to mark his MSA British Kart Grand Prix Kartmasters win the previous weekend - coverted pole position into a lights-to-flag victory in the first final.
 
Championship leader Jake Dennis had to give best to both Barnicoat and Jake Dalton at the start of the second final. He subsequently found a way past the latter, only to be demoted to third place once more with a down-on-power engine.
 
Click for larger image...
Results - Final 1:
1 Ben Barnicoat (Tonykart)
2 Jake Dennis (Topkart)
3 Jake Dalton (Tonykart) 
 
Results - Final 2:
1 Barnicoat
2 Dalton
3 Dennis

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Kartmasters GP Glory   (06/08)

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th across the team for Dan Holland Racing!
 
The DHR team arrived at Kartmasters in a confident mood, with some top results in recent weeks the official Alonso kart team hoped for more of the same and weren't to be disappointed!
 
Top DHR Junior Max racer Sean Babington pulled out all the stops to win the 2nd Kartmasters title of his career amongst a quality Junior Max field.

Babington produced a stunning performance after dominating testing and setting the fastest time in qualifying he went onto to win the Kartmasters Junior Max Grand Final by over 7 seconds! "After taking the lead Sean kept his head and once he settled into his rhythm he pulled a big gap, a sign of true quality under pressure, I was very impressed" explained team manager Dan Holland.
 
Junior Max Team mate George Williams also shone, after some difficult heats and pre final Williams made the most of a good start in the grand final and drove his way to 4th position recording the 2nd fastest time of the race and just missing out on the podium.
 
In 177 DHR drivers featured in numbers also and it was Tom Holland and Tom Pyttlik that took up the challenge for victory. Despite both drivers crashing in the pre final, they both re composed and drove an excellent Grand Final and carried themselves into 2nd and 3rd positions by the flag.

Carl Churchill also claimed 6th position to complete the trophy haul.

In Minimax Ryan Morgan's hopes ended in a first corner crash, whereas team mate James Walkington picked up the pieces and despite going off track at the start recovered to a fine 8th place.
 
This left the DHR team with a collection of top positions demonstrating the team's depth and quality in all classes.
 
"I'm overwhelmed with the team's performance and especially for Sean. It's a fantastic result, to win a major title such as this is just great" commented Dan.
 
The DHR team now undertakes a testing programme over the next 3 weeks in preparation for the 6th Round of the Super 1 Championship at Shenington near Banbury 28/29 August.
 
For further information on the DHR team and Alonso Kart chassis contact Dan direct on 07960 047810 or email
dan@danhollandracing.co.uk or visit our website at www.danhollandracing.co.uk
.
 
Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Charity Endurance Race   (06/08)

RJ Motorsport are organising a karting event in support of Help for Heroes on the 13th November 2010 at Whilton Mill kart track. We are looking for 20 teams with 5 drivers per team to compete in a 3 hour Endurance race, with 1 hour practice/qualifying.

The entry/admin fee is £48.00 per driver, and in addition to this we are asking that drivers raise a minimum of £100 sponsorship for the charity - we have sponsorship forms available.  Maybe you could approach your employer to help support this cause?

On the day we have also set up a "Beat the Stig" event, where everyone can place bids and the highest bid gets the chance to go out and see if they can beat the lap time set by the Stig.

We also have companies who are very generously putting up goods for auction - it will be a great day for charity. We are hoping to have drivers from the British "Brit Car Championship" there too. 

We are still working on other ideas for the day, so it is looking to be a great day out for all the family to support a great cause.

If you or your company would like to donate goods for the auction or wish to enter a team to help support this great cause please feel free to contact us via email at
rj@rjmotorsport.co.uk
.

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Superkarts At Assen   (05/08)

Click for larger image...A kart race before over 50,000 spectators? Only Superkarts can achieve such a feat because they perform on automobile circuits capable of hosting as many spectators.

A Mecca for motorcycle sport, the TT Circuit of Assen in the Netherlands welcomes a vast crowd three or four times every year. The Moto Grand Prix and the Superbike event are the most popular meetings, just ahead of the Rizla Racing Day, which fills the grandstands of the circuit every year in August thanks to a clever cocktail of motorbikes, single-seaters, cars… and Superkarts.

The 2010 edition of this prestigious meeting will take place on 6, 7 and 8 August. For Superkarts, Assen will be the second stage of a European tour comprising three events. The first one was held in April in Great Britain on the Silverstone circuit, and the third is scheduled for 24 October in France on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.

Ideally programmed in midsummer and unanimously appreciated for its atmosphere, the Assen event is the most popular of all Superkart races. It will gather no fewer than 57 Drivers from XXX different countries, including the United States, represented by Andy Kiker.

Last year, the Briton Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA) had proved the fastest man on the track, achieving an outstanding pole-position in practice at the average speed of 169.5 km/h and landing the first race with a comfortable lead. And as a matter of fact this win had earned him the European Champion title.
This year again, Bennett is on top form. However, he will not arrive at Assen in the lead of the Championship as at Silverstone he did not make the right choice of tyres for Race 1, which was held on a partially damp track - at any rate damper than he had thought. The provisional lead of the Championship classification is occupied by the Frenchman Damien Payart (PVP-FPE), winner of this Race 1 and 5th in Race 2.

Had his equipment not betrayed him in Silverstone's Race 1 (which he led until his retirement) the Northern Irishman Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC) would have come to Assen as leader since he landed the English Race 2. Despite his retirement, Roberts occupies the provisional second place of the Championship ahead of Bennett and of the Norwegian Erik Martin Gjertsen (PVP-PVP).

To match the four-some composed of Payart-Roberts-Bennett-Gjertsen, the best placed should be Britain's Malcolm Crowe (Anderson-DEA), John Riley (Anderson-FPE) and Carl Hulme (Anderson-FPE), the Germans Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM) and Daniel Hentschel (Anderson-DEA), the Czech Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM) and the Swedish revelation of Silverstone, Tony Ahlgren (PVP-PVP).

The Dutchmen Arjan Kievitsbosch (MS Kart-VM), Marcel Maasmann (MS Kart-VM), Roy Panman (Anderson-FPE) and the female Driver of the field, Priscilla Spelman (MS Kart-VM), will be very keen to pull it off in front of their public. On Saturday 7 August, the Superkarts will be twice on the track (at 11h00 and 16h40) for their qualifying practice. On Sunday 8 August, their two races of 50 km each are scheduled for 10h10 and 17h50.

The ongoing classifications of practice and the Assen races will be published in real time via
www.cikfia.com.

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LH Kartline + Crawford   (04/08)

MBKC Rotax 177 driver Lee Crawford got back to winning ways at the Gold Cup event held at the Three Sisters race circuit. After a dip in form in the last couple of race meetings Crawford made to the change to the LH kart made by the world champion CRG factory.
 
After extensive testing by the LH Kartline UK team Crawford was immediately fast straight of the box in testing, he also took pole position in timed qualifying as well as winning all his heats and the main final to take the prestigious Gold Cup. Crawford will now continue to pilot the LH kart at both Hooton Park and Three Sisters meetings.
 
The LH Kartline UK team has opportunities available for the remainder of the season at all Hooton Park, Three Sisters and Super One race meetings. Agents are required for the Scottish, Northern and South East of England areas.
 
For all LH Kart enquires contact Nicky Taylor at LH Kartline UK on 07984 085252, or email
anything@lhkartlineuk.com. Visit our website at www.lhkartlineuk.com.

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TVKC To Trial Honda Cadet   (04/08)

It is with great pleasure that Trent Valley Kart Club invite all Honda cadet drivers to take part at the Club's September race meeting.
 
The race meeting will take place on Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th September at the renowned PF International kart circuit in the heart of the Lincolnshire countryside.
 
Depending on the success of this 'trial run', TVKC may consider introducing the Honda Cadet class into the race programme for the 2011 season!
 
To help encourage as many Honda Cadet drivers as possible to enter this trial run, TVKC are pleased to be able to offer half price membership and half price race entry fees!
 
Further details, including more benefits and form downloads are available from the Club's website
www.tvkc.co.uk.
 
We look forward to welcoming Honda Cadet to TVKC & PFi in a few weeks time!

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Hawksworth's Stunning Return   (03/08)

Click for larger image...Protrain Racing driver Jack Hawksworth along with team mates Macaulay Walsh and Alessandro Latif attended one of the biggest race meetings of the year the Kartmasters Grand Prix Meeting. 
 
Jack who made a return to the senior Rotax class has been racing in the KZ 1 class throughout Europe for the last 4 years after winning the junior max euro crown in 2006.  Jack showed his early pace in free practice and in timed qualifying by qualifying second overall.  With some extremely close racing in the qualifying heats jack finished with a 2nd and 3rd place finish this was enough to position him 2nd overall and on the front row of the grid for the first final.
 
Jack was confident with the Gillard kart and set up after setting the fastest lap in the final heat and setting the pace on Sunday morning warm up. The first final was as close as the heats with the lead exchanging time after time with Jack showing he had lost none of the race craft that has won him many races in the past, took the win with a decisive move four laps from the end giving jack pole position for the most important race of the weekend the grand final.
 
With the senior Rotax race being the last race of the day there was a long wait and with dark clouds looming the anticipation was growing, when the time came Jack was on top form and took the lead straight from the start. After getting round the first few corners safely Jack set about widening the gap between himself and the chasing pack who by this time were falling back.  20 laps later and jack crossed the line over 2 seconds clear of the second place driver a lights to flag victory.
 
Jacks Protrain team mates had slightly different  finals with Alessandro Latif sustaining some heavy crash damage on the first lap of the final however still showing his determination and at one point battling his way into the top 20. Macaulay Walsh starting from the back of the main final after a heavy crash in the first final was the driver on the move in the main final eventually finishing 14th from 31st on the starting grid.

With Jack also winning the driver of the meeting award it was the perfect weekend for him. After the race jack commented "I can't believe I have done it after last years disappointment this is the best way to return. I would just to like to thank everyone who has helped me, Gary and everyone at Protrain for the help and advice, Tim Gillard for supplying me with the kart and Steve and everyone at Ogden's for the superb Engines and support"
 
For further information about the team or the range of Gillard Karts please visit
www.karttraining.co.uk or call 01280 814774.
 
Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Rob Wallace GP Win   (03/08)

18 year-old Rob Wallace from Tarporley, Cheshire scored his first major win in his first year competing in Senior TKM Extreme last weekend, winning the prestigious GP plate at PFI's Kartmasters meeting.

Rob, who is seeded no. 12 in Super 1 as a Junior, set fastest laps in both heats on Saturday but only managed a grid position of 8th for the Grand Final. However, his excellent pace, and managing to avoid some on track incidents, left him in 2nd place chasing his Flex Motorsport team mate Ryan Cole.

Unfortunately Ryan had a mechanical failure which left Rob leading, but with around a one-second gap to Jason Moore and Sam Brown, and still with more than half the 15 minute final to run! He maintained the gap until the end of the race to take the win.

Rob would like to thank everyone at Flex Motorsport for their support, advice and encouragement.

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Hill Climbs & Sprints   (03/08)

Following a number of requests from karters, Hill Climb and Sprint Association (HSA) committee member Mr. Peter Hubbard is investigating the level of interest in running karts up hills and sprints next year. A kart class already exists in the Channel Isles and if there's enough interest Peter intends to pursue the matter with the MSA and others to try to obtain a special licence for the kart events to operate in 2011.
 
Further information can be found on the HSA website at
www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp and if you are interested in possibly participating please e-mail: karts@hillclimbandsprint.co.uk advising which class of kart you run.

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Eclipse Take GP Glory   (02/08)

Click for larger image...The Eclipse team along with drivers' Connor Jupp, Enamm Ahmed and Cory-Jay Coupe returned to the PFi Circuit in Brandon for the prestigious British Kart Masters event. A circuit that deprived them of 0 Plate glory a month earlier, the team and its drivers where determined to make amends.
 
In free practise and qualifying the team was looking in good form with Jupp taking second just 0.07 behind the pole sitter. Rookie driver Enaam taking a very creditable 9th position which boded well for the race. With some action packed racing the team and drivers did a fantastic job in achieving pole for the pre-final, with Jupp eventually taking the flag in front of his rivals and adding another 1st place trophy to FKS win a few weeks previous.
 
The Grand Final was almost a carbon copy of the first with all the top drivers making up a 7 kart train. Jupp again took an early lead but looked to be in danger from the chasing TJ Nelson. Jupp held on to the lead for much of the gruelling 15 minute race until Kellett made his move with 3 minutes and 20 seconds to go, Jupp fell to 5th place this time and started his comeback as he did in the previous final. Passing Vaughan, Nelson and the revived Tom Harvey, Jupp got up behind James Kellett on hairpin two and made a dramatic last lap wheel to wheel move up the inside going into the tight chicane, just scraping past to take his biggest win of the year!
 
Click for larger image...Connor's Eclipse team mates also did not disappoint with both putting in sterling drives and finishing 7th and 23rd respectively in their first Kart Grand Prix event.
 
Jupp said after the race, "In my head I was never going to lose this race, I woke up feeling I was going to win and I never gave up not even with 3 laps to go!  It's a great feeling to battle with so much racing talent around me. I would like to thank Boydy, Beanie and Dan of Eclipse for inspiring me to win and work hard, John at Force, I would also like to thank all those people who came up to me after the race and said well done, it was just an amazing day".
 
For more information on the team, and contact information please visit
www.eclipsemotorsport.com or contact James 07875 375777 or Dan on 07590 350298.
 
Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Kartmasters Fundraising   (02/08)

We would like to say a big smiley thank you to all at Kartmasters who gave so generously for Epilepsy Research. We were overwhelmed by your willingness to give!

A huge thank you to Nigel and Hannah Edwards and John Hoyle for helping with the smooth running of the auctions. Their workload was already immense.

Thank you also to Mark and Anna Aston of AST Signs for their continual support, the super posters, flyers and printing of clothing. The turnout at the Auction was fantastic - thank you Mark Weyer for not being 'out bid', RL Racing Dept. and all their competitors, families and mechanics for donating their highest bid, to Rob and Debbie Collard for the donation of two VIP touring car tickets to Snetterton or Silverstone, and well done Mr. Jupp on your successful bid.

Lastly a great big thank you to Cherelle for the idea, the organisation and on choosing three brave and gorgeous girls to 'pull it off'. Thank you Cara, Alex and Lorna you were fabulous.

You raised £1,941.00!

Thank you everyone once again, from David, Illona, Cherelle and last of all Drew xx

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Help For Heroes   (02/08)

Forest Edge Kart Club's July race weekend, held in of Help For Heroes, was a fantastic success.

Aside from some great racing, the club are pleased to announce an amazing £10,789 was raised for this worthy charity.

Thanks go to everyone involved for making this another excellent event.

For more information on the club visit
www.fekc.co.uk.  The next meeting is 5th September.

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Oliver Enjoys S1 Success   (30/07)

Oliver Hodgson is the latest KR-Sport driver to enjoy Super One success at the 5th Round of the Rotax British Championship.

Oliver's 4th place and fastest lap in the first of two finals for the JNR Max class set him up nicely for the main final. Oliver quickly moved up to second place and chased down the race leader. With just two laps remaining, Oliver made his move for the lead, and this would be the move that sealed the win for Oliver and the team.

Oliver commented after the race, "I am very happy with this result, the team have worked hard this weekend and I would like to thank everyone at KR-Sport, John Davies of Force and Jonathan Stilp for their help."

Oliver's team mates Charlie Streather and Will Blackwell Chambers had mixed weekends being caught up in some of the first lap tangles with Charlie who had never been to Larkhall before battling back from 28th to 14th in the main final.

For information about KR-Sport visit
www.kr-sport.com or call Ashley Orchard on 07921 225 680 or email ash@kr-sport.com
.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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KR-Sport Master Class   (30/07)

TKM double British Champions, KR-Sport, got the perfect result at the third round of the TKM British Championship just four weeks after the team celebrated two final victories at round two with David Eadon.

Round three, held at the Shenington race circuit near Banbury, was to provide even more reason to celebrate with what team manager Ashley Orchard described as a master class from start to finish.

By the last test session on Saturday before the first heat, KR-Sport drivers topped the time sheets with Eadon, Bartlett and Lester displayed as top three fastest. The heats provided what was expected with both Eadon and Bartlett displaying solid results, Bartlett being fractionally quicker.

For the first final it was an all KR-Sport front row with James Bartlett on Pole and David Eadon on P2. Bartlett was able to dominate the first final, closely followed by Eadon who eventually fell to third in a close battle with Charlie Bruce White. Final Two was quite different with team mates Bartlett and Eadon working together they managed to pull out a large gap over the chasing pack who watched as the KR-Sport duo strolled off into the distance with Bartlett managing to pull a gap on Eadon in the closing stages.

Orchard Commented "It was the perfect weekend for the team and I am very happy with the result".

Both Drivers used the fantastic 2010 TonyKart prepared and supplied by KR-Sport.

For more information on the team, karts, and contact information please visit
www.kr-sport.com or contact Ashley Orchard on 07921 225 680.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net
.

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Storm & Revolution   (29/07)

South-West Storm kart agents Hobzie Motorsport and Revolution Racing engines would like to congratulate the following competitors who raced at Dunkeswell last weekend.
 
In Rotax 177, using their Storm chassis and Revolution racing engines, competitors Stewart Baker and Matt Isgrove won every race with fastest laps in each between them to record a one-two finish in the final. Revolution engines also powered their way to record 1st, 2nd, 3rd,4th & 5th positions in the final.
 
Senior Rotax saw the Storm chassis win again with fastest lap in the final. The first heat saw a Storm chassis win with the top 3 all powered by Revolution Racing engines. The second heat saw the Storm chassis win again with Revolution power, and then fastest lap yet again in the third heat.
 
In Junior Rotax Revolution engines recorded 1st, 3rd and 4th and the fastest lap with drivers Nick Arthur, Will Maslin and Tyler Weedon.
 
Hobzie Motorsport have just taken delivery of a new batch of karts so why not join the winning formula? At nearly a third of the money that most manufacturers charge for their karts, it seems silly not to!
 
Hobzie Motorsport & Revolution racing engines work very closely together and are based next door to each other, so for a winning chassis and proven power why not give us a call. In one trip we can supply chassis, spares, consumables and any engine requirement you may have, as well as Dyno testing.
 
For Storm chassis enquiries please contact Hobzie on 07909 520208, or email on
jhobzie@aol.com
.
 
For Revolution Racing Engines please contact John Crookes on 01454 311588, or visit our website
www.revolutionracingengines.co.uk where you will also find our email address.

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The London Cup 2010   (29/07)

This year's running of the popular London Cup event at Rye House Raceway will take place on 18th & 19th September.

If the prestige of winning this year's premier event isn't enough, there is also sponsorship prize money of £1000 for each class!

The London Cup has established itself as an event on the karting calendar that's not to be missed, and 2010's event looks set to continue that tradition.

Remember, places in each class are limited, so ensure you get your entry in early to secure your place.  Previous events have seen classes oversubscribed so leave it too late and you could miss out!

Download an entry form from the HKC website at
www.hoddesdonkartclub.co.uk/londoncup/, where you'll also find the regulations for the event.

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Adam Mackay Takes Double   (28/07)

Adam Mackay took a double victory at last weekend's Larkhall S1 round with Tooley Motorsport.

Adam had managed to be one of the quickest all weekend, the spirits were high for qualifying as he was quickest in official practice, he qualified 3rd overall on the track but then got excluded for forgetting to hand the scrutineering card in. Because of this he had to set off last in the heats, but amazingly finished 5th and 1st! He set off 6th in the first final and dropped back to 9th after a first corner incident, but then drove up to first position and won his first Super One final by 1 second. For the second final Adam, setting off from pole, managed to lead this from start to finish winning by a margin of 2.84 seconds. This moves Adam up to 7th in the Super 1 championship standings, and gives him a chance of a top 4 finish with 2 rounds of the championship left. So the team would like to say well done to Adam on both his wins, and would like to thank John Davies for supplying the engines.

Team mate Dan Fazzone was also very quick during testing and he had managed to qualify 7th over all.

Click for larger image...With a 5th and a 6th in both heats this put him 9th on the grid for the pre-final, he had a bad start but managed to bring it back to 11th which was Dan's best super 1 finish, he then battled throughout the second final and managed to finish 16th after being knocked off.

Team mate Keiron Bowness had his fare share of bad luck to, he had a 13th  position finish in heat 1  and a 16th in heat 2 , this meant coming through from the B final with a brilliant 4th position , he then got  in  the A  final to finish 26th

In seniors James Hogg had his fare share of bad luck to  he qualified 14th in time qualifying ,then was involved in a incident in his second heat, this put him in the B final in which he lost his nose cone as he was attempting  a move for 4th.

For more information Tooley Motorsport contact Andrew on 07851 228619, email
drewtooley16@yahoo.co.uk, or visit our website at www.tooleymotorsport.com.

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Alex Magee Returns   (28/07)

Click for larger image...This weekend's (31 July/1 August) Kart Masters race sees Rotax Max front-runner Alex Magee make a welcome return to competition after budget issues forced him onto the sidelines.
 
For the event, Alex - who has just attracted the support of Lexus Coventry, London Road - has been chosen to spearhead DR Racing Kart UK's challenge to lift one of the most prestigious titles in British karting.
 
"Kart Masters is one of the highlights of the season," explains Steve Green, Managing Director of DR Racing Kart UK. "Alex has raced at the top level and we hope that the form he has shown in series such as the British Super 1 Championship can translate into a good, solid performance over the weekend."
 
Being selected to compete in the DR Racing colours is an accolade and hints at Steve's faith in Alex's abilities. "Danilo Rossi is a five-time World Champion. In 2008 he launched his own brand of karts and so, for Alex to effectively compete under his name, is a big compliment. We hope that with his natural talent, and the undoubted quality of the material at his disposal, will both perform well and be rewarded with silverware on Sunday."
 
Click for larger image...Tim Huxley, Centre Principal of Lexus Coventry says, "At Lexus Coventry we understand the importance of encouraging and supporting local talent and therefore we are excited to be supporting Alex at this formative stage of his bid to forge a career in top-flight motor racing. Everyone at Lexus Coventry is really looking forward to cheering him on and who knows, perhaps toasting his success on Sunday."
 
Alex is clearly looking forward to the challenge, "It is incredibly exciting to have two great brands come together to give me an opportunity at such an important event. Steve Green has asked me to go out there and demonstrate what a great bit of kit the DR Racing Kart is. It would be fantastic to give them and Lexus Coventry the best possible reward on Sunday for their partnership with me. I promise I will be giving it my all."
 
The event starts on Friday with free practice followed by timed qualifying. The preliminary heats will take place on Saturday with the all-important finals running on Sunday in front of Motors TV's cameras.
 
You can keep up to speed with Alex and his racing career by going to
www.alexmagee.com and to find out more about Lexus Coventry, visit www.lexus.co.uk/Coventry, or call 024 76 518 100.

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MSA Congratulates Dennis   (27/07)

British karter Jake Dennis sent a clear message to his rivals by claiming victory in the first round of the new CIK-FIA U18 World Karting Championship at Wackersdorf, Germany this weekend.
 
Racing Steps Foundation-backed Dennis - who is currently leading the MSA British Junior Kart Championship - beat a talented field of more than 60 international competitors to secure maximum points on the first event of the three-round championship.
 
Dennis, 15 from Leicestershire, said: "The race at Wackersdorf was one of the biggest of the year, so it felt incredible to win and is definitely one of my greatest achievements in karting so far. I was confident heading into the race because I knew I would be quick and I had plenty of experience from the MSA British Junior Kart Championship to rely on."
 
Also in action at Wackersdorf was Roy Johnson, who has been nominated by the MSA to represent the UK in the new CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. Johnson, the 2008 MSA British Cadet Kart Champion, secured a pair of fourth place finishes at this first meeting and heads to the next round in a promising fourth place overall.
 
MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton said: "Both Jake and Roy have made impressive starts to these new championships and we wish them, and the other British drivers taking part, every success in the remaining rounds."
 
Both the U18 World Karting Championship and the Karting Academy Trophy continue at Alcaniz, Spain on August 27-29 before concluding at Val d'Argenton, France on October 1-3.

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Parry Feels The Heat   (26/07)

Click for larger image...Matthew Parry made the step up to the Senior Rotax class at round three of the RGMMC Euro Challenge at Speedworld in Austria, and emerged with credit after battling extreme temperatures throughout the weekend.
 
Having completed his GCSE examinations, the 15-year old - currently leading the Super 1 Series Junior Rotax standings in the UK - rejoined the international scene in order to preserve his junior status - and Super 1 title challenge - at home, but then had to contend with the stronger field and technical differences of the Euro Challenge, including an introduction to front brakes and Mojo tyres.
 
Despite temperatures rising high enough to risk cancellation of Wednesday's practice sessions, Parry showed that he was capable of running with the leading contenders in practice, only for a misaligned sprocket to leave him outside the top 40 in qualifying.
 
Undaunted and, drawing on the experience gained from finishing fourth overall - and leading rookie - in last year's European Junior Rotax competition, he produced sufficiently strong results to ensure that he avoided the repecharge and qualified directly for the finals, lining up 26th for the Pre-Final.
 
Parry's progress continued in the race, as he moved up to 15th by the chequered flag, securing a place on row eight for the main event which, despite its position on the timetable, would also be dominated by baking temperatures.
 
Parry made a good start to immediately gain positions but, although he ran as high as ninth at one point, the competitive field continued to change throughout, and the Briton eventually found himself shuffled back to his original 15th position by the finish.

"I'm disappointed that I couldn't do better than 15th," Parry admitted, "but those around me insist that it was a good result, and I'm confident that we could get a better result if we returned to the Euro Challenge. I am considering whether to do round four at Genk, although my main focus remains the Super 1 Series at home and winning the title there."

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/
Kartpix.net.

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Honda Prokart Festival   (26/07)

The entry list is open for the Honda Prokart Festival, a unique racing event with 14 hours of unrivalled value-for-money endurance kart racing, being held at Clay Pigeon - one of the south's premiere circuits.

The racing is to include the 2.5hr Iron Man, 4hr endurance race, 6 hr endurance race, and the famed Devil Takes The Hindmost!

Further informaition, entry forms and SR's can be found on the ekc web site at
www.ekcendurance.co.uk, or email info@ekcendurance.co.uk, or call Clay Pigeon Raceway on 01935 83713.

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Dennis' World Champs Win   (26/07)

Click for larger image...The CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship which got off the ground this week-end on the German circuit "Prokart Raceland" at Wackersdorf has by and large reached all expectations. The drivers, all below 18 years of age, have produced a magnificient spectacle throughout the whole week-end and have proved that this formula - based on minimum cost and a level-playing field for all entrants - has an exciting future.

After the qualifying practices and heats, the 34 drivers who qualified for the Final phase  contested 2 prefinals, of which the second one, for the first time in a CIK-FIA World Championship, had a totally reversed grid. After these two races, it was the Austrian Julian Wagner (Mach 1) who gained pole position. But all the drivers knew perfectly well that only the Final would count for Championship points in this new "Under 18" World Championship.

Click for larger image...First in front, the Finn Matias Köykkä (Maranello) gave up the lead to Simone Favaro (Parolin). But the Italian was excluded after several laps for having caused an avoidable accident at the start. So, the young British driver Jake Dennis (Top Kart) inherited the lead and never looked back. Coached by former World Champion Terry Fullerton (1973) and supported by Racing Steps Foundation, which helps talented young drivers with limited finances, the Englishman confirmed the faith placed in him. "It's a great feeling to be leading a World Championship standing", acknowledged Jake. "This concept in which you put talent first is really good. As a result, I'm so happy to be the winner."

Runner-up in the Final, Finland's Mattias Köykkä was also upbeat. "It's difficult to find big sponsors in Finland", he explained. "So, a World Championship with limited cost like this one is a really excellent opportunity to grasp." The Finnish challenge was even more successful with 3rd place going to Teemu Suninen (Maranello). Other drivers catching the eye in the top 5 included Irishman John Norris (Intrepid) and yet another Finn, Ville Mäntylä (Energy), but also notable was 4 different chassis makes in the top 5 finishers. Sixth placed Vincent Fraisse (Intrepid) finished in front of Julian Wagner (Mach 1), Spaniard Victor Colome (Intrepid), Northern-Irishman Adam Strirling (Intrepid) and Austrian Stefan Riener (Intrepid).

Click for larger image...Supporting the "U18" World Championship, the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy tracked 32 drivers all of different nationalities, and all representing their own national federation. As a result, we had drivers from 4 different continents but it was the European who were always the front-runners. In this competition where all the drivers were provided with identical Parolin chassis and FIM motors, it really was only the talent of the driver which made the difference.

In this context, French lad Antoine Hubert made a great impression by winning two close races. Selected by the French Fedération at the end of a two-day selection process, Antoine twice finished in front of the Estonian Hans Villemi who had the fastest time in the qualifying practice in the rain. Third in the first race, the driver from Monaco Charles Leclerc fell away as a result of a technical problem during the second race. This was to the advantage of Finland's Niklas Tiihonen, on the podium for the second race and helped in the championship standings. Finishing 4th twice, English lad Roy Johnson was always in the thick of the action and will be a serious contender at the end of August during the next round. The same applies to the Dutchman Max Koebolt, Charles Leclerc, currently 6th in the championship, German Michael Waldherr, the Swede Hannes Nillsson, the driver from Luxemburg Olivier Thill and Russian Vsevolod Gagen who completed the top 10 after the two races in Germany.

The next round is scheduled for the Spanish circuit at Alcaniz from 27th to 29th of August, before the final round at Val d'Argenteon, in France (1st to 3rd of October). We already have a taste of things to come in these two passionately fought competitions.

Further information, pictures and results are available at
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/wackersdorf_u18.htm
.

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U18's Prepare In Wackersdorf   (23/07)

Click for larger image...The contestants in the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Championship and the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy are getting closer by the hour to the start of their first world event. This Thursday, they have taken their places in the Wackersdorf paddock, a little under 100 kilometres east of Nuremberg, where this week-end the first of three races in these competitions are taking place.

Administrative controls, allocation of paddock spaces, finding their places in their teams... Under a sweltering heat, which should give way to light rain from Friday, the drivers have taken in their settling-in in their stride. For those who didn't take part in the test-day at Ostricourt at the beginning of July, this was also the time for them to receive the various components of their kart to be set up to suit the driver.

In the paddock, one of the main subjects of conversation was... the lay-out of the paddock. In accordance with the wishes of CIK-FIA, all the drivers are allocated places according to a strictly equal size and spacing with the tents of the same dimensions for everybody without any barrier. The consequence is that there will be a guaranteed conviviality which competitions at the highest level often lack. "It's really a very good change", reflected Albino Parolin, the boss of the marque of the same name which provides - free of charge - the WKE engines for all of the competitors in the U18 World Championship and the complete kart package in the Academy Trophy. "Karting is not Formula 1. We have to get the message over to people that karting can be undertaken quite simplistically."

It was the same reaction on the part of American Andrick Zeen, driver in the U18 World Championship. "It's different to the normal paddock, but it's very good. This open aspect is much more fun. In any case, I'm impatient to make a start and I hope to prove myself with the best."

Arriving straight from their Johannesburg home, young Michael Taylor and his father were immensely impressed. "This is magnificent for a paddock", explained the South-African representative in the Academy Trophy. "The personalised tents with the name of each driver, the same set up for everybody... We arrived from South-Africa with only  our suitcase, nothing else. We have limited resources but here we are going to be able to race other drivers on an even footing, with exactly the same equipment. It's great to see 34 young drivers coming from so many different countries and most of them taking part in their first international competition. It's exciting to see who is going to be the quickest."

The anxious young drivers will have their first indication of how good they are in each of the free practice sessions which take place on Friday afternoon. Prior to that, the drivers will be taking part in a educational program called "EduKart", based on the idea of an apprenticeship which teaches the rules and regulations, the spirit of fair-play, a history of karting, doping controls, etc. But the first crucial moment will be on Saturday morning at 11.25 with the qualifying practices. But we are not there just yet...

More information and live timing are available at
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/wackersdorf_u18.htm

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Chris Hart Trophy Winners   (23/07)Click for larger image...

Congratulations to Simon Vercoe and Sam Webster for winning the Chris Hart and Robert Bailey Memorial Trophies in the TKM classes at the recent meeting at Clay Pigeon in Dorset.

The Senior Extreme and Junior TKM classes provided some spectacularly close and exciting racing throughout the day and both drivers had to be on top form to take away the two prestigious trophies.
 
Of course the other big winner on the day was Cancer Research UK, with many generous sponsors and donations (including Simon Vercoe's and other driver's prize monies), adding up to create a significant sum for the charity.

Monies are still being collected and the final figure will be announced at the cheque presentation.

Many thanks to all involved in creating such a competitive and extremely good natured event for such a worthy cause.

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CIK-FIA U18 World Champs   (22/07)

Click for larger image...International Karting is getting ready for a big first with the launching of the new CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship this coming weekend in Germany. Open to 15 to 18 year-old Drivers, this competition bears a strong resemblance to the Moto2 category introduced this season by the FIM, the International Motorcycle Federation. With similar aims - cost reduction and promotion of the Drivers thanks to equal opportunities - the formula is almost identical, at least in spirit: single-make tyres and engines for everyone, allocated by drawing lots. In Karting, Dunlop and Parolin go as far as placing their products at the disposal of all the Drivers on a free basis! Budgets have consequently been revised... downwards, to the extent of being four to five times less than those required in the other major championships!

In order to reach such a marked cost reduction, the CIK-FIA has also reduced the format of events to three days, limited the quantity of equipment (1 chassis & 1 engine per Driver) and frozen evolutions of chassis and accessories. A total of 70 Drivers have entered and represent no fewer than 24 nations.

Contrary to most other Karting World Championships, more often than not held over one single event, the "U18" World Championship will comprise three rounds: Wackersdorf in Germany on 25 July, Alcañiz in Spain on 29 August and Val d'Argenton in France on 3 October. At each event, the programme will be reinforced by an Academy Trophy for 13 to 15 year-old youngsters. This Trophy has the following double distinctive feature: on the one hand, all the Drivers will receive their ready-to-use Parolin-FIM kart free of charge at each race; in addition, with as many nationalities as karts at the start (one Driver per country, selected by his Federation), the competition will somewhat look like a Nations' Cup, with a fine representation of Asian, European, African and South American countries.

As a supplement to the Drivers' performance on the track, a groundbreaking educational programme, called Edukart, will be an integral part of the menu served within the framework of these CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship and Academy Trophy. Edukart, which is presented as a quiz composed of questions and multiple-choice answers, aims at making young Drivers aware of issues related to safety, the environment and fair play, as well as the history of Karting and knowledge of the regulations.

Let us also point out that these two new Karting competitions will be the first, at the international level, to use a second-generation "E10" type bio-fuel.

More information on:
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/wackersdorf_u18.htm

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Buckmore Open Practice   (22/07)

Although there is no race meeting in August we are holding two additional Open Practice dates that I thought you would like to be made aware of.

The first is on Tuesday 3rd of August from 10am-4pm

The second is on Thursday 19th of August from 10am-4pm

The cost is £45 for BPKC Members and £50 for non members

As usual, all karts must comply with MSA regulations, as must all drivers safety wear. In the interests of safety the day may be run in sessions.

For more information on Buckmore Park visit
www.buckmore.co.uk.

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RL Racing Dept   (22/07)

RL Racing Dept will travel to Larkhall this weekend for round 5 of the Rotax Max Super One Series with one aim in mind - victory.

With Mini Max protagonists Shaun Arnold, Harry Campey, Oliver Skingley, Harry Webb & Josh White in the fray and in the senior ranks, Jake Ball (senior max) and Justin Edgar (177), the racing department will be looking for huge results to put their title challenges back on track.

The previous round at the infamous Buckmore Park circuit in Kent proved a difficult meeting for the Suffolk based team with only two of the team drivers making the top 10 in their class with Shaun Arnold making an absolutely fabulous drive from a lowly grid in the repercharge to 8th in the main final and Justin Edgar coming in 4th at the flag . All other RL pilotes having issues, generally of the crashing kind!

With Webb and Ball being in the sharp end of each of the Mini Max and Senior Max title races it's important that they make this weekends points count.

The club meeting this past weekend was used as a shakedown for the team drivers at Larkhall, with all drivers gaining valuable data ready for the s1 round, all drivers running strong and confident of good speed ready for the race.

Watch this space for results from Larkhall S1...

For more info on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range contact Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 or +44 (0)1502 716200, or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.  Visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

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AMT Racing Team   (22/07)

Click for larger image...Ashley Todd's AMT Racing Team - with its two drivers, Tom Joyner and Matthew Graham - delivered a remarkable performance against the might of the works teams at the recent (8/11 July) European KF and KF3 Championships at Genk.
 
The small, close-knit outfit had Tom Joyner as their sole representative in the KF2 category, and despite competing in only his third race of the season, he was in superb form.
 
"Prior to Genk, Tom had only raced in two events - an ABKC Winter Series round and the European Championship Qualifier at PFi," explained Ashley.
 
"In Belgium he was 11th-fastest in timed qualifying; was 3rd twice, took a 5th and 22nd in the heats to put himself 12th overall in the intermediate rankings. In the pre-final he dropped to 15th on the opening lap, but drove a great race to finish 5th."
 
A difficult start in the main final saw Tom shuffled down to the 11th in the first corner, but he quickly began to make up ground and eventually guided the new Gillard 010b v2s chassis up to an excellent 4th place.
 
In the junior category, Matthew Graham was making his international debut and acquitted himself superbly. Taking on 81 fellow drivers, Matthew came through the preliminaries to confidently make the cut for the two finals.
 
Click for larger image...Starting from 21st on the grid, he carved his way his up the order to take the chequered flag in 8th place. Unfortunately, an opening lap crash left him at the tail of the field. Undeterred, the 2009 British WTP Cadet Champion powered his way from 32nd to a creditable 16th at the finish - and in so doing, qualified for the World Cup to be held at Braga in Portugal in September (9-12).
 
"Matthew showed an incredible level of maturity and heart. After being pushed to last place, some drivers would give up, but it inspired the opposite reaction in Matt. It is frustrating to think what might have been had he not been embroiled in that first corner accident, but if you'd told me beforehand that he'd finish inside the top twenty first time out in Europe and at this level, I'm not sure I'd have believed you. He was brilliant," said a delighted Todd.
 
The team is now preparing for Kart Masters (29 July/31 August) and the British Super 1 championship's visit to Glan Y Gors in North Wales on 7/8 August, where Matthew will be joined by Super KF star, Jonathan Walker.
 
AMT Racing Team welcomes enquiries from prospective drivers and currently has a limited number of spaces for Kart Masters, the remainder of this year's Super 1 season and selected international races. A small, friendly awning offers the benefit of plenty of one-to-one attention and the presence of the hugely respected and experienced Alan 'Big Al' McKay. Please call Ashley Todd on +44 7711 740 077 (9am - 5pm, weekdays only) or e-mail
amtmotorsport@yahoo.com
.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Strawberry Duo Dominate   (22/07)

Click for larger image...Strawberry Racing took a significant step towards retaining the Junior Euro Max crown it won in 2009, after Jack Barlow and Joel Affolter locked out the top two steps of the podium in Austria last weekend (17/18 July).
 
The Speedworld circuit at Bruck, near Vienna hosted the penultimate round of the series and saw the English and Dutch drivers win four of the six heats. In the pre-final, Jack came through from grid eight to finish second, with Joel opting for a strong points finish in 3rd.
 
World number one Ukyo Sasahara initially led the main final, but a superbly timed and taken manoeuvre by the Strawberry pair saw them seize the advantage. Showing great maturity, Affolter wisely gave Barlow room when the latter attacked for the lead and then followed him home. It was Jack's first victory in Europe and has set up an exciting, if nerve-wracking, finale at Genk in September.
 
"Jack was fast from the moment he got there (Speedworld)," said team manager Warwick Ringham. "I privately predicted that we'd finish 1st and 2nd in the run up to Sunday, but didn't know which way round. Joel was clever, he didn't need to battle with Jack and thought 'It's good for Jack to win and for me to finish 2nd'. It was a win - win situation for both of them. They didn't take each other off trying to win, so were both very bright in doing that."
 
Click for larger image...In the senior class, Rotax Winter Cup champion James Greenway returned to the podium with a fine performance in the main final to seal 3rd place. His team-mate Tom Fawcett survived a huge 'moment' in the pre-final to fight his way up the order and finish 8th in the feature race.  
 
"A large rock became trapped in his throttle cable and jammed it wide open," Warwick explained. "He speared off the circuit, but managed to dislodge it and finish the pre-final."
 
He added, "It was a tale of woe for the other boys really. Barrie (Pullinger) got a good start but got caught up in a massive crash in the chicane during the opening lap. That effectively put-paid to his chances and he ended up 16th, whilst Mats (van den Brand) had a very big accident. He went into the barrier so hard and, had he not hit a metal fencing pole, he would've ended up in another team's awning. Mats completely wrote his kart off. All of them were good enough to be in the top six, but on this occasion only James made it onto the podium."
 
Just days after returning to its Sheffield base, the team now heads to Larkhall in Scotland for this weekend's (24/25 July) 5th round of the British Super 1 Rotax series. "We'll just have to see what happens," Warwick says. "For the lads who raced in Austria, it'll probably take about half a day to re-adjust to the lower grip levels, lack of front brakes (on the senior karts) and shorter laps. Jack (Barlow) is on a roll right now and he desperately wants to add Super 1 victories to his FKS and Euro Max wins. Jack Marshall is 4th overall, and despite a lack of testing Shaun Pirie is batting away in 8th place. Tom leads the senior title race and will be hungry to get back to winning ways. Ren Nagabuchi continues to learn and improve and I suspect he'll enjoy Larkhall because it's grippier than many of the other tracks he's raced on in the UK. Every time he gets into the kart, Barrie improves and it would be fantastic to see all his hard work translate into a great result for him in Scotland."
 
Warwick says that Mini Max title protagonist George Russell will "definitely be one to watch" after successful tests at Larkhall and Shenington. "We've found some more speed in the equipment, and consequently I'm expecting him to be quite good throughout the weekend. If we've got it right, he'll be fighting up the front come Sunday."   
 
Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart EVR chassis and Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines. For more information about the team, Tony Kart and OTK products please visit
www.strawberryracing.co.uk.  Details about Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines can be found at www.ogdenracing.com
.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress.

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Barlow Wins In Austria   (21/07)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...The Euro Max Challenge is set to go down to the wire, after Jack Barlow triumphed in yesterday's (18 July) penultimate round at the appropriately named Speedworld circuit at Bruck, near Vienna.
 
The Strawberry Racing star was in strong form throughout the event and signalled his intent with 3rd place in timed qualifying (out of 47 participants). In the following three heats, he took a brace of wins - but was given a contentious time penalty in his second race - after he was adjudged to have been a little too robust with a passing manoeuvre - and classified in 17th position.
 
In the intermediate rankings, his combined scores from his heat finishes put him 8th overall, securing a fourth row place on the grid for Sunday's pre-final.
 
In baking conditions, Barlow kept a cool head to deliver a sensible and mature performance. He worked his way up the order and took the chequered flag in 2nd place behind reigning World Champion, Japan's Ukyo Sasahara and ahead of his team-mate, Dutchman Joel Affolter.
 
Although he had the advantage of being on the front-row for the main final, Jack still had to contend with being on the outside line for the first corner. As the 34-strong field charged into it, he couldn't find a gap in the traffic to come from the left-hand side of the circuit to the right and onto the racing line. He lost several places, but avoided being forced off the track. As the race settled and found its rhythm, the Freem UK-supported driver deftly picked his way back up the order until he had caught Affolter, with Sasahara just ahead. Together the pair bridged the gap, causing Sasahara to anxiously look over his shoulder. At this point the Strawberry duo attacked and managed to dive down the inside, moving the diminutive Japanese off line and allowing three other karts past.
 
With Joel leading, Jack followed him for a lap, picked his passing spot and then went for the lead. Once ahead, he began to ease away and seal matters. As the chequered flag was ready, Jack became aware of the mounting excitement amongst the spectators.
 
"The team was going mad and I could hear my mum, dad and sister screaming in the grandstand. Joel's 2nd place made it a one-two for the team and he was happy to secure some good points. He has to be the favourite to win the title, but if I do well again, well, you never know. However, finishing 2nd or 3rd in my debut year in this class and championship would be great and would take me to the World Final (at Muro Leccese, Southern Italy in November)."
 
Jack returns to the competitive fray this weekend (24/25 July), in the British Super 1 championship at Larkhall, Scotland. He says, "I'm going to try and do it again. I'm more confident after last weekend's result and I can't wait for Larkhall."

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress.

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Brilliant Brand Takes Victory   (21/07)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Ed Brand became the third driver in as many races to stand on the top step of the Euro Max Challenge podium after winning last weekend's (17/18 July) latest round at the appropriately named Speedworld circuit at Bruck, near Vienna.
 
Racing with the Hungarian Kalman Motorsport team, Ed began his weekend brightly by recording the 3rd-fastest lap (out of 72 competitors) during timed qualifying. From there, he won two of his three preliminary heats and was 2nd in the other - giving him pole position for the first of Sunday's two finals.
 
In a tense race, the Freem UK-backed driver was able to maintain the upper hand over Holland's Joey Van Splunteren, beating him to the chequered flag by barely two tenths of a second.
 
In the main final, he again led the field away from P1 on the grid, and having shaken off the early attentions of Van Splunteren, was able to pull away and seal a historic double - crossing the finishing line with daylight between him and his pursuers.
 
"I'm delighted to win in my first year in the senior category," Ed said. "The level of opposition is very high and the racing incredibly hard, especially in the hot conditions (it was 40 degrees in the shade).
 
It is also testimony to the hard work of my team that they could give me a kart capable of winning after my crash on Thursday. During testing something went wrong and the kart went straight over the gravel trap and smashed into the safety barrier. I went in so hard I actually broke the barrier. I also scratched the paintwork on my new Arai crash helmet, so I was a bit miffed."
 
With just one round remaining, Ed is hoping to be able to finish inside the top three of the championship and thus qualify for November's World Finals, held this year at Muro Leccese in Puglia, Southern Italy.
 
In the interim, with barely any time to savour his Austrian success, he will now travel up to Lanarkshire to prepare for this weekend's (24/25 July) fifth round of the British Super 1 championship. The following week he will contest the annual Kart Masters event, often referred to as the 'British Grand Prix of Karting' (30 July/1 August).
 
Keep up to speed with Ed's racing career by visiting www.edbrandracing.net
.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis/KartXpress.

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Kart Scrappage Scheme   (20/07)

Click for larger image...CRG UK are pleased to announce the extension of their Kart Exchange scrappage scheme. They are offering up to £1000 for your old race kart in part exchange for a 2010 Dark Knight or kt1 rolling chassis, meaning you can own a championship winning world class kart for only £1600 plus vat. This offer can't continue indefinitely so take advantage of it while you can.

For further information call Mark Collings on 07967159199 or email 
enquiries@kartcrg.co.uk
.

CRG UK also offer a full range of CRG kart parts, clothing & accessories through their website at 
www.kartcrg.co.uk with most parts in stock & available for fast dispatch. If you need anything CRG from complete karts to wheel hubs & brake components, chances are you can get it from CRG UK at a great price.

If you run a CRG chassis contact them by phone 07967 159199,
email or visit the website to find the parts you need.

With over 25 years experience in motorsport distribution you can trust CRG UK.

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Scott & RL Take Podium   (19/07)

Click for larger image...RL Racing Dept's Harrison Scott climbed to an amazing 3rd place in the main final of the CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship at Genk in Belgium just over a week ago, after a difficult timed qualifying and heats schedule. The Essex youngster, in his first year in KF3 but his second year under the direct supervision of RL Racing Dept's team principle, Steve Armstrong, performed fantastically in the finals and took a well deserved podium at the finish. Harrison had to overcome gremlins in timed qualifying, with a major engine temperature issue, leaving him 63rd after TQ with a grid slot of P26 for all of his four heats.
 
The team knew a good performance was imperative in each of the four races ahead to even get Harrison into the finals at all, and the team and Harrison didn't disappoint with two 15ths, a 19th and an 11th, lapping within 2 tenths of the leaders even when overtaking up to 14 drivers per heat. These finishes gave the Boreham lad P30 for the pre-final, knowing he would be starting on a level playing field once again on a new set of tyres, as was everyone else, but Scott knew he had good pace on his new tyre runs from the data gained in the practice sessions.
 
An outrageous drive from P30 left Harrison 7th at the flag! Some of the overtaking was quoted as 'breath taking' and sometimes lapping over 3 tenths faster than the top 3. The team and Scott were left wondering what could be achieved in the main final, in his bid to take the European title...
 
The main final, similar to the first, was exciting to the end with Scott quickly despatching every one apart from his UK counterpart Alexander Albon who had already built a healthy lead during the time it took 'H' to get through to 2nd. He ran 2nd for over 14 laps with close attention from firstly Peter Hoevenaars who fell away and then Pierre Gasly - both front runners of the WSK Euro Series. Gasly managed to finally break Scott, making a late lunge at turn 1 stick, and that's how they finished at the flag.
 
Click for larger image...Although team and driver were slightly disappointed at not being able to challenge Albon for the win, this was a victory in itself for a talented young driver so inexperienced at this level, and a multiple European and British championship Rotax team flexing their muscle in the KF ranks in the UK and now in European competition.
 
Click for larger image...A big, big thanks go to Gordon, Dougie and Kevin at GFR Engines for fantastic support and service of the GFR tuned TM engines used by Harrison at this race and many more.
 
The team and 'H' now look forward to the KF3 World Cup at Braga in Portugal and 2 more Super One rounds beforehand in the UK.
 
Steve Armstrong would like to say a big well done to Harrison and family for this major result, it is testament to their dedication and resolve whilst competing in this class and these competitions.
 
Steve would also like to thank Warwick Ringham and Paul Spencer of Strawberry Racing and the Tonykart Junior racing Team for all of their support over the last 3 years with the Tonykart product used by all the RL team drivers.
 
For more info on the Racing Dept and the Tonykart range contact Steve Armstrong on +44 (0)7843 586416 or +44 (0)1502 716200, or email
accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.  Visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

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BDKC Forthcoming Events   (19/07)

Click for larger image...Beccles kart club next MSA meeting will be held on Saturday 24th  July for practice followed by Sunday 25th July race meeting. All classes are welcome.
 
Plus the following forthcoming events...
 
21st August - Non MSA all classes welcome.
 
Long weekend racing and testing before Formula Kart Stars:
Saturday 28th August - Practice
Sunday 29th August - MSA race day   
Monday 30th August - Open testing
Tuesday 31st August - Open testing
 
For more information or to enter, contact 01502 717718, email
enquiries@elloughparkraceway.co.uk, or visit our website at www.beccleskartclub.co.uk.

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Race Director Required   (19/07)

Ellough Park raceway in Suffolk is looking for an additional "Race Director" for their busy circuit looking after their corporate customers. The person needs to be able to give safety briefings and control events on the circuit. Ideally will have previous experience in corporate karting a knowledge of supersport timing software and some racing experience and mechanical knowledge on karts would be an advantage. It will involve some evening's and weekends on a shift system with other staff. Training will be given.
 
Please send CV to:
Richard Lock
Ellough Park Raceway
Benacre Road
beccles
Suffolk
NR34 7XD

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British Long Circuit Champs   (19/07)

James O'Reilly, Paul Platt and Sam Moss shared the top step of the podium during round four of the MSA British Superkart Championship at Cadwell Park.
 
Reigning title holder O'Reilly headed race one from the first turn onwards, with title rival and 2008 champion Jason Dredge just two seconds in arrears at the finish. O'Reilly then led early on in the second battle but slipped to an eventual third place behind Moss and race victor Platt.
 
Platt appeared to be on course for his second win of the weekend in race three but suffered a cruel retirement on the final tour. Moss thus inherited the lead and duly took the chequered flag ahead of Adam Underhill and Dan Clarke.
 
Results - Race One:
1 James O`Reilly, 10m07.32s / 90.17 mph
2 Jason Dredge + 2.52
3 Adam Underhill + 14.10
 
Results - Race Two:
1 Paul Platt, 10:08.63 / 89.97 mph
2 Sam Moss +3.56
3 James O`Reilly +6.72
 
Results - Race Three:
1 Sam Moss, 10:09.67 / 89.82 mph
2 Adam Underhill +8.723
3 Dan Clarke +13.84

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Thrill At The Mill   (16/07)
 
Click for larger image...This weekend sees the beginning of a crucial phase for the 2010 Easykart UK championship - although everything is still very much to play for. Not least, is the opportunity to book a place at October's World Finals - held this year at Castelletto, near Milan. Thanks to the enormous success of the UK series, it is believed that Birel will invite more British drivers to race in this year's event.
 
"We have unconfirmed reports that suggest the top seven drivers will have the opportunity to go to Italy," says the championship's promoter John Vigor. "Naturally the winners of the Cadet, Junior, Light and Heavy classes will go completely free, whilst the remaining five runners-up in their respective categories will be given the opportunity to enter for Castelletto. We also understand that a wildcard entry for each of the E Plate champions is being considered."
 
If this is corroborated by the Italian giants, it will certainly add extra impetus and a new level of excitement to the latter part of the domestic championship. 
 
Cadet: Tom Thickpenny is tied at the top of the table with Ronan McKenzie, whilst third-placed William Stowell is closing in on the lead duo after a faltering start to his season. Behind him is a gaggle of five drivers separated by just a handful of points; Jack Vallance, Zack Nickson, Kyle Forgie, Kieran Wragg and Jenson Murchison. The championship welcomes Ross Gunn who, despite making his Easykart debut this Sunday, is an experienced and accomplished Cadet driver with a string of titles under his belt and could well be the big surprise of the meeting.
 
Click for larger image...Junior: It may be far too early to suggest that this year's Junior championship is between just two drivers but James DeHavillande and Thomas Grainger are the only competitors in this class to yield over five hundred points. Toby Sowery is their closest rival on 492. James Lay desperately wants to win his first trophy of the season and it would be unwise to bet against him achieving that this weekend. Other drivers to watch are Luca Hirst and AJ Morris. Both are quick and Morris is especially, long overdue a big result.

Light: Reigning E Plate holder Elliot Rice continues to lead the way but has yet to stand on top of the podium this year. That could change come Sunday, although Patrick Lay and Kieran McCullough will be doing everything they can to prevent this from happening. 2009 Junior champion Lay has taken two wins, but subsequently dropped the advantage after each victory. McCullough won convincingly in the wet at Llandow last month and will undoubtedly be a front-runner at Whilton, whilst Joe Paterson, Sam Dimelow and Owen Jenman can also be expected to feature. 
           
Heavy: Mechanical gremlins in Wales put-paid to Barnaby Pittingale's chances of making it four wins from four starts. His misfortune played into the hands of Mark Lawrence whose subsequent triumph saw him peg the gap to Pittingale. Tim Hill's second runner-up finish of the season kept him in touch with Pittingale and Lawrence but the notorious bumps and harsh kerbs could play havoc with his ribs. If Hill suffers, a host of drivers could step into the limelight. Firas Bilbeisi could and should figure, while Gary Poynter will want to bounce back from a dreadful last race. Like his compatriot Lawrence, Jack Bruce could well head back to Scotland on Sunday night with a trophy on the passenger seat of his car. The KKC shop, located near the circuit entrance, will be represented by its very own Nick Moss and Club 100 regulars will be keen to see how current Heavy Sprint number one, Michael Roots fares on his debut.
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday at Whilton Mill, Whilton Locks, near Daventry. For more information, visit
www.easykart.co.uk
.

Photographs courtesy of Stuart Hudman.

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Kartpartsuk Update   (16/07)

 

Kartpartsuk would like to thank all of their customers for helping them to become one of the largest and most respected kart and accessories retailers in the country. They have one of the largest product ranges which caters for all classes buying many of their products direct from the manufacture, enabling them to pass on these savings direct to you the end user.  They also offer a price promise scheme to help you beat the credit crunch. Believing their prices are some of the best around but offer to beat any price that you can find on a competitors web site for a like-for-like product at retail price! It's simple, just find an identical product that is cheaper from anywhere else and they will beat the price for you. You can't lose!

Kartpartsuk also have some of the best postage charges to Scotland and many of the British Isles so check the website for more details or give them a call if you are unsure. All orders received are sent out via their next day delivery service. 
 
Kartpartsuk supply the British made Gillard chassis. where the results from the last Super one meeting speaks for itself with victories in Rotax Max and in Mini Max at the latest Super One round.
  
Kartpartsuk offer an ever growing stock range which includes all the top brands in karting such as Tillett racing seats, Rotax, Comer, Mychron, Alfano, Beta, Arai, GoPro and so many more along with the a full and comprehensive stock of Gillard karts and parts.  
 
Now in stock Buru bodywork various colours available at a great price.  Visit our web site and see for yourselves
www.kartpartsuk.com
.
  
Team Kartpartsuk are still wining, but have some huge changes planned for the team so watch this space!!!. The team has space available at PFI, Fulbeck and Wombwell offering a full range of packages from basic awning space through to full arrive and drive, all at very competitive prices. So why not give them a try to see how much you can improve! 
   
If you would like any information or just to chat about joining their proven race team, the Gillard kart range, or would like to test the 010B or the very latest 010V2S or see our extensive range of products then please give us a call on 01775 712633, email
info@kartpartsuk.com or come in and see us at a track.

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New Hand Controls Tested   (16/07)

Click for larger image...When KartForce was originally conceived the plan was to use existing commercially available hand controls that would allow injured troops with lower limb disabilities to be able to take part in kart racing. The more we thought about it we realised that many of the troops had injuries which meant that they only had the option to use one arm so we set about designing a set of hand controls that could be used by these guys as well.

Dave Humphrey from Enable Sports, and Ryan Musk, the head of of Rye House kart venue, could see the merit with our idea of a set of handlebars instead of a steering wheel, with controls that could be switched from right to left to suit the driver's requirements. So Dave set about sourcing some of the parts and played a major part in bringing the whole concept together.

Max Adams, MD at Venhill, one of the UK's leading manufacturers and suppliers of cables, hydraulic hoses and brake lines for motorbikes, quads, cars, and karts, agreed to help out with the supply and fitting of the accelerator cables and brake system for the prototype hand controls - so with everything in place it just needed someone to get in the kart and see if the whole idea would work...

Click for larger image...On Monday July 12th Dave Humphrey, and some of the team at Rye House put the finishing touches to the kart, including the addition of Tillett ribcage supports to the seat, and Phil Armes, one of the organisers of KartForce, and a paraplegic after a motorcycle racing crash, was 'volunteered' to go out and put the hand controls to the test.

After a few minor adjustments to get the brake lever in a comfortable operating position Phil was soon proving that the handlebar concept worked well with two hands, and was obviously starting to enjoy himself! So the team called him in, and after a quick debrief he was then sent out to try driving with just one hand on the 'handlebars'. It took a few laps to get used to the idea, but it very soon became apparent that the system worked well and it was time for Phil to come in for a pit stop and let the team change the hand controls from right to left hand use.

It may not have been quite up to F1 pit stop standards with regard to time, but the result was just as inspiring. Within a couple of laps Phil was back up to speed operating the kart with the throttle and brake operation switched to the left hand side of the handlebars.

All in all a very good test, and a really positive outcome, so now the race is on to produce at least 20 sets before the big launch event at Whilton Mill on August 12th/13th.

For more information visit
www.kartforce.org
.

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Adrenalin Continue Success   (15/07)

After the success at the Anglian Cup the team continued its success at Whilton Mill with yet another win for Wayne Smithers in 177 and Andrew Rees-Reynolds in Senior Max both setting the fastest laps of the day on their GFM powered engines and Exprit karts.
 
The team then returned to Kimbolton for the July Meeting. Wayne Smithers was fastest in Saturday practice and dominated the Masters class on Sunday with wins in 2 out of the 3 heats and winning the Final by 5 seconds. He even took it easy on the last few laps, as his lead was nearer 10 seconds.
 
In Senior Max Andrew wasn't having such a good day with DNS in the heat 1 hampering his weekend. In heats 2/3 he lapped near to the lap record, when looking at the data in more detail it was clear that it could be broken in clean air. In the final an accident put him to near last with no chance of winning. His aim now was for the lap record which he achieved with a 46.00. This goes nicely along side his Whilton Mill lap record.
 
Adrenalin Racing would like to thank GFM (
www.gfmmotorsport.co.uk) for supplying the engines for the weekend as well as Alan Reynolds for his help.
 
Adrenalin Racing have Team Spaces at both Whilton Mill / Kimbolton / Rye House and also at The Dadson Challenge rounds: please contact us via our website for more details.

www.adrenalin-racing.co.uk - South East Exprit Agents.

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Henry Surtees Event   (15/07)

Click for larger image...A host of celebrities both from inside and outside of the motor racing world, joined family and friends of Henry Surtees in a celebration of his life, and in support of a local charity at Chatham's Buckmore Park International Kart Circuit on the 12th July. Henry was tragically killed in a freak motor racing accident at Brands Hatch on 19 July 2009.
 
Henry's Headway Karting Challenge was held in memory of Henry and in support of The Headway Charity (Tunbridge Wells & District) to assist them in re-location, and in construction of a new centre.
 
The event on Monday (12th July) featured 35 teams who raced in a two and half hour karting enduro event which was totally sold out.  The teams comprised a mixture of professional drivers and business people, as well as friends and colleagues of Henry.  Nearly 180 drivers took part in the race.  Each team donated a large sum to The Headway Charity, and other Kentish and National companies donated funds for advertisements in the race programme.  An auction of memorabilia took place between qualifying and the start of the race further boosting the funds. A further auction will follow on-line over the coming months.

Click for larger image...John Surtees - Henry's father and motoring legend - who was the driving force behind the event, said "We decided to form the Henry Surtees Foundation after the tremendous feeling and generosity that was shown at the time of his death. We had at that time asked for donations to be made to Headway instead of flowers. The Foundation's objectives can be found on the John Surtees website. "
 
"What was fantastic about the Buckmore karting event was the atmosphere. You had amateur drivers rubbing shoulders and wheels with some of the finest young racing talent that we have at this moment. Talent from whom the next Button or Hamilton will emerge. The spectrum of guests and competitors covered professional drivers, keen amateurs, politicians and celebrities. Despite the competition it was a fun day and a very successful one in that we were able to raise so much money for a worthy cause."
 
Buckmore Park Kart Circuit is the venue where Henry spent much of his youth racing in karts, and was in fact at the circuit when he first sampled the excitement of driving a kart as an eight year old.
 
Buckmore Park is holding a further competition kart race meeting event in support of The Headway Charity and in memory of Henry this Sunday (18th July), where John Surtees will re-name a bend on the circuit into 'Henry's Bend'.

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MSA Congratulates Albon   (15/07)

The Motor Sports Association congratulates 2009 MSA British Junior Kart Champion Alexander Albon on capturing the 2010 CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship title.
 
Red Bull-backed Albon, 14 from Suffolk, beat dozens of international rivals to the coveted European title at the Belgian Genk circuit last weekend.
 
He was joined on the podium by fellow Briton Harrison Scott, with 2009 MSA British Junior Kart Championship runner-up Jake Dennis a commendable fourth. Meanwhile 2008 MSA British Cadet Kart Champion Roy Johnson - whom the MSA has nominated to represent the UK in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy later this year - recorded the fastest race lap.
 
Albon said: "It felt so amazing to win the European title and I think it was the biggest achievement of my karting career so far. The MSA British Junior Kart Championship was a great training ground for me because the competition is so strong and the weather conditions are always varied, which helps you to become a good all-round driver who's prepared for anything."
 
MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton said: "Alex confirmed his potential by winning the MSA British Junior Kart Championship last year and, now that he has taken the European KF3 title, it is clear that he has a bright future ahead of him. Congratulations also to Harrison, Jake and Roy, who have shown that UK motor sport continues to produce talent in abundance."

Albon began karting competitively at eight years old, winning the Honda Super 1 Championship and the Kartmasters Grand Prix. In 2008 he stepped up to KF3, finishing third overall in the MSA British Junior Kart Championship, which he duly won last season. This year is his first as a member of Italian kart manufacturer Intrepid's Driver Program.

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Kartmasters Entries Extended   (14/07)

The closing date for entries for this year's Kartmasters event has been extended, and there are still a few remaining spaces in some of the classes!

For more information or to get your entry in, please contact:
Lesley Richardson:
compsec@tvkc.co.uk
Hannah Edwards:
hannah@tvkc.co.uk
Clare Mills:
clare@tvkc.co.uk
Or phone 01636 626242 (and select option 3).

More information can also be found on our website at
www.tvkc.co.uk
.

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Excitement Re-Discovered   (13/07)

The KartGrandPrix engine by BMB ran for the first time at the famous PF International circuit on Saturday 11th July. KGP UK were there along with Karting Magazine and tester George Robinson to evaluate the new KGP category, engine and tyres.

The day was hot and sunny and as a feature for the test, Birel Motorsport driver Michael Simpson was in attendance to get his first feel of the new engine and tyres.

The test was fantastic with both karts running a total of 2 hours without any problems and caused quite a stir with many people looking and a few individuals managing to have a few laps!

KGP UK bosses Andy Cox and Paul Deavin were in attendance too and couldn't resist a few laps themselves! "That's a proper engine "exclaimed Deavin, after returning to the pits with a big smile on his face.

The exclusive track test will be in next month's Karting magazine but suffice to say Robinson was mightily impressed.

Simpson had a wide grin after his laps posting a time of 45.5 on 80 lap tyres. Simpson also tested a set of Vega SL6 (Rotax tyre) on the KGP and compared to the chosen Vega of KGP which is Vega XH the SL6 was 1.2 secondss per lap slower. "The Vega XH is a fantastic tyre, you can put the kart where you want without any slide and you can actually brake confidently in the corners - its so much easier to drive and more importantly fun" commented Simpson. "I am really looking forward to racing this engine next year".

The KGP engine goes on sale October 1st 2010 - and there's already a waiting list! Reserve yours today by calling KGP UK on 01527 889595.

For more information and news as it happens visit
www.kartgrandprix.co.uk
.

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Wavertree Success At GYG   (12/07)

Click for larger image...The recent FKS round at the GYG circuit in North Wales turned out to be a great meeting for Wavertree Motorsport.

Adam Glear in Minimax had a storming weekend. After the race Adam said "We were not really fast enough on the Friday testing, but team manager Matt Napolitano was confident the pace would be their come race day as we had not yet shown our hand". Adam then went on to take victory in both Saturday and Sunday finals in what was a thrilling battle with George Russell on both days, putting Adam back on top of the championship. "Me and my Dad were over the moon," said Adam, "everything was perfect on both days, the whole team worked so hard all weekend and it paid off, I would like to thank Matt for all his help and Paul Napolitano WMS racing engines for superb engines".

Wavertree's other driver to excel was Brett Ward, he looked superb all weekend, finishing 4th on the Saturday and getting his first podium on the Sunday. Team manager Matt Napolitano said "Brett is now really starting to shine and going from strength to strength since joining the team at the start of the year, he drove a storming race on the Sunday to get his first podium with a great battle between him and Ryan Norris".

Seth James also produced his best result to date with a very respectable 6th on the Sunday final. The rookie of the team Jordan Hollands also showed much improvement over the weekend.

Matt Napolitano said after the meeting "The whole team are elated with the weekend all the boys were outstanding and made me proud to be coaching them, I have to say my heart was in my mouth on the Sunday final with both Adam and Brett second and forth, but amazing maturity from both of them, see them both make the perfect move at the perfect time to take first and third. I like to run the team a bit different to most where the boys have fun as well as having all the serious bits in the middle, I am a firm believer that without the fun element the boys are not in the best frame of mind before racing, it seems to payoff and the parents seem to agree. The happy awning as we are better known. I also have to say a big thank you to all the GYG staff, your track is amazing and is a pleasure to race at. You can see the pride you all take in it and your hospitality is second to none. FKS staff, another superbly organised meeting your series is outstanding this year, thank you."
 
If you're interested in joining the Wavertree team please contact Matt Napolitano on 07876 541032, or email
wavertreemotorsport@yahoo.co.uk. For WMS Racing Engines please contact Paul Napolitano 07879 626655.

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British Thunderkart Champs   (12/07)

The 2010 British Thunderkart Championship - a championship run by drivers for drivers. It is run at club level, and as part of the Stretton2000 circuit championship (the SCSS). It costs £35 per round. This covers both SCSS race entry and British Thunder kart Race entry.

2010 is the first year this championship has run, and its unique style should make it something quite special and offer some good close racing for a variety of karts and drivers.

The different style of grids, with the highest current point scorer off the back helps make the racing more of a spectacle, giving faster drivers a challenge, and slower drivers much more of a chance to win. It is open to any kart powered by a single air cooled 4stroke engine (this includes V-Twins), and any age or ability driver. Karts can be tuned to any extreme, although must not be geared.  popular karts include world formula, v-twins and a range of Honda GX powered karts, however any kart that fits the 'single air cooled 4stroke engine' banner is allowed. (contact us to check if you are unsure).

All rounds are held at Streeton2000 in Leicester, in conjunction with their SCSS championship meetings. The four qualifying rounds are run on four different circuit layouts, you score points in the heats towards the "race-off", to decide the champion which is in January 2011! While the individual meeting finals carry no points, but do have trophies for the top three finishers. the top three drivers overall in the championship will also receive prize money.

The racing is at club level, and is driver friendly; this makes the racing affordable, close but most off all fun! The main aim of the championship is to have fun, while still providing some exciting and close racing for both competitors and spectators, and obviously to decide the 2010 British thunder-kart champion. 
So if you have a kart that fits the above, you could just be in with a chance of becoming the, 2010 British Thunderkart Champion! 

For more information visit
http://british-thunderkart.webs.com/ or email thunderkart@live.co.uk
.
 
Please ensure you register via the website if you intend to race, and the info pack/rulebook can also be found on the website.

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Euro Champions Crowned   (12/07)

On the sun-drenched circuit of Genk, in Belgium, it was necessary to keep a cool head this week-end to clame the European crowns in KF2 (the Hopefuls category) and in KF3 (the Juniors between 13 and 15 years old). After having largely dominated their final, the Dane Nikolaj Moller-Madsen in KF2 and the Brit Alexander Albon in KF3 have added this prestigious title to their CV.

A European Championship is a competition  which it's necessary to manage carefully throughout. Between qualifiying practices and Sunday's Final many things can happen during the Qualifying heats and the prefinal, which determines the starting positions for the only race that counts in the whole of the week-end.

Click for larger image...Nikolaj-Moller Madsen (Enargy-TM) has perfectly orchestrated his way to the title. Only 15th after the qualifying practice, the Dane climbed to 2nd position at the end of the qualifying heats. Also second in the prefinal, he gave notice of his ambitions for the final in taking the best driver from Finland Teemu Suninen (Maranello-Maranello) at the end of a superb dice. "I didn't really push hard in the prefinal", explained Nikolaj at the foot of the podium. "I wanted to preserve my tyres, which suffered a lot in the heat. I knew that only the Final was of real importance and, after having passed Teemu, I could increase my advantage. This is for certain the best victory of my career."

Running second for a long time, Suninen had to concede second place to Sébastien Bailly (Kosmic-Vortex) three laps from the chequered flag. After having the fastest time in qualifying practice, the Belgian was not disappointed to finish 2nd. "I really gave all I could to grab this second place", explained Sébastien. "But I must say that Nikolaj was simply the fastest during this Final. That said, second place is a superb result !"

Behind the Finn Teemu Suninen, the Brit Tom Joyner (Gillard-TM) and the Belgian Guillaume De Ridder (Kosmic-Vortex) finished closely qfter a wheel to wheel scrap. In a turbulent and tight group, the first lap had proved fatal to the hopes of several favourites, including Danish lady Michelle Gatting (CRG-Maxter) and the Austrian Thomas Jäger (Birel-BMB), who were placed 3rd and 4th after the qualifying heats. But one driver's bad luck is another drivers good fortune. So, the Japanese Yu Kanamaru (Tony Kart-Vortex), the Brits Luke Varley (Tony Kart-Vortex), Alexander Walker (Tony Kart-TM) and Jake Lloyd (Tony Kart-TM) and the Finn Juha Mäki-Jouppi (Alpha-Parilla) completed the top 10.

Click for larger image...As in KF2, one driver had completely dominated the KF3 Final. A young guy already supported by a famous energy drink, Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM) has confirmed that the confidence shown in him has not been misplaced. Staring on pole position during the prefinal, the British driver made easy work as he increased his lead throughout and won to secure pole position for the Final. Then, during this decisive race, he was able to profit from the misfortune of several of his opponents on the first turn. "When I looked back after two laps, I could see the gap was already quite wide", said Alexander. "Then I was able to concentrate on conserving the tyres and to maintain  a good rhythm and it worked perfectly. This is a fantastic win. When they took me on in their young driver programme, Red Bull wanted to lead me towards a Formula 1 career. That suits perfectly because that's my goal as well and such victories are a good step."

Behind the dominant leader, the scraps were understandably more closely fought. Climbing well after having had several issues at the start, the Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Sodi-Parilla) was satisfied with second place on the podium. "After my 3rd place in the World Cup last year, finishing 2nd here is another superb result", explained Pierre. "The first laps had been difficult but after that I climbed higher and higher and passed Harrison Scott shortly before the finish. Once again I have just missed a victory... Perhaps it will come in two months time in the World Cup in Portugal."

Passed by Gasly, Harrison Scott (Tony Kart-TM) realised a small miracle in making the podium with a very limited budget and driving for a small private team, Richard Lock Racing. To make the podium, the Brit had to resist a very strong final challenge from his compatriot Jake Dennis (Top Kart-Parilla), who climbed from 14th to 4th in the Final. Starting as a strong favourite, Dutchman Max Verstappen (CRG-Maxter) could only finally make a place in the top 5, just in front of his compatriot Peter Hoevenaars (Intrepid-TM), the Ukrainian Daniil Pronenko (Birel-TM), who achieved an incredible result in climbing from 33rd to 7th place, the Italian Damiano Fioravanti (Tony Kart-Vortex), 2nd in the prefinal, the Finn Niklas Tiihonen (Birel-Parilla), starting in 22nd place, and the Spaniard Pedro Hiltbrand (Kosmic-Vortex), who climbed from 19th to 10th place in the Final. All of these young drivers will have profited immensely from this European Championship to raise their profile before, perhaps, going on to a career in motorsport. For them, the sky is the limit.

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Pair Maintain FKS Pressure   (09/07)

Click for larger image...When the Formula Kart Stars championship sparked back into life at Glan Y Gors last weekend (3/4 July), Jack Barlow was some 70 points adrift of early Junior Max leader, Ash Hand. By Sunday evening, as he helped to take the Strawberry Racing team's awning down, he had closed the gap to just three points.
 
Jack hit a rich vein of form at the North Wales circuit and took back-to-back wins in Saturday's two preliminary heats to secure pole for the final. Despite leading from pole he slotted into second place and shadowed the leader until the final lap. With the chequered flag being readied, Jack made his decisive move and from there held his advantage to the line. With maximum points, he had already made a sizeable leap up the points table - but needed more of the same on Sunday if he was to become one of the key protagonists for the title.
 
With rain making driving conditions tricky, Barlow revelled in the grip afforded him by his Tony Kart EVR chassis, and again aced the heats. A close and hard fought main final kept Jack on his mettle throughout - and showing great coolness under pressure - doing what he needed to do to take the win and complete a perfect weekend.
 
Strawberry's Mini Max star George Russell also featured on the podium, but a brace of runner-up finishes were not enough to see the talented youngster keep his championship lead. Like Jack, George opened his Glan Y Gors account with victories in Saturday's heats and led the main final for much of the race. However, a mistake dropped him to 2nd setting up a nail-biting finish. Separated by just two tenths of a second the pair crossed the line with Russell unable to re-pass winner, Adam Glear.
 
With some set-up changes designed to give his kart extra pace on Sunday, George recorded the fastest time in qualifying.
 
Click for larger image...Gremlins with his motor saw him unable to finish higher than 12th in the opening heat and after they were quickly rectified - he resumed normal service with 2nd in the following race. A crash at the start of the main final dropped George down the order, prompting a gritty fight-back. He duly caught the leader but under pressure as they headed to the finish, he defended hard - perhaps too hard - allowing Glear to pounce.
 
Although disappointed not to have won, he was encouraged by the extra speed he had on tap and as Strawberry's Warwick Ringham summed up with a wry smile, "He's driven worse but got better results. It just didn't happen for George in the finals this time but he'll be back."
 
He added, "People also forget he's only 12 whereas a lot of the other drivers are older and more experienced. To be battling for the title in his first season is a mark of his quality."   
 
The team is now preparing for the 3rd round of the Euro Max Challenge at the Austrian Speedworld circuit, near Vienna on 14/18 July. A full preview will follow shortly.
 
For more information about the Tony Kart EVR chassis and OTK products, go to
www.strawberryracing.co.uk.  If you would like advice about getting the most out of your Tony Kart chassis or OTK parts, please feel free to call Warwick Ringham on 0114 269 6215 or e-mail him at info@strawberryracing.co.uk. For more information about Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines, visit www.ogdenracing.com
.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Kart Coach Cadet Triumphs   (09/07)

John Gibson felt that his 10 year old son Jack was in need of a confidence boost, so he asked Kart Coach if they could help.
 
Kart Coach immediately got to work; sharpening up Jack's mental attitude, improving his race craft and fine tuning his set up to give that little bit extra. Jack put everything he had learned into practice on Race Day, by impressively securing a couple of seconds and a fifth in the heats, putting him on the front row for the final.
 
Jack took a decisive lead at the start and as the first three broke away from the rest of the field a win seemed a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, Jack's engine began to tighten up a little and he dropped back from the leading pair, but such was his lead over the rest of the field that his third place was never in doubt.
 
A very happy Jack was overjoyed to win his first trophy on full plates and Mum and Dad agreed it had been a brilliant weekend.
 
Whatever your ability, Kart Coach will help you take the next step up the performance ladder.
 
Big results for a modest outlay.
 
£169 a weekend at Shenington, Whilton Mill & Kartmasters.
 
Contact us via
www.kartcoach.com for further details.

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U18 World Champs Test Day   (09/07)

The new CIK-FIA "U18" (for "under 18 years old") World Karting Championship will officially begin on Friday 23 July during non-qualifying practice of the first event on the German circuit of Wackersdorf. However, there were many young Drivers who took advantage of the official Test Day organised by the International Federation on 6 July at Ostricourt (France) to discover their new equipment. For the first time, 37 out of the 70 entered Competitors could indeed run on the track with the new WKE (World Kart Engine) engine, identical for everyone and placed on a free basis at their disposal by drawing lots by Parolin.

"The engine is really working well and quite amusing to drive", rejoiced Jordan Chamberlain, European KF2 Champion in 2009. "I was even pleasantly surprised by its performance." And lap times proved the Briton right: at the end of the day, the best ones were faster than the fastest KF2s at the French Championship organised on the same circuit in 2009.

Beyond performance, the participants declared themselves very pleased with the concept. The Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet, winner of both F4 Eurocup 1.6 races at the World Series by Renault event held in Hungary, thus made a come-back to karts for this Test Day. "I wanted to continue to run in Karting in parallel to my single-seater débuts", he explained. "When I had the opportunity to participate in the 'U18' World Championship, I took it. On the one hand, this World Championship is very affordable financially, but it is also clear that if I could add a world title in Karting to my list of results, it would quite be a bonus!"

Held jointly to the "U18" World Championship, the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy - a competition hosting 34 Drivers all of different nationalities - also had its kick-off at Ostricourt. Almost twenty participants have already discovered their Parolin karts with FIM engines placed at their disposal totally freely by the Italian make. "This championship is fantastic", said with a smile Switzerland's Stefan Amweg, father of Levin and Severin, respectively entered in the "U18" World Championship and Academy Trophy. "Financially, there's no question about it compared to other high-level competitions. And the fact that each Competitor is on a strictly equal footing, with identical equipment, is really important in my opinion."

In addition to their equipment the Drivers have also discovered at Ostricourt the paddock in an original configuration as each participant has a tent, placed at their disposal by the International Federation, identical to his fellow Competitors' ones. Contacts between teams thus make the atmosphere very friendly. Finally, a session of information and questions-answers as well as a photo session were organised. In 16 days, the names of the first graduates will be known. More than ever, the countdown has started!

For more information visit
www.cikfia.com
.

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X30s Stamp Their Authority   (08/07)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...The X30 may be a relatively new addition to the chassis market, but has already made its mark at venues across the country.
 
David Griffiths recently stormed to a superb win at the Buckmore round of Rotax Super One in the 177 class. The win made his seventh podium of the year so far, the most of any driver in the class. Fellow GMS team driver Dan Mulvaney, on his first full year on the chassis, is enjoying his most successful Super One season to date, and Senior rookie Andrew Cole put in an astonishing performance in the second Buckmore final, running as high at 7th despite starting 25th on the grid.
 
Success is not limited solely to Super One, with Tony Dickinson having used his X30 to conquer the 2009 Dadson Masters series. More recently, at the June Kimbolton club meeting Harry Arnold set fastest lap on his way to third place in the Senior Rotax final.
 
The GMS team are the suppliers and works team for the British designed X30 chassis (available new at just £1850 + VAT), information and test drives can be arranged by calling 01732 850 858 - further details at
www.gms-x30.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Success At Rissington   (08/07)

Continuing his successful season, Mansell Jensen Junior Rotax driver, Nick Arthur took a great win at Rissington last weekend. Winning 2 heats and setting fastest lap times in all three, Nick qualified his Exprit kart on pole and took a lights to flag victory.

Fellow Mansell Jensen Junior Max driver, Will Maslin also had a great weekend. He qualified third on the grid for the final but, by the first corner was up to second. Nick and Will went on to record a team mate 1-2!

Team Manager, Jacques Jensen said "This is a great result for us at Mansell Jensen. We are a small dedicated team and the 1-2 result by Nick and Will confirms that we have got it right." He added, "Nick and Will adapted to the Exprit kart quickly and to the motors built by John Crookes at Revolution Racing Engines."

For more information on joining a winning team contact Jacques Jensen on 07543638542 or Tony Cater on 07917223166.

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Engineer Stuns FKS Regulars   (08/07)
 
Click for larger image...Shahaan Engineer created a sensation at last weekend's (3/4 July 2010) sixth round of the Formula Kart Stars championship, with a superb performance on his debut in the Formula One Management-backed series.

Driving for the appropriately named Shox Motorsport team, the Dubai-based Indian teenager - who had been granted a late entry - travelled to the picturesque Glan Y Gors circuit in North Wales to pit himself against Britain's best drivers in the Junior Rotax Max category. What made his performance all the more remarkable, was the fact that this was his first race outside Dubai in fifteen months and, as Shahaan's Shox team manager and mentor Oli Oakes observed, "The last racing vehicle he drove wasn't a kart but a Formula Renault - and that was three months ago!"

In Timed Qualifying, Shahaan recorded the 3rd fastest lap as rain began to fall, catching many of the far more experienced competitors out.

He said "All the other drivers put in their best times on the fifth and sixth laps, but mine was on the third. I felt that I still had a few tenths (of a second) left in me and with my pace, believed pole would have been easy to achieve. Unfortunately, I came across slower traffic and had to slow down to create a gap. By then it had also started to drizzle and everyone's lap times took a dive. However, I was happy with P3 because I did not know the (racing) lines of the track in the wet, and it would be easier for me to follow someone else in the heats so I guess it worked out."

2005 World Kart Champion, Oakes added, "He did a sensational job to qualify 3rd. Shahaan's fifth lap was good enough for pole, until he caught a slower kart in the final sector. This was all the more remarkable given he had driven no laps in the morning warm-up session, due to being driven over by another driver and his chassis was damaged a result of this."

Click for larger image...The first of the day's two heats was a bruising encounter, but Shahaan battled gamely to finish in 11th place. In the second, he crossed the finishing line in a creditable 5th to secure an excellent fourth row grid position for the main final.

As the starter released the 26-strong field, Mumbai-born Engineer found himself bottled up in the congestion as the drivers jockeyed for the vital inside line at the first corner. Once the opening exchanges had settled down, Shahaan was in 11th position - but quickly worked his way back up the order. A series of brave, incisive passing manoeuvres saw the 14-year old carve his way up 5th place, which he successfully held to the chequered flag.

"I knew I had to move forward as quickly as possible because the longer you wait, the pack in front gets away," Shahaan explained. "I did all my overtaking in the first lap but that slowed me down, and by then the top three - who I was gunning for - had formed a breakaway and were towing each other away from the rest of us.  At GYG, slipstreaming in a three kart train gives drivers an advantage of about two tenths of a second per lap, so I could not catch them.  For sure, if I had been closer I would have tried my best to win because I had a lot of speed, thanks to my mechanic Glenn."

Oli hailed his young protégé's stirring drive, "He held his nerve brilliantly in the aggressive opening laps and although he initially dropped down the order, caused by a bump going into turn three, he got his head down and fought his way through the field, setting some impressive lap times on the way. Had he not been held up in the early part of the race, Shahaan would certainly have been battling for the podium.

It's an incredible feat - given that he had just rocked-up from Dubai, jetlagged, having never seen the track before and had to adjust to working with a new team, etc - he was quite remarkable and definitely delivered the Drive of the Day!"
 
Keep up to speed with India's rising star and his journey towards Formula One by visiting www.shahaan.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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DHR's Super 1 Success   (07/07)

Click for larger image...DHR enjoyed a great weekend at the latest Rotax Super 1 championship at Buckmore Park. Following on from his Round 2 Super 1 Rowrah victory and pole position at Round 3 at Whilton Mill Junior Max driver Sean Babington once again proved he was a serious title contender with a string of top drives. After a close qualifying session Sean posted the 2nd fastest time leading to front row starts for the heats. In the qualifying heats Sean converted this into a 1st and a 2nd position therefore giving Sean a 2nd position start for the 1st final. Due to a collision following a very fast start Sean lost ground and initially fell to 3rd. However his speed meant he quickly took 2nd and set off in pursuit of race leader Matt Parry. Although the gap closed Sean was unable to make a serious challenge deciding to save his tyres and efforts for the 2nd final.

Once again at the start of the main final Sean was knocked back and had to re group. He soon regained 2nd position back and started once again to close the gap to race long leader Matt Parry. Yet the gap was too big and Sean had to settle for 2nd. Sean commented "Although I'd love to have won its still been an excellent weekend for me, I'd like to thank Dan of DHR and Ogden motorsport for all their help this year so far." With some good championship points gained this moves Sean into a strong championship position with some of his favoured tracks still to come.
 
Click for larger image...With DHR Senior Max driver Jack Dex breaking his leg a week before the Buckmore race this meant he couldn't take part so 2009 British vice Super 1 KF2 champion Shaun Carter stepped in as a guest driver for his first ever race in Rotax and first race since 2009. Shaun soon got to grips with the class posting the 2nd fastest time of the weekend in Saturday mornings practice. Qualifying didn't go quite as well, but still a very creditable 10th. Shaun explains "the parc ferme tyre wasn't as good as our test tyres so we had to work hard to set the kart up and adjust my driving style to get the most out of it." After a 12th in Final 1 and a few chassis changes Shaun was in confident mood for final 2. Following an excellent start from the outside row Shaun progressed his way through the field finishing an excellent 5th place by the flag! An outstanding performance since Shaun hasn't raced this year and was a little out of practice with not having front brakes as with previous years.
 
DHR would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to all their drivers for a great season so far. Also our thanks goes to Steve and the team at Ogden Motorsport for the excellent engines! The next stop for the DHR team is the 3rd round of the Euro Rotax challenge at Speedworld Austria.
 
For more information regarding DHR and the FA Alonso Kart please contact Dan direct on 07960 047810, or email
dan@danhollandracing.co.uk. You can also find us at www.danhollandracing.co.uk
.
 
Also worth a note the team have a number of used Rotax and TKM team karts for sale of varying ages and condition so for further information on these please call Dan on the number above. 

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Warm Welsh Welcome...   (07/07)

Click for larger image...The Formula One Management backed Formula Kart Stars Championship reached the half way point of its 2010 season at the glorious Glan Y Gors circuit in North Wales with rounds five and six of the campaign.

Having taken the month of June off to allow drivers to complete their school exams, the fast, rolling 1100-metre GYG circuit provided one of the biggest tests of the year and at the end of the weekend Connor Jupp, Darius Karbaley, Adam Glear, Jack Barlow and Ben Barnicoat had scored top marks in their respective classes.

In the MSA British Cadet Championship, two new winners were crowned in the shape of Jupp and Karbaley.

With Nathan Aston hot on his heels Jupp thought he'd lost Saturday's win when Aston dived through half way round the final lap. But Jupp fought back and after running side by side through the downhill sweepers Jupp held the inside line into the final turn to clinch the win with points leader Tom Harvey third.

Aston led all bar the final few metres of Sunday's final until Karbaley forced Aston to defend into the final corner and then cut back underneath him in a textbook switchback move to seal his first FKS win. Aston's disappointment was tempered by the fact that he moves back into the points lead as Harvey could only finish sixth.

Adam Glear scored two sensational wins in Mini Max at the expense of George Russell, who set the pace for most of the weekend. On Saturday Glear tracked Russell down and passed him with two and a half laps to go but he left it even later on Sunday, cutting underneath Russell as they came off the final turn to out-drag him to the line. Jay Goodwin completed the Saturday podium while Brett Ward put in the best drive of his season to finish third on Sunday.

In Junior Rotax, Ash Hand's unbeaten streak came to an end thanks to two near faultless drives from Jack Barlow. On Saturday Barlow passed Declan Jones on the final lap to take victory with Liam Kelly completing the podium and Hand only sixth while on Sunday Barlow emerged in front of a four kart battle to complete the weekend double.

Hand finished second to minimise the damage to his championship lead with Josh Parker completing the podium.

The two KF3 finals belonged to new points leader Ben Barnicoat, who held off a stunning charge from Dylon Phibbs to win Saturday's final and then did likewise on Sunday as Matthew Graham gave pursuit.

Phibbs enjoyed the best weekend of his FKS career by taking third on Sunday while Charlie Robertson also scored his first KF3 podium when he finished third on Saturday.

The next round of the series sees FKS travel across the English Channel for its annual visit to Genk in Belgium on the second weekend in August.

For more information on Formula Kart Stars visit
www.formulakartstars.com
.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Dunkeswell Challenge Dropped   (07/07)
 
East Devon District Council has withdrawn its case against Mansell Raceway Limited less than a week before the scheduled start of a ten day appeal hearing at Exeter Crown Court.
 
The news that the District Council has finally decided to draw to a close a two and a half year legal challenge over alleged noise nuisance has been welcomed by the former world Formula 1 racing champion Nigel Mansell and his sons Leo and Greg whose company, Mansell Raceway Limited, own the kart racing track at Dunkeswell.  
 
Speaking from his home in Jersey, where he is recovering from a 200mph crash in Le Mans last month, Nigel Mansell said; "I am relieved that East Devon District Council has finally seen sense and that this very expensive and wholly unnecessary legal battle has now ended. I am deeply disappointed however that, despite repeated offers by us, East Devon District Council was unable to work with Mansell Raceway Ltd to find solutions much, much earlier."
 
Nigel Mansell added; "Hundreds of thousands of pounds has been spent by the parties involved since the noise abatement notice was first served in January 2006.  We estimate that East Devon District Council has spent at least £160,000 since then - which is a staggering waste of council tax payers' money, particularly at a time when public services are under such immense financial pressure. I find it amazing that the Council was not prepared to accept the original court judgement in the case." 
 
The appeal at Exeter Crown Court was due to begin on July 12th before Judge Stephen Wildblood QC. The case was lodged by East Devon District Council to challenge a ruling by District Judge Paul Farmer who quashed a noise abatement order served by the District Council's Environmental Health team following complaints from neighbours. District Judge Farmer conclusively ruled there was no noise nuisance following an exhaustive six day hearing at Honiton Magistrates Court in November 2008 
 
At the time District Judge Farmer said: "It seems that the appellants (Mansell Raceway and the Kart Club) have always sought to operate the circuit in accordance with the (planning) permissions granted to them, have made a substantial investment in an acoustic fence and were prepared to adopt the council's proposals to reduce the noise level of leisure karts.  There is no suggestion I could find that they sought to deliberately annoy their neighbours in any way. Everything they have done has been done reasonably and in accordance with the permissions granted to them," concluded District Judge Farmer.
 
Since taking over the track in 2006, Mansell Raceway Ltd says it has complied with every request made by East Devon District Council regardless of cost and effort, including spending £200,000 on a new acoustic fence, restricting the type of vehicles used and monitoring the condition of silencers on vehicles.  It has also removed the tannoy system and on the Sunday morning of race weekends continues to observe an historic period of silence, so as not to interrupt local church services.
 
The kart circuit has operated at the Dunkeswell aerodrome for nearly 50 years. The first noise abatement notice, served in 2006, came just six months after East Devon District Coucil granted planning permission for a track extension. The notice was challenged by Mansell Raceway Ltd on the grounds that it would have removed virtually all race practice Saturdays, resulting in the possible closure of the facility or a serious accident. Race practice sessions are considered vital by the Kart Club in preparing competitors for safe racing. 
 
In a planning settlement with East Devon District Council, which was finalised last week, Mansell Raceway Ltd has agreed to:
- Closely monitor and record noise levels at the track.
- Not to use a number of 2-stroke kart race training Saturdays (which have not been used by the club for several years).
- Introduce testing for all new leisure karts.

Bryan Holmes, spokesperson for Mansell Raceway and the Kart Racing Club said; "We hope these measures will go a long way towards satisfying our neighbours about our current and future use of the Raceway. Dunkeswell Kart Racing Club provides an important, safe and well managed facility for young people who want to become involved in motor sport and we sincerely hope to continue to offer them this opportunity for many years to come."
 
Dunkeswell is the only karting track in Devon Cornwall, Somerset and Avon operating full Motor Sport Association race events and karting remains one of the most accessible gateways to motorsport, offering a low cost means of racing, open to all ages from 8 upwards. In Britain it is now one of the few opportunities for young people to drive a motor vehicle under the age of 17. Nigel Mansell, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, to name a few, all started in karting.  Most have driven at the Dunkeswell circuit in their racing careers.
 
Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the UK governing body for motor sport, the Motor Sports Association (MSA) said; "Motor sport can be an easy target for complaints, but the sport has an excellent record of working with local communities to minimise the impact of its activities, particularly in terms of reducing noise levels. Motor sport venues also contribute a great deal to the economic prosperity of their regions in terms of visitors, tourism and employment, so it seems entirely reasonable that venues operating within the terms of their planning permissions and in co-operation with their local community should be able to carry out their business without fear of litigation. We are delighted that this long running case has finally been settled and it has been officially recognised that there is no Statutory Noise Nuisance."  
 
Solicitor Mervyn Rundle of Solicitors Title, acting for Mansell Raceway and Dunkeswell Kart Club, said; "Karting will continue at Dunkeswell as it has for the past 50 years. The District Judge's decision that there is no statutory nuisance will stand as law."

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New Instant Marquee   (06/07)

LP Tent are happy to announce the arrival of our NEW ZP660 instant marquee.

The ZP660 has been designed to answer the needs of teams who are looking for a strong reliable awning which is easier and quicker to deploy than current stand alone units.

This ZP660 offers 36 sq mtrs of space with no internal legs and can accommodate between 4-6 karts with ease.
 
For a short time we are offering this model at 20% off retail to any interested teams (only 5 are available on this offer).
 
See our website for more details on our marquees at
www.lptent.co.uk or contact us on sales@lptent.co.uk.

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Time Is Running Out!   (06/07)

Have you got your Kartmasters entry in yet?

If not, HURRY... entries close this Sunday, 11th July.

Entry Forms, Tyre Order Forms, SR's and more information can be found on the website at
www.tvkc.co.uk.

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Barlow's Perfect Weekend   (06/07)

Click for larger image...Just a week after scoring his first British Super 1 championship podium with his new team Strawberry Racing, Jack Barlow stunned his rivals with back-to-back victories in the 5th and 6th rounds of the Formula Kart Stars series at Glan Y Gors last weekend (3/4 July).
 
The Junior Max star opened his account on Saturday with a brace of wins in the preliminary heats, securing pole for the day's main final.
 
"Shortly after the start I allowed the 2nd-placed driver through and followed him until the last lap. He looked over his shoulder at the moment I lunged him and pulled off the move. He attacked at the very last corner, but I defended and shut the door. It was close though, we were separated by just two one hundredths of a second."  
 
Strawberry team boss, Warwick Ringham was full of praise for his new signing: "Before the racing, I'd had a chat with him about overtaking. I told him to get in late and hard. In the races he was going in really hard, to the point where we were all going 'Whoah, what're you doing?!' He did everything I asked and more. He was fantastic."
 
Saturday's hot, dry and sunny conditions gave way to rain on Sunday. Starting from 6th on the grid for his first heat, Jack made short work of clearing the karts ahead of him and delivered an assured drive in the tricky conditions to win comfortably.
 
He was made to work harder in the second race when a startline crash dropped him down the order and into the midfield. This prompted a cool-headed fight back, and some further confident overtaking saw him triumph again.
 
From pole position, Barlow led the 26-strong field into the first corner at the start of the main final.
 
"I got a good start and for the first few laps I was pulling away with a group of four other drivers," Jack explained. "I was pushing just a bit too hard and dropped a wheel off the track. I fell to 4th but worked my way up to 2nd. I then followed, caught and passed the leader with ten laps to go, and made sure that I didn't make any more mistakes."
 
Again, Ringham hailed the developing talent of the Accent Banking and Rollersigns-backed star. "Jack is a very intelligent driver. You can see him thinking about what he should be doing with the positioning of his kart on the track and looking to see where he is faster on particular parts of the circuit than his rivals. He's developing an excellent racing brain and his driving is just getting better and better."
 
Jack is now preparing for the penultimate round of the Euro Max Challenge, at the Speedworld track near Vienna (14-18 July).
 
"My confidence is high because I have a great team around me and the best equipment. The rest is down to me..."      
 
The event gets underway on Wednesday (14 July) with free practice. Timed qualifying will take place on Friday before the heats on Saturday and Sunday's all important finals.
 
You can follow Jack's fortunes by going to
www.rgmmc.com and clicking on the 'RGMMC Live Timing' button.
 
Jack drives the Tony Kart EVR chassis and Ogden-prepared engines. For more information about Tony Kart and OTK products, go to
www.strawberryracing.co.uk or Ogden Motorsport-prepared engines, visit www.ogdenracing.com.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Euro KF2/KF3 Championship   (06/07)

The CIK-FIA European Championships for the KF2 (Hopefuls) and KF3 (Juniors) categories will go through their final phase from 8 to 11 July in Belgium, on the Genk track. No fewer than 173 young Drivers, qualified after regional events, will be present with the dream of donning a European crown.

Whether they are entered in KF2, the category regrouping the Hopefuls of Karting, or in KF3, the class of 13 to 15 year-old Juniors, there will be 173 of them, all dreaming of a European title. It is therefore with a heart full of hopes and dreams that they will get to the Belgian track of Genk for the final of their European Championship scheduled for 8 to 11 July. To achieve this they first had to overcome the pitfall of the regional qualifications. Held in Denmark (at Thy for the Northern Region), in Great Britain (at Brandon for the Western Region) and in Germany (at Wackersdorf for the Central Region), these events hosted almost 400 participants in early May. Landing a ticket for the final phase of Genk was therefore already quite an achievement in itself. While it is tricky to make any forecasts as the fight seems quite open, the regional events have nonetheless given preliminary indications.
 
Let us start with KF2. In the Northern Region, the Danes Lars Sorensen, Nikolaj Moller-Madsen and Jacob Nortoft had taken advantage of their knowledge of the circuit to get to the limelight. In Genk, they will however not be helped by the venue, unlike the Belgians led by Sami Luka (5th in that qualification), the Champion of Belgium Guillaume De Ridder and Sébastien Bailly, 5th in last year's European Championship. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on the female Danish Driver Michelle Gatting, who knows the track well as she belongs to a Belgian team.

Like the Danes, the Britons ruled at home during the qualification event for the Western Region. Chris Lock, Tom Grice, Macaulay Walsh and Jordon Lennox-Lamb had therefore finished ahead of the French-British Driver Alexandre Baron. Amongst the outsiders from this Region, it will be interesting to watch both the Spaniard Jorge Pescador, who was on last year's podium, and the Swiss Michael Heche.

Finally, one must not forget the Central Region Drivers. Domineering in front of their public, the Germans Marvin Kirchhöfer, Patrick Kappis, Riccardo Negro or Niklas Brinkmann will discover a completely different course. Italy's Simone Favaro, Stefano Cucco and Ignazio D'Agosto, to name but them, as well as the Pole Karol Basz, should therefore also have a say.

And KF3 will be even more indecisive than KF2. There is a good reason for this: many Juniors will indeed compete at Genk in their first major international race and so they have never been opposed to most of the Competitors. The Finn Mikko Pakari thus made a name for himself by winning the Northern Region qualification event against the Dutchmen Max Verstappen and Davey Koch. Son of the automobile Driver Jos Verstappen and of the former Belgian Kartwoman Sophie Kumpen, Max will compete nearly at home in Genk and many tip him as favourite. The fight however promises to be intense with in particular the Italian Damiano Fioraventi, winner of the Central Region qualification at Wackersdorf ahead of the Austrian Lucas Auer and the Italian "Speedy". And there will also be serious competitors from the Western Region in the persons of Britain's Sennan Fielding, the Brandon winner, Benjamin Barnicoat, Jake Dennis or Roy Johnson. On the French side, eyes will be turned towards Pierre Gasly, who made it to the podium of last year's World Cup, Esteban Ocon, as well as Antoine Hubert.

In order to have a chance to land a European Champion title, these Drivers will have to shine right from the official practice and qualifying heats. This will be indispensable in order to obtain a place among the 34 qualified Drivers who will participate in a prefinal and then in THE final, the only race of the weekend that will award the European title of which many of them are dreaming.

Additional information is available at
http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/Genk.htm
.

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Save Up To 2.2Kg In Weight   (05/07)

Click for larger image...Save up to 2.2Kg from your kart for only £129*.
 
Racing Batteries manufacture a range of lightweight high performance batteries for motorsport applications, and have recently released batteries suitable for Rotax and TAG powered karts, for non-MSA racing.
 
Using the latest in safe, durable and proven Lithium Nano Phosphate technology, Racing Batteries are a direct replacement for the heavy lead acid unit currently in your kart - our replacement units weigh just 490g (and they're made in the UK!).
 
No modifications are required to your kart's electrics and no special chargers are required.
 
Racing Batteries are already in use with some of the top drivers, so don't get left behind!
 
With the capacity to run all day on a single charge, improved starting performance, and a manufacturers warranty, what have you got to lose (except for a couple of kilos)!
 
For more information visit
www.racingbatteries.co.uk/karting.html, contact sales@racingbatteries.co.uk, or call Colm Watling on 07817 704335.
 
* + P&P

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Dragon Masters 2010   (05/07)

Click for larger image...Who will be the Karting 'Dragon Masters' of 2010?
 
Enter the "Dragon Masters" Two Day Event on the 17th & 18th July 2010 at Glan Y Gors Park.
 
A much sort after Trophy & Title for: Comer W60, Honda Cadet, Mini Max, Junior Max, Junior Blue, Junior TKM, Senior Max, Senior Formula Blue, & Senior TKM Extreme.
 
Test/Practice Day - Friday 16th
Practice, Qualifying & Heats - Saturday 17th
Heats & Finals - Sunday 18th  
 
Information and entry forms are available from Dragon Kart Club at
www.dragonkartclub.com or www.gygkarting.com, or telephone 01490 420770, fax 01490 420702, or email info@dragonkartclub.com.

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June Review At Grice   (05/07)

In what has been a tremendous few weeks, our foreign and British drivers continue to impress with their speed and maturity.
 
It began with Harry Crawley's massive drive at Whilton Mill in the Super 1 race to score his first big win. Then Dave Blom dominated in the 2nd round of BNL at genk, qualifying on pole and winning all heats and both finals.
 
The week after it was Jack Barlow, Tristan Viidas and James Singleton in top 4 of the grid for the 1st final in the Euromax 2nd round at Wackersdorf. But it was the rooky Harry Crawley who took the honours in this first final from grid 21 with a great drive. The 1st final results saw Harry 1st, James Singleton 4th and Jesper de Brouwer 5th. In main final, Harry again dominated with a resounding win with James 2nd. In seniors, new recruit Berry tornevleit took 4th place with a terrific drive. Berry then went onto secure 2nd place in the Genk round of the Belgian champs with yet another stunning drive of speed and consistency.
 
As is usual, Buckmore Park Super 1 provided some surprises but our drivers Lewis Plato 4th, Harry Crawley 5th and James Singleton 8th they all secured good points after some tough battles, and with 7 drivers in the top 20, this shows all our customers receive equal engines and attention during race weekend.

Mini max drivers all produced the results that we know they are capable of achieving. Ryan Norris 2nd, Ash England 4th, Bob Thompson 6th, Sam Ward 7th, Ben Hingeley 9th and Zubair Hogue 10th. This emphasises our commitment to speed, reliability and equal power for each and everyone of our customers and reminds you all that we only prepare engines, we do not sell spares or run drivers.
 
Our congratulations to the following teams who do run drivers who have decided to use Grice power.... Chris Norris Turbo Motorsport, Evolution Racing, Global Racing, Jason Parrott Racing, KR Racing, P1 Racing, Sam Pollitt Racing, SSR Motorsport, and Vital Motorsport.
 
All this speed and dedication doesn't cost a fortune with our recession busting special offer of a full rebuild to include all bearings, piston, gaskets and seals - everything inside the motor, except the conrod - at the following prices...
Rotax - £315
All KF - £315
TKM - £180
Rotary/Reed - £180
We now include your motor to be fiche checked at no extra charge. You can have your motor electronically dyno run in and power tested and your carb ultrasonically cleaned and prepared if required.
 
Please direct all enquiries to Grice Racing Engines on 01268 727847 or 07768 047253, or to Unit 4, Thomasin Rd, Burnt Mills Ind Est, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1LG.

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British Cadet Kart Champs   (05/07)

Rounds five and six of the 2010 MSA British Cadet Kart Championship at Glan y Gors yielded two new winners in Connor Jupp and Darius Karbaley.
 
Jupp earned his victory in Saturday's final by holding off a late charge from runner-up Nathan Aston, while Tom Harvey kept Karbaley at bay for third.
 
Click for larger image...Aston led for much of Sunday's contest but was shadowed for 18 laps by Karbaley, who eventually executed a perfect switchback move one corner from home to capture the win by a kart's length.
 
Results - Saturday:
1 Connor Jupp (Zip) 19 laps in 15m53.30s
2 Nathan Aston (Zip) +0.07s
3 Tom Harvey (Zip)

Qualifying: Aston
Heat Winners: Jupp, Harvey, Lando Norris (Tonykart), Karbaley
 
Click for larger image...
Results - Sunday:
1 Darius Karbaley (Zip) 19 laps in 15m53.30s
2 Nathan Aston (Zip) +0.09s
3 Lando Norris (Tonykart)

Qualifying: Cuff
Heat Winners: Jupp, Aston, Karbaley (x2)

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Superkarts At Goodwood   (05/07)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...The British Superkart Series were at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for the first time recently.

The series had two Superkarts on the Dunlop Live Action Stage. Kevin Busby's 250 Divison 1 Superkart was mounted to a pedestal next to the Young Guns and Formula Ford Cars. Jason Dredge had is MSA 250 National Superkart on hand for the public to sit in and pose for photos, plus answer any questions people had on karting.

Jason also did several moving live action displays on the stand followed by live TV interviews. These can be seen on the Superkart web site at
www.superkart.org.uk where Dunlop are still showing recorded footage. Jason is currently leading the 2010 MSA British Superkart Championship.

The next Superkart event is the 30th British Superkart Grand Prix at Cadwell Park on the 17th and 18th of July.

This weekend will also incorporate rounds of the MSA British Superkart Championship. There will be a demo run of some of the past winning Superkarts dating back to the early 80's.

Current Standings - 2010 MSA Superkart Championship Supported by Ginetta Cars...
1, Jason Dredge - 227
2, Martin Jones - 194
3, Malcolm Clark - 176
4, Sam Moss - 130
4, Richard Dewart - 130
6, Dan Clark - 116

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Iztech Expand Results   (02/07)

Click for larger image...Not content with commanding performances in the cadet scene, Iztech are also starting to have an impact in other formulas...
 
At Whilton Mill on 27th June, Joe Dickens on his ARC, using an Iztech carbon & aramid seat and floor tray won the Junior TKM final. Andrew Rees-Reynolds won in Rotax Max at Whilton Mill, where he also holds the lap record.

Alex Hawkridge, from Iztech Kart Seats, has been working closely with the Jade team recently to the benefit of all involved - Danny Keirle, who finished 4th, also broke the lap record on his Jade kart.
 
In Junior TKM at Super 1's 13th June round, James Peace performed wonders with some huge gains in the heats and finishing 1st in both finals. At the same meeting Jack Partridge was not content with a fantastic 2nd place - he also set the fastest lap!
 
For further information on Iztech's winning range of seats, floor trays and chainguards please contact
kevin@iztechkartseats.com or call 01908 511000 (mobile 07967 757096).

Photograph courtesy of Steve Dickens.

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Kart Coach Introductory Offer   (02/07)

Race in the Whilton Mill or Shenington Club Championships?

Want to fulfil you and your driver's full potential? Not sure if you're getting the best out of kart or driver? Don't have a limitless budget to go racing with? Big teams too expensive and cliquey? Still want to enjoy racing karts?

What's the answer? Kart Coach!

Former Whilton Mill Champions & Brazilian Cup Winners - Vice Champions at Shenington & Lydd - Kart Coach offer a wealth of support and advice at all levels - Catering for both driver and mechanic in an informal, relaxed atmosphere - Shenington & Whilton Mill Club Championship meetings.

Are we right for you?

Why not find out by taking advantage of our half price introductory offer - your first two consecutive race weekends (yes, both Saturday & Sunday are included) for the price of one. £144 plus VAT for the two day race package!

Driver coaching and development - Data analysis and feedback - Technical and mechanical support - Help with setup and kart maintenance - Practical and impartial advice on equipment choice - Awning space - Power and air.

Drop in for a chat at pit bays C5, 6 & 7 at Whilton Mill or D4, 5 & 6 at Shenington. Alternatively give us a call: Alex - 07766 224636 or Michael - 07881 908291.

Visit our website at
www.kartcoach.com or email us on info@kartcoach.com.

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Henry Surtees Meeting   (02/07)

The fourth round of the BPKC Summer Championship incorporates the inaugural Henry Surtees commemorative race. Henry was tragically killed in a motor racing accident last year and this meeting is being held in memory of Henry and will benefit the Headway (Tunbridge Wells) Charity. Both Super One and FKS have endorsed the event and a special grid of Comer Cadets will compete for unique Henry Surtees trophies. Entries are also welcome for all non-gearbox ABkC classes, including Bambino.

Henry's father, John Surtees (OBE), has kindly agreed to rename Buckmore's turn two into 'Henry's Bend' on the day. £5 from every entry will be donated to the Headway Charity (Tunbridge Wells), which specialises in supporting victims of head injury.

Open practice is available on Friday 16th July and Saturday 17th July.

For entry forms and more details please contact Sheila Rose, Club Co-ordinator on 01634 661604. To download an entry form or to book your place online visit
www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk
.

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Parry Blitzes Buckmore   (01/07)

Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Matthew Parry moved back to the head of the Super 1 Junior Rotax table with a sparkling display at Buckmore Park that netted his fourth and fifth victories of the season.
 
Having bounced back into title contention in round three at Whilton Mill, Parry was 'on it' right from the start of the weekend, building on a successful appearance at the recent Buckmore Park Kart Club meeting, and featuring firmly among those breaking 40secs in pre-event practice.
 
He then raised his game for qualifying, not only posting the quickest time in Junior Max, but also lapping faster than anyone else at the entire meeting, including the normally quicker Senior Max frontrunners.
 
Buoyed by his obvious pace, the Paul Carr Racing driver led from start to finish in the first of two heats on Saturday afternoon, before suffering his only setback of the weekend in the second race, as a poor start dropped him to third and forced him to battle for an eventual second place.
 
His heat results still warranted pole position for the Pre-Final and, after finding time to catch up on revision for his remaining GCSEs, a clearly relaxed Parry streaked into an immediate lead, and one he would not lose.
 
As temperatures rose ahead of the second final, the reigning Formula Kart Stars champion remained cool and got another perfect start to lead the pack into turn one.  Once more, Parry and the PCR-run Kosmic kart proved unbeatable, edging away throughout to eventually win by nearly two seconds.
 
Now back on top of the S1 point standings, the 15-year old faces a busy month of karting in July, with testing for the Larkhall round acting as a warm-up for a first step into Senior Max at the forthcoming RGMMC Euro Max Challenge at Speedworld in Austria.

Photographs courtesy of Graham Smith.

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Global Karting Success   (01/07)

Another 5 podiums, including a win for Jake Dalton, in the Super 1 MSA and Rotax Series for the rising team of the moment, Global Karting.
 
KF3 driver Dalton drove stunningly all weekend taking a well deserved top spot on the podium by winning the First Final at the Super 1 MSA Round 4 at Rowrah.  From P3 Jake chased down the leader passing him with 5 laps remaining to take the win. Going for the double, he led Final 2 until 3 laps to go, consolidating second place.
 
At Buckmore Park Round 4 of the Rotax Super 1, Junior Max driver Lewis Plato drove impressively to take third place in the First Final, finished fourth in
the Grand Final and also took the Rookie Cup.
 
Senior Max driver Michael Epps was third in the First Final, second in the Grand Final after a strong challenge for the title taking the lead twice during the end of the race. Team-mate Reece Wade took the Rookie Cup.
 
"Global Karting are very pleased with the recent showing at the two championships and would like to congratulate all their drivers for their magnificent efforts, you are making all our hard work very well worth it."

For more information on Global Karting visit
www.globalkartingltd.com
.
 
Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker (Jake Dalton podium), Graham Smith (Michael Epps 13), and Paul Robinson (Lewis Plato 77, Reece Wade 47).

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Ellough Park Raceway   (01/07)

Round 5 of the Ellough Park Non-MSA Summer Championship will be held on Saturday 10th July 2010.  Race entry is just £35.00.

The timetable for the event is 8am sign on, 8:15am until 9:15am scrutineering, race briefing at 9:30am following by a 10am start on the track.

Classes entered so far are Honda Cadet, Libra Cadet (WTP and Comer), Mini Max, Junior TKM, Junior Rotax, Senior Rotax, and Biland

Please send your details to
enquiries@elloughparkraceway.co.uk, download a race entry form at www.beccleskartclub.co.uk, or you can call us 01502 717718 to enter.

Please make sure all cheques are payable to "R L Circuits Ltd".

Look forward to seeing you all on the 10th July 2010!

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2010 Chris Hart Meeting   (30/06)

Click for larger image...There is only just over a week now until the highlight of the TKM season at Clay Pigeon - The Chris Hart and Robert Bailey memorial trophy.  This meeting always attracts bumper grids for both Senior Extreme TKM and Junior TKM, and the superb trophies are highly sought after.

As always, the event is organised in aid of Cancer Research UK and so far has raised in excess of £10,000. Several sponsors are now committed to support this most worthwhile cause and the cash prize fund is steadily increasing. There are also several items for the prize draw, with one of the highlights being a signed photo of Lewis Hamilton donated direct from McLaren.

Entries are again expected to be strong this year and of a high calibre, as it is the last club meeting at Clay prior to the TKM Super One round that does not clash with the TKM Maxxis Festival.  A special invitation to the 4/ TKM contingent to send in their entries - if we can make up a grid the prize fund will be split pro-rata.

For further information and entry forms please go to
www.claypigeonkartclub.com
.

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Gillard Karts Dominate   (29/06)

The fourth round of the Rotax ABkC Super One National Championship saw victories for the British manufactured Gillard Racing Karts with Dan Holland in Rotax Max and Jack Aitken in Mini Max.

Dan Holland dominated the Rotax Max class with fastest lap in timed qualifying, victory in all his heats and both finals proving the superiority of the Gillard kart.  Dan Holland running under the management of Lee Cook Motorsport now moves up to 3rd in the Championship.
 
Click for larger image...Click for larger image...Mini Max was the closest fought of the classes racing at Buckmore Park with the greatest number of entrants. Protrain Racing's Jack Aitken did not have as easy a race meeting as Dan Holland in his Gillard kart. Protrain worked throughout the meeting to develop the chassis and from a "lowly" tenth position in qualifying Jack worked his way forward in the heats with some stunning overtaking manoeuvres to gain 6th grid for the first final. Finishing 3rd after a tremendous start Jack and the team worked on the set up for the main final. Great driving by Jack produced not only victory but also fastest lap to seal the Gillard victory.          
 
All Gillard drivers have the benefit of the presence and knowledge of World Championship winning Tim Gillard, owner and designer of Gillard Racing Karts, who is constantly visiting all the many Gillard teams and advising drivers and team managers on the latest developments and set ups.  
 
For further details of Gillard Racing Karts please contact Tim Gillard on 01279 816106, or email
tim@gillardracingkarts.co.uk.

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Easykart UK At Goodwood   (29/06)

Click for larger image...Easykart UK will be exhibiting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. The EK transporter and awning will be on show housing the entire range of Easykart classes from Easy 50 to Easy 125 and in turn will be supporting the MSA's Go Motorsport campaign.
 
If you considering Easykart its the perfect venue to see the karts and ask all the questions you may have.
 
Easykart - the word is spreading...
 
Goodwood Festival of Speed runs from Friday 2nd July to Sunday 4th July 2010.

For more information on Easykart visit
www.easykart.co.uk.

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Strawberry Move Bears Fruit   (29/06)

Click for larger image...A mid-season switch to reigning European and World title holders Strawberry Racing proved instantly fruitful for Jack Barlow last weekend (26/27 June).
 
The British Super 1 championship reached its halfway point at the challenging Buckmore Park in Kent and saw the highly-rated 15-year old deliver his best performance to date in the UK's premier series.
 
Inspired by taking 3rd place in a club event at the same venue just a week beforehand, Jack built on this early promise with another fine performance during Saturday's timed qualifying session by being fastest in his group and third-quickest overall.
 
Despite enjoying pole position for the first of his two preliminary heats, he had to keep a cool head as a crash brought out the red flags and his engine temperature soared. "I didn't have a clue what was going on. We weren't told where to stop on the circuit so we all just drove round slowly. Because the air was so warm and the low speed, I couldn't cool the engine enough and the data-logger showed that the temperature was over 60 degrees. Eventually they stopped us and that allowed the engine to cool down a little. At the re-start I got the jump and was in the lead and had just started to pull away when the race was red-flagged again. They stopped us and we took the re-start in single file. That was still a bit wild but I got a really good start and won from there."
 
A collision whilst contesting the lead in the second heat saw Jack's kart throw its chain and put him out of the race. This affected his aggregate score to determine his grid position for the pre-final and he found himself on the 10th row of the grid - "My mechanic said to me before the start, 'go out there and entertain them (the crowd). There was no pressure on me, so it was just a case of doing my best."
 
Despite starting in 19th place he produced a storming drive and carved his way up to the order to take an excellent 4th position, after 24 gruelling laps in the 30 degree heat.
 
Starting from the outside of the second row for the main final, the Accent Banking and Rollersigns-supported driver knew that he needed to sweep across to the inside line quickly if he was to avoid losing places - or worse, risk a crash as the field bumped and bored for position through the first three corners. As the field swarmed into the first bend, he had already chopped across to the right-hand side of the track and escaped the crash that removed the drivers who had started immediately behind him.
 
"I slotted in behind the driver in 3rd but dropped to 5th. We lost time fighting each other over 4th but once we'd settled down we soon caught the 3rd-place man. We were both able to pass him but by then the pack behind had started to catch up. I had to keep a cool head and make sure I kept my place. I managed my tyres and made sure my lap times were consistent and brought the kart home in 3rd"
 
"It was a good result for my first time with the team (in the Super 1 series) and I'm really happy because it also moved me into championship contention. I'm going to really push now." 
 
Next weekend (3/4 July) sees Jack competing in North Wales, when the Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton-backed Formula Kart Stars championship resumes at the picturesque Glan Y Gors  circuit.

In the interim, you can keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting
www.jackbarlow.co.uk
.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Charity Endurance Race   (28/06)

Are you a racing enthusiast, or speed demon?

If so, why not test your driving skills and stamina in our 4hr relay endurance Karting Challenge?

Date: Sunday 26th September 2010
Venue: Lakeside Karting Raceway - Arterial Road (A1306), Thurrock, Essex, RM19 1EA
Time: 11am - 5pm
Registration fee: £150 per team of 6 - This needs to be received by Children with Leukaemia before 23rd July 2010. This includes hire of all equipment and a 30 minute warm up session per team.
Minimum sponsorship: £150 per team of 6

To book your team's place please contact the Children with Leukaemia Events Team on 020 7404 0808, or email
events@leukaemia.org.

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Lammers And De Conto   (28/06)

Click for larger image...The second and final round of the European Championships for KZ1 and KZ2, which were contested this weekend at Varennes-sur-Alliers, served up a fine spectacle coupled with suspense. In the two classes, the European crown was in effect finally decided in the last laps of the last race of the championship. Eventually the Dutchman Bas Lammers regained his title in KZ1, whilst it was the Italian Paolo De Conto who collected his first European title in KZ2.
 
Throughout the 2010 European Championship there has been a fantastic contest between the two Intrepid team mates Bas Lammers and Jérémy Iglésias, in addition to the contest to which their opponents have contributed. The leader after the first meeting in Sarno, and on pole position for the start of the first race this Sunday, Jérémy Iglésias (Intrepid-TM) was keen to finally grasp this international crown for which he has been bidding for several seasons. But the Frenchman couldn't hold off a majestic Bas Lammers (Intrepid-TM) during the first race. The equation was therefore simple - whoever would finish in front of the other in the second race would be European Champion.

Beaten on time by Thomas Mich (Birel-TM), twice in 3rd place at Varennes and finally on the 3rd step of a Final podium, the duel had all of the spectators present holding their breath. Passing and re-passing each other on this fast track favouring the hopes and aspirations of both, the two men served up an incredible spectacle in a fine sporting spirit for which 'fair-play' would be the very least that could be said. And if one final desperate move by Jérémy Iglésias would send the Frenchman sailing into the gravel after a slight contact, he would nevertheless be the first to congratulate his team mate at the foot of the podium. "I am super happy to take away this new title", explained his colleague Bas Lammers. "Jérémy is a fantastic driver and we have truly had a very sporting tussle. This is also evidence of our collaboration which we have worked on to achieve this double for Intrepid. On a more personal note, this race has been particularly difficult because my father is gravely ill. It was when thinking about him that I couldn't prevent myself shedding a few tears on the podium. I dedicate this title to him."
 
With three victories in four races, the Dutchman has hardly stolen his second consecutive European crown in KZ1, and the third after having also acquired a Formula A (100cc) title in 2003. As for Jérémy Iglésias, in spite of an understandable disappointment, he remained optimistic. "Last year, I lost the title after making several mistakes", he recalled. "This year, I have had a truly super season and I have tried my utmost. I realised towards the end of the second race, I was not going to be champion. Two laps from the end, I had tried to pass Bas on the inside. There was the slightest contact, my front wheels came off the track and I had finished my race in the gravel trap. But I have no regrets and I certainly want to congratulate my team mate. This driver is the most decent and sporting I know."

Behind the team mates and the Frenchman Thomas Mich, the top 5 in the Championship was also completed by the Frenchmen Anthony Abbasse (Sodi-TM) and Manuel Renaudie (PCR-TM). Less quick than at Sarno, British driver Jack Hawksworth (Maddox-Parilla) finished 6th, and was the first driver not powered by a TM motor,  but in front of Belgian Yannick  De Brabander (Intrepid-TM), running a fine second in the second race of his first season in gearbox karting. The evergreen Antonio Piccini (Intrepid-TM), the Dutchman Jorrit Pex (CRG-TM) and the Italian Antonio Piccioni (Parolin-SGM) had equally good results in finishing in the top 10 of this most sportingly contested Championship!

Click for larger image...Just as in KZ1, the suspense had been intense in KZ2. Taking the honours in the first race, would the Dutch girl Beitske Visser (Intrepid-TM) be successful in beating all her male opponents to the finishing line and in doing so make history in taking the title? For a while this young girl of just 15 years old made such an impression with her speed. But a very obvious push by Simone Brenna (TB Kart-TM) during the second race - the Italian driv