2011 News Archive

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News Archive
2011 News Items & Press Releases

Koden CMR Kart Helmets   (30/12)

The Koden SK005 CMR helmets are Snell 2007 CMR approved and can be used for any championship karting race. They come in 4 different colours including Black, White, Fluorescent Red and Fluorescent Yellow - so you stand out on the track!
 
This new helmet weights only 1100 grams and has a removable washable lining, a good ventilation system, quick release visor, and lightweight fibreglass Kevlar construction.
 
According to 2011 MSA Blue Book, Competitor Safety (K), paragraph 10.3.1.b (page 166): Since 1st January 2011 all Cadet drivers require the Snell-FIA CMR2007/CMS2007 helmet standard, and from 1st January 2013 all national kart drivers under 15 years of age will require the Snell-FIA CMR2007/CMS2007 helmet standard.

So get yours now at www.kartwear.com.

They are available at only £149.99 with free postage on all orders over £125.00.

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Limited Spaces For 2012   (30/12)

HTR Racing Team would like to wish all team members, drivers and parents a happy and succesful new year. From Derrick, Steven and Paul.
 
HTR still have limited spaces left for the 2012 season at Rotax/Honda Super 1, NKF, PF international Club and Rowrah Club rounds.

For further information please contact team principal Derrick Hardy on 0191 528 9005 or 0783 624 8459, or email derrick@htrracing.com.

You can visit our website at www.HTRracing.com.

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New Season Offers   (29/12)

CR Racing are offering two new/novice Junior TKM drivers the use of their awning part assistance package for the 2-day weekend at the 1 day price of just £75.
 
This offer is available on a first come, first served basis for two drivers to experience the CR Racing treatment in our awning. It will run at the January meetings at Kimbolton on 7th & 8th, Shenington on the 21st & 22nd, and Whilton Mill on the 28th & 29th.

Part assistance is not just about helping the driver - whilst Craig will be doing that, Rob will help Dad to get a better understanding of getting the best out of your equipment.

For more information visit our website at www.crracing.co.uk.

To book your place contact Rob Johnson at CR Racing on 07944 740823, or email rob@robjohnson.org.uk.

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Hoddesdon Kart Club   (29/12)

Rye House Kart Raceway would like to inform the members of the Hoddesdon Kart Club of changes that are due to take place in the near future. In January 2012 the existing Chairman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the Hoddesdon Kart Club are due to resign and new candidates will be elected to these offices.
 
We at Rye House are fully committed to making the Hoddesdon Kart Club the best kart club in the country. The circuit will put a tremendous amount of time and effort in to improving the club as we have done with the circuit over the past six years and we are certain that you will see the improvements in a very short space of time.
 
A meeting will be held at the circuit in January whereby the new Chairman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer will be elected. The opportunity exists for new members to be elected to join the committee. We welcome the opinions of all of our drivers and members and therefore invite you to attend this meeting and to be involved in the club. It's your club so have your say.

For more information on HKC visit www.hoddesdonkartclub.co.uk.

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MLC Motorsport   (23/12)

After a strong year for the team, running the Kosmic Mercury chasis powered by GFM Engines, the final meeting of 2011 proved to be a great one.
 
Competing in strong grids at Kimbolton, it was to be a tough weekend with changeable conditions.  Fairly new signing, Jordan Aveline, has gone from strength-to-strength since joining the team and off the back of missing out on the lap record at Whilton Mill by .01 second the meeting before, was in a confident mood and not wanting to disappoint. He ensured this was the case by winning every race, including all the heats and final, and fastest laps along the way beating a strong grid!
 
It was a similar story in Senior Max with 2 fastest laps, heat wins and a third in the final for Bobby Neil, and Jake Dawson demonstrated good speed with a fastest lap, but no luck in the heats left him with too much to do.
 
In Junior Max MLC driver Luke Hughes was setting the pace all weekend. However, a poor first heat left him with it all to do and then a first corner crash in the second left him last. Finally, the drive of the day saw him charge through the field to win and set the fastest lap. He finished 3rd in the final after battling in the scrap for 2nd-7th for the first few laps, which saw the leader pull out a large gap.
 
Awning space and team drives are available at Whilton Mill, Kimbolton and Rye House Club Championships, as well as Rotax Super 1.

For more information on the team or the Kosmic Mercury chassis please email info@mlcmotorsport.co.uk, call us on 07701 065325.

You can also visit our website at www.mlcmotorsport.co.uk.

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PFI Opening Times   (23/12)

PF International will be open during the following times over the festive break...

23/12/11 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open.
24/12/11 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open.
25/12/11 - Circuit closed. Shop closed.
26/12/11 - Circuit closed. Shop closed.
27/12/11 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open - sale starts!
28/12/11 - Circuit booked. Shop open.
29/12/11 - Open Pro-Kart Testing 4/s - 10am-4pm. Shop open.
30/12/11 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open.
31/12/11 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open.
01/01/12 - Circuit closed. Shop closed.
02/01/12 - Circuit closed. Shop closed.
03/01/12 - Open Testing 2/s - 9am-4pm. Shop open.

Normal opening times resume from the 4th January.

The Circuit telephone number for any enquiries is 01636 626424. Wishing all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Super (One) Xmas Present   (23/12)

On-line registrations are now available for the 2012 Ginetta Super One Series, so why not book an early Christmas present and choose one of the remaining competition numbers of your choice. Just go to http://superoneseries.com/registration/ which is part of an all-new website now in the final design phase. You will find a list of the numbers that are still available for your choice.
 
The following classes are open for registration:
The MSA British Championship for KF2
The MSA Junior British Championship for KF3
The ABkC Comer Cadet National Championship
The S1 Super Cadet Championship
The ABkC National Championship for Junior TKM
The ABkC National Championship for TKM Extreme
The S1 Marussia Virgin Formula KGP Championship
The ABkC Rotax Max National Championship
The ABkC Rotax Max/177 National Championship
The S1 Rotax Max/177 Masters class as part of Max/177
The ABkC Junior Max National Championship
The ABkC MiniMax National Championship
The ABkC Honda Cadet National Championship
 
Britain's most prestigious kart championship was backed in 2011 by almost 400 competitors, Ginetta Cars, ABkC, MotorsTV, SkySports, JAG for BRP Rotax, Tal-Ko for TKM Classes and amongst a host of others our tyre suppliers Dunlop, Maxxis, Mojo and Vega.  We are honoured to be the promoters of two MSA British kart championships as well as the ABkC's direct drive national championships.
 
For 2012, the winners in Rotax Max, Junior Max and Max 177/Masters will each receive a free entry to the 2012 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, to be held at Portimao in Portugal. In addition each will receive a prize of an engine, and so will the top Rookie in each of these classes plus MiniMax, all courtesy of the Super One and JAG, Rotax distributors for the UK.  All Rookie overall winners will also enjoy a full factory tour of the Mercedes GP Petronas F1 team.
 
 In addition, and new for 2012, the top Max 177 Rookie driver at each round will receive a £300 cash prize and the overall 177 Rookie £500. And the best overall Max 177/Masters driver in the series will be awarded £1500, the second placed £750 and third will get £500.
 
In Formula KGP the top three in the series will each receive a Formula Renault test, and the KF3, Junior Max and Junior TKM champions all have a Ginetta G40 test lined up for them, subject to age. Another benefit for all competitors is a great discount package from Alamo, one of the biggest car and van rental companies.
 
Subject to entries remaining similar to 2011, the ABkC in conjunction with its valued tyre suppliers Dunlop, Bridgestone, Maxxis/Tal-Ko and Mojo/JAG will award approximately £19,000 in cash prizes, and this will be matched by the Super One Series in cash and vouchers. Surely nothing else in the UK can match the prestige and prizes of the Super One Series.  The Ginetta MSA British Kart Championship is confirmed with over 15 drivers already signed up for the series.
 
As an alternative to on-line registration you can click here for the downloadable information sheet and registration form.  Please remember the Super One Series classes are the only ones offering nation wide recognition of the cherished seeded numbers (with the sole exception of Comer Cadet). So book now to get your choice of competition number for 2012.  This is Britain's most prestigious kart championship, you need to be part of it?  The Super One Series will also be exhibiting at the Autosport International Racing Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham from 12-15th January when there will be another chance to register and find out more about the exciting plans for 2012 including on-line entries to the race meetings and feel free to comment on the new website currently at www.superoneseries.com.

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Brand New Team For Ed   (22/12)

Formula K Europe has signed Ed Brand to launch its attack on the fiercely competitive Rotax classes in 2012.

The reigning Super One and Kartmasters Champion will defend his UK titles with Protrain Racing and contest the Euro Max and BNL series, plus selected other events, with Holland-based Formula K Europe.

Martin Blom, Formula K Europe team principal said: "I first met Ed about three years ago when he was racing in the Junior class and he impressed me then. He did it again when he graduated to the Senior category - I like him as a person and for his driving style. We are building up the Formula K team and brand in Europe and now the UK, so I wanted a driver who can win the European Championship next year and Ed has the potential."

Protrain's Gary Chapman is also excited by the Hertfordshire teenager's abilities: "I'm thrilled to have someone of Ed's calibre racing with us. We're looking to repeat the success he enjoyed this season in the UK and go one better in Europe. It's our first time working together, but we've known and got on well with Ed and his family for years."

Chapman added, "The Formula K chassis has been doing very well in Europe and it is looking like the best to be on in 2012."

Brand's move to Formula K will see an old partnership renewed, as HRS Racing Engines will supply the motive power. The firm's owner Nigel Horner is looking forward to working with Ed again: "I'm very pleased. We won the British championships the last time and I hope to do it again and, of course, win the elusive European crown. He's great to work with and his feedback is excellent. It will be exciting to see our engines and, what is essentially a new product in the UK, being demonstrated by a driver of his ability."

After weeks of speculation about his future, Ed said that the new deal means a great deal to him: "Every driver wants to be part of a works team and to have more responsibility than just turn up and drive. With Formula K I have an incredible opportunity, not just to lead their bid to win the British, European and Benelux championships, but also to have an input into developing the kart itself. I've already tested the kart at Genk and was just a tenth (of a second) off the pole time for the Euro Max round there. That wasn't in full quali' trim, so the potential is clearly there. I was very encouraged and the feedback from the chassis is excellent."

Keep up to speed with Ed and his racing career by visiting www.edbrandracing.net.

Photograph of Ed Brand courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Kartmania 2012 Challenge   (21/12)

Tal-Ko is pleased to confirm their support for the KartMania TKM 4-stroke Challenge, a new low cost series for the class which has been granted MSA provisional approval as a championship for 2012.

Announcement of the series follows research among TKM 4-stroke drivers who have shown full commitment to the outline plans for the series which will effectively take the place of the S1 TKM 4-stroke series which failed to run in 2011.

The new series will be run through the Llandow Kart Club under the administration of Martin Capenhurst, who has successfully run the Honda Challenge.

The provisional calendar is:
April 15 - Buckmore Park
May 20 - Shenington
June 9/10 - Llandow (Double Header)
July 8 - Rowrah
August 12 - Kimbolton TKM festival
September 8/9 - Clay Pigeon (Double Header. Double Points)

The aim is to provide a national championship but with a good friendly clubman feel. Minimum licence will be National B, with novices welcome. Kart/engine must conform to normal MSA/TKM regulations.

The championship will run over 8 rounds with 7 rounds to count for the title. The two double-headers giving more racing for less money with only six weekends away. There will be no control fuel and drivers will be restricted to one set of slick tyres per race weekend.

Tal-Ko has agreed to award TKM vouchers for top positions. There will be TV coverage from at least one round.
 
Tal-Ko boss Alan Turney commented: "We are delighted to see that there has been a good response to this concept with a number of drivers already registered. We hope plenty more will take the opportunity this provides for a national championship at very sensible money."
 
A registration form is available as a download from the www.tal-ko.com website. Further information is available from Martin Capenhurst on martin@kartmania.co.uk or on 07974 766529.

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Paul Carr Racing   (20/12)

Paul Carr Racing would like to take the opportunity to thank all their customers throughout 2011 and wish them a happy and prosperous Christmas and New Year.
 
We are looking forward to another highly successful year in 2012 to follow on from our British, European and World Championship winning 2011.
 
We welcome any enquiries about our current range of products and services and any serious enquiries about joining the race team in UK and Europe where we still have limited places available.
 
We look forward to hearing from you in the New Year. We can be contacted on 01608 663239 or by email  info@paulcarrracingltd.co.uk.

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FIA General Assembly   (20/12)

At its meeting on 9th December 2011 in New Delhi (IND), the FIA General Assembly took in particular the following decisions as regards Karting:

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

Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa (BHR) has been renewed as President of the CIK and Mr Kees Van de Grint (NLD) as Vice-President. 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, India, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States of America and Venezuela.

FIA International Sporting Code:
Modifications to the International Sporting Code, proposed by the World Motor Sport Council for implementation as from 1st January 2012, were approved. In particular, the following amendments were made:

National Event (Article 18):
- The obligation to be holder of an international licence for any foreign Driver or Competitor (Entrant) participating in a national Karting Event entered on the calendar of an ASN, for which the said ASN authorises foreign participation.
- The obligation for licence holders entered in a national event to have obtained the authorisation of their own ASN.
- Foreign Drivers and Competitors (Entrants) cannot gain points in the rankings of national Championships and Series that they take part in.
For more details, see: http://www.cikfia.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Bull_33_RS_CSI.pdf

Right of issuing licences (Article 110):
- Each ASN shall be entitled to issue licences to its nationals and, possibly, to the national of other countries represented on the FIA, in compliance to the existing statutory conditions, plus a new condition for Drivers aged less than 18 years, who must provide an attestation that they are in full-time education in the country where they apply for the licence.
For more details, see: http://www.cikfia.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Bull_33_RS_CSI.pdf

Rules of Procedure for the FIA Anti-Doping Committee (ADC):
- In order to strengthen the ADC operation, in particular by increasing the number of its members and by clarifying certain rules of procedure, amendments to the Rules of Procedure have been adopted.

Judicial and Disciplinary Rules:
The General Assembly approved, for implementation as from 1st January 2012, a reduction of the appeal fee before the International Court of Appeal. The current fee is 12,000 €, irrespective of costs. As an exception, the amount of the appeal fee for the Karting events is set at 6,000 €, also irrespective of costs.

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CR Racing   (19/12)

CR Racing is a new team specifically aimed at new or novice drivers. Owner of this father / son team, Rob Johnson, said "Craig and I have been thinking of doing this for a while. We love our racing and want to share our experience and our passion for this great sport. When Craig won the Rissington J/TKM championship this year, we knew this was the right time to launch our team."

The aim of this business is to help new or novice drivers get into TKM or Cadet and to help drivers and mechanics in those daunting early days of MSA karting, or maybe you are changing class. CR Racing have years of experience on and off track in both classes.

New drivers especially need help in the paddock, with the expense of buying your first kart, engine, tyres, suit and helmet, it can be expensive. That's where CR Racing can help, you don't need to go to the additional expense of buying an awning, generator, air compressor and specialist tools.
 
CR are offering everything from awning space only, to full support including kart preparation, transportation, and full race weekend assistance for not just the driver but the mechanic too. Chassis are available for arrive and drive test days for those who want to try karting before committing to buying a kart. The Junior TKM karts will use the latest spec TaG engines so if you spin and stall you can restart yourself at the touch of a button - that means more track time more time in the seat.  Data logging on the karts will also enable the driver to see how they are progressing.
 
For further information including our realistically priced menu, check out our website at www.crracing.co.uk or call Rob Johnson on 07944 740823 or Craig Johnson on 07962 451572.

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Dean Macdonald's Appeal   (19/12)

On 6th December 2011 an MSC Court of Inquiry ruled that Dean Macdonald's eligibility appeal from Whilton Mill MSA Super One 9th October 2011 should be allowed, and that Dean is restored to the results of the event and championship.
 
It has been alleged at the event by the Technical Commissioner that an exhaust flange gasket was "illegally modified" because it had been trimmed to align with matching components. With the assistance of ZipKart, Dean's father - Jonny Macdonald of  Shox Performance - was able to show that in fact the trimming of all gaskets on the Comer W60 engine for this purpose was specifically permitted by the MSA in October 2005, and had been published at that time by MSA in scrutineers e-bulletin to all scrutineers and technical commissioners. ZipKart had in turn published that confirmation to all engine builders.
 
The Appeal had been dismissed by the court at first instance, but Macdonald did not give in and through his motorsport lawyer Jamie Champkin was able to get the matter referred back to the Court under an Inquiry ordered by MSA. Macdonald was awarded £500 towards his costs.
 
Jonny Macdonald of Shox Performance said "It feels good to have been proved right and to get our integrity restored but it is a shame that a young competitor's weekend and championship gets ruined needlessly in the first place."

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Motor Sports Council   (16/12)

During its final meeting of the year in November the regulatory body of UK motor sport, the Motor Sports Council, approved a number of regulatory decisions with effect from 1 January 2012.

The decisions relating specifically to karting are...

Penalty points in Kart events:
A a new trial of the suspension of penalty points in Kart events was authorised. This trial:

- Suspends MSA General Regulation (C)2.1.5.(i) Driving and (C)2.1.5.(ii) Failure to comply with flag or light signals.
- Requires penalties to be applied in line with the Penalty Summary Sheet, as provided to the Clerk of the Course, or a written explanation as to why not.
- Asks that MSA Stewards observe and report on the trial implementation and effect from each Kart meeting they attend.

New Kart classes:
It was agreed that it would be inappropriate for new Kart classes to be introduced during the period to 2013, when replacement regulations and a new homologation procedure will be introduced. The current suspension of MSA General Regulation (U)1.2. is therefore extended until 31 December 2012.

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Easykart UK Website   (15/12)

Easykart UK will launch their new website tonight at 8:00pm at www.easykart.co.uk.

The new site features the new Easykart UK logo as well an innovative layout featuring on line videos of the 2011 Easykart season and a portal to the Easykart UK Facebook page.

Through the pages of the site there are web sections displaying new Easykart information and also a used Easykart section with a related price guide.

You can also download online membership /entry forms and details of the Easykart history and its low cost philosphy to kart racing without compromising what is an exciting and competitive series which continues to grow year on year.

For more information visit www.easykart.co.uk or call the Easykart Importers - ACR - on 01527 889595.

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HRS Racing Engines   (15/12)

Rotax Max Carburettor Preparation Kit - the perfect stocking filler for Dads and Mechanics.

HRS Racing Engines has developed a kit that can be used by Drivers/Teams of all levels to prepare their own carburettors to perfection.

The kit comprises of tools to remove/replace and align the atomiser bush, float height tool ranging from 1.5mm to 5mm and bolts to remove/replace and align the venturi. Spare atomiser bush, float arm and venturi gasket are also included in the kit.

Christmas special price for December only - the kit is £125 inc Vat and free delivery (UK only).

For orders please use contact page on www.hrsracingengines.com.

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ST Racing   (14/12)

ST racing would like to congratulate thier drivers on a successful season.
 
Senior Max driver John Stewart won the British Open Championship at Rowrah back in May, followed up with consistant podium finishes at Super 1 and ending the year with number 5. Senior driver Daniel Purvis, who made the switch from Juniors for the last two rounds, showed some promising results and pace. Next year he will try and follow it up with a full season in the class.
 
In Juniors Ross Hodgson had mixed fortunes but always showed strong pace. He finished the year with number 12 which was unlucky as he did deserve a top ten finish. Ross will also be racing in Senior Max next season.
 
We would also like to say a big thank you to Steve Ogden and his staff for all their hard work this year.
  
ST racing have chassis straightening facilities at every meeting.
 
If you would like to race with ST racing contact John on 07884 267159, or email us at stracing@hotmail.co.uk.

Awning space is available at Super 1, NKF and most club meetings at a very respectful rate with no hidden extras.

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R&S Motorsport   (13/12)

R&S Motorsport/JR Motorsport, newly appointed dealers for Formula K, are delighted to announce the arrival of the new 2012 FK01 and FK02 chassis. KF/Rotax/KGP and KZ versions are available immediately from stock.

The Formula K brand, which links to the Ferrari F1 Driver Academy have achieved some great results, including winning the Rotax International Open, BNL Junior championship and more notably 2nd place in the KZ1 World Cup.

Just this weekend at Macau, straight from his 2nd place at the SKUSA Supernats in KF2, Yannick De Brabander had dominated the Asia Pacific KF1 weekend, by taking pole and leading the final by over 3 seconds before disaster struck with a mechanical failure.

Tests are available immediately, and we will be travelling to southern Spain/Portugal during the winter for a week's testing, contact us for more details.

Drives are available for Super One in all classes, and selected club meetings.

You've seen the rest, now try the best! Contact Brian or Jamie on info@fkuk.co.uk or call 07824 324255.

Check out our website at www.fkuk.co.uk.

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World Karting Titles   (13/12)

Traditionally organised in Monaco, the FIA Gala took place in another setting as the champions of the 2011 season were celebrated in New Delhi, India, on 9 December 2011.

It was the opportunity for the two young CIK-FIA World Karting Champions, the Dutchman Nyck De Vries (16 years old) and the Briton Matthew Graham (15 years old), to find themselves in the limelight of this prestigious meeting which also gathered all the other 2011 FIA prize winners who have shone in Formula One, Rallies, GT1 and Touring Cars.

In 2011 the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship introduced a new five-event format (Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Japan) and, with four races per meeting, the season comprised twenty races. Before the start of the competition, Nyck De Vries, entered by the Chiesa Corse Team which competes with karts bearing the name of the former Formula One and IndyCar Driver Alex Zanardi, was generally tipped as the tremendous favourite. European Junior Champion in 2009 and World Champion, already, in 2010, the Dutchman had straight away dealt a severe blow to his competitors' morale when he landed the four races of the opening event in Germany. Although his domination was less marked in the following events and marred by various technical problems which forced him to retire twice or to make spectacular recoveries, De Vries remained in the lead of the classification until the end of the Championship. Stepping on thirteen podiums in twenty races, including nine wins, McLaren Young Driver Development Programme's recruit has amply deserved his title and the right to continue his career in single-seaters. The runner-ups were Britain's Alexander Albon (15 years old) and Italy's Flavio Camponeschi (19 years old).

Created in 2010, the new CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship reserved for 15 to 18 year-old Drivers continues to be attractive because of its concept which makes it very equitable (same engines and tyres for all allocated by drawing lots; free, but technically frozen, chassis), very affordable (engines and tyres allocated to everyone on a free basis) and instructive thanks to the EduKart educational programme associated with it. In one year the number of entries was increased from 70 to 89 and every continent was represented. Held over three events which saw as many different Drivers prevail, the U18 World Championship remained undecided until the very last race and was concluded by the Briton Matthew Graham's win ahead of the Finn Pyry Ovaska and the Frenchman Anthoine Hubert. Graham's success has also enabled the Zanardi brand to claim the title of CIK-FIA World Karting Champion for Makes.

Nyck De Vries said: "Winning two back-to-back Karting World Championships is obviously awesome, more especially as these two titles gave me different sensations. The 2010 World Championship was held over a single-event, so landing it was emotionally very strong. In 2011, the format has been extended to 5 events and a total of 20 races. The title is therefore the outcome of a whole season. It all started beautifully, with 4 wins out of 4 races in Germany; then it got more complicated because of a few mechanical issues and a change to the starting procedure regulations which caused us some problems of adaptation. However, in spite of this, we showed that we were in a position to prevail at each event. I achieved one or several lap records and claimed at least one of the four races scheduled each weekend. After the title I took in 2010 maybe I had more to lose than gain by going for another season in Karting, but at the end of the day I grabbed the crown, won 9 out of the 20 Championship races and stored up experience, mainly mentally, which will be helpful for my maiden season in single-seaters."

Matthew Graham added: "It was a great experience to participate in that U18 World Championship where competitive spirit is very enjoyable. At the time to step up in this championship we were looking for good finishes, not necessarily for the title. Only after round 1 in Italy, at Ortona, where I won, we thought winning it would be achievable. In France, I came third and going into the last round at Sarno I had a good chance to win. Weather conditions were awful, nearly stormy, and I finished the final race third. When crossing the line, I was not sure whether I took the title, as I could not see my main rival, Finland's Ovaska. But I realised I did it when I saw my parents hanging over the grandstand railing and waving and cheering!".

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Eclipse Motorsport   (12/12)

Eclipse Motorsport are offering a special service to all Cadet drivers and their parents for the month of December.

As the cold weather has set in and getting to the garage to work on the kart is not as attractive as it was in the summer months, Eclipse are offering a kart preparation service including full chassis realignment, to ensure that your kart will be all ready for you in the new season, from just £80!

Also, to celebrate our new partnership with Blitz we are offering 15% off carburettor rebuilds/parts and dyno on our state of the art Rotronics dynometer for the month of December.

Please don't hesitate to contact us, and let us do the work to make the start of your season a good one.

Please call Ollie on 07969 387099, or email jbm@hotmail.co.uk.

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FKS Champions Honoured   (12/12)

The annual Autosport Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London each December is the Motorsport world's version of the Oscars and it was into that spotlight that the four Formula Kart Stars Champions of 2011 stepped to receive their championship trophies last Sunday evening.
 
In front of the watching eye of the motorsport industry, reigning MSA British Cadet Champion Daniel Ticktum, Formula Kart Stars Mini Max champion Josh White, Junior Rotax title holder James Singleton and KF3 Champ Callum Ilott joined current Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel, fellow F1 drivers Jenson Button and Paul Di Resta and many more on the main stage and then got to rub shoulders with their heroes as the evening progressed.
 
"I met Jenson Button and he was really laid back, a really nice guy," commented Ticktum afterwards. "The FKS title is the biggest championship I've won in karting. It was my toughest year in karting and will probably one of my toughest ever."
 
Ticktum, White, Ilott and Singleton may have been representing the best of Formula Kart Stars in 2011 but there were many connections back to the earlier days of the Formula One Management backed championship.
 
Former series driver Oliver Rowland won the prestigious Autosport Young Driver of the Year award and multiple former FKS champion Di Resta was named Rookie of the Year. The late Martin Hines, one of the founders of the FKS championship in 1996 when it was known as Champions of the Future, was also posthumously honoured with one of his Superkarts on display.
 
"To be a part of one of the most important nights of the year in our sport is a tremendous honour," stated FKS Championship Director Carolynn Hoy. "It's a fantastic reward for all the hard work our champions put in over the course of the year and, of course, they get to meet many of their idols.
 
"But what our current drivers may not realise is that many of the major players in our industry are here and their names will be remembered by those players as they continue up the motorsport ladder."
 
All four 2011 Champions will officially receive their unique Formula Kart Stars steering wheel trophies and TAG Heuer watches at the full FKS Presentation ceremony at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham on Saturday January 14th next year.

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

Photographs courtesy of Carolynn Hoy.

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Young Driver Of The Year   (12/12)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is pleased to announce that Josh Webster has won the 2011 RSF MSA Young Driver of the Year award.

The prize - kindly supported by Racing Steps Foundation (RSF) - is awarded annually to a student enrolled on the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) in Motor Sport programme, which forms part of the MSA Academy.

Five apprentices short-listed for this year's award were: Webster, 17 from Suffolk; Max Coates, 17 from North Yorkshire; Jody Fannin, 18 from Surrey; Chris McCarthy, 18 from London; and David Wagner, 18 from Glasgow.

Last Friday's shootout took place at Pure Tech Racing (PTR) in Surrey, where the drivers went head-to-head in the centre's state-of-the-art linked-up race simulators. After 20 minutes familiarisation at the wheel of an F3 car on a fictional race track, each driver was asked to complete a timed 'visualisation' lap to see how well they were able to remember the circuit. A qualifying session then set the grid for 40 minutes of excellent racing that witnessed no fewer than four different leaders, before David Wagner took the lead four laps from the end to claim victory.

Team UK National Race Coach David Brabham was on hand throughout the morning and the Le Mans winner was able to debrief each session with the drivers and understand how each approached the challenges of the day.

After lunch the drivers delivered a short presentation on what they have learned as students on the AASE programme in front of the judges: MSA Performance Director Robert Reid; RSF's Derek Walters; MSA Director of Development Ben Taylor; Autosport magazine's Ben Anderson; and 2010 winner Jake Cook.

Webster said: "I'm absolutely delighted to win this award and I would like to thank the RSF, the MSA Academy and the judges for this great honour. I am very grateful to the MSA Academy for the mentoring, support and education I have received as a student on the AASE programme, which has given me a solid foundation on which to build my career. I hope to repay the faith that has been shown in me by being a good ambassador for AASE and the Academy and using my experiences to encourage other young drivers to make the most of the great opportunities offered by the MSA."

Reid said: "This year's finalists all performed really well and there were a couple of real surprises, but Josh stood out, not just on the day itself, but with the progress he has made on the programme in the past year. What was particularly pleasing for me was that each of the drivers paid tribute to the positive effect that the AASE programme has had on their on-track results this year, so we can be sure that we are raising standards across the sport."

Webster will receive a cheque for £1000 at the MSA's prestigious Night of Champions ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club on 20 January 2012. All finalists also received a Grand Prix Racewear voucher worth £100.

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PKP Driver Line-Up   (09/12)

Following a successful weekend at KartMania '11, PKP Motorsport are pleased to announce Jack Mitchell has been added to the driver line-up.

PKP's Sean Girdler said "Following the arrival of Jessica Hawkins to Works PKP Motorsport Dino Team we have been pursuing other top drivers and are delighted to announce that Jack Mitchell has joined us" Sean went on to say "it was essential that we strengthened the Team with another top driver and PKP Dino now believe their works KF3 driver line is complete".

Jack added "I'm really excited about the 2012 season and the opportunity of working with PKP Motorsport as a part of the Works Dino Team. I'd like to thank Sean and Leon for having faith in my ability".

Jack will be competing in Junior Rotax at FKS and KF3 in Super1.

Leon Cole (PKP) added "Now Jack has joined PKP Motorsport we have an exciting year ahead; in 2012 and we are looking forward to the success we can all bring to the team."

Terry Mitchell (Jack's Father) said "I was finding it very difficult to place my son with the right team for next year. Having met with Sean and Leon of PKP/DINO and realising how enthusiastic they are to develop young drivers through the ranks of motorsport, I feel I have made the right decision and I am looking forward to a long working relationship with the team."

For more information on PKP Motorsport call 01202 573414 or email pkp@pkpmotorsport.co.uk.

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British Superkart GP   (09/12)

The British Superkart Racing Club is thrilled to announce that event two of the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championships will form part of the 32nd running of the MSA British Superkart GP.

The event is to take place at Snetterton on July 13/14/15th when all gearbox classes will be included aswell as a number of car races supporting what is always the biggest gearbox event on the calendar.

Ian Rushforth the Competitions Manger for the club said "It is a long time since a World or European Championship was part of the MSA British Superkart GP so we are naturally very pleased to be able to do this once more. July is going to be a busy month for International karting in the UK with this event and the World Championships taking place at PFI the weekend following Snetterton."

For more details contact Ian Rushforth on ian.rushforth@superkart.org.uk.

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Jensen Kart Team   (08/12)

Shennington's last meeting of the year ended a very succesful season for the Jensen Kart Team.
 
Matt Ryder. Already crowned Rissington Jnr Max Champion has now added the Shennington championship to his c.v. Setting fastest laps in the heats he then took a storming race win in the final and another fastest lap.Matt is a deserving champion!
 
Will Maslin. Having already secured second place in Shenny's Jnr Max championship decided to race in Snr Max.What a debut - a dominant win from pole oosition desipte going into the first corner backwards, and fastest lap. Fastest laps in the heats as well!

Ollie Chadwick. Taking a break from Ginetta Junior cars, got back into a kart and put it on pole for the Jnr Max final. He maintained second until an incident on the last lap which demoted him to 4th. Welcome back Ollie!
 
Jamie Chadwick, Ollie's sister had an incident packed final but, still took fifth place in Sheny's Minimax championship in only her first year of karting - well done!
 
New team member Lewis Malin had mechanical problems on the Saturday but, an engine change got him on the pace for Sunday.

All Jensen Team Drivers use Exprit karts which the team are the southern agents for.

For all Exprit karts, Rotax spares and Mojo tyres contact Jensen Kart Team.

Team places are available next year in all Rotax classes. Want to be part of a winning team? Contact Jacques on 07543 638542 or Tony on 07920 772096.

Visit our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk.

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Preparations Under Way...   (08/12)

As 2011 draws to a close, Trent Valley Kart Club are already making preparations for the most prevalent kart race meeting to be staged in the UK for almost 50yrs.....the 2012 CIK-FIA World KF1 and European KF2 & KF3 Championships!
 
This 'milestone' event will be staged at the UK's finest karting facility - PF International, from 18th-22nd July 2012 and will attract drivers from all over the World to the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside.
 
Following the success of the previous two CIK events hosted by TVKC & PFi and the recent track extension to increase the circuit's length to 1382m - the CIK backed the Club's application to host a 'World' Championship event in 2012.
 
Trent Valley Kart Club are ecstatic to have been granted such a prestigious race meeting and plans have already started to make this event 'one to remember'.  TVKC's Club Chairman, Nigel Edwards, has been striving to secure a race meeting of this calibre for PFi for some time; "There has been a lots of hard work and determination from both TVKC and Paul Fletcher to achieve this goal but it has all paid off by securing this landmark event - we couldn't be happier".
 
More information about this event will be released in the New Year and the details will be published on TVKC's website at www.tvkc.co.uk.
 
TVKC are currently looking for helpers to assist at this meeting.  If you would like to be involved in the event in some way, please contact Clare Mills at clare@tvkc.co.uk to register your interest.

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Strawberry Returns...   (08/12)

After four years racing under the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team banner, Paul Spencer's multiple championship-winning team will once again compete under its original name - Strawberry Racing.
 
Formed in 2007, the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team was an instant success and won the 2008 WSK and European KF2 titles with Flavio Camponeschi. The arrival of Ben Cooper and Chris Lock for the following season saw the former going on to claim the WSK KF2 crown and Lock winning the Nations Cup in 2010.
 
During that same period, Strawberry Racing became one of the most successful teams in the Rotax categories - both at home and abroad. This year it dominated the Super One and Kartmasters Championships with Jack Barlow (Jnr) and Ed Brand (Snr).
 
Paul Spencer says: "Mr Robazzi (owner of Tony Kart) and I realized that having two similarly named teams competing against each other didn't serve either of us particularly well. Furthermore, with Strawberry's enormous success in Rotax, I have a great platform from which to re-introduce that brand into KF racing and create a global presence under one banner."
 
Speaking on behalf of the whole team, Paul adds: "It's fantastic to bring the two halves back together again. We will be able to really develop our talent ladder now by working closely to take the fastest and most gifted Rotax drivers and give them the opportunity to graduate into the KF3 and KF2 ranks. We did that with Ben Cooper, Luke Varley and Chris Lock and it's something we're committed to doing again and again."
 
After winning the Final Cup at Ortona (30 October) with Danish KF3 star Nicklas Nielsen, the Tony Kart Junior Racing Team's swansong event will be this weekend's (10/11 December) CIK-FIA Asia Pacific KF1 and KF3 Championships at Macau. However, the re-branded outfit will continue to operate from Tony Kart's Prevalle headquarters in Brescia, Italy.
 
For more information about Strawberry Racing, the Tony Kart Racer EVRR kart and OTK products, please visit www.strawberryracing.co.uk or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Latest Karting Decisions   (08/12)

At its meeting on 7 December 2011 in New Delhi (IND) and on proposals of the International Karting Commission Members, the FIA World Motor Sport Council took in particular the following decisions concerning Karting:

Calendar of the 2012 CIK-FIA Championships:
The World Council has ratified the inclusion of the Monaco Kart Cup for KF3 and KZ2 on the 2012 calendar of the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies. The event, which will again use part of the course used within the framework of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, will take place on 12, 13 and 14 October 2012.

The date of the third and last event of the CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship and Academy Trophy, already granted to Bahrain by the World Council in September, is set at 1st, 2nd and 3rd November 2012.
The 2012 CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship sees its format extended from three to four events, with in chronological order: Hockenheim (DEU, 20-22 April 2012), Snetterton (GBR, 14-15 July 2012), Assen (NLD, 3-5 August 2012) and Le Mans (FRA, 28-30 September 2012).

Manufacturers' Representatives:
Further to a vote procedure conducted between the Manufacturers concerned, the World Council has ratified the appointment of the Manufacturers' representatives within the CIK-FIA Working Groups, as follows: Birel, OTK Kart Group, Iame and Vega in the "Technical-Homologations-Manufacturers" Working Group; Bridgestone in the "Sporting Regulations-Calendar-Championships" Working Group.

Karting International Series:
The following international Series have been approved: Rotax Euro Challenge (4 events), Rok Cup International Final (1 event), Winning Series Karting/WSK Masters Series (3 events), Winning Series Karting/WSK Euro Series (4 events) and German Superkart Series (6 events).

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Azzy's Comeback Success   (07/12)

Congratulations to Aaron "azzy" Charles on his Senior Rotax Win at Rye House at last weekend.

Aaron, one of the youngest seniors at only 16 years old, drove a faultless weekend at the December meeting to take the spoils in the close fought final on his return to Senior Rotax Max after a nine month break, Aaron brought the RH1 Octane Kart with its Nick Jest Newkart power unit home in a thrilling 1st place.

Aaron, who had been competing in TKM for the last 9 months, returned to the Rotax after a disappointing run in the TKM with constant problems which in turn was spoiling his racing. The team had decided to give the Rotax a rest after the constant problems with the SL6 tyres but are now glad there is a consistency in the new Mojo tyres to allow his comeback.

Aaron wanted to do his first meeting after the break at Rye, the home of the Newkart Octane. Knowing the track he wanted to do well, Azzy said "we were expecting a hard weekend but after a good Saturday practice knew we had the pace of the front runners and was going for a podium, but thanks to the excellent engine Nick had put together for us we never looked back, taking the Newkart Octane package to top slot."

Aaron Charles Racing would like to say a big thank you to Nick for his excellent engine preparation and for his time and effort with Azzy getting him up the sharp end in the Seniors.

We would also like to thank Nick and Josh O'malley at Newkart Ltd for the excellent 2011 RH1 chassis and are really looking forward to testing the new 2012 kart which is already looking like the kart to beat in the Junior classes. To book a test drive on the new Octane or find out about Nick's engine services contact him direct at Rye House on 01992 460007.

We would also like to thank Keith Appleyard for his help and tenacious carb and power valve race preparation, Alan and Andy (Adrenalin) for their help getting Azzy back into Rotax. Also a big thank you to all Aaron's supporters and friends for their kind words over the weekend.

Our thanks also go out to Denise, Keith and Danny at www.kartpartsuk.com for their superfast and excellent kart parts service and for the loan of the bits we were missing to be able to race. Aaron's un-hindered performance was also supported by the use of the quality Panther Kart Chain and the Iztech Seat and Chain Guard (www.iztechkartseats.com).
 
Congratulations from Aaron Charles Racing also go to Michael Green and the Ol' man (Wayne) in their Championship win in the TKM Seniors at Red lodge.

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Winning Year For Kartal   (07/12)

Kartal Motorsport would like to congratulate all their customers who have continued to be successful in their chosen classes during the year. Over recent months numerous drivers competing at GYG,Rowrah,Shennington,PFi and Wigan have all enjoyed success.

Hamish Baxter in Junior Max competing at Rowrah won the August Bank holiday meeting. Daniel Baybutt has continued to dominate in Junior TKM at GYG and Hooton Park - he was the winner at the Dragon Masters meeting and then won all heats and Final at the GYG October meeting, whilst at Hooton pole sitter Daniel was 1st at the November meeting.

In the Cadet class Kartal Motorsport prepared Comer engines have continued to be up at the front over the last few months at circuits the length and breadth of the country. During August Max Fitton was 1st at GYG. At Shenington in September Adam Smalley was a very creditable 3nd place amongst a well supported field, whilst at PFi he went one better in finishing 2nd.

At Hooton Park in October Cadet driver Max Fitton took the win whilst Keiran Wood took 2nd place a great 1-2 for Kartal Motorsport. The November meeting at Hooton saw very nearly a repeat of the previous month however this time it was a 2-3 with Samuel Gerrard in 2nd place and Max Fitton closeby in 3rd.

 At GYG in November Adam Smalley continued his good form by taking his first win at the Welsh circuit followed in 3rd place by Max Fitton and Samuel Gerrard in 4th - 3 out of the top 4 places using Kartal engines.

The last race of the season at Wigan this last weekend was won by Adam Smalley and Samuel Gerrard took the 3rd place on the podium.

For those who regularly race at Hooton Park and Wigan you will have noticed over the last few months that Team Kartal have been present to support drivers in all classes. In 2012 we will continue to be present at both these circuits and have a limited number of awning spaces available for drivers in Cadet and TKM that wish to take advantage of some very competitive rates for the season. We will of course have engines and carburettors available for hire and testing by prior arrangement for those looking to take advantage of more than 29 yearsexperience in the sport. Interested parties should contact either Alan or Dave to discuss your requirements.

We will of course continue to offer a full engine rebuild and refurbishment service for Rotax/Comer/TKM and Parilla engines from our fully equipped workshop complimented by our dyno cell.

Contact Alan on 07801 379880 or 01772 617811, Dave on 07748 756174, or email team.kartal@btinternet.com.

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Msport - World Champions   (07/12)

Msport Karting -2011 Under 18 CIK-FIA World Champions.

Joining the exclusive list of racing teams that can say they are FIA World Champions, Whilton Mill based Msport karting along with their lead driver the young superstar Matthew Graham can now add their names to the list.

Going into the last round of the three round FIA world Championship in Sarno, Italy; the team knew that it had a huge mountain to climb if they were to realise the dream of all teams, to become World Champions. 29 points was the deficit at the start of the weekend and everybody in the team knew that winning was the only way to lift the crown. The equipment was delivered to the track with everything checked and double checked. The weekend started good with good speed in every free practice session.
 
Matthew sent a clear message to his closest rivals in qualifying by setting the fastest time with nearly 3 10's of a second in hand. Pole position was his reward for all of the qualifying heats. Winning all four heats was the next step to recovering the lost points and but for a time penalty in Heat one for speeding at the start the young driver from Newcastle delivered exactly that.
 
After two strong pre finals Matthew lined up 5th on the grid for the Main Final, but with his closet rival 3 places ahead it was far from over. As the final started it was clear that The Msport driver had the pace to win the race, climbing up to second place with 10 laps to go. With the championship now firmly in his sights; Matthew settled into a rhythm that would take him to the Championship just letting one driver overtake him with two laps to go ensuring no last minute fight. Matthew cruised home in 3rd place and World Champion.

Msport Karting was set up in 2005 as the UK Importer for the newly manufactured Zanardi range of karts, although now not official importers we still race and recommend Zanardi karts and equipment. Team Owner Keiran Crawley said on winning the Championship " We have had a lot of ups and downs along the way and winning today has made all the hard work worthwhile. We are one of only a handful of teams that have been successful in both types of karting (Rotax and KF). I would like to thank the following people who without their continued support would not be possible to compete. Dino Chiesa, My mentor and friend for the last 12 years. Mark Balmer, probably one of the best mechanics we have had the pleasure of working with. Whilton Mill Circuit, Our drivers past and present who have helped us reach our goals but most importantly Matthew Graham and the whole Graham family for their commitment and dedication during this record breaking season.

Msport as a team competes in KF3 at European level along with the FIA U18 category and Rotax at National level. We also offer driver management to foreign drivers in their own countries in all classes including United Arab Emirates (Junior rotax champions 4 times) Kenya. Asia (2010 CIK Asia pacific KF3 Champions) we can offer race management and one to one driver development to the highest level in any country.

We are currently arranging our schedule for 2012 so do not hesitate to call to discuss your requirements in any country.

Msport Karting, Whilton Mill Kart Circuit, Whilton Locks, Daventry, Northants, NN11 2NH. Telephone 01327 842778, visit our website at www.zanardikart.co.uk or email info@zanardikart.co.uk.

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FKS At Kartmania   (07/12)

Preparations for the 2012 Formula Kart Stars Championship officially began when the Formula One Management backed series took to the floor at the 2011 Kartmania Show in Coventry's RICOH Arena last weekend.
 
With registrations already flooding in for the upcoming season, which begins on Easter weekend next April (6th-8th) at Kimbolton, Formula Kart Stars used the UK's only dedicated karting show to unveil the newly liveried Education Bus and meet with competitors new and old in the hospitality area.
 
After taking more than a dozen new registrations over the course of the two day show championship director Carolynn Hoy was buoyant about the prospects for next season.
 
"The MSA British Cadet Championship grid is already well over fifty per cent full," said Hoy, before leaving the arena to join the 2011 Formula Kart Stars Champions at the Autosport Awards in London. "As usual there is already a strong contingent of returning drivers and plenty of new faces and we're expecting to reach our maximum grid of 56 before very long. British Cadet karting is the envy of the world and I'm certain that 2012 will see that trend continue.
 
"I'm also very pleased with our numbers in Mini Max where we are two thirds of the way towards a full grid," continued Hoy, who is still working on negotiations with Duck and Weave Productions to resume their award-winning television coverage of the championship. "We are over half way towards a full grid of Junior Rotax drivers and interest levels are very high in Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax."
 
In addition to the above classes, FKS has also applied to run a KF3 class in 2012 although Hoy conceded that getting the required number of entries to run a competitive season-long championship was proving challenging.
 
"I would dearly love to see the KF3 class return on a full-time basis," said Hoy. "There is interest there from the drivers but with such a packed European schedule many of their teams already have very busy schedules."
 
Providing the backdrop to the Formula Kart Stars showpiece was Boston College's Education Bus, now resplendent in full FKS livery courtesy of AST Signs and throughout the weekend many drivers and their parents took the opportunity to take a guided tour of the learning facilities available to all FKS drivers in 2012.
 
"Perhaps the most satisfying part of the weekend for me was seeing the reactions of the parents when we showed them the interior of the learning bus," concluded Hoy. "It looks fantastic from the outside thanks to its new graphics kit but it is what happens inside that matters and the response we've had from all parents, especially those whose children are entering our championship for the first time was unanimously positive."
 
To learn more about Formula Kart Stars and to download registration forms for 2012 please visit www.formulakartstars.com.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Summer Championship R8   (07/12)

The eighth round of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Championship takes place on Sunday the 18th December.

All ABkC non gear box classes are welcome and Open Practice will be available on both Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December.

Double points are on offer for all classes and as well as trophies, traditional Christmas fayre will be on offer.

Please contact Chris Pullman on 01634 661604 for more details. Online booking is available.

Full details are available at http://www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk/content.php/00020.

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Trio 'Blown Away' By Test   (06/12)

Formula Kart Stars trio Josh White, Sam Oram Jones and Luke Whitworth arrived at Brand Hatch on a wet and blustery autumnal day having never sat in a single seater racing car before. By the end of the day all three had experienced, and excelled in their first taste of 'slicks and wings' even if the slicks were replaced by more suitable treaded rubber.
 
Reigning Formula Kart Stars Mini Max champion White, his fellow Mini Max driver Oram Jones and Junior Rotax frontrunner Whitworth, earned their test drives with the Formula BMW Talent Cup thanks to their performances at the Formula Kart Stars round at Whilton Mill in September, which was attended by then head of BMW Motorsport Sebastian Herke.
 
"Going into the test, I was still excited, but also a bit nervous," recalled Whitworth, whose only previous experience of the legendary Kent venue was in an iZone simulator. "I'd had no preparation in those kinds of conditions, so it was almost a case of having to learn Brands Hatch all over again because the lines are so different in the wet, but I just had to get on with it.
 
"The track was extremely slippery and I did have a few 'moments', but I really enjoyed driving the car," continued Whitworth, who earned two of his three podium finishes in 2011 at Whilton Mill. "It felt totally different to a kart and was definitely a big leap, bigger than I had thought it would be, if I'm honest, and certainly an eye-opener.
 
"I definitely got better as the day progressed, and as my confidence increased, I was able to push harder and go faster and I made fewer errors. I just loved the entire experience, and I feel it helped to improve me as a driver."
 
At just 13 years of age Oram Jones was the youngest driver at the test but, like Whitworth, was full of enthusiasm.
 
"It was brilliant today and I was very happy with my overall performance," said Oram Jones, who finished fifth in the 2011 Formula Kart Stars Mini Max class with one victory. "It was wet all day, and one other driver and I were pretty much gone from the rest of the field. A lot of the other drivers had driven single-seaters before and so to be up with people of that calibre was really encouraging.
 
"Overall it was a good experience and I'd like to thank BMW for giving me the chance to do it."
 
Formula Kart Stars Championship director Carolynn Hoy was particularly pleased that BMW were able to provide the three FKS drivers with their maiden single seater opportunity.
 
"Formula Kart Stars and the Formula BMW Talent Cup both share the same passion for educating young drivers on and off the track," said Hoy. "The Formula BMW chassis has been a successful part of junior formulae racing for some time now and it's a proven product that allows real talent to shine through. I'm grateful to BMW for giving Josh, Sam and Luke their first opportunity to drive a real racing car and I'm sure it won't be the last time we see them in single seater action."

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

Photograph courtesy of XPB.

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Lydd Winter Series   (05/12)

The 2nd round of the Winter Series at Lydd takes place this weekend with practice on Saturday 10th and racing on Sunday 11th December.

Following the record breaking success of last month's meeting, where we welcomed 70 competitors, we look forward to seeing you all again for our last meeting of the year.
 
The record breaking continued into the racing, with no less than three classes seeing new lap records set. Well done to Cameron Clarke (Junior TKM), Graham King (ProKart) and Billy Monger (Super Cadet).
 
We have classes to suit most karts and drivers as we currently run non-MSA meetings, so why not get your entries in and join in the fun at Kent's fastest kart circuit, and help us to round off the year in style - see you there.
 
Please visit our website at www.lyddkarting.com or phone 01797 321895 for more information.

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3DR Are Unbeatable   (05/12)

Ahead of their 2012 campaigns at Rissington, Kimbolton, Shenington, Whilton Mill, and in the Rotax Super 1 series, 3DR Motorsport have done the unthinkable and won no fewer than 10 races in a row in the hotly contested Senior Rotax category.

Team leader Danny Russell has taken the 10 victories at all 4 of the midlands based outfits' home circuits, often from pole position on the grid, beating drivers that have excelled in the British, European, and World U18 CIK championships this season.

"I would like to congratulate Danny on his performances towards the back end of this year. He has looked unbeatable since September, and has proved his worth to the team by delivering such an amazing set of results before the close of the 2011 season. Even at the final Super 1 round at Wigan, he drove fantastically after bad luck in the heats to come from grid 24 to 8th in the final, proving that he and the team does have what it takes to compete at the highest level." Team Manager, Tom Smith.

These results would not have been possible without the full commitment of every member of the team at 3DR, and of course the first class backup and help of Warwick and Tim at the Cream Racing Engines facility. Danny can now go into the 2012 season with confidence and belief in his equipment, and himself as a driver.

The team currently have space for 2 cadet drivers (club level), 2 Junior Rotax drivers (Super 1 and club level), and 1 Senior Rotax Driver (Super 1 and club level). We have a commitment to keep the team small, and work hard with the drivers that we have signed, so that every member of the team feels worthy of their position.

All team drivers benefit from trackside mentoring from Danny, as well as the chance to test and train alongside him during the week. We also have full engine support via Cream Racing Engines, and will work with the driver and his budget to ensure that they have exactly what they need to succeed in their chosen championships in 2012.

For more information on 3DR Motorsport, or to book a meeting to discuss what we can do for your chances in 2012, please contact Tom or Danny on 01582 665113 / 07757 118975, email tom@3drmotorsport.com / danny@3drmotorsport.com, or visit our website at www.3DRMotorsport.com. 

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New TKM Championship   (05/12)

Formula TKM drivers have given a big thumbs-up to the new Midlands based Inter-Club Championship which was announced at the KartMania Show over the weekend.
 
The TKM Inter-Club Championship has come out of feed-back from drivers and parents who like the idea of competing in a championship outside of one circuit and welcome the idea of a low cost series which doesn't involve the time and expense of travelling all over the country.
 
The MSA has given its outline approval to the championship for Juniors and Senior Extremes which will be taking place at Kimbolton, Shenington, Rissington and Whilton Mill in 2012 with the regulations issued under the auspices of the Hunts Kart Club.
 
Updated event dates are as follows:
May 13 - Kimbolton
June 16/17 - Shenington (2 day meeting)
July 1 - Rissington
Sept 23 - Whilton Mill
 
In each case there will be testing available the day before at the circuit (Friday in the case of Shenington which is a two day race meeting).
 
Racing at each event will be via the normal club racing at each circuit with the results in the final used to score points for the Inter-Club Championship. All drivers will be eligible to compete including novices provided they have registered for the championship. Registration costs £36 for the year which is the only additional cost of taking part aside from usual event entry fees.
 
Administration for the series will carried out by TKM Co-ordinator Grahame Butterworth and all inquiries for details, regulations, registration etc should be sent to a special new email address - interclub@tkmdriversclub.com.
 
Alan Turney, who heads up Tal-Ko Racing makers of TKM engines and controllers of the TKM classes, said: "We have had a fantastic response from drivers who recognise that this initiative fills a clear gap in the market. We are delighted the MSA and ABkC have made this possible and grateful to the clubs directly involved. It gives added incentive to drivers to compete yet not have to spend days away from home at events."
 
Full regulations and details will be available shortly on the www.tal-ko.com website as well as registration forms. To confirm your interest in the series please email to interclub@tkmdriversclub.com.

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It's KartMania 2011!   (02/12)

Whether you're a seasoned racer, a first year rookie, or thinking about taking your first steps in Karting, there is only one place to be this weekend!

The UK's premier kart show, KartMania, is taking place this Saturday and Sunday the 3rd & 4th December, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The central location combines with free parking means there is no excuse not to make the trip for what promises to be another excellent event.

With a packed exhibitor list, workshops on both days of the show, and the bargain hunters paraside that is KartBoot, you really don't want to miss it.

Full details and directions are available at www.kartmania.co.uk.

See you there!

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GW Championship Win   (02/12)

GW Motorsport would like to congratulate its team drivers on a very successful weekend.

Senior Rotax driver Chris McCarthy on winning the Whilton Mill 2011 Championship (after winning it in 2010 in Junior Rotax!). Also Chris is in the top 5 of the MSA Academy awards - well done Chris!
 
Well done also to Ben Matthews in Junior Rotax on finishing 5th in the Whilton Mill Championship in his first year in Juniors. Congratulations also go to Jack Bartholomew on his first win in Junior Rotax at Bayford Meadows.
 
All of these drivers are using a Zanardi KZ1 - for further details, please see our website at www.gwmotorsport.co.uk.

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Iztech Kart Seats   (02/12)

Iztech Kart Seats are looking forward to meeting you all at KartMania again this year.
 
We will once again be at the amazing show held at the ricoh arena in coventry this weekend - 3rd & 4th December.
 
We have some very special show offers for you as well as demonstrating our kart scales to show you how much difference getting your kart set up properly can benefit your racing.
 
Our special offers include...
Lightweight carbon and aramid chainguards (for Cadet & TKM) £50.00.
Lightweight carbon and aramid floortrays £100.00.
Fibreglass Rotax chainguard at an amazing £20.00.
 
Why not make a point of visiting our stand where you will be assured of a warm welcome and plenty of helpful advice on selecting the best kart seat to suit your needs?

In the meantime you can take a look of our winning product range at www.iztechkartseats.com.

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Ellough Park Raceway   (02/12)

Ellough Park Raceway are now pleased to offer open testing to all 2 and 4-stroke karts over the winter period!

Please make sure you check out the website www.elloughparkraceway.co.uk for opening times, or give us a call on 01502 717718. We are running a winter timetable so make sure you check for the latest information.

The cost is just £12.50 for 2 hours, £25.00 for 4 hours or £40.00 for the day (when available).

Plus, Ellough Park's Black Tie Presentation Evening will be held on Friday, 6th January 2012!  Tickets are on sale now so book early to avoid disappointment - call us on 01502 717718 or email enquiries@elloughparkraceway.co.uk.  Tickets are £30.00 for adults and £25.00 for children 12yrs and under.

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Formula Renault Test   (02/12)

As part of its commitment to supporting motor racing talent and promoting the ladder to success, Marussia Virgin Racing is rewarding some of the stars from this year's Formula KGP championship with a test with the Manor Formula Renault 2.0 Team on 19th December in Barcelona.
 
The prize has been awarded to the karters who finished in the top three this season, along with the best rookie.
 
After a hard-fought Formula KGP season, Michael Simpson from Hull was crowned champion, followed in 2nd position by his team mate Tom Fawcett from Pontefract and with Mark Litchfield from Grantham in 3rd position. The best of the rookies, Jake Hughes from Birmingham, earned himself the test with a creditable 5th overall.
 
John Booth, Team Principal, Marussia Virgin Racing said "Karting is where it all began for most of today's top Formula One drivers and it is a category we want to support. In my career I have seen Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta - to name but a few - take the step up from Karting to Single Seater Racing with the Manor Formula Renault Team, so it is exciting to incorporate this opportunity into our wider development programme."
 
Tony Shaw, Manor Formula Renault 2.0 Team Manager said "I want to congratulate our four young karters on a fantastic season in KGP. This is a great opportunity at an early age and I'm sure they will recognise this and make the most of it."

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Dan Wheldon Event   (02/12)

The Dan Wheldon Memorial Kart Race, set to take place at Daytona Milton Keynes on Monday, December 5, has received overwhelming support from fans and the motor racing industry alike, all wishing to race in Dan's honour while raising funds for the Wheldon family's chosen charity, Alzheimer's Society.
 
Due to the unprecedented outpouring of support for the double Indy 500 winner and IndyCar Champion, who lost his life in the final round of the IZOD IndyCar Series at Las Vegas in October, the grid has been stretched to its absolute maximum with 36 teams of four drivers due to line-up on Monday evening.
 
Aptly, Dan's Dad, Clive, and his siblings Austen, Elliott, Ashley and Holly, will all be joining the race taking place just 10 miles from Dan's hometown of Emberton, Buckinghamshire.
 
An unrivalled gathering of professional drivers from across the realms of worldwide motor sport will join together in Dan's memory for the race organised by Dan's friend, sportscar ace Johnny Mowlem.
 
Dario Franchitti, Jenson Button, Anthony Davidson, David Coulthard, Guy Smith, Jonny Kane, Rob Huff, James Hinchcliffe, Johnny Herbert, David Brabham, Marino Franchitti, Martin and Alex Brundle, Mike Conway, James Jakes, Adam Carroll, Chris Buncombe, Richard Dean, Steven Kane, Sam Hancock, Luke Hines, Marc Hynes, Nic Minassian, Jason Plato, James Rossiter, Peter Dumbreck, Richard Lyons, Sam Bird, Duncan Tappy, James Thompson, Tom Sisley, Ollie Hancock and Danny Watts are all confirmed to attend.
 
Mowlem's event aim is simply to offer the opportunity for those who loved, raced, worked and admired Dan to give him a send off he would have been proud of. To ensure that focus firmly remains, Mowlem has announced an additional fun element of which Dan would have approved, while generating more valuable funds for Alzheimer's Society.
 
The Cash for Penalties system will mean that any driver, whether professional or public, can pay for penalties to be bestowed on any team - whether by way of buying laps or black flags.
 
Mowlem commented: "The response for Dan's Memorial Kart Race has been unbelievable and really touching, from members of the public wanting to race in honour of their hero to professional drivers all too willing to give up their free time for their fallen friend.
 
"The Cash for Penalties system is just another way to raise some charity funds while helping to ensure that the racing doesn't get too serious. We are there to remember one of the country's most charismatic and talented champions and I don't want that to be forgotten while we're having fun in Dan's honour.
 
"The event sold out within just a few hours and although we increased the teams to Daytona's maximum it sadly wasn't possible to fulfil everyone's request to race. I can't thank everyone enough for their support. It's going to be a fantastic night and I am so pleased that Clive, Holly, Ashley, Elliott and Austen will be joining us. I hope we can do them, and of course Dan, proud."
 
Daytona will open for the Dan Wheldon Memorial Kart Race at 6pm. Drivers' briefing will be held at 6.30pm, practice at 7pm and the two-hour endurance race will start at 7.40pm. The evening will conclude with an awards presentation at 9.50pm. Due to limited spectator capacity, only drivers and their guests will be permitted.

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Ginetta Super One Series   (01/12)

Looking forward to 2012, Super One Series is pleased to reveal a host of new prizes, and confirmation of existing ones for the new season. Already the prize fund for 2011 is around £60,000 in cash and vouchers, and that doesn't include the five free entries to the just held Rotax Grand Finals.  Congratulations to our British team, who put on a great show proving the racing in the Super One is as competitive as anywhere in the world, if not better.
 
For 2012, the winners in Rotax Max, Junior Max and Max 177/Masters will each receive a free entry to the 2012 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, to be held at Portimao in Portugal. In addition each will receive a prize of an engine, and so will the top Rookie in each of these classes plus MiniMax, all courtesy of the Super One and JAG, Rotax distributors for the UK. All Rookie overall winners will also enjoy a full factory tour of the Mercedes GP Petronas F1 team.
 
 In addition, and new for 2012, the top Max 177 Rookie driver at each round will receive a £300 cash prize and the overall 177 Rookie £500. And the best overall Max 177/Masters driver in the series will be awarded £1500, the second placed £750 and third will get £500.
 
In Formula KGP the top three in the series will each receive a Formula Renault test, and the KF3, Junior Max and Junior TKM champions all have a Ginetta G40 test lined up for them, subject to age. Another benefit for all competitors is a great discount package from Alamo, one of the biggest car and van rental companies.
 
Subject to entries remaining similar to 2011, the ABkC in conjunction with its valued tyre suppliers Dunlop, Bridgestone, Maxxis/Tal-Ko and Mojo/JAG will award approximately £19,000 in cash prizes, and this will be matched by the Super One Series in cash and vouchers. Surely nothing else in the UK can match the prestige and prizes of the Super One Series. The Ginetta MSA British Kart Championship is confirmed with over 15 drivers already signed up for the series. Thank you to all supporters, together lets make it a great season.
 
Super One Series will be exhibiting at KartMania and the Autosport International Racing Car Shows, taking registrations and providing information. The new on-line registration and race entry system will be launched and in future all this will be possible on-line including payments. Book your favourite 2012 competition number early by registering without delay. If you can't make the show, then visit www.s1series.co.uk for all information.

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New TKM Championship   (01/12)

Formula TKM drivers will be able to take part in a new championship next year aimed specifically at drivers in the Midlands who do not have the time to compete in events all over the country.
 
The TKM Inter-Club Championship has come out of feed-back from drivers and parents who like the idea of competing in a championship outside of one circuit and welcome the idea of a low cost series.
 
The MSA has given its outline approval to the championship for Juniors and Senior Extremes which will be taking place at Kimbolton, Shenington, Rissington and Whilton Mill in 2012 with the regulations issued under the auspices of the Hunts Kart Club.
 
Event dates are as follows:
May 13 - Kimbolton
June 16/17 - Shenington (2 day meeting)
July 1 - Rissington
Sept 23 - Whilton Mill
 
In each case there will be testing available the day before at the circuit (Friday in the case of Shenington which is a two day race meeting).
 
Racing at each event will be via the normal club racing at each circuit with the results in the final used to score points for the Inter-Club Championship. All drivers will be eligible to compete including novices provided they have registered for the championship. Registration costs £36 for the year which is the only additional cost of taking part aside from usual event entry fees.
 
Administration for the series will carried out by TKM Co-ordinator Grahame Butterworth and all inquiries for details, regulations, registration etc should be sent to a special new email address - interclub@tkmdriversclub.com.
 
Alan Turney, who heads up Tal-Ko Racing makers of TKM engines and controllers of the TKM classes, said: "We are delighted the MSA and ABkC have made this possible and grateful to the clubs directly involved. It gives added incentive to drivers to compete yet not have to spend days away from home at events."
 
Tal-Ko will be giving prize vouchers, which can be used to purchase TKM equipment, to the top drivers in the championship as well as other trophies.
 
Full regulations and details will be available shortly on the www.tal-ko.com website as well as registration forms. To confirm your interest in the series please email to interclub@tkmdriversclub.com.

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Champion Kart Services   (30/11)

Champion Kart Services have a limited number of drives available at Shenington, PFI and Three Sisters for 2012. After becoming the northern distributor for the fantastic BRM karts and spares we are able to provide our drivers with a service second to none.
 
Arrive and drive packages are available in Rotax, TKM and Cadet all of which are fantastic value for money, however we are happy to provide support to drivers with their own equipment.

Karting on a budget? We can also offer drives in TKM clubman at Shenington at very competitive prices.

With over ten years of Karting knowledge ranging from Cadet to Long Circuit ICC UK we can be sure to be seen at the front in 2012.

Awning space is available from £40 per day. Contact us today to book your space for 2012 and avoid disappointment.
 
Why not join us for a test? We can offer tests on any one of our chassis in Cadet, TKM or Rotax, if you decide to join us for the whole season we will then refund the test fee.

Contact Ryan 07718234038 or Connor 07958001415 or mail us at championkartservices@live.co.uk

For further details visit www.championkartservices.co.uk.

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Forest Edge Kart Club   (30/11)

With 2011 proving the most successful in the club's history seeing over 450 members and record breaking entries the club wishes all members past and present a good remainder to 2011.

For 2012 things are changing, ten rounds instead of nine, two dropped to count, complete the first nine and the last race in November will be free!

Electricity is available to reserved pits holders and at £50 for pit space for 2012 at all practice days and races this proves great value. All fees remain as 2011, no changes, no camping fees, 4 acre hardstanding pits.

Club 100 and Easykart also pay a visit to the Hampshire track in 2012, dates as per website.

The ever growing Help For Heroes festival which has raised over £22000 over the two years it has been running will in 2012 run earlier so as not to clash with Goodwood Festival of Speed, watch website for prizes at one of the most fun karting events of the calendar and all in a good cause!

Free wireless internet access continues into 2012, as does the unique online entry and payment system, live internet timing and cameras looks to be enhanced for those that cannot miss out on the action!

If you have not yet been down to the Hampshire track set the February date in your calendar for 2012.

All members will be receiving special FEKC goods to be collected with membership cards.

Check www.fekc.co.uk for updates or follow us on Facebook.

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The Helmet Company   (29/11)

The Helmet Company will be once more exhibiting at the annual Kartmania show this coming weekend at the Ricoh Arena. Firmly established as the UK's most specialised motorsport helmet and accessories supplier The Helmet Company will have a large stand with extensive stock of all your favourite helmet brands.

From the latest motorsport and karting helmets to the glitzy visors, gloves, boots and all the accessories a driver could want. The Helmet Company has it all.

Special show offers will exist over the weekend providing some amazing savings and offers to the karting community.

Jake Designs will also be displaying some of his incredible paintwork on the stand.

So why not come and visit The Helmet Company this weekend at Kartmania for your new helmet and accessories.

We hope to see you there.

For full product listings and online shop visit www.thehelmetcompany.co.uk or call 01952 262024.

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Full Of Eastern Promise   (29/11)

"What a year for RL!" says the delighted Team Principal and owner, Steve Armstrong. "Once again we've taken a large haul of silverware over the past 12 months, we can proudly call ourselves Formula Kart Stars, Gold Cup and British Open Champions".

The team's 2011 FKS campaign has been marked by a succession of podiums in eleven of the twelve rounds. In Mini Max Josh White claimed the overall title by showing excellent consistency.  Not only that, he dominated the 3rd and 4th rounds at Three Sisters, with back-to-back victories. His team-mate, Samuel Oram-Jones also enjoyed an excellent campaign, taking a victory in the class on the way to 5th overall.
 
In Junior Max, Sam Marsh underlined his potential by ending his debut year in the class as Vice-Champion and with an unbeatable display at Ellough Park.

In the UK's other premier national championship - the Ginetta Super One Series - the RL Racing Department was again a front-running team in the Mini and Junior Rotax classes.

Josh eventually claimed a fine 5th overall, with two victories and three 3rd-place finishes. Sam's late season run of form maintained itself at the Super One finale, with a win and runner-up spot, giving him a creditable 7th in the points table."Josh and Samuel claimed highly-prized seeded numbers and should be well-pleased with their efforts. Sam too. Junior Max is an incredibly tough class but he demonstrated his pace and signed-off 2011 with a clear signal of his intentions for next year's championship."

Harry Campey also claimed a seeded number in FKS, with 9th overall, but the highlight of his year will almost certainly be his triumph in the Mini Max 'O Plate', or British Open Championship.  Prior to the closing S1 round at Three Sisters, Josh won the annual Gold Cup.

With a fresh line-up being prepared for the forthcoming 2012 title bids, Steve says: "I would like to congratulate all of the RL drivers for their efforts over the past year and am looking forward to working with our existing drivers, Sam Marsh and Josh White."

He added: "I'd also like to extend a very warm welcome to Lando and Oli Norris. Lando is graduating from the cadet ranks after marking himself as a genuine star and proven race-winner in Comer. Oliver is making the unusual step of entering the Junior Max fray after competing in KF3. He's an exciting driver and definitely one to watch. They'll be joined by two new drivers, who'll be officially announced soon. That's all I'm saying for now..."

With the domestic season almost over, RL Racing Department will contest the Winter Series before travelling to Lanzarote for an intensive winter testing schedule.

For more information about this, or available drives in 2012, please contact Steve Armstrong via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416 or Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm, Monday-Wednesday), or visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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KartMania Honda Challenge   (29/11)

Once again, for the KartMania Honda Challenge in 2012 we have arranged some of the UK's top circuits!  We can now inform you all that we will start the Challenge on April 15th at Buckmore Park, with the championship consisting of 8 rounds (with 7 to count) including 2 double headers. If this year's racing is anything to go by then 2012 should be fantastic!

Don't forget you only need an MSA kart clubman licence to race, no medical and no ARCs test, and for drivers requiring club memberships Llandow are offering this at £45 including five free tyre bags and a free practice day if you register at KartMania 2011. A second class for Senior 4Stroke TKM will be added if enough entries are received to make it viable (not all circuits below are included) - come and talk to us at KartMania to discuss it.
 
Full KartMania Challenge Dates 2012:
15th April - Buckmore Park
20th May - Shenington
9th & 10th June - Llandow (Double Header)
8th July - Rowrah
12th August - Glen-y-Gors
9th September - Clay Pigeon (Double Header)
 
For more information contact Martin Capenhurst on 07974 766529, Llandow Kart Club, or come and see us at KartMania 2011.

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Rissington Secures Lease   (29/11)

Club Chairman, Mick Chalmers announced at the committee meeting last week "that following a series of negotiations we have now secured a 3 year lease with the Defence Estates for the kart club". Following years of only having one year leases at a time, he said "I'm delighted as it gives the club a real chance of stability and the opportunity to be able to plan for the future".
 
The other exciting news is that the club has the opportunity to add extra days to the race calendar over the next 3 years. Initially this could be the opportunity to allow for extra practice days this year including the possibility of the Friday of the Midland Championship weekend in September. Mick Chalmers also said that "to see a National round at Rissington again would be fantastic and I'm sure it would become a favourite meeting that the drivers would look forward to each year".
 
For more info about racing at Rissy this year why not come and visit the stand at Kartmania and we look forward to talking to our members about the possibilities!
 
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.
 
For more info about the track and facilities see www.rissykartclub.com.

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EasyKart UK @ KartMania   (28/11)

2011 has been a very successful year for Easykart UK with entries for the UK championship rising once again and two world EasyKart titles won too - its been a very busy but satisfying year!
 
EasyKart UK will be exhibiting at Kartmania at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 3rd/4th December where the entire EasyKart range of karts will be on show as well as all the information about the 2012 EasyKart Championship.

In October at the World EasyKart World finals at Casteletto in Italy EasyKart UK took two world titles.
 
In the Senior Light category Luca Hirst was crowned champion with fellow Briton Patrick Lay in second and Sam Dimelow in 3rd - a Brit whitewash of the podium!
 
In the Senior Heavy category Barny Pittingale was crowned champion with another Brit Will Smith taking the third step of the podium.
 
To celebrate, Easykart UK are offering a guest drive in one of the rounds of the 2012 EasyKart Championship via a free prize draw, taking place on Monday 9th January 2012.

The guest drive will include: Practice fee (Sat) and Race Entry fee (you must hold a 2012 MSA kart licence - the minimum level required is a Nat B novice kart licence). Use of an Easykart kart complete, choosing your applicable category: Cadet, Junior or Senior complete with wet tyres and everything to make the race. Race awning support and mechanic from Easykart UK.

It's "Easy" to enter! Just answer this simple qualifying question and complete an entry form on the KartMania Easykart stand or via our website www.easykart.co.uk for your chance to win a guest round drive in EasyKart UK!

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KartMania 2011   (28/11)

KartMania not only offers the chance to see some of the biggest names in karting under one roof, but this year we're also giving you the opportunity to win a Rotax engine unit! Courtesy of our sponsors JAG and Rotax, everyone that attends KartMania on Saturday 3rd December or Sunday 4th December has a chance of winning this brand new engine. You can even take it away following the prize draw at 3:30pm on Sunday!
 
A new layout, new exhibitors and a massive KartBoot are going to make this year's KartMania the best one yet.  The show features a full program of events, workshops and award presentations with the schedule available on the KartMania web site at www.kartmania.co.uk.

Such is the popularity of the legendary KartBoot that there is now no more space available for sellers, so please do not turn up without contacting show organiser Martin Capenhurst first, to avoid disappointment. Please also remember that NO new items are allowed to be sold it has to be secondhand used spares and accessories only.
 
If it's not already in your diary, KartMania '11 - the UK's premier kart show - will be held on the 3rd and 4th December 2011 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and there is free parking at this central venue on both days. Further information and advance booking for tickets (with discounts on the 'on the door' prices!) visit the KartMania website at www.kartmania.co.uk. Don't forget that MSA license holders can gain discounted entry by showing their license at the door, and with a concessionary rate for children aged 5 - 16 this is a day out for the whole family.

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FKS Looks Ahead To 2012   (28/11)

Formula Kart Stars drivers will once again travel the length and breadth of Britain and possibly beyond in their quest to land one of the 2012 championship titles as the Formula One Management backed Championship unveiled their twelve round calendar for the upcoming season.
 
The only karting championship in the world supported by Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton will also retain its popular doubleheader format of timed qualifying, two heats and a final on each day that has proved extremely popular with competitors since its introduction in 2010.
 
Beginning on Easter Weekend April 6th-8th, the championship will return to Kimbolton for the first time since 2009 for the opening two rounds of the year before heading east to Ellough Park on the weekend of May 18th-20th for rounds three and four, the Suffolk based circuit hosting an FKS round for the third consecutive season.
 
The half way point of the championship will be reached in Scotland and Formula Kart Stars returns to the home of the West of Scotland Kart Club at Larkhall for the first time since 2007 on the weekend of June 8th-10th.
 
From the hills and glens of Lanarkshire the FKS bandwagon then moves on to a different set of hills and valleys for rounds seven and eight at the beautiful Glan Y Gors Park circuit in the foothills of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales on the weekend of July 13th-15th.
 
Although the visits to Larkhall and Scotland coincide with the important exam period in schools, the Formula Kart Stars learning bus and qualified tutors will be on hand throughout the year so drivers can continue their studies during the race weekends.
 
The venue for the traditional Formula Kart Stars 'summer holiday' round on the weekend of August 10th-12th has yet to be confirmed as the championship awaits confirmation of the latest licensing rules regarding international competition although rounds nine and ten promise to be just as spectacular as the previous trips to Genk in Belgium.
 
Returning to England for the final two rounds of the championship, Whilton Mill in Daventry will host the season finale, having last hosted the final rounds of the championship in 2009 on the weekend of September 6th-8th to conclude a six-month campaign.
 
"I'm delighted to offer our competitors a calendar that is both challenging and fun," says championship director Carolynn Hoy. "Kimbolton have made huge strides to make their paddock suitable for our series and Ellough Park always pulls out all the stops for us. We always receive a warm and friendly welcome at Larkhall and drivers simply love the Glan Y Gors circuit.
 
"Although we can't confirm our August venue yet the championship will ensure that wherever we race it will have the same 'wow' factor as our previous trips to Belgium. To finish the year at Whilton Mill makes perfect sense, as it is so central to many of our customers.
 
"It also gives me great pleasure to have the Boston College Learning Bus back with us in 2012 as driver's education must always come first. I think a lot of drivers and their families were surprised at how much support was available to them in 2011 and I believe the bus will be a very busy place as drivers revise for their exams."
 
To register for Formula Kart Stars 2012 please visit the championship at Kartmania on December 3rd-4th or go to the downloadable entry form on the series website www.formulakartstars.com. The championship will also be hosting the Karting Stage in January's Autosport International Show in Birmingham where registrations will also be taken although with demand for all classes already exceeding levels seen in 2011 drivers are advised to get their entries in early.

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Remembering Dannie Pennell   (28/11)

Formula Kart Stars and Ellough Park Raceway joined forces to remember the late Dannie Pennell earlier this year, dedicating the final two rounds of the Formula One Management backed championships' 2011 season to the late founder of Team Dadson.
 
Pennell, who succumbed to cancer in July, was one of the most popular and well respected members of the karting fraternity with friends throughout the sport thanks to Team Dadson, which ran drivers in Formula Kart Stars and the Rotax Euro Challenge and the Dadson Challenge, a nationwide series dedicated to senior drivers.
 
Throughout the Ellough Park weekend circuit owner Richard Lock, a good friend of Dannie's, and Formula Kart Stars went to great lengths to honour Pennell and raised more than £500 to the hospice that cared for Dannie during his final days.
 
"Dannie was instrumental in helping me buy Ellough Park and it is fitting that the main straight should be named after him," says Lock, who helped unveil the new 'Pennell Straight' during an emotional driver's parade during the weekend. "I couldn't name a corner after him because he was a very straight person."
 
Lock also founded the Dannie Pennell Trophy, an award that celebrates any driver who epitomised the spirit, graft and 'never say die' attitude that Pennell was known for. Following a joint deliberation by Lock and Formula Kart Stars officials, Junior Rotax driver Macaulay Austin was named as the inaugural recipient of the extremely impressive trophy.
 
"It is such an honour to be chosen for this award," said the Bryn Mawr based driver, who finished fourth in the 2008 MSA British Cadet Championship and has won over 100 races despite almost always running as an independent driver with his dad Neil. "I am very pleased that my hard work has been recognised."
 
The main fundraising element of the weekend fell, quite literally, to FKS circuit commentator Henry Beaudette, who took part in a 12,000ft skydive complete with radio mic to try and raise money for the Hospice that cared for Dannie. Despite having less than 24 hours notice, the FKS paddock was able to raise more than £500.
 
"To say I was a reluctant volunteer would be an understatement," says Beaudette. "But Dannie was a good friend and was very generous with his support and time when my team were racing at Le Mans. When I was asked I couldn't say no and it was a pleasure to help raise some money for a very worthy cause and an all round great bloke."

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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FKS - Educating Drivers   (28/11)

Formula Kart Stars' mantra is 'The Road to Formula One through Racing and Education' and in 2011 the Formula One Management backed championship introduced the first on-site teaching facility to its race meetings, allowing its young drivers to continue their studies at the race track.
 
Equipped with audio and visual learning aids, an outdoor presentation area, a bank of PC's and an interactive white board that enables drivers to download and electronically annotate coursework, the unique Boston College Learning Bus has been a fixture at FKS events throughout 2011 and will be again in 2012.
 
Boston College staff member Mark Marsh is present in the bus throughout the race weekends from Friday morning until Sunday evening to assist drivers and their siblings with their homework and sees the benefits for the drivers first hand.
 
"At first a lot of people were unsure about using the bus as the drivers are not used to thinking about school on a race weekend," says Marsh. "But as the year progressed, especially during May and June when a lot of the Junior drivers are in the middle of their GCSE's they began to realise that an hour of quiet study after a days racing can be extremely useful."  
 
"The bus is a fantastic tool for all Formula Kart Stars drivers and their brothers and sisters, who often travel with them to race meetings," says Series Director Carolynn Hoy. "In our first year with the learning bus I was surprised at how many drivers took advantage of its facilities and we soon developed quite a few regular attendees at each round."
 
Connor Mills, who finished third in the 2011 Formula Kart Stars Mini Max class, was one of the many drivers who spent time in the Learning Bus during 2011.
 
"The education bus was very good," says Mills. "It gives kids a good opportunity to get some peace and quiet and gives you a chance to get your homework done."
 
To learn more about Formula Kart Stars please visit www.formulakartstars.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Russell Storms Back   (25/11)

After an engine failure left him right down at the bottom of the timesheets in qualifying, George Russell knew he would have to roll the dice in the SuperNationals in Las Vegas - and a superbly gritty, never-say-die effort duly saw the highly-rated young Wisbech speed demon hit the jackpot as he swept to an emphatic victory that he justifiably ranks amongst the very finest achievements of his hugely impressive karting career to-date.
 
George might have competed stateside before - in 2009, at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana - but it was his first time at the prestigious SuperNats. With the tortuous and demanding Rio Hotel & Casino street circuit being new to all concerned, it was a level playing field right from the outset, enabling genuine talent to shine through - and up against a fiercely high-calibre, 68-strong TaG Junior class field composed of home-grown heroes and international front-runners, the Tydd St Giles hotshot showed them all a clean pair of racing boots.
 
"I liked the track a lot," he acknowledged. "You couldn't afford to make any mistakes, because if you ran wide, you would hit the barriers - it was extremely unforgiving. That made it a real challenge to drive, but I got used to it pretty quickly, to be honest and after that, it was all about extracting those last couple of tenths. In testing, it was looking really good - we were the fastest in almost every timed session - but then on Thursday night, we had a problem with the engine..."
 
That was the point at which everything began to unravel, and although the engine was rebuilt in time for the next day, confusion over the provision of a running-in session saw George controversially denied vital track time and left the 13-year-old Wisbech Grammar School student to head into qualifying with to all intents and purposes an untried motor - one that promptly seized on only his second lap before he had even had chance to post a representative time on the board.
 
The upshot was an unaccustomedly lowly 63rd spot in the standings, and although he had triumphed before after having to battle his way back from qualifying woes, this time, he knew, there was another variable to throw into the equation.
 
"With it being such a tight and narrow track, I was pretty nervous going into all the heat races from plum last on the grid," conceded the reigning European Champion and multiple British Champion. "We were at least confident in the speed we had, though, and we made some changes to be able to get through the traffic more easily.
 
"In heat one, there was a crash ahead at the start, and whilst I managed to avoid it, I clipped another kart as I went past, which left me contending with a bent axle for the entire race. That cost me straight-line speed and probably about three tenths a lap, making it a bit harder to come through, so we were pleased to end up fifth.
 
"The second heat was better, and we finished third; it was really good fun fighting my way through the field, but the first couple of laps were certainly pretty nerve-wracking because there were so many accidents and you had to keep a really cool head to steer away from them all."
 
Setting the race's fastest lap by a commanding four tenths of a second served as a potent warning of George's palpable potential, and the Intrepid Driver Program member - racing under the banner of Intrepid North America - once more fairly scythed his way through the order like the proverbial hot knife through butter in heat three, only for a late collision directly in front to restrict him to seventh place. Still, his trio of heat results nonetheless secured him fifth on the grid for the all-important final - right back in the game.
 
"I found myself involved in a lively four-way scrap to begin with, allowing the leader to escape," he recounted of the race that would determine the destiny of the keenly-prized laurels. "I got through into second, though, and then just pushed and pushed and pushed to close the gap, which definitely wasn't easy around a track like that when you're flirting with disaster at practically every turn!
 
"I caught and passed the leader, and after only three laps I saw I had already pulled out quite a gap over him, but the problem was I didn't know how many laps were left so I just had to keep on pushing. It felt amazing when the chequered flag came down, especially given where we had been after qualifying. At that point, some people had been saying it would be impossible to win and that the weekend was as good as over for us, but we managed to come all the way back through, which proves that you should never, ever give up.
 
"The whole meeting was massively high-profile, with more than 500 drivers in total across the different classes. I'm told it was the biggest karting event that's ever taken place the world over, so to win it has to rank as one of the very best achievements of my career so far."
 
As a postscript, George confessed afterwards to having developed quite a soft spot for all the glamour of the world's glitziest city. Just as well, really; should he maintain his current outstanding progression and go on to make it all the way to the dizzy heights of F1, he'll need to get used to the bright lights...
 
To keep up-to-date with George's latest career news and results, please visit: www.georgerussellracing.com.

Photographs courtesy of KSP (top left and right) and Todd McCall/On Track Productions (bottom left).

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Kartcam For Xmas   (25/11)

Grab yourself a Kartcam this Christmas for only £19.99 so you can record all your racing in 2012.

Whether it's for family, friends or just yourself, Kartcam makes an ideal Christmas present, giving you the chance to capture your weekends racing.

The camera has a two button function, which enables you to start recording at ease & directly stores to a memory SD card within the unit.

Simple plug & play technology allows you to play your video files back via your computer/laptop.

Visit www.kartcam.co.uk to order your camera or email enquiries@kartcam.co.uk.

Kartcam.co.uk would also like to congratulate sponsored driver Adam Willis & Team Qracing-uk for their win last weekend at the Three Sisters 2hr ProKart endurance event, heading a competitive field of 28 drivers. Visit www.qracing-uk.com for details.

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The Celtic Challenge   (25/11)

December 11th is the date for the final race meeting of 2011 at Llandow Kart Club.

Held at the prestigious South Wales Karting Centre this meeting is designed to give karters a good weekend's racing amongst friends old and new, on one of the best kart tracks in the UK, with the friendliest group of officials for not a lot of money.

The event format is Timed Qualifying, heat, pre-final and final for all classes obviously depending on the weather. Great trophies (1- 3 in all Junior classes at least) and prizes for an all-in price of £80 for a full day's practice on Saturday 10th and a full day's racing on Sunday 11th. If you are a Llandow Kart Club member it is even better as you only pay £70!

Come and join us for some fun and great racing - you know you want to. Entries can be done on line, by pigeon post or if you need help call Colin on 07817 449617 for more info. Hope to see you all.

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Rye House & Sony Welwyn   (25/11)

It was a fantastic night of racing at the famous Rye House circuit put on by Sony Centre Welwyn Garden City.  Those in attendance were lucky enough to get to watch and compete with the very fastest upcoming stars in the motor racing world.  There was Alice Powell, who is the youngest ever Formula Renault Champion, and also the current karting champion Tom Joiner, who races at the highest level on a chassis designed by Lewis Hamilton and the CRG race team!
 
Damp and very cold conditions really made it a really tough challenge for everyone that raced on the night but there was a standout performance by Alice Powell who started in fourth position due to traffic in qualifying, Alice went on to take the lead on the 8th lap with a staggering overtaking manoeuvre on the dampest and fastest corner, Alice showed a class of driving only seen by the finest drivers like Lewis Hamilton in whose footsteps she is following!  Alice pulled out a lead to the midpoint in the race where she had to hand over the second half of the race to here teammate Michael Epps. Michael Epps pits stop was slightly hampered down by a slow kart exiting the pit lane which meant they lost first place. Michael drove fantastically on a now drying track where lap times were tumbling down and it really came down to the wire at the end where Michael caught up with the current champion Tom Joyner and they crossed the line together, separated by less than a second.
 
Fastest lap prize of a Sony MP3 player thanks to the Sony Centre in Welwyn Garden City was won by Michael Epps with a 45.5sec lap thanks to a much drier track on the last few laps, Alice's best lap of 45.8sec was only 3 tenths off and achieved when the track was at its slowest and dampest!
 
If you want to see some of the amazing 3D footage, plus some photos of the event pop into the Sony Centre in Welwyn Garden City where you can also get up to £150 cash back on selected 3D Televisions!
 
So a great night had by all thanks to Welwyn Garden City, Sony Centre, Unit 24 Howard Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6HA - Tel: 01707 391044 and Rye House Kart Raceway, Rye Road Rye House, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0EH - Tel: 01992 460895.

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Kartmania Sprint Challenge   (25/11)

After a very successful debut year, the Kartmania Sprint Challenge will return in 2012 for Senior Hondas.

A second class for Senior 4Stroke TKM will be added if enough entries are received, and Martin Capenhurst of Kartmania fame will once again promote the event with Llandow Kart Club as the supporting organiser.

The Challenge will follow the same format and rules as in 2011, taking in some of the best racing circuits the UK has to offer. Dates and venues are almost finalised and full details will be published at Kartmania at the Ricoh Centre, in 8 days time, when the show opens. There is already considerable interest from entrants keen to get their names down for this prestigious and enjoyable event. Major manufacturers are supporting the Challenge and sponsors are already providing prizes.

Come to the Kartmania Sprint Challenge Stand at the show for entry details. We look forward to seeing you there.

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Marussia Virgin Racing Car   (24/11)

Formula KGP will be exhibiting at KartMania on December 3rd and 4th at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The innagural KGP season has flown successfully past and the company finds itself back at Kartmania again where many people saw the KGP concept for the first time last October.

With Formula KGP's associated links with Marussia Virgin Racing, in pride of place on the KGP stand will be an original Marussia Virgin racing car on show.

There will also be an opportunity on the Formula KGP stand to enter a free prize draw to win a guest drive in a round of the 2012 Formula KGP S1 series!

By answering a simple question and completing an entry form on the stand you could win a guest drive in a Formula KGP Super One round in 2012!

Formula KGP UK partner Paul Deavin and the 2011 Formula KGP S1 champion Michael Simpson will be on hand to answer any questions about Formula KGP.

For more information on Formula KGP or for more information on the free prize draw for a guest drive in a round of the Formula KGP 2012 S1 championship visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk.

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Formula BMW Talent Cup   (24/11)

Tristan Viidas from Estonia is the proud winner of the Formula BMW Talent Cup shootout in Valencia, Spain. This earns the 15-year-old a season in the Formula BMW Talent Cup motor sport education programme, fully financed by BMW and worth 100,000 euros. "It's absolutely amazing! Because it isn't down to the best times, you never know where you stand. I'm over the moon. Sebastian Vettel led the way. Formula BMW really is the perfect entry into formula racing," said the ecstatic winner. During the two-day shootout, a total of 26 young driving talents competed for this "free ride" for the forthcoming year.

There were several key factors behind this triumph. BMW works driver Dirk Adorf and a team of instructors and data engineers assessed the contestants' driving potential and the ability to implement advice from the coaches on the track. "We were impressed at how the young drivers coped with varying conditions on wet, drying and dry surfaces. In the case of Tristan, the overall package proved the best fit," explained Adorf. In addition, internationally renowned mental coach Professor Dieter Hackfort put the youngsters through their paces with various tests.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt commented: "It was a very close contest and there wasn't much in it in the end. I have no doubt that in Tristan Viidas we have found a worthy successor to Stefan Wackerbauer, winner of the shootout 2010 and of the Formula BMW Talent Cup 2011. I look forward to a successful second season of the Formula BMW Talent Cup."

The Formula BMW Talent Cup marked its debut in 2011 and is already highly rated among up-and-coming young drivers. Extra starting slots for the shootout were added due to popular demand, while prospects for the coming season are likewise very good: a flood of enquiries has similarly prompted an increase in the number of available places. "The fact that our field of drivers for 2012 is almost complete reflects the high standard of training offered by the Formula BMW Talent Cup," noted Adorf.

In the Formula BMW Talent Cup, drivers are systematically introduced to the challenges of professional motor racing. Driver coaches and race engineers take charge of small groups and take them through everything from individual driving style to complete vehicle set-up. The training concept behind the Formula BMW Talent Cup is based on the competence of qualified experts. Specialist coaches instruct the drivers about fitness and nutrition, but beyond the physical side the mental aspect of motor sport is also playing an ever greater role. That calls for a mental coach who teaches strategies for handling stressful situations on and beside the race track. Dealing with the media is likewise growing in importance, so the drivers have to learn to handle professional media content as well as how to behave in front of a radio mike or a TV camera. All communications are based on English, the international lingua franca of motor sport. The global nature of the Formula BMW Talent Cup is reflected in the event calendar for the young racers, who travel to circuits across Europe.

You can take part in the Formula BMW Talent Cup in 2012.  Download a brochure here (PDF), pre-register to be kept up-to-date here (PDF) or email talent-cup@formulabmw.com for further information.

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Successful Season   (23/11)

Ambition Motorsport have closed the year with some great Championships and Races, winning silverwear throughout 2011.
 
In Super 1 Kyle Petricca finished his last year in Honda Cadet with various podiums and also winning the 1st Final at the ABkC O Plate at Rowrah.  Finishing with an overall 5th place championship position in what must be said was the most competitive year for the Honda Cadet class since its introduction into the Super 1 series.
 
Felix Meek had a mixed year but with the pace to challenge at the front, he achieved 10th overall in the Honda Cadet category. Felix has raced in the New Super Cadet Formula, receiving many podium positions in the final few rounds of the Super 1. Felix is now ready for a championship assault in both Honda and Super Cadet in the 2012 series, where he is expected to be a serious be a strong title contender in each.
 
Thomas Imamzade and Gordy Mutch had a challenging first year in Super 1, but Thomas showed great form in winning the last two races of the Bayford Meadows Club Championship and finishing third overall.
 
With the Ambition Academy Driver Development Program in full swing this year, Chris Lulham secured the F6 Honda Cadet category overall championship, with various round wins over the course of the seven rounds. Chris also qualified an incredible 2nd place in timed qualifying at his first Super 1 Round at Wigan, showing at his young age of 8 that he intends to set about running at the front of the 2012 series. Asher Smith Robson has also secured most improved Cadet of the year Award with second place in the Clubman Championship.
 
Charlie Lamb has improved progressively throughout the year in various races with the team and looks to be gaining enough experience to enter for next years Super 1 Championship along with Wesley Mason. Young Wesley did extremely well in finishing the Lydd Honda Cadet Championship in a fine second place after his first full season coming through the bambino school at Buckmore Park. 
 
Jean Sammut is currently lying 2nd in the Ellough Park Non-MSA Championship with various round wins and also qualifying Pole at the recent Bayford Meadows Cadet Meeting, has proved he also has the pace the challenge near the front of the 2012 super 1 series.
 
Elliot Harvey joined Ambition throughout the 2011 season to improve and develop, in doing so has gained the 2011 Championship at Blackbushe after winning the last 6 finals. He also claimed Forest Edge Championship after clinching the last round win. Elliot is looking at taking the Shennington Honda Championship next month. We wish Elliot the best of luck with making it a Triple!
 
Paul and the team at Ambition Motorsport would like to congratulate all their drivers on yet another great and successful year. Stamping their mark as being the most successful Honda Cadet team for 2011 and yet to continue.
 
The team has now planned the 2012 season and has set about competing in the various Championships below to enhance the teams profile on a greater scale. There are limited places available and interested parties should contact us direct to reserve their place before the end of December.
 
Ambition Motorsport will be competing in 2012 at:
ABkC Super One Honda Cadet Series
ABkC Super One Super Cadet Series
JM Super Cadet Club Championship (run with Little Green Man)
PFI Club Championship
Forest Edge Club Championship
Lydd Non MSA Club Championship
Buckmore Park Club Championship
Bayford Meadows Club Championship
Plus various Track Hire/Pre-Club Meetings over the UK before each round of the Super One Series
 
All details and team driver profiles for 2012 can be found at www.ambitionmotorsport.com, or for more information contact Paul Janes on tel +44 (0)7951 831236 or email info@ambitionmotorsport.com.
 
Ambition Motorsport are also available on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, to keep up to date with results and news about the team.

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Sample Super Cadet   (23/11)

Ambition Motorsport are pleased to announce that on Tuesday the 20th of December 2011 the team plan to run a Super Cadet sample session at Bayford Meadows Kart Circuit. To sample the Super Cadet for two 10min sessions we are offering a great price of £30.00 + VAT. This will need to be booked in advance to avoid disappointment.
 
This is a great chance for Honda, Comer or WTP drivers looking at making the next step before 2012 to try the class before the Championships start.
 
For all enquries and bookings please contact Ambition Motorsport UK on telephone +44 (0)7951 831236 or email info@ambitionmotorsport.com.

Visit us online at www.ambitionmotorsport.com.

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World Champions!   (22/11)

GW Motorsport would like to congratulate Zanardi on being crowned world champions. Matthew Graham with M Sport took the U18 World Championship and Nyck De Vries with Chiesa Corsa the KF1 World Championship (for the second year in a row!).
 
As the new sole UK importer for Zanardi, GW Motorsport will soon be taking delivery of the new KZ3 for 2012. For further details on the entire Zanardi range and our race team please visit www.gwmotorsport.co.uk.
 
After many weeks of successful testing, we are also proud to announce that we are the sole stockists of Frixa brake pads for Zanardi and CRG.
 
For more information email enquiries@gwmotorsport.co.uk or call us on 07950 032519.

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Karting Magazine App   (21/11)

Karting magazine is now available on the App Store!

As well as the popular print and web editions, Karting can now be read on the iPad and iPhone through the free Karting magazine app available to download from the App Store.

Individual issues cost £2.99 and a 12 month subscription £24.99.

For more information visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/karting-magazine/id469032088?mt=8.

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Singleton & King Are Ready   (18/11)

Step-brothers James Singleton and Andy King are ready to whip up a desert storm in the United Arab Emirates next weekend, as the lightning-quick duo prepare to take on the very best of international karting talent in the prestigious Rotax World Finals at Al Ain Raceway.
 
Both rookies in the blue riband event, the pair will each be up against no fewer than 71 world-class rivals of the very highest calibre around. James secured his place in the end-of-season showcase outing through his runaway charge to the title in the Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone-backed Formula Kart Stars Championship with Coles Racing - ascending the top step of the podium an incredible seven times during the opening ten rounds to clinch the crown.
 
The 15-year-old Conwy-based speed demon acknowledges that with only three British drivers from the Junior Rotax class having been selected to represent their country in the Middle East, it is a tremendous privilege to be one of them - and now, he similarly recognises, it is up to him to do that faith invested in him justice. James has already got off to an extremely encouraging start by winning his very first race on an 'RK' chassis - almost identical to the Birel mount he will campaign at Al Ain - to serve signal of his intent.
 
"We were ecstatic when we found out we were going to the World Finals," enthused the Ysgol Aberconwy pupil, who received the news only a day after a crushingly disappointing conclusion to the national Super 1 Series that had seen him denied third place in the standings through no fault of his own. "It really brightened everything up again.
 
"To get through to the World Finals was one of the main goals we'd had all year, and it means so much to us to be a part of it. It's pretty much the best three drivers in Britain at Junior Rotax level that have been chosen, and it's an absolute honour to be going over to the UAE to represent our country.
 
"I've taken to the RK very well, and we were pretty quick straightaway; it seems to really suit my driving style and I think it will work even better in the kind of conditions we're likely to find over there, and being outside of Europe, the track will be new to most drivers, so it should be a level playing field right from the outset. The competition will certainly be tough, though, and physically it will be tough, too, because of the weather, the temperature and the level of grip.
 
"All-in-all, I'm fully expecting it to be the hardest weekend we've ever had, but I'm ready for it and we'll put everything we've got into trying to win - and even if we come out of it just having learned, we'll still be happy. It will be a really good experience either way. I can't wait to get out there!"
 
Those sentiments are echoed by step-brother Andy, who earned his own World Finals ticket through finishing a strong third in the Senior Rotax class of Super 1 this year, triumphing twice along the way and tallying an impressive six further rostrum finishes - four of them in swift succession at the end of the season.
 
The 17-year-old Myerscough College student - who is hoping to compete extensively on international shores in 2012 - will not have the luxury of being able to try out the Sodikart chassis he will be racing in the UAE due to the difficulty of procuring one in the UK. That means he will likely head to Al Ain with no previous experience of it and will consequently be plunged right in at the deep end - but Andy has proven on many an occasion that he is nothing if not a quick learner.
 
"I was absolutely over-the-moon when I was told the good news," the Rochdale ace confessed. "It's a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go and race somewhere like that and against the crème de la crème of Rotax drivers from all around the world. I can't wait!
 
"The racing will clearly be hard and it will be important to remain focussed, but my goal has to be to win. Just having the chance to go there in the first place is something pretty special all on its own, so if we get a result, too, that will be the icing on the cake - but if we don't, it will still have been a good experience and we can return next year and finish the job off!
 
"I won't be putting any pressure on myself, but I'll be aiming for the top because my ambition is always to be number one - and to win the World Finals would undoubtedly be the highlight of my career so far, an awesome addition to any driver's CV!"

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Team Dynomite   (18/11)

Team Dynomite would like to congratulate Tom Parker for securing the South Yorkshire Championship at the penultimate round!

The team had a fantastic weekend securing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and locking out the front 2 rows of the grid for the final.

Wright chassis powered by the latest Tommy Motorsport engines, tuned and optimised on Tommy's SportDevices dyno, with Tommy Power Dyno optimised Carbs proved to be a formidable winning combination.

We currently have team space for next year at Wombwell, FKS, NKF, Super 1, and various club meetings. Team Dynomite's vision is success through teamwork and technology working together. If you want to be part of this innovative approach to winning, reach your potential, and make your aspirations a reality then Team Dynomite is ready to welcom you into our awning for 2012.

Tom's Championship winning equipment is also now available for sale - call Alistair for details.

SportDevices are pleased to release the latest version 35 software and sp1 v4b hardware.  If you need a car, bike or quad dyno contact info@sportdevices.co.uk or see www.sportdevices.co.uk/dyno/sp1.htm.

Many teams and privateers use SportDevices to help the find a competitive edge, you can too with our Kart EngineDyno measuring up to 50bhp only £3295.

For further information email info@sportdevices.co.uk or call Alistair on 0800 612 6977.

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New Rotax Special Offer   (18/11)

After dominating the end of season FKS and Super 1 rounds, Grice continued their success at the Super1 GYG Winter Series round as Connor Mills and Sam Marsh took wins.  Jai Nijjar, Connor Hall, Stephen Hanford and Ollie Myers all showed they had the pace to win.

If you're still undecided on your 2012 plans, why not join the above driver - 6 individuals in 4 different teams can't be wrong.
 
For our club guys, Grice have introduced a new cost cutting special offer for Mini, Jnr and Snr max drivers - We'll fit a new 2009/2010 barrel, piston ring, gaskets, and include all labour for just £295 + vat!
 
Remember, we don't run any drivers or sell any karts, meaning we're completely impartial.
 
For further information please call Ricky Grice on 01268 727847, 07768 047253 or visit www.griceracingengines.com.

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Coles Racing On Top Form   (17/11)

Coles Racing were on top form at Glan-y-Gors for round 1 of the Super 1 Winter Series.

In Minimax Connor Hall, who has only been in the class for just over 2 months, was on top form after winning the club meeting last week. He had qualified in 4th but after 5th place finishes in the first 2 heats and being hit off the track in heat 3 had to start down the grid. With a confident drive forced his way through to an impressive 3rd place in the main final, pulling a 4 second gap on 4th place Phillip Rawson and showing that he is currently the best newcomer to the class.

In Junior Rotax it was Steven Handford's first weekend with the team and after straightening the kart for the main final found himself leading the for over half of the race. With a scrap in the remaining laps found himself finishing in 4th place with 2nd, 3rd and 4th split by a tenth of a second. Oliver Myers showed his class by winning all 3 heats confidently. In the final however he was forced off the track at the start and had to make an early visit to the pits. James Singleton showed his pace but was also caught up in the first lap crash losing his nose cone in the process and was also forced into an early finish. Harrison Wignalll was having his first weekend with Coles Racing and his first visit to the circuit. He improved over the weekend and by the final was on the pace. Having to start almost last he was in the mix gaining a few places through the race, only to be knocked back when the KF3 drivers who were also in the race made their way through, but a confident drive showed great potential.

In Senior Rotax Ryan Singleton had won the club meeting last weekend and was showing good pace for the final. He was forced onto the grass on the first lap back to last place but recorded the fastest lap time after rejoining the circuit. Charlie Turner drove very well over the weekend and although didn't quite have the pace to catch the overall winner and local ace Tom Wrigley finished in an impressive 2nd place in the main final.
 
Current championship standings for the team see Connor Hall occupying 4th place in Minimax, whilst in Junior Rotax James Singleton is 4th, Steven Handford 5th, Harrison Wignall 10th and Oliver Myers 12th place.  In Senior Rotax Charlie Turner is currently 2nd with Ryan Singleton in 6th place.

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Ryder Is Jnr Max Champ   (17/11)

Congratulations go to Jensen Kart Team driver, Matt Ryder, who has clinched Rissington Kart Club's Junior Rotax Championship. The 15 year old, who is in only his second season of kart racing used his Exprit chassis to lead the championship from the first round, and his championship domination was such that he didn't need to compete in the final race of the season.

Jensen Kart Team now head to the Shenington circuit to complete their Club Championship, where Matt Ryder faces tough competition from fellow Jensen team driver, Will Maslin for the Club Championship title. Following yet another highly successful season, Jensen Kart Team are looking forward to further success in 2012.

Competing in the Rotax classes and interested in joining the team? Call team manager, Jacques Jensen on 07543 638542 or Tony Cater on 07920 772096 to arrange a test.

Jensen Kart Team use and recommend Exprit chassis and OTK components. Visit our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk.

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Formula BMW Talent Cup   (17/11)

In September, BMW concluded the debut year of its new education concept for talented young racing drivers - the Formula BMW Talent Cup. And already it is heading full throttle towards season 2012. Several test drives in Spain, Germany and Britain have been ticked off, and the first highlight is lined up for 21 and 22 November: at the shootout in Valencia (E), one driver will qualify for a full season in the Formula BMW Talent Cup 2012 financed by BMW to the tune of 100,000 euros. For two whole days the participants - none of whom have had any previous formula driving experience - must prove on and next to the track that they have what it takes to become a true racing driver.

The large number of applications reflects the popularity of this new concept as the ideal springboard into formula sport. A total of 28 drivers will be vying for victory in Spain in the hope of earning the "free ride" offered by BMW. "Interest is huge and we could not have accommodated any more drivers. I can't wait to see how these young talents acquit themselves and look forward to an international field," says BMW works driver and Formula BMW Talent Cup chief instructor Dirk Adorf. Drivers from 13 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey) have signed up. The only girl on the grid is 16-year-old Isabella Lauer from Bad Füssing. Those who fail to hit the jackpot in the shootout still have the option of signing up for the Formula BMW Talent Cup in the usual way.

In the Formula BMW Talent Cup a total of 15 drivers are systematically introduced to the requirements and challenges of professional motor racing. Driver coaches and race engineers take charge of small groups of drivers and take them through everything from individual driving style to complete vehicle set-up.

The training concept underpinning the Formula BMW Talent Cup relies on the competence of recognised experts. Specialist coaches instruct the drivers about fitness and nutrition, but beyond the physical side the mental aspect of motor sport is also playing an ever greater role: cue for a mental coach who teaches strategies for handling stressful situations on and beside the race track. Dealing with the media is likewise growing in importance, which means the drivers have to learn to handle professional media content as well as how to behave in front of a radio mike or a TV camera. All communications are based on English, the international lingua franca of motor sport. The global nature of the Formula BMW Talent Cup is reflected in the event calendar for the young racers, who travel to circuits across Europe.

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PKP Motorsport   (16/11)

PKP Motorsport have added Jessica Hawkins to their driver line-up.
 
After making Jessica a prime objective for their 2012 line up, PKP Motorsport are delighted to announce that Hawkins will be joining their team for 2012.
 
PKP's Sean Girdler said " It was vital that we engage the best drivers for 2012 and in Jessica we know we have a winner" He went on to explain, "Jessica has a massive future in motorsport and we will do all we can to assist in her development. In Dino, Jessica now has a clear path to be competitive and we hope our policy to develop young drivers pay real dividends".
 
Hawkins added "When I was given the chance to drive for PKP/Dino I felt it was a great opportunity, having understood the PKP strategy for young drivers, I knew the combination of PKP & Dino was on opportunity that I simply could not miss out on. I am very excited about the future".
 
PKP will have a range of Dino products at Kartmania in December, including Hawkins' 2012 Kart and she will be there along with several members of the team. PKP advise all visitors will be made most welcome.
 
Leon Cole (PKP) added "We're delighted that Frixa - Hankook High Performance Brakes, are continuing their support for Jessica as they did in 2011. She had many victories, fastest laps using Frixa brake materials and having tested using the products we are convinced she will top her 2011 performances."

For more information on the team visit www.pkpmotorsport.co.uk.

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Win A Rotax Engine   (16/11)

KartMania not only offers the chance to see some of the biggest names in karting under one roof, but this year we're also giving you the opportunity to win a Rotax engine unit!  Courtest of our sponsors JAG and Rotax, everyone that attends KartMania on Saturday 3rd December or Sunday 4th December has a chance of winning this brand new engine.  You can even take it away following the prize draw at 3:30pm on Sunday!

This year sees the return of your favourite exhibitors alonside the ever popular workshops which will be running throughout the weeked.  Tal-Ko will be talking about TKM engines, George Robinson on Rotax engines, information on how to start competitive karting, tyres and how to look after them, and more. A full program will be on the website shortly so be sure to keep checking www.kartmania.co.uk for all the latest show information.

It wouldn't be the KartMania show without the famous KartBoot, and this year is the biggest ever with over 50 tables of used spares and accessories!  If you have old karting equipment taking up space in the garage, why not turn it into cash by selling it at KartBoot?  Booking are strictly in advance and there are only a few spaces left so secure you place by calling Martin Capenhurst on 07974 766529.

If it's not already in your diary, KartMania '11 - the UK's premier kart show - will be held on the 3rd and 4th December 2011 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and there is free parking at this central venue on both days.  Further information and advance booking for tickets (with discounts on the 'on the door' prices!) visit the KartMania website at www.kartmania.co.uk.  Don't forget that MSA license holders can gain discounted entry by showing their license at the door, and with a concessionary rate for children aged 5 - 16 this is a day out for the whole family.

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Formula Fast Novices Excel   (15/11)

The Formula Fast Race Team is going from strength to strength, and - under the expert tutelage of Team Manager Phil Charles (former British Champion and F1 Race Engineer) - has made quite a name for itself in fostering fresh talent.

The team has had a great season this year with the team's existing drivers having performed brilliantly. However, recent graduates from Formula Fast's Indoor Championships have blown away all expectations, with superb performances in their debut outdoor MSA races.

This was demonstrated to great effect at the final Rissington Club meeting of the year last week, with team newcomer Matt Chapman finishing in an amazing 6th place in the Cadet A-Final - only his 3rd ever race - making it 3 Novice Cups out of 3 races so far for Matt.

Similarly, Junior TKM driver Ryan Harper-Ellam flew straight into a hotly contested A-Final also giving him a 100% hit rate with his 2nd Novice trophy from two races contested.

Commenting on the racing at the weekend, Team Manager Phil was certainly pleased with the performance of his drivers: "It's been great to see so many of our drivers rise up through the ranks at Formula Fast, and to continue on top form against drivers far more experienced than themselves in their very first outdoor races".

"Both of the new drivers being regulars at our indoor track in Banbury is a massive advantage, as it means the drivers are constantly honing their skills and the karts are kept in top shape. We're in a unique position being able to provide both testing and a permanent base for working on both the karts - and drivers - at our track in Banbury".

"With this new crop of drivers I am really looking forward to an even more successful season in 2012!"

If you're interested in joining the team, we have spaces available at all levels; from British Championship to novices alike. Call Phil on 01295 701010 to discuss your karting needs, visit our website, www.formulafast.co.uk, or you can visit us in person at Formula Fast Karting in Banbury.

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First Blood To RL   (15/11)

At the inaugural Super One Winter Series round held at the Glan - Y - Gors venue, North Wales, the Suffolk based Tonykart team took a string of honours in the Junior Max class with victory by a massive margin for Sam Marsh and top 5 finishes for Oli Norris and Josh White.

Marsh took the start of the final P2 but managed to take advantage of the huge scrap that ensued over the first 5 laps coming out well in front to cruise to victory by some distance. Oli Norris, who had started all the heats from last after a transponder failure in TQ had climbed all the way up to the lead group with  5 laps to go and made his way through to 4th at the flag. Their team mate and FKS Mini Max champion Josh White took P2 in TQ alongside Marsh who took pole, showing the teams outright pace , took strong finishes giving him a P3 start for the final, White taking 5th at the flag behind team mate Norris.

In the Mini Max class, the trio of Ryan Anderton, Lando Norris & William Taylforth had mixed fortunes but a strong TQ for them started the weekend off well with Anderton taking P2, Norris P5 and Taylforth P8 for their heat starts. Anderton took a 3rd and a 4th in his first two heats and then suffering a massive crash in heat 3. Norris had strong pace in the heats taking a strong 3rd in heat 3 and 2 top sixes in the first two heats. Taylforth had a hard weekend and after being caught in a crash on Saturdays heat 2 damaging his ribs took no further part after struggling in Sundays warm up session.

The duo of Anderton and Norris ran strong in the top 5 in the final with Anderton eventually losing out on 4th at the flag by the smallest of margins to the more experienced Phillip Rawson after a lengthy cat and mouse scrap between the two. Norris got to the front of the main group but struggled to break free without a slipstream and was then caught in a battle, coming out in 7th at the flag.
 
Marsh leads the points with White in 2nd and Norris 6th in Junior Max, in Mini Max Anderton is 5th with Lando Norris 6th, the next round is in February at PFI.

The teams' last race of 2011 is at Shenington this weekend and then the squad travel to Lanzarote for their winter testing programme, starting back in the UK in late January.

There are 2 spaces left for the Lanzarote trip, contact us below for a quote.

For more info on the Racing Dept. or the Tonykart range used by RL contact Steve Armstrong on 07843 586416 (mobile), email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk, visit our website at www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com or call the office on 01502 716200.

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De Vries Retains His Title   (15/11)

Fifth and final meeting of the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship, the Suzuka event (JPN) has crowned Nyck De Vries (Zanardi-Parilla-Bridgestone) double World Champion. In addition to succeeding himself on the Championship's list of results, the Dutchman also made it a point of honour to prevail in Race 4 at Suzuka, which was his last international participation in Karting before he switches over to Motorsport as planned.

After his disappointing 14th lap-time in Qualifying on Saturday, De Vries constantly progressed throughout the weekend, recovering to fifth place in Race 1, third in Race 2 and second in Race 3 before landing Race 4. From 18 points before the Japanese event, his final lead in the Championship has gone up to 45 points over Britain's Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM-B'stone), who did not make it to any podium in Suzuka but nonetheless managed to save his Vice-Champion title against the Italians Flavio Camponeschi and Ignazio D'Agosto (both on Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone). Already fastest in Saturday's Practice, D'Agosto won Sunday's Race 3, thus landing his maiden win in a World Championship event.

Saturday was marked by the double win of Poland's Karol Basz (RK-BMB-B'stone) hence offering to himself his 20th birthday present.

As expected by many Europeans, Japanese Drivers proved fierce opponents on their home land as three of them reached the podium: Yu Kanamaru (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone) came second in Race 2 while Kiyoto Fujinami (LH-TM-B'stone) and Daiki Sasaki (Birel-Parilla-B'stone) accompanied De Vries on the podium of Race 4.

This Suzuka event was also the venue of the CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship. It gave rise to very open and balanced debates between the works teams' European Drivers and the local Drivers. Arata Saeki (FA Kart-Vortex-B'stone) prevailed after a long final which he started fourteenth before taking the lead on the twentieth of the 24 scheduled laps. He won ahead of the Dane Max Klinkby-Silver (Birel-BMB-Vega) and Italy's Damiano Fioravanti (Tony Kart-Vortex-B'stone).

Full race reports, results, and more is available at http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/suzuka/event-guide.html.

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Kart Care Range In Stock   (14/11)

After the launch of their new website, KPUK are pleased to announce they now stock the Kart Care range of products. Once again expanding their range of products and listening to their customers needs.

KPUK are also including free of charge a Silkolene Pro Cool with all orders over £100 (ex VAT) until stock last. Don't get caught out with your water cooled engines this year costing £100's for repair bills.

If you've not had a look yet, please take time to look at the new web site, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at www.kartpartsuk.com.

If you would like to contact us, please call on 01775 712 633 or email info@kartpartsuk.com.

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Thompson Revved Up   (14/11)

Formula Kart Stars Junior Rotax frontrunner Bobby Thompson will be looking to pass on plenty of his race winning experience to several lucky members of the public when he captains one of the teams in the upcoming Caudwell Children Karting Cup Charity event.
 
Hornchurch based Thompson, a podium finisher on multiple occasions in the Formula One Management backed championship over the past three years, will join current Renault World Series driver Oli Webb as one of the team captains in the inaugural charity race, which takes place at The Raceway in Birmingham on November 20th.
 
The 15 year-old, one of Bernie Ecclestone's 2010 Driver of the Day award winners, hopes to pass on his seven years of karting experience to his rookie teammates as they bid to raise money for Caudwell Children and become the first names inscribed on the Caudwell trophy.
 
"I'm looking to put the fun back into Karting," said Thompson, who finished third in the 2010 Formula Kart Stars Mini Max standings and claimed several podium finishes in his first season in the 75mph Junior Rotax class this year. "This is a great way for the general public to learn more about karting and raise money for a good cause.
 
"It was an honour to be selected and hopefully I can pass on some tips to my teammates and help them progress during the day," added the Emerson Park School student. "Karting is such an adrenalin rush and it'll be nice to be able to show people what I do every weekend."
 
Trudi Beswick, Chief Executive of Caudwell Children was equally excited about Bobby's appearance in the two and a half hour endurance event, in which teams of up to five drivers will attempt to complete as many laps as possible around The Raceway's two-tier circuit, regarded as one of the longest and fastest indoor circuits in the country.
 
"This is the first time we've had a kart racing event and, thanks to Bobby and Oliver's involvement, the reaction from the public has been fantastic," said Beswick. "The event is an opportunity for friends or colleagues to experience the excitement and adrenaline of karting while supporting a worthy cause. We can't thank Bobby enough for his help and can't wait to see who will take the chequered flag in the Caudwell Children Cup."
 
To learn more about the Caudwell Children Karting Cup please visit www.caudwellchildren.com or visit The Raceway Birmingham on Sunday November 20th when the event begins at midday. To learn more about Bobby's Formula Kart Stars activities please visit www.formulakartstars.com.

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Super One Series 2012   (14/11)

The Ginetta Super One Series is pleased to announce that the 2012 Registration Form is now available for booking places in Britain's most prestigious kart championship, backed in 2011 by almost 400 competitors, Ginetta Cars, ABkC, MotorsTV, SkySports, JAG for BRP Rotax, Tal-Ko for TKM Classes and a host of others.  We would also like to wish all the British drivers, including the five directly nominated from Super One, who will attend the Rotax Grand Finals at Al Ain, UAE, later this month, the very best of luck.   We are honoured to be the promoters of two MSA British kart championships as well as the ABkC's direct drive national championships.
 
We were pleased to welcome two new classes in 2011 - the MSA's new intermediate Super Cadet class, and the Formula KGP backed by Marussia Virgin Racing Formula 1 team and look towards them both thriving and increasing numbers in 2012. We thank our tyre suppliers Dunlop, Bridgestone, Maxxis and Vega for their support and through the Association of British Kart Clubs for providing approximately 50% of the very substantial £60k+ prize fund.  We have strength in numbers, immediate television coverage and same day results and points.
 
Listening to customer feedback there will be some minor changes but essentially the two parallel series will continue as before, with the following classes:
- The MSA British Championship for KF2
- The MSA Junior British Championship for KF3
- The ABkC Comer Cadet National Championship
- The S1 Super Cadet Championship
- The ABkC National Championship for Junior TKM
- The ABkC National Championship for TKM Extreme
- The ABkC National Championship for TKM Senior 4-stroke (subject to MSA approval & sufficient registrations)
- The S1 Marussia Virgin Formula KGP Championship
- The ABkC Rotax Max National Championship
- The ABkC Rotax Max/177 National Championship
- The S1 Rotax Max/177 Masters Championship as part of Max/177
- The ABkC Junior Max National Championship
- The ABkC MiniMax National Championship
- The ABkC Honda Cadet National Championship

The provisional 2012 calendar is now available on the Super One website (in PDF format).

Remember the booking form for the famous awards dinner on Saturday 14th January at the Hilton Warwick is available on www.s1series.co.uk on the 'Competitor Information / Forms for competitors' page.  It's always an unmissable event (and usually fully subscribed) and will follow the official prize giving at Autosport International earlier in the day where Super One will have a stand with full information for prospective competitors. The Super One Series will also be exhibiting at KartMania, so come and chat and find out more.
 
The registration form (available here) is also available in the December issue of Karting Magazine. Please remember the Super One Series classes are the only ones offering nation wide recognition of the cherished seeded numbers (with the sole exception of Comer Cadet) and the only national championships having MSA approval for Honda Cadet , Super Cadet, KGP, TKM 2-strokes and Senior Rotax.  So book now to get your choice of competition number for 2012. This is Britain's most prestigious kart championship, you need to be part of it?

[ Top ]

Malcolm Turner   (14/11)

It is with huge sadness we report that a great Karting hero passed away from Cancer in Sidmouth, Devon on Saturday 12 November 2011, surrounded by his family and friends.
 
Many will remember Malcolm's karting exploits, including his British Kart Grand Prix win in 1987 in the 250 International class.

The Funeral Service will be held at 2pm on Thursday 24th November at Sidmouth Parish Church, Church Lane, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 8LG

Friends past and present, are welcome to join the family in a celebration of Malcolm's life.

Family flowers only please, by request.  Donations to the Staff of the Victoria Cottage Hospital, Sidmouth and the Sidmouth Hospice Care Nurses.

Donations to be sent to the Funeral Directors: B.E.J Woodley, The Falls, Exeter Road, Newton Poppleford, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0BJ. Tel: 01395 568667.

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Litchfield Motorsport   (11/11)

Litchfield Motorsport, in conjunction with Maxter PFI and JM Kartsport, wish to announce that all the drivers who compete in all four rounds of the TVKC TKM winter series at the PFI circuit from December to March will have their names put in a hat.

The name drawn for the TKM junior class will win a free test day in KF3 and the senior TKM driver will win a test day in a KGP.

As the first round of the MSA Super One is in April at PFI it is a great opportunity to test.

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Christmas Karting Gifts   (11/11)

Stuck for Christmas ideas for your budding racer?

Formula Fast Karting stock a range of karting racegear (suitable for use in MSA racing) - including Sparco and Arai brands - via 'The Pitwall', a dedicated online store.

If you're looking for an amazing karting experience at the track itself, we also offer a range of Christmas Gift Vouchers  - the perfect Christmas pressie for your budding racer - downloadable online straight from the website. No delivery, no collection; the download link is emailed straight to you!

Simple, easy, and perfect for filling those stockings!

Visit http://www.formula-fast-indoor-karting.co.uk/shop/thepitwall today to get your shopping done & dusted in one shop.

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Get Your Kartcam   (11/11)

Since our product launch just over 2 months ago Kartcam has shown to be the gadget in Karting you can't afford not to have.

Having sold our cameras across 7 countries to many Karters, Formula 3 & Formula Renault teams, Kartcam has proved it's one of the most versatile & cost effective products on the market.

Aimed at all drivers who want to record their races for analysis, promote themselves on the net, provide promotional videos to current or potential sponsors or you just want to have footage to look back in years to come, Kartcam.co.uk has the ideal solution.

We offer our Kartcam Cameras inclusive with a 4GB SD memory card for an amazing price of £25.99.

Also all our cameras come with 30 day money back guarantee. The Camera offers excellent quality footage ideally suited for recording & watching back your days racing.

The Camera can be positioned almost anywhere on the Kart giving you the best, most realistic view of the track, steering angle, throttle & brake positions.

For more info on Kartcam Cameras or to purchase your camera please visit www.kartcam.co.uk.

You can also email us at enquiries@kartcam.co.uk.

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JTKM Champion Johnson   (11/11)

Craig Johnson had clinched the 2011 Rissington Junior TKM Championship using Tal-Ko Veloce kart.
 
The final round of the Rissington kart club junior TKM was always going to be a tight affair with Matt England in 1st place Craig Johnson 2nd and Jack Ransom 3rd just 30 points between them and all 3 had at some stage of the season topped the points table, dropped rounds would also play a part.
 
After the heats Matt had 146 Craig had 180 and Jack 137 so it would go down to the wire in the final.
  
When the points were totaled after a fiercely fault final and dropped scores taken into account Craig Johnson clinched the championship by just 6 points from Matt England and Jack Ransom.
 
Craig commented "This year I was so consistent at Rissy, I had only 2 bad races and finished in the top ten in all the other heats and finals. I've also experienced Super one, what a year!"
 
"I want to thank Alan Turney from Tal-Ko for his help this year, the Veloce chassis was awesome in the wet or dry hot or cold. I can not wait to get my hands on the 2012 title".

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JKH Club Meeting Support   (10/11)

JKH is proud to announce that henceforth it will be attending club meetings at Glan y Gors .  JKH stocks an extensive range of spares for most makes of karts including Tonykart and Intrepid including all the OTK parts.  Glan y Gors has been operating on the first Sunday of the month but will change to the third Sundays in 2012.
 
Eddie Davies, proprietor of the GYG circuit, said: "We are very pleased that JKH have chosen to come to our popular club meetings, its another great step forwards for our club after all the investment in our new club house and facilities for both club and championship meetings."
 
John Hoyle, JKH proprietor, added: "It was like a breath of fresh air visiting GYG last weekend and we were made to feel so very welcome.  We were very pleased to be able to supply everything that the customers needed.  On the other hand I am sorry for our regulars at PF International who will be so disadvantaged by our absence on both pricing and availability.  We were unable to agree terms with the leaseholders and I would emphasise this was not something the club there could influence."  JKH will also support the Winter Cup and ABkC KF O Plate round at the circuit this coming weekend, and all the Super One visits.
 
JKH stock a very comprehensive parts list catering for all kart requirements, so why not try them first for a reliable and trust worthy service.

To contact JKH call 07774 646784 (mobile), 01928 740090, or email johnhoylejkh1@btinternet.com.

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BPKC Summer Champs R7   (10/11)

The seventh round of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Championship takes place on Sunday the 20th November.

This is a special round as it is the Henry Surtees Commemorative meeting. Honda Cadet is the featured class and the young drivers will compete for special awards which will be awarded by John Surtees himself. £5 from each entry to the meeting will be donated to the Henry Surtees Foundation.

All regular classes (not Bambino Class) will compete for the coveted Henry Surtees 'H' trophies which will also be presented by John Surtees OBE.

The meeting will also include the first ever MSA Bambino trial race. This will be run on the full circuit and for equality the drivers will race on Buckmore's own fleet of Birel Bambino karts.

All other ABkC classes are welcome and Open Practice will be available as usual on both Friday 18th and Saturday 19th.

Full details are available at www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk/content.php/00020 or by telephone on 01634 661604.

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New Northern BRM Agents   (09/11)

Champion Kart Services have just recently secured the Northern Agency for BRM Karts, in conjunction with Rob Dodds of BKC Karting in Poole. We will be receiving the first batch of karts in the coming weeks and would like to suggest you place your orders as soon as possible in order to secure the great deals we can supply you with.
 
With over ten years of Karting knowledge Champion Kart Services can be sure to be seen at the front in 2012 with the right drivers. In those ten years we have had a range of success all the way from WTP to ICC UK Long Circuit.
 
We are planning to attend PFI, Three Sisters and Hooton Park with spaces available for 2012 but are able to attend Super One and/or FKS, don't hesitate to give us a call to see if we can fulfill your needs.
 
Do your sponsors/partners want to give karting a try? That is no longer a problem as Champion Kart Services are in partnership with Daytona Manchester and are able to give you huge discounts on any indoor karting you wish to do. Pop in at the Manchester branch of Daytona where you can get further details.
 
Need any spares, looking for a test drive on something new, or just a general chat on what we can do for you call Connor or Ryan At Champion Kart Services on 07958 001415, 07718 234038, or email us at championkartservices@live.co.uk.

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End Of Season Sale   (09/11)

South East based race team Global Karting are having an end of season sale. We have 2010 and 2011 Tonykarts ranging from 3 meetings to 20. Prices are from as little as £1000. All Karts have been maintained by us with no expense spared and are currently in storage at our premises.
 
We also have a host of old and new stock that we are selling so for any of your Karting needs please don't hesitate to call. We are OTK agents and Rotax stockists including Mojo tyres.
 
We still have spaces for the 2012 season and are currently holding test days for any drivers wishing to 'try before you buy'.
 
Many congratulations for our latest recruit Aaron Drury for winning at Rye house, his maiden win in the Minimax class and only his 4th meeting with the team. Also Martin Gange for his 2nd win on the bounce in senior max.
 
For all enquiries please contact Rob, Chris or Mike on 01279 841 291, 07957 463 109, or email robhanscomb@me.com.

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0% Finance Offer   (08/11)

Intrepid UK are pleased to announce that we are able to offer customers the option of 0% finance on all of our new and used products between now and Christmas.

Deposits start from as low as 15%, and the karts will be available for collection/delivery as soon as the deposit has been received.

For further information on this limited offer, please call our team on 07585 448540 or visit www.intrepidkarting.co.uk.

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World KF1/2 Championships   (08/11)

Only one week after the season's first World Champions were crowned (Matthew Graham for Drivers and Zanardi for chassis in the "U18" category), the CIK-FIA is preparing to celebrate the competitor who will land the supreme title in the KF1 category, the culmination of a long season comprising five events and twenty races!

Having visited Germany, Spain, Belgium and Italy, the World KF1 Championship is about to end in Japan on 10-13 November at the circuit of Suzuka, which many Drivers rate as one of their favourite tracks. And quite recently, recalling his Karting memories Jenson Button described the Suzuka circuit as the best one. The current McLaren F1 Driver distinguished himself there in 1996 by claiming third place in the World Cup for Formula A.

Although four of them can still dream of winning the title from a mathematical viewpoint, the main favourites are tipped as being two of the competition's youngest Drivers, and judging by their supporters (McLaren for one, Red Bull for the other) they are also likely to have a great career in Motorsport ahead of them, namely the Dutchman Nyck de Vries (Zanardi-Parilla) and Britain's Alexander Albon (Intrepid-TM). Somewhat further down in the classification but still in with a little hope are Team Tony Kart's Italians Flavio Camponeschi and Ignazio d'Agosto.

Further to the decision pronounced a few days ago by the International Court of Appeal after the incident which occurred in the Belgian event between de Vries and Camponeschi, the gap separating the two leaders now stands at 18 points. Depending on the different possible decisions, it could have been 30 or 5, each time to the advantage of Nyck de Vries on Alexander Albon. But what are 18 points when 75 are allocated at each event? More especially as the Drivers who took part in the season's first four events will share the starting grid with new opponents since ten Japanese Drivers are entered and will be determined to shine in front of their public on the occasion of this maiden World Championship held on their home ground. Although it was very prestigious, the Suzuka event indeed only had World Cup status until now.

In addition to the 4 races counting towards the World KF1 Championship (2 races on the Saturday and 2 on the Sunday), the schedule of the meeting includes the CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship held over one single-event. Its field will be very strong, with 36 participants comprising a selection of Japan's best Drivers opposed to a few other Asian racers well-versed in international competitions (like the Thai Tanart Sathienthirakul at the wheel of a Tony Kart-TM-Dunlop and the Indonesian Gelael Sean at that of an FA Kart-Vortex-Vega), to the 2010 Australian Champion Cian Fothergill (Kosmic-Vortex-Bridgestone) and to a solid European delegation with Denmark as the predominant nation comprising Nicolaj Moller Madsen (FA Kart-TM-Vega), Michelle Gatting (Birel-BMB-Vega) and Max Klinkby-Silver (Birel-BMB-Vega).
 
Additional information and live results are available at http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/suzuka/event-guide.html.

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Memorial Kart Race   (07/11)

Dan Wheldon will be honoured in a special memorial kart endurance event on Monday, December 5, at Daytona Milton Keynes (UK).
 
Appropriately staged just 10 miles away from Dan's hometown of Emberton, Buckinghamshire, the event will see drivers from across the realms of worldwide motorsport join together to remember their close friend and colleague.
 
Members of the public will also be able to honour Dan, who lost his life in the final round of the IZOD IndyCar series at Las Vegas last month, in the hope of raising funds for the Wheldon family's nominated charity, the Alzheimer's Society.
 
Race organiser Johnny Mowlem, a long-time personal friend and successful sportscar racer, commented "I just wanted to put together an event to honour Dan. Aside from raising funds for one of the family's chosen charities, I wanted to bring together people who knew and raced with Dan, to have some fun in his honour and give him a send off he would have been proud of."

"The event has the full support of Dan's family and his dad and brothers will be taking part and share in the evening. I hope members of the public will also appreciate the opportunity to take part and remember one of Britain's most successful and charismatic champions."
 
Mowlem has already enlisted the support of 2009 FIA Formula One World Champion Jenson Button, reigning IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti, F1 and sportscar star Anthony Davidson, Le Mans winner Guy Smith and World Touring Car Championship title contender Rob Huff, while he hopes to attract a full grid of drivers who knew or raced alongside the double Indy 500 winner and IndyCar champion.
 
Between 25 and 30 teams of four people, each including a professional driver and three members of the public, will take part in the two hour endurance race aboard DMAX 125cc two-stroke water-cooled karts.
 
Public places, available at just £175 (inclusive of VAT), can be booked by calling 0845 644 5503 or email dwmkr@daytona.co.uk while professional drivers will also make a charity donation.
 
Starting at 6pm, drivers' briefing will take place at 6.30pm with practice at 7pm preceding the race start at 7.40pm. The evening will conclude with an awards presentation at 9.50pm.

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Special Karting Event   (07/11)

On 23rd November a very special race event is being organised with celeb race driver Alice Powell, who is being talked about by the media as the women most likely to break into F1.  She has just won the Formula Renault championship along with 2nd place in the Formula One support race at last week's Indian GP.

The event will be held at Rye House, the circuit regarded as the best by many F1 drivers, and only recently played host to Red Bull F1's annual race event, so see if you can beat Vettel's best lap!

The circuit has amazing facilities including a VIP centre with bar overlooking the race track. There is going to be food put on for us after the race as well.

Trophies and Champagne for the top teams and also a fastest lap prize.
 
The race will consist of teams of two where each driver will qualify followed by an 80 minute race split evenly by both drivers as 20 minute stints.
 
For more information on the event or to enter please call the booking office on 01992 460895 and quote 'Sony Event on 23rd November'.

For information on the circuit and location visit www.rye-house.co.uk - start time is 6:30pm.

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Chief Mechanic Wanted   (07/11)

A Midlands-based indoor track is looking for a Full Time mechanic to be responsible for managing and maintaining fleet of approx 20 karts. The karts are a mixture of Sodi and Biz, single engined Honda GX200 and GX120 4-strokes. Prior mechanical experience is a necessity and specific karting expertise would be an advantage.
 
The ideal person to fit this role will be consistently relied upon to work using their own initiative, and will constantly strive for the highest standards and equality amongst the fleet. The focus will be on meticulous planning, attention to detail, presentation and quality of work. The right candidate will also be a clean and careful worker.
 
The circuit is renowned for quality, a friendly atmosphere and excellent, personal customer service. Staff are required to work antisocial hours and be willing to go the extra mile without being asked, to provide the best possible experience for every customer. The work itself is demanding but exciting, and applicants who are able to uphold our standards and values will be rewarded.
 
Salary will be dependent on experience, please email your CV and covering letter to Hannah at hannahstrac@yahoo.co.uk, or call 07815 736070.

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Graham Wins U18 Battle   (07/11)

Matthew Graham (Zanardi) followed fellow Englishman Jake Dennis as the 2011 CIK-FIA "U18" World Champion in the second staging of the Event. It was a day of changing fortune for both of the top 2 contenders. Finland's Pyry Ovaska (Maranello) the championship leader had a most disappointing Saturday but went into the Final with every opportunity to win the title. He started on the front row but made a slow start. Both Graham and Frenchman Anthoine Hubert (Sodi) made better starts and Ovaska was soon seen to be struggling.

But Graham was not having things all his own way as Italy's Antonio Giovinazzi (PCR), Denmark's Martin Mortensen (Mach 1), and France's Léo Roussel (Sodi) pressed forward. It was tight at the front but Graham made steady progress moving up to 3rd after 6 laps whilst Giovinazzi increased his lead. England's Henry Easthope (Sodi) and Hubert had a good battle in 2nd and 3rd places until Graham eased by. As darkness descended Graham moved into 2nd place on lap 9 but Ovaska was dropping into the lower reaches of the top 20.

With just under 2 laps to go Martin Mortensen passed Graham, but with Ovaska's problems, this was not enough to prevent Graham from winning the title. "I was not certain I had won' he said, 'but when I saw my family hanging over the grandstand railing and waving and cheering, I knew I must be the champion" he acknowledged.

For Ovaska it was a huge disappointment. "I felt I was good enough to win this championship, but some mechanical problems and also some penalties did not help me" he said with clear disappointment on his face.

Anthoine Hubert in third place in the championship was very upbeat. "I had a little bit of misfortune but I also had some very good results, so I am satisfied" he said.

In the first Pre-Final, Matthew Graham jumped into a big early lead, but 3 ominous features were to spoil his race. First, there was the board showing he was to be investigated for a starting irregularity. Secondly, a bolt snapped on his steering column, and thirdly, whilst Antonio Giovinazzi took the lead and went on to score an impressive win, main rival Pyry Ovaska at last found some good form and drove a superb race to finish 3rd. Graham limped home in 6th place  but a 7 seconds penalty dropped him further down to 10th place.

In the second Pre-Final with the reverse Grid, Pyry Ovaska made a superbly fast start and drove from 24th to 4th but appeared to be the victim of contact and lost several places. Graham made steady progess as Ovaska fought back. They were side by side with 3 laps to go and Graham finished just in front in 4th with Ovaska 5th. Anthoine Hubert drove an excellent race for an easy victory in front of Henry Easthope and Martin Mortensen.

The morning races took place in very heavy rain and by the last Qualifying Heat, the track was hardly raceable. Matthew Graham completed his heats unbeaten although he had been assessed a penalty in his first outing. Dave Blom drove a magnificent final heat to go from 8th to 2nd whilst Tomi Katajamäki survived a 3 seconds penalty by winning his last race by over 13 seconds! Pyry Ovaska had a 2nd and a disappointing 8th to finish his heats.

There was a major drama at the start of the Academy Trophy Race One. Pole man and championship leader Charles Leclerc suddenly went from first to a long way last on the formation lap! Two more formation laps were signalled but Leclerc could not reach the pack and had to start last. He later explained that someone had crashed into him and his chain had come off. He had to stop and put the chain back on!

His main rival Ben Barnicoat took a big lead but was eventually overtaken by the impressive Dutchman Marijn Kremers. It was not Barnicoat's only disappointment. Leclerc steadily picked off the places and at the chequered flag was up to a most creditable 6th place whilst Barnicoat was 2nd. Juha Valtanen was 3rd and fellow Finn Aatu Moilanen 5th with Russian Vsevolod Gagen in between them in 4th place.

Race Two was a disaster for Ben Barnicoat. He was in 2nd place on the opening lap when it appeared he was the innocent victim of heavy contact. He dropped to the back of the field. In the meantime Charles Leclerc stayed clear of all problems as other drivers made contact with each other. He stayed in 3rd place for some time then quietly moved into 2nd and then took a lead which he never lost, Juho Valtanen was 2nd and Martin Ellegard was promoted to 3rd after Kremers was penalised.

Barnicoat drove a brave race up into 13th place but it was not enough and the Englishman was confined to runner-up in the championship. He was very sporting in defeat acknowledging how good the champion was but did say "I feel very disappointed because I definitely do believe I could have made a very serious challenge for this title."

Leclerc was focussed even after his victory. He explained that when he had to put on his chain and start last, he refused to believe he would not win. "I just had to drive as strongly as I could. I picked each place carefully and when I saw Ben Barnicoat with a problem I knew I could definitely win. This has been a good championship and I have driven my best all year."
 
Additional information and results are available at http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/sarno-napoli/event-guide.html.

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Mick Barrett Racing   (04/11)

Following continued success over the past few years in KF3, MBR will now be offering their services in Rotax, KF and KGP classes.  We have enjoyed a great success in KF3 with many drivers over the past three years - Super1 and FKS Champions in 2009/2010, GP Kartmasters in 2008 and 2010, and many more. 
 
Our previous drivers have now gone onto great things within motorsport, which we believe shows our success in developing young drivers. Alexander Albon has become the CIK-FIA European and World Champion and has a great future ahead of him. Charlie Robertson stepped on the podium nine times in his first year of the Ginetta Junior Series. Patryk Szczerbinski has taken 6 wins in the Formula BMW Intersteps also in his first year. 
 
We are able to provide the services to succeed in any class and develop a great platform for the higher levels of motorsport. Professional driver coaching, using the latest data analysis, and state of the art facilities give you everything that is needed to get the right results.
 
Drives are now available for the 2012 season.
 
For more details and all enquiries please contact Mick on 01205 821529 or 07711 779998 (mobile), or Dan on 07712 444491 (mobile).

Or visit our website at www.mickbarrettracing.co.uk.

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Rotax Drives Available   (04/11)

The Rotax division of KR-Sport would like to congratulate its drivers on their results across the board from club championships to national.

Team drivers Oliver Hodgson and Charlie Streather both featured at the front at the final S1 round Held at Wigan. Hodgson set the 4th fastest time over both groups in qualifying to line up with two third place starts for his heats. In the finals Oliver was victim of the first corner drama and dropped to the back of the field, two strong drives from the KR driver back to 14th and 12th at the flag showed his pace as Hodgson also took fastest Lap of the race and seeded number 6 for the following season. Streather was also a man on the move with a championship number in sight he put in a strong performance all weekend with a 5th and 2nd in the heats Charlie went on to finish 5th In the main final and take 13th place in the championship.

Stop Press... Cadet Champion Tom Harvey signs for the Milton Keynes outfit to contest the Super One championship and winter testing program in Junior Max. With limited space available in Mini, Junior and Senior Max we urge interested parties to contact us with their requirements or to visit the team at the track for an informal chat.
 
KR-Sport will continue to use the successful Tony Kart products for the 2012 season.

Details on the team can be found by visiting www.kr-sport.com or by contacting Ashley Orchard by email at ash@kr-sport.com or telephone 07921 225 680.

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KR-Sport At The Front   (04/11)

The 2011 season has seen KR-Sport in even more of a dominating form than ever before In the TKM Category with 6 Final wins from 3 Different drivers at S1, KR-Sport have once again helped to produce race winning equipment and drivers during 2011.

We would like to congratulate all our drivers for their efforts during 2011.

The 2012 season is even more exciting with the introduction of a new race transporter and awnings and the install of an engine Dyno into their Milton Keynes premises over the winter.

Orchard team manager commented "we are really proud of the efforts from everyone this year, we may not have won the British Championship but we have achieved something even more exciting and that was to provide each and every one of our drivers with the opportunity to run at the front and win, that's something not many teams can say, We have upped the game again for 2012 with the install of a dyno to give us even greater options in the power department and a Larger awning and race truck, The future is bright… I think its KR!"

Team places are limited due to demand but tests are available with the team over the winter.

KR-Sport will continue to run and promote the Tonykart Viper within its awnings and Litchfield prepared race engines for 2012.

New and Used Tony kart Viper Elites are available from KR-Sport. Each new kart purchased from KR will receive two Free Kart Jigs at any point through the 2012 season either at KR-Sport premises or at the race track. New Karts are priced from £2495.00 +Vat for a Rolling Chassis.

For more information on the team and Karts please visit www.kr-sport.com or contact Ashley Orchard on 07921 225 680 or email ash@kr-sport.com.

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International Open Champs   (03/11)

Protrain Racing driver Kaan Onder won last weekends prestigious annual International Open Championship at Zuera, Spain, in impressive style.  Competing in Junior Rotax Max against the world's leading drivers from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America Kaan was the one to beat from the moment his Borusan Otomotive Motorsport sponsored Tony Kart touched the Tarmac.
 
In incredible form Kaan totally dominated the talented field in practice posting the fastest time in the dry and when the wet weather arrived no other driver got to within a second of him. Protrain Racing were so pleased with the set up of the kart and the amazing times Kaan was achieving they even managed to leave practice early for some well deserved relaxation, rarely an option at such a high level.
 
By driving with great maturity combining speed, utilising the excellent kart set up and clever slipstreaming on the extremely fast Zuera Circuit Kaan claimed pole position in timed practice coming in .11s in front of his nearest rival.
 
The Zuera circuit, host to the recent KF European Championship, boasts a brilliant 13 second flat out section which provides a strong slipstream for all drivers, this cost Kaan a position in one of his heats but still did not prevent him coming first in two other heats, putting him in pole position for the pre final. 
 
Kaan got a great start but after a couple of laps it became obvious he had a kart problem which eventually forced him to retire after only four laps. Cruelly this meant that he would have to start the final at the back of the grid.
 
Once again showing the maturity that had earned him his place at the highest level of Junior Rotax Max, Kaan was positive that he could win knowing he had the fastest kart on the track provided by Protrain Racing.  In an immense drive Kaan drove an action packed five laps and took the lead, he then spent a few laps pulling away, eventually gaining a one second lead. However the talented competition were never going to give in that easily and with just a few laps to go the second place driver took advantage of the slipstream and took first place. Kaan was in inspirational form though and brilliant positioning on the last lap saw the Protrain Racing driver claim victory in an almost photo finish across the line. He had timed and actioned his move to perfection and claimed the title.
 
Afterwards the Protrain driver said, "I knew I could win even from the back of the grid, I just needed a strong start and anything was possible".  Kaan's mechanic Jim Jones forecast before the race proved to be correct, he said "Even starting the final last we will lead the race at some point, it just depends on the slip streaming whether it will be at the chequered flag, we have the kart and driver to do it with".
 
The entire Protrain Racing Team are thrilled with this brilliant victory and wish Kaan well with his BMW duties and are confident that he will be remain one of the drivers to beat in Junior Rotax Max in 2012. 
 
Protrain is one of the most successful UK team running drivers in Europe with an impressive record of European Championship wins. Gary Chapman of Protrain commented "I am thrilled for Kaan; his win further demonstrates our strength in developing drivers at the highest level. 2011 has been a very exciting year for us with several promising new drivers joining our racing team in both the UK and Europe. The future for Protrain is filled with success."
 
For more information on Protrain visit www.karttraining.co.uk or email protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Lydd Winter Championship   (03/11)

With the opening round of the Lydd Winter Championship starting on the 13th November grids are already building fast with 10 Super Cadets already booked in. All Rotax classes are growing fast and the Honda Cadet and Clubman classes are always busy, Prokarts continue to grow and offer some very exciting racing. The racing is open to all, with a class to suit almost all types of  karts, so why not book your place for Lydd's next meeting on 01797 321895
 
As always we have kept the Saturday before race day clear purely for owner drivers. We look forward to seeing you all for open practice on the Saturday and also on the 13th November for our race meeting.

Visit our website at www.lyddkarting.com.

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Suspense At Season's End   (03/11)

The CIK-FIA U18 World Championship and Academy Trophy will bring in their verdicts this first November weekend on the circuit of Sarno, near Naples. At the foot of the Vesuvius volcano there is full suspense in both categories and the debates are likely to be... explosive!
 
As participants will have identical engines - supplied on a free basis further to a lottery by the FIM company - the U18 World Championship guarantees that they all have the same winning opportunities. And as a matter of fact it is not pure hazard that several of them can still claim the world crown of Drivers under 18 years old on the Sarno circuit in a final scheduled for 4 to 6 November. Unless there is an incredible reversal of situation, three Drivers should fight for this highly coveted title.
 
On the smallest step of the podium at Ortona's opening event, the Finn Pyry Ovaska (Maranello) also shone in the French stage of Essay where he finished the Final in second place. Although he has not yet won, he will therefore start the last round of this exciting season as leader. 16 year-old Pyry is determined to show to his opponents that he also belongs to the "Flying Finns" lineage, a qualifier initially given to Finnish rallymen but that Kimi Räikkönen and others also "exported" to circuits.
 
Against Maranello Team's Finish Driver we shall logically find the winners of the first two meetings. Laureate in Italy, young Matthew Graham (Zanardi) also demonstrated how fast he was. Thanks to his third place in Normandy this 15 year-old Briton retains every chances of eventually prevailing. He will however have to prove fast right from the beginning of the weekend because it was in the Qualifying Heats (in which Championship points are already allocated) that he lost ground to the competition leader.
 
Finally, the third man in this title chase should be France's Anthoine Hubert. Having celebrated his 15th birthday last September, the works Sodikart's protégé is the youngest candidate to the crown. Runner-up last year in the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy where he represented his country, Anthoine wants to repeat his Essay victory and thus chance his luck until the end. However, with a personal tally of 95 points (compared to 136 for Ovaska and 107 for Graham), he is aware that he will not be the sole master of his fate.
 
As there is still a maximum of 75 points to be allocated (25 after the Qualifying Heats and 50 in the Final) every top 10 Driver is mathematically in for the title fight. The Dutchman Dave Blom (Intrepid, 88 points), the Briton Henry G. Easthope (Sodi, 86), Finland's Tomi Katajamäki (Maranello, 77), Austria's Stephan Riener (Intrepid, 75), the German Lucas Speck (Mach 1, 71), the Spaniard Toni Alarcón (Righetti Ridolfi, 68) and the very fast - but so far also very unlucky - Italian Antonio Maria Giovinazzi (PCR, 67) can therefore still dream of succeeding Jake Dennis, champion in 2010, should the leading Drivers have a catastrophic weekend.
 
Faithful to the Championship, the Australian Aidan Wright (Zanardi) will again travel across the world to participate in this last race. Winner of the last round of the Australian KF1 Championship a few days ago, Aidan is still hoping to reach the aim he has set for himself, namely finishing his maiden World Championship in the top 10.
 
It is also worth noting that this U18 World Championship formula is appealing to more and more Drivers and, in fact, three further new-comers will try their hand at that world competition in Sarno: the Frenchman Julien Carpentier (Sodi), the Italian Vincenzo Soriano (Parolin) and Switzerland's Vincenzo Alvaro (Swiss-Hutless), recently crowned in his country's "Sport 125" category.
 
Academy Trophy: A Driver from Monaco, from Great Britain or from…
 
With its format comprising at each weekend two races where points are allocated, the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy proposes a different schedule from that of the U18 World Championship which shares the bill with it as, officially representing the colours of their countries, these young Drivers between 13 and 15 years old are fighting one another at the wheel of perfectly identical Parolin-FIM units. With four different winners in the four races already held, the Trophy has totally demonstrated its level of competitivity, and the Sarno final of 4 to 6 November looks very promising.
 
Both race winners in Essay, Monaco's Charles Leclerc and the Brit Benjamin Barnicoat seized this opportunity to take their distances in the Championship. These two Drivers will therefore start as favourites, more especially as Charles Leclerc has since landed the World Cup for KF3 (13-15 year-old Juniors) held at… Sarno!
 
But other competitors are determined to play their cards until the end. Such is the case of the Spaniard Mikel Azcona, of the Greek repeater Fillipos Kalesis (3rd last year), of the two Finns Juho Valtanen and Aatu Moilanen, as well as of the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci. Had the latter not been excluded from the second race in Essay because he was weighed under the regulatory weight limit, he is the one who would have arrived at Sarno in the lead of the competition. Being 47 points behind whereas 100 are still to be allocated, Dorian knows that his chances are indeed limited. But this young talent who has just had his 13th birthday is adamant that he will fight until the last metre so as to confirm that he is part of Karting's up-and-coming generation!
 
At the foot of the Vesuvius, one will also keep an eye on the other Drivers who have already been on the podium this year and in particular Albany's Aleksander Ndrio, winner of one race at Ortona, and the Russian Vsevolod Gagen. Finally, having been brilliant at the beginning of the Ortona weekend, the French girl Lucile Cypriano (winner of the selection carried out by the FIA "Women in Motor Sport" Commission) also wishes to illustrate herself at the end of this season. There will obviously be high competition at Sarno and the spectacle promises to be total.
 
Additional information and live results available on http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/sarno-napoli/event-guide.html
Link to the event Media Guide: http://www.cikfia.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Media_Guide_Sarno_U18_ACA_web.pdf
Link to the U18 WKC classification before round 3: http://www.cikfia.com/fileadmin/content/Export/Essay/u18_championship.pdf
Link to the Academy Trophy classification before round 3: http://www.cikfia.com/fileadmin/content/Export/Essay/academy_championship.pdf

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Tooley Motorsport   (02/11)

The team were out for the start of winter racing at PF international, the team consisted of 3 Mini Max and a lonesome Honda. Gunn was in his last Mini race showing off his number 1, Ellis Hanks and Dan Zelos were both competing in their first Mini Max race and Harry Howes was starting his preparation for next year.
 
Howes was hoping for a good result here after some good mid-week testing at Whilton Mill and Shenington, testing went good and there was a grid of 32 entered for the racing. Throughout the race day Harry was very fast and recorded a 1st,  2nd and 13th in his heats, this being his first ever win. Throughout the final Harry battled with the number 2 and the number 3 seeded drivers, he led for a few laps and on the last lap was in second, he went for the lead and ended up dropping back to 5th and still managed to record the fastest lap!
 
In Mini Max the leading team managed to rule the class again, having 2 new drivers in the class the pace was outstanding all weekend. In the morning Gunn was 1.6 seconds quicker than anyone and was quicker than all of the Junior Max in the wet! Zelos and Hanks both fought hard through the heats but unfortunately Ellis had 2 DNF's, Zelos was setting off 4th for the final and Hanks was 27th, Gunn managed to win 2 of his heats and got a 1 lap penalty in the other for coming off the track, this meant Gunn was setting off 6th. Gunn quickly got into the lead and Zelos tried to follow, whilst Hanks was carving his way through the field. Zelos was knocked off on the 2nd lap and this put him back to 21st, but on the way back through Zelos put in the 2nd quickest time of the weekend with Gunn just beating him. Whilst the battling was going on at the front Hanks was closing in and managed to gain a massive 19 places and got up to 8th!
 
A good weekend for all of the team, being quickest in Honda and being 1st, 2nd and 5th quickest in Mini Max.
 
Ross Gunn's winning kart is also up for sale, the winner of the ABkC Super 1 British Championship and Kartmasters, for prices please contact the team.

For more information on the team please visit www.TooleyMotorsport.com.

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What A Year For RL   (02/11)

The Suffolk based RL Racing Department have once again taken a large haul of silverware over the past 12 months, here is a roundup of the 2011 achievements...

FKS Series 2011:
Round 1 Mini Max 2nd
Round 2 Junior Max 2nd
Round 3 Mini Max 1st
Round 4 Mini Max 1st& 2nd
Round 5 Junior Max 2nd & 3rd
Round 7 Mini Max 1st
Round 8 Mini Max 3rd   & Junior Max 2nd
Round 9 Mini Max 1st
Round 10 Mini Max 1st & 3rd
Round 11 Junior Max 1st
Round 12 Junior Max 1st
Overall Mini Max Champion - Josh White
Overall Junior Max 2nd - Sam Marsh
Overall Mini Max 5th - Samuel Oram- Jones
Overall Mini Max 9th - Harry Campey
Overall Mini Max 11th - Rob Hodkinson

Super One Series:
Round 1 Mini Max 3rd
Round 2 Mini Max 1st
Round 3 Junior Max 3rd
Round 6 Mini Max 3rd
Round 7 Junior Max  1st
Overall 5th Mini Max - Josh White
Overall 7th Junior Max - Sam Marsh
Overall 10th Mini Max - Samuel Oram- Jones
 
British Open Champions 2011 Mini Max - Harry Campey
British Open Championship 3rd Mini Max - Josh White
Gold Cup Winners 2011 Mini Max - Josh White
 
Team Owner/Principle Steve Armstrong would like to congratulate all of the RL drivers for their efforts over the past year and is looking forward to working with the existing drivers Sam Marsh & Josh White and their new team mates...
-British No.3 seed in Comer Ryan Anderton
-British No.6 in Comer Lando Norris
-British No.7 in Comer William Taylforth
-British No.10in KF3 Oli Norris

Anderton and Taylforth came via the official RL - Fusion link for drivers wanting to move from Cadet into the Rotax classes, a very successful pairing with both teams track record.

The team will spend the next two weekends at GYG in Wales and then a club race at Shenington will see the end of their 2011 campaign before they travel to Lanzarote for the winter testing schedule.

For more information contact Steve Armstrong at accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk or telephone 07843 586416, or email Cherelle Tooley (Admin) at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk. The RL Racing Department Offices can be reached on 01502 716200 (9am-5pm Monday- Wednesday).

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Drives Now Available   (02/11)

The Rotax specialist racing team, RL Racing Department have 2 drives available for the 2012 season, 1 in Mini Max and 1 in Junior Max.

The team will be competing at S1, FKS & the Belgium Championship next year and are still taking enquiries for these 2 slots.

We will close the doors after the 2 places are taken so we advise to contact us sooner rather than later for a quote or details on RL Racing Dept.

For more information speak to Steve Armstrong by email to accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk or teleohone 07843 586416, or email Cherelle Tooley (Admin) at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

The RL Racing Department offices can be reached on 01502716200 (9am-5pm Monday-Wednesday).

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RL New Breed Impress   (01/11)

At the freshly updated PF International circuit in Lincolnshire this past weekend, the East Anglia based RL Racing Department boasted their new driver line up, and it didn't fail to raise eye brows.

With their Mini Max FKS Champion, Josh White moving up to the Junior Rotax class to partner S1 round 11 winner Sam Marsh and former KF3 hot shoe Oli Norris, the trio proved very strong against a bumper grid. With the brace of talent gridding P5, P6 & P7 for the final after hard fought heats and White taking fastest laps in all dry races all day they looked set to prove their worth. It would be the more experienced Marsh, coming off the back of a white-wash at the final rounds of the FKS series and a victory at the final S1 round at 3 Sisters that would climb up the field to take the lead with 4 laps to go, with White and Norris joining the 8 kart train for the lead. Marsh took to the defensive with 2 minutes to go and was narrowly pipped to victory at the flag, Norris taking 8th and White had risen to 4th with a few corners to go but was taken out at the chicane dropping outside the top 10.

A strong team performance never the less and an excellent effort from White in his Junior Max debut, Marsh and Norris continue to impress.

In the Mini Max class, new drivers Ryan Anderton, Lando Norris & William Taylforth had mixed heats, with Anderton taking an impressive 4th in heat 1 with Taylforth in 6th. They all had a scrappy first lap in the main final, with Anderton rising to 4th at the half way point and with a fast rising Taylforth and Norris it looked set for a thrilling final few laps, Taylforth made the best of the scrap for 5th and came out on top, Anderton being spanked wide at turn 2 with 3 laps to go after holding p5 for a few laps, Norris had a torrid start but made it back to 14th at the flag and posting the 4th fastest lap, Anderton recovering to 10th and a jubilant Taylforth taking 5th in his debut Mini Max race.

All in all an excellent showing from the fresh line up of next generation RL drivers, all hoping to follow in their predecessors footsteps, such as Josh White 2011 FKS Champion, Harrison Scott 2009 multiple S1 round winner, Harry Webb 2010 multiple round winner, Mike Simpson 2009 S1 Champion, Chris Lock 2008 British, European & Vice World Champion.

For more info on the Racing Dept. or the Tonykart range used by RL contact Steve Armstrong on 07843 586416 (mobile), 01502 716200 (office), or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

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Babington Does The Double   (01/11)

Sean Babington delivered a stunning performance to take an impressive double victory in Senior Rotax at the final round of Super 1 held at Three Sisters, Wigan.

Securing 2nd spot in the championship and earning the right to be declared the the Ginetta Super One Senior Rotax Vice Champion and win a ticket to the Rotax World finals to be held at Abu Dhabi 23-26 November.

The talented driver in just his first year in the senior category added the runners up Super 1 title to his 5th position in the highly competitive Euro Max championship along with 3rd at the Kartmasters Grand Prix and also became Vice Euro Max Winter Cup Champion along the way.

The DHR driver stamped his authority on the Super 1 event at Three Sisters winning both finals in very different styles. The first was an impressive drive through from grid 7 providing the spectators with an overtaking masterclass, once hitting the front never looking back. The second final was an ultra mature drive leading from lights to flag holding his nerve throughout despite being under race long pressure.

Team manager Dan commented "Sean was excellent today, with the pressure of the championship standings and starting the final from grid 7 he did a great job to win both races. The package of Sean, the Alonso kart and the Ogden engines looked immense, I'm really pleased for him not just for the double win but for securing 2nd spot in the championship rewarding him with a place at the Rotax World Finals."

DHR's other Snr Max driver Ross Wylie enjoyed his best finish of the year after claiming 5th in qualifying Wylie went on to finish 5th in heat 1 and take victory in heat 2 in very tricky driving conditions. Starting final 1 from grid 3 Wylie broke away with the leading group finishing a fine 4th place. In final 2 after a difficult start Wylie would find himself in 6th where he would pressure the leaders all the way but couldn't find the extra speed to make further progress closing out final 2 in 6th position and finishing 10th in the standings a great end to his Super 1 series.

The Junior Max duo of Raoul Hyman and Ryan Morgan endured mixed fortunes. Despite having  good pace Ryan was unable to claim the results he deserved. Hyman produced a great effort having only ever seen the track once before the Super 1 event itself he made massive progress over the weekend to claim 10th  in final 1 and then 6th in the main final. In just his first year of Super 1 racing Raoul claimed 11th spot in the championship despite having to learn every track in a such a short space of time.

177 team drivers Tom Holland and Tom Pyttlik produced excellent displays claiming 2nd and 3rd in final 1 and 2nd and 4th in final 2 respectively. Securing Holland 5th in the championship and Pyttlik 3rd! A great campaign for the 177 pairing.

In Mini Max sole representative Dave Wooder had a difficult weekend, despite this he was still able to claim a seeded number for next years series. As the youngest and smallest driver in the Mini Max class this is a great achievement in his first year in the mini category, he will wear 14 on his kart for 2012 and will come back bigger stronger and better. Talent runs in the family as younger brother Luke in just his 1st year of Super 1 racing aged just 9 amazed all to claim 3rd in the Honda Cadet Championship.

Team Manager Dan reflects "It's been a very good year for us as at home and in Europe. In 2012 we hope to achieve even more with a mouth watering line up which is nearly complete. I'd like to say a massive thank you to Steve and the team at Ogden motorsport for the hard work and excellent engines this year and look forward to continued support from them in 2012."

The team have an extensive winter testing programme planned in preparation for an even better 2012 once more competing in Rotax Super 1 and all the Euro Max Events.

The 2012 DHR team is almost complete with just one remaining space available for the right competitor. For details and enquires relating to DHR or Alonso Karts contact Dan Holland on 07960 047810 or email dan@danhollandracing.co.uk.

We also have a limited selection of ex team karts now available for sale, ranging from 3 - 8 meetings old prices start from just £1500. Contact on the details above.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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2011/12 TKM Winter Series   (01/11)

The 2011/2012 Winter Series will take place on...

Round 1 - 4th December
Round 2 - 29th January
Round 3 - 5th February
Round 4 - 4th March

Using the new extended PFi circuit! Winners of the Winter Series will receive a free entry* to the 2012 Kartmasters GP, plus Tal-Ko vouchers* to the top three drivers in each class (1st - £135, 2nd - £95, 3rd - £70), to be presented to the overall winners at the last round.

The entry fee is just £50 (2011) / £55 (2012).

Entries to Lesley Richardson, PFi Kart Circuit, Brandon, Grantham, Lincs, NG32 2AY, telephone 07545 131099 or email compsec@tvkc.co.uk.

* - Subject to minimum numbers.

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Support KartForce   (01/11)

KartForce is a non-profit organisation that gets injured troops karting using hand controls that they have designed. Their hand controls allow troops that have lost 1, 2 or 3 limbs to compete on a totally level playing field - check out the short videos on their web site at www.KartForce.org.

KartForce needs your support to raise funds so they can get more injured troops karting. KartForce can send you leaflets, posters (A4 &A3) and collection boxes so people can make donations.

KartForce also want to create a KartForce Team so they can enter mainstream kart races next year, both individual and team events. They want to purchase 2 competition ProKarts, a trailor and all the gear, plus ensure they get plenty of practice. Dave from KarForces says, "We have two 20 year double amputees who have been very impressive so far, as well as a triple amputee and several single-leg amputees - all lads blown up in Afghanistan. Karting has given these lads something new to get their teeth stuck into and they're all really keen to do some serious competitive racing."

If you're interested in supporting KartForce or want to hold a karting event to raise funds, please contact Dave on dave@kartforce.org or 0782 462 8029.

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CK Sport Gear Up For 2012   (31/10)

Following an impressive debut in the 2011 TKM Festival, which culminated in a 1-2 finish in TKM Classic, CK Sport are delighted to offer some fantastic introductory prices on TKM BT82 Engine preparation.

These special prices are only available until the end of January 2012 so be sure to take advantage while you can and get into gear for the new season.

Despite specialising in TKM BT82 engines at the minute, we at CK Sport are always looking to expand our portfolio, so with that in mind these introductory prices will be available until the end of April 2012 for customers wanting other 100cc, reed, rotary or piston timed engines rebuilt.

CK Sport can also offer trackside support at a majority of tracks throughout the UK and aim to attend most of the major TKM events during 2012 including the TKM Festival and O Plate.

Preferential rates on return shipping can be arranged by discussion; alternatively you can deliver and collect your engine personally.

If you are interested in this fantastic introductory offer please contact Callum on callumcraw@gmail.com or 07894 014560.

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Grice Racing Engines Update   (31/10)

As another season of FKS and Super 1 ends, our drivers - new and old - continue to show impressive improvements.
 
At the high-RPM track of Ellough Park, Sam Marsh completely dominated proceedings, winning all finals over both days. With Bob Thompson, Zubair Hogue, Adam Glear and Luke Whitworth all sharing the honours of podium places.  Minimax stars Jack Mitchell, Connor Mills, Seth James, Josh Cornwell, Brett Ward all took their place on the podium too. The smiles and trophies were evidence of another successful race with the power club.
 
Wigan Super 1 proved equally successful. While  it was James Singleton who was the talk of the pits with his speed, it was Sam Marsh and Nathan Harrison taking the finals honours with podium places for Levi Coombes. Minimax was just as successful with Ben Hingeley taking an impressive win and Jack Mitchell a deserved 4th place. Also worthy of a mention was Connor Mills who was up into 4th when the chain guard found its way loose and took the chain off!
 
Our company philosophy is to provide race-winning motors to all of our customers, whether privately run or team drivers, bringing success to everyone.
 
This championship winning edge is also very affordable; Full rebuild inc fiche check, parts and labour exc conrod - £340. Dyno power test/report - £75. Carb ultrasonic clean/prep - £50. Race hire - £250 per meeting or £3700 annually.
 
It's also worth mentioning that our customers and teams have their own engines as well as our hire motors, proving that our our own hire motors are as fast as their own.
 
For more information contact Ricky at Grice Racing on 01268 727847, 07768 047254, email ricky.grice@virgin.net or visit www.griceracingengines.com.

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S1 Enjoys Amazing Season   (28/10)

The Ginetta Super One Series would like to thank all its 382 competitors and many valued supporters for what has been a quite amazing year.  We congratulate all the 2011 champions and all the seeded drivers on their success. Why so amazing? Well, the number of competitors supporting the events stayed higher than ever before, indeed some classes actually had more entries at the end of the year than at the beginning.  This high level of customer loyalty clearly shows how much the race structure and strict scrutineering standards are appreciated, also giving an unparalleled value for money with great TV coverage on the satellite channels. Race reports are distributed world-wide as well as being featured in the weekly Motorsport News and monthly Karting Magazine whilst the website has usually same day updates from the meetings.
 
Remember the booking form for the famous awards dinner on Saturday 14th January at the Hilton Warwick is available on www.s1series.co.uk. It's always an unmissable event and will follow the official prize giving at Autosport International earlier in the day. 
 
Listening to customer feedback there will be some minor changes but essentially the two parallel series will continue as before, with the following classes:
- The MSA British Championship for KF2
- The MSA Junior British Championship for KF3
- The ABkC Comer Cadet National Championship
- The S1 Super Cadet Championship
- The ABkC National Championship for Junior TKM
- The ABkC National Championship for TKM Extreme
- The ABkC National Championship for TKM Senior 4-stroke (subject to MSA approval & sufficient registrations)
- The S1 Marussia Virgin Formula KGP Championship
- The ABkC Rotax Max National Championship
- The ABkC Rotax Max/177 National Championship
- The S1 Rotax Max/177 Masters Championship as part of Max/177
- The ABkC Junior Max National Championship
- The ABkC MiniMax National Championship
- The ABkC Honda Cadet National Championship

The provisional 2012 calendar is now available for download. Look out for the 2012 registration form coming soon which will be in the next issue of Karting Magazine.  Please remember the Super One Series classes are the only ones offering nation wide recognition of the cherished seeded numbers (with the sole exception of Comer Cadet).  This is Britain's most prestigious kart championship, you need to be part of it?

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Brits Test Formula BMW   (27/10)

Today's Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel of Germany, already set up a record back in 2004 when he won 18 out of 20 races in a Formula BMW to take the championship title. It's a dream that Josh White (15) from Ilkley, Luke Whitworth (16) from Rotherham and Samual Oram Jones (13) of Romford are likewise keen to fulfil. On Wednesday, the young lads took a Formula BMW car out for a test drive at Brands Hatch, England, and gleaned their first impressions of formula driving. Up to now they have all been vying for victory on the karting track: "For us the Formula BMW Talent Cup is the best move after karting. It's something you can build on," all three concurred. Keeping a close eye on the initial attempts of these formula rookies was VIP guest Andy Priaulx. The three-time WTCC Champion, BMW works driver and 2012 DTM driver was suitably impressed: "The lads have done a great job on their first attempt. Brands Hatch is a very challenging circuit for formula novices. I've seen some great potential here."
 
With its Formula BMW Talent Cup scheme, BMW is broaching new paths in motor sport. The programme offers talented young drivers a systematic introduction to the challenges of professional formula racing. A team of instructors take the drivers under their wing, and together they cover everything from individual driving style to complete vehicle set-up. The training concept behind the Formula BMW Talent Cup relies on the skills of qualified experts. Fitness coaches teach the youngsters all about physical fitness and nutrition, while the psychological aspects of motor sport are taking on an ever-more important role alongside the physical demands. That is why a mental coach is also part of the team, teaching strategies for handling stressful situations on and beside the race track. Dealing with the media and sponsors is another aspect taught in practical seminars. The winner of the "grand final" - the race that concludes the Formula BMW Talent Cup season - is granted an entire racing season in a more advanced race series, financed by BMW Motorsport.

But before our aspiring young drivers could turn their thoughts to the future, they first had to get to grips with shifting gears and the powerful engine during the test at Brands Hatch: the Formula BMW car develops 140 hp and accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in less than four seconds. "The power of the engine is awesome," said Samuel, at 13 the youngest participant at Brands Hatch. With every lap clocked up, the schoolboy propelled his car around the track with increasing confidence and speed, watched by his proud father. "We're really impressed, it was fantastic," said all three after their test drives. As World Champion Vettel knows only too well: "If you take part in the Formula BMW Talent Cup, you're ideally set up for your first season of motor racing."

In all, ten drivers from eight countries (Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Britain, Mexico, Austria, Romania, Switzerland) were testing the Formula BMW in Brands Hatch.
 
Further information on the Formula BMW Talent Cup can be found at www.formula-bmw.com.

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Gunn Wraps It Up   (26/10)

After a very successful year with Tooley Motorsport Ross Gunn finally concludes the ABKC British Super one championship with the number one plate, his team mate Dan Fazzone clinched the number 13 after a bad last 3 rounds and Adam Mackay, in juniors, ended up 10th in the championship after a very hard year.

In the Mini max category Fazzone and Gunn both showed their strengths throughout this year, Dan having a couple of good rounds through the year and showing great consistency but towards the back end of the championship he seemed to have all of the misfortunes that were not needed. For his first year in the class Ross couldn't of hoped for a better year, after a rough start being 'knocked about' Ross soon learned what was needed and went on to win 7 rounds and securing the lap record at Wigan. On the side of the championship he also won Kartmasters by a massive 6 seconds.

For Keiron Bowness in Junior this was his last meeting racing in karts, so he was hoping for a good weekend. Ollie Skingley was also wanting to finish the year on a high and Adam Mackay was aiming for a single digit to go into next year. Throughout the weekend all 3 of the drivers showed good pace and Bowness was happy with how it was going, in qualifying he put it on 8th which was his best performance in qualifying for the year, Ollie put it on 17th and Mackay recorded another top 4. Ollie missed out on the main finals after a hard fought repercharge where as Keiron and Adam both were in the main finals. Adam was setting off 25th after an off in the heat and had a massive climb to 9th place! Keiron was also climbing up the field but his race was ended when there was a big crash at the end of the straight, this left him setting off on 27th for final 2. The grand final allowed Mackay to gain another 2 positions even though his chassis had snapped and was causing the kart to handle the wrong way, this 7th meant he could run the number 10 plate for next year. An outstanding performance after some bad rounds through the year. Bowness again was in a crash, which was not his fault, and meant the front of his kart was bent which resulted in him pulling in after a few laps.

Harry Howes again showed promise towards the end of weekend when he got to know the track after not being able to test due to other commitments, Harry is definitely up for it next year and has showed masses of improvements over the last few months having only been karting for 12 months.

The team would like to welcome their new signing for next year, Dan Zelos, who will be racing in the mini max category and is hoping for a good year with his new team. Dan was 7th in this year's British championship in comer cadet and only narrowly missed out on the Kartmasters title after finishing .001 of a second behind the winner, the team are looking forward to working with him and will see how he takes to the category this week.

A big congratulations to Ross Gunn, Adam Mackay, Dan Fazzone and all their families for a great year in getting seeded numbers. The team would also like to thank Everyone in the team for a great year.

We would also like to thank John Davies of Force Motorsport, Steve Ogden and Mark Aston at ast signs for all their help throughout the year.

For more information or to contact the team please visit www.TooleyMotorsport.com.

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Simpson Is Crowned   (26/10)

The 2011 Super One season has flown past and the Formula KGP catagory has been something of a revelation. With five ex British Champions partcipating throughout the season and no less than five different race final winners the Formula KGP Championship backed by Marussia Virgin Racing has certainly been top drawer entertainment all season long.

Twenty eight KGP drivers lined up at the final S1 round making the Formula KGP the biggest grid in the MSA series. To increase KGP numbers on the final round of a Championship is an encouraging sign for the future.

Going into the last round at Whilton Mill, KGP Championship leader Michael Simpson missed all of Saturday as he was racing GT sportscars at Silverstone. In his heat on sunday morning a first lap crash and a bent steering column put him out of his only heat so he would start final 1 from last position (28th).

Mark Litchfield (Birel) caused a crash in the other heat depositing Jake Hughes (Birel) off the track and suffered an exclusion for his actions. Litchfield however managed to win heat 2. ACR teammate Tom Fawcett (Birel) dominated the first final, behind Simpson demonstrated his skill by coming through the field to 2nd and provided spectators with a classic drive. Simpson's result cemented his title going into final 2.

In final 2 Bobby Game (Birel) took second place from James Gornall (Intrepid), but they both fell back to fourth and fifth whilst Litchfield was now up to sixth place.

Simpson eased past Gorman (Maranello) and then sat comfortably behind Fawcett for a few laps before taking the lead. Litchfield kept up his progress by passing Fawcett and Gorman but he couldn't catch Simpson. With second place for Litchfield the Championship went to Simpson followed in 2nd by team mate Fawcett and Litchfield in the 3rd. In only his second year of karting, rookie Jake Hughes took an amazing 5th place in the Championship.

For the Birel marque 2011 has been a fantastic season with Birel chassis finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th in the Formula KGP S1 championship.

The Birel 2011 S3 now makes way for the new 2012 Birel S4 version which features a new Freeline brake and new Freeline axle support configuration. New stock is available now with rolling chassis at £2795.00 + VAT.

ACR are now talking to drivers interested in full race support/arrive and drive for the KGP S1 2012 series.

For more information call the ACR office on 01527 889595 or visit www.acrbirel.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Media Chimp   (25/10)

Experienced motorsport commentator and TV producer, Chris Hartley, is running some media training courses aimed specifically at racers.
 
His Media Chimp courses provide an interesting insight into media practices, with an emphasis on fine-tuning interview skills and revealing tricks of the trade for maximising sponsor exposure on TV.
 
There's a real interactive element, using video analysis and practice interviews are filmed by a professional camera operator for instant review.
 
Hartley has been a live motor racing commentator for the past 11 years, covering Moto GP, British F3, DTM, the Silverstone Classic and the 2011 British Grand Prix. He's also a full-time television producer, working on dozens of programmes for Sky Sports and Motors TV each year.
 
The courses are at Oulton Park on Thursday 24th November and Brands Hatch, on Thursday 1st December, run for a full day and cost £220 per person. There are no age restrictions, but under 18's must attend with a parent or guardian for a small supplement of £30.
 
Refreshments are provided throughout the day, as well as a full buffet lunch.
 
For further details, visit www.themediachimp.co.uk, email Chris at themediachimp@gmail.com or call 07788 534845.

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Kart Parts UK Website   (21/10)

Kart Parts UK invites you to take a look at their newly revamped website which was launched last Friday.
 
An updated site, easy to use, with fantastic products and great prices, along with a great service from a family business, interested in your karting needs.  All usual products are available for free next day delivery within zone 2 which includes all AB post codes. Gillard spare parts and chassis, Rotax Max, WTP, TKM, Comer and the excellent Panther chains to name a few.  Also don't forget the quantity discounts.
 
New product ranges to be added shortly.
 
Take a look at the site yourself and why not give us a try you will not be disappointed. Visit the website, open 24 hours a day at www.kartpartsuk.com or give us a call on 01775 712633.

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Half Term Is Approaching   (21/10)

With half term almost upon us we thought it about time that we set a day aside for owner drivers at Lydd. We have allocated Thursday 27th October just for owner drivers, so why not come along and try out one of the best and fastest tracks in the country.
 
On another note our next race meeting on the 13th November is already building fast with 10 Super Cadets already booked into race, who said the class would not take off? The racing is open to all with a class to suit almost all types of  karts so why not book your place for Lydd's next meeting on 01797 321895.
 
We look forward to seeing you all next Thursday for open practice and also on the 13th November for our race meeting.

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Winter Series Update   (21/10)

Here is some great news for the serious competitor to race in a Winter Championship with three dedicated meetings between November and March, including the ABkC 'O' Plate for the KF2 and KF3 classes.  MSA permission has been given to hold the usual KF Winter Series in dedicated meetings, and add Cadet and Rotax classes, thus improving the benefits to team and competitor alike:-
 
- Friday Testing (optional)
- More track time than at a club meeting
- Spreads the cost to teams by having drivers from more classes
- Timed Qualifying, 3 heats and a final
- Uniloggers as per S1
- Control fuel for KF classes
- Trophies on the day and overall trophies
- Points for heats and finals
- One chassis / two engines as usual
- Officials from the Super One team
 
The classes available are KF2 - ABkC O Plate, KF3 - ABkC O Plate, Comer Cadet, Honda Cadet, MiniMax, Junior Max and Senior Max.
 
This is a great opportunity to race against the best over the winter, whether you are a regular championship runner or trying out the higher steps for the first time.  The event is promoted by Shenington Kart Racing Club - click here for a registration form or visit www.s1series.co.uk but remember this is limited to 30 drivers in each class (a reserve list will be taken) and the closing date is 28th October.  Entries are filling fast, so do not delay please and some fantastic prizes will soon be announced.  The registration fee of £75 should be made out to 'Sonja Game' please.
 
The venues will be Glan y Gors (12-13 November), PF International (25-26 February 2012) and Shenington (10-11 March 2012) all with optional Friday practice. Foreign drivers are welcome, subject to the usual FIA regulations.
 
Any queries please contact the co-ordinator Sonja Game on 01869 320157 or by email on sonja_super1@msn.com.

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Tony Kart Team Wrap Up Title   (21/10)

Jack Barlow delivered an intelligent Champion's drive to secure the Ginetta Super One Junior Rotax Championship and hand his team yet another national title.
 
The highly-rated youngster has enjoyed a stellar season with the Sheffield squad, and last Sunday (16 October 2011), claimed his twelfth podium of the season and put the overall victory beyond the grasp of his nearest rival.
 
Strong from the outset, Barlow narrowly missed out on setting the pole-time to his team-mate Rob Holland by just one hundredth of a second. In the heats Barlow took back-to-back wins to deliver pole position for the pre-final for himself and his team. Holland's solid heat finishes (3rd and 5th) gave him a third row start.
 
Jack initially led, but allowed himself to be passed and sat on the new leader's tail. Knowing that 2nd would be sufficient to see their driver take the title, Strawberry's strategy was for him to hold station. This Barlow did to a T and he duly crossed the line in a comfortable 2nd to win his first Super One crown. Holland scrapped hard for a 7th place finish.
 
With Jack not needing to race in the second final Rob upheld the team's honour with an excellent 3rd place - sealing his best Championship finish with 5th overall.
 
The team's talented senior squad experienced mixed fortunes but all laid down exciting markers for next year's campaign.
 
In the pre-final, Andy King used his knowledge of his home track to take the chequered flag in 2nd spot, whilst Ash Hand and Jack Marshall both charged up from the midfield to bring their Racer EVRR karts home in 5th and 6th respectively.
 
In the season finale, Marshall stormed through to an eventual 2nd, ahead of King 3rd and Hand 4th.       
 
Strawberry's popular Mini Max stars Harry Webb and Zhou Guan Yu also concluded their seasons on a high. Harry topped the timing sheets in qualifying before winning both his heats, whilst 'Joe' - as the team call Zhou - delivered his best performance of the year with 5th in TQ followed by 4th and 5th-place finishes in his heats.
 
In the first final, no one had an answer for Harry. He swept to a dominant victory, with a three second margin over the chasing pack. The ever-improving Joe scored his first S1 podium with a superb 3rd.
 
A slight mistake in the main race saw Harry lose the chance of taking another victory, but cross the line in 3rd. Similarly Zhou had raced hard but on this occasion, he had to settle for 4th.
 
Summing up the team's fortunes, Manager Warwick Ringham said: "This has been another fantastic year for Strawberry and Tony Kart. What makes it all the sweeter is that we have also achieved so much success with our own engine preparation firm, Cream, and in its first year of operation! Jack Barlow and Ed Brand (who won the Senior Max title with a round to spare, hence why he opted not to race) have driven magnificently all year round."
 
He added, "We strengthened the squad from mid-season and subsequently all of the guys - unfortunately bar Jay Goodwin, who crashed in practice at Wigan and couldn't race plus Joe, who missed the first part of the season - ended the year with seeded numbers, I am confident that we will again be the team to beat next year."
 
Strawberry's full, 2012 driver line-up will be announced presently but Ringham teases: "I think it'll be one of the fastest and most dynamic teams we've ever put together. There are Champions and potential championship-winners in all three categories."   
 
Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart Racer EVRR chassis and Cream Racing Engines. For more information about OTK products and Cream's preparation services go to www.strawberryracing.co.uk. Or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933                                       

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Flex Success In TKM   (21/10)

Flex Motorsport using the successful Tal-Ko manufactured Veloce chassis for the TKM classes have had a great 2011 season with their Junior TKM Driver, Steven Letts taking 3 out of the 7 main Super One championship finals. Adding to that success their Extreme driver Paul Monks took both the prestigious Platinum & Gold Cup titles (both drivers' also using engines prepared by Flex)  
 
The same Tal-Ko Veloce model chassis also dominated at the first S1 round in Extreme taking wins in both finals (Joe Porter) as well as wins at the Maxxis TKM Extreme Festival (Joe Forsdyke), and numerous other club events.
Drives are now available for 2012 and the 2011 team karts are all for sale.

If you would like more information on Flex Motorsport prepared engines and dyno testing, or a test drive on the Tal-Ko Veloce chassis, please give Brian Cole a call on 07832 384835.

For further information on the Veloce chassis visit www.tal-ko.com.

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Henry Surtees Meeting   (21/10)

The Henry Surtees Commemorative Race Meeting on Sunday 20th November incorporates Round 7 of the BPKC Championship.  We are running a feature class for Honda Cadets who will race for special 'H' Henry Surtees trophies.  John Surtees OBE, Henry's father, has kindly agreed to present the trophies at the end of the day.  
 
Henry was killed in 2009 in a freak motor-racing accident and this meeting aims to raise funds in support of the Henry Surtees Foundation, which has been formed to support those who suffer serious brain or head trauma.
 
As the national championship rounds have now finished, and Buckmore has always been the traditional home of Honda Cadets, we hope to attract a capacity grid. Last year Billy Monger (this year's Super Cadet Champion) won the prestigious perpetual 'H' trophy.
 
Other special prizes will be on offer and money will be raised for the charity throughout the day. £5 from each entry fee will also be donated to the Foundation.
 
Practice will be available on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th November.
 
Competitors who normally race in the Honda Cadet Clubman class may wish to enter the more experienced class on the day.

For more information visit www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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Lanzarote Winter Testing   (20/10)

Beat the winter freeze with RL Racing Department and join us this winter during our 6 week relocation to Lanzarote.

This time last year the Suffolk based outfit made the journey to the Campillios circuit near Malaga in Spain and conducted over 5 weeks of very productive winter testing in readiness for the 2011 season. This gave the team and their drivers a very health leg up on the competition on their return to the UK with drivers completing up to 200 laps per day.

RL Racing Department have now confirmed their own drivers that will be travelling to Lanzarote, leaving 4 more spaces available.

If you are interested and would like a quote please contact us on 07843 586416 or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

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Jensen Kart Team   (20/10)

Round 10 of Shenington's Club Championship brought more success for the Jensen Kart Team with Junior Max driver Will Maslin taking a cracking win from pole and team mate Matt Ryder second. Driving EXPRIT karts both drivers were on the pace all weekend each taking heat wins and Maslin setting fastest lap of the day in the final.
 
Jensen Kart Team's Minimax driver Jamie Chadwick, unable to test on Saturday was instantly on the pace and qualified 3rd. However, a first corner incident spoilt her chance of a good result.
 
Peter Saxby took another Jensen Kart Team win at Clay the previous weekend. Also using an EXPRIT kart he deserved the win after a really close race.
 
Jensen Kart Team are official distributors for the OTK Exprit Kart and spares. For great driver tuition and chassis set up, join the winning team. Team vacancies are available in all Rotax classes for the 2012 season at Clay Pigeon, Dunkeswell, Forest Edge, Llandow, Rissington and Shenington.

Want to know more about joining us? Talk to Jacques Jensen on 07543 638542 or Tony Cater on 07920 772096, or contact us via our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk. 

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Marsh Takes Top Step   (20/10)

This past weekend at the Three Sisters venue in Greater Manchester, RL Racing Departments Sam Marsh took victory in final one and narrowly missed out in victory again in final two of the Junior Max class. Marsh in only his first year in the junior class and his second year with the Suffolk based outfit has sent out a message of intent for all the junior competitors for 2012. Marsh can walk away from the 2011 series with great confidence after beating, on merit, eventual championship winner Jack Barlow in final 1. After mid season turmoil Marsh had dropped as low as 12th in the rankings but his late season change of form has seen the Bristol youngster rise to an eventual 7th in the rankings.
 
His team mate Oli Norris in his Super 1 Rotax debut showed strong pace throughout the weekend but struggled to get to grips with the hard and fast racing style that this series provides.  Norris will be back to partner Marsh throughout the 2012 season.
 
In the Mini Max class the RL squad was doubled for the last round with the additions of newly signed Ryan Anderton, Lando Norris and Jack Leese backing up the already strong line up of Josh White, Harry Campey and Sam Oram-Jones. Norris and Anderton grew in stature through the weekend after recently changing from Cadet to Mini Max, with Norris eventually taking 10th at the flag in final 2 and Anderton was up to 11th before being spun round and finishing 6 places further down the pack, never the less a great effort from both of the youngsters in their first Mini Max race.
 
Oram-Jones and White both took top 4 positions in the heats and with White up to 4th in final 1 the duo looked set for a strong finish until White was caught in the last corner melay dropping White to 16th and Oram-Jones to 6th. Final 2 saw White squeezing his way through to 8th by the end of lap 2 and with team mate Norris in tow they progressed to 6th and 7th but could do no more as the leading group had stretched to big of margin. Norris was taught an early lesson in Rotax race craft, a lengthy scrap ended up with Norris in 10th. Oram-Jones held 5th place for half the race and then retired with an engine issue.
 
Overall White ended up 5th in the Championship and Oram-Jones in 10th.
 
White will now move into the junior class to partner Marsh and Norris whilst the Mini Max team line up will be Ryan Anderton, Lando Norris and William Taylforth for 2012.
 
Stop Press! Due to demand RL Racing Department have opened up one more place in both the Mini Max and Junior Max classes and are now taking enquiries.

For details and enquiries regarding RL Racing Department contact Steve Armstrong on 07843 586416 or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

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Global's Round Up   (19/10)

In only its second season the Hertfordshire based outfit, Global Karting, would like to congratulate all its drivers on a fantastic year's racing. The following results have been achieved.
 
Honda Cadet: Max Wieteska 11th in Super One.

Mini Max: Jack Mitchell 2nd in FKS and Super One, Josh Price 11th In Super One.
 
Senior Rotax: Ollie Varney 15th in Super One.
 
177 Rotax: Carl Churchill 14th in Super One, Greg Finke 15th in Super One.
 
We have drives available for all classes at affordable prices. For any of your racing requirements please don't hesitate to give us a call. We are happy to talk and can cater for all budgets.
 
Telephone 01279 841 291, 07957 463 109, email robhanscomb@me.com or visit our website at www.globalkartingltd.com.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Another CIK Event For PFi   (19/10)

Trent Valley Kart Club are pleased to announce that they have secured yet another CIK fixture for PFi in 2012! Next year will see not only a European Championship but a World Championship as well!
 
For the past two years, TVKC has staged the Northern Region CIK-FIA European Qualifiers for KF2 & KF3 which were both a resounding success.  Thanks to the triumph of these two events, a 'World' Championship was on the cards for PFi but one thing stood in the way... the overall circuit length. So the plans were laid to rectify this situation and the extended track, which includes a bridge and was officially opened in October 2011, now boasts an overall circuit length of 1382m - long enough for a CIK World Championship!
 
Trent Valley Kart Club and PF International kart circuit will stage the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship (Round 3) and CIK-FIA European KF2 & KF3 Championship (Round 2) on 18th - 22nd July 2012.
 
The CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship is held over 5 rounds in total...
Round 1: Varennes (France) in April
Round 2: Suzuka (Japan) in May
Round 3: PFi (UK) in July
Round 4: Sarno (Italy) in September
Round 5:  Macau (Macau) in October
 
The CIK-FIA European KF2 & KF3 Championship will run to a different format in 2012.  In previous years, these Championships have comprised of 2 regional qualification events (North & South) followed by a Final.  However, in 2012, the Championships will be over 2 rounds...
KF2 Round 1: Wackersdorf (Germany) in June
KF2 Round 2: PFi (UK) in July
KF3 Round 1: Varennes (France) in April
KF3 Round 2: PFi (UK) in July
 
This will be another huge race meeting for TVKC & PFi and a landmark event for UK Karting. Over 40yrs have passed since the last World Championship kart race meeting in the UK so this event will be the first of its kind in the modern day era of karting.  We hope you'll be able to help us celebrate this spectacle of a UK kart race meeting!
 
TVKC are currently looking for helpers to assist at this meeting.  If you would like to be involved in the event in some way, please contact Clare Mills at clare@tvkc.co.uk to register your interest.

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Jack Is The Super One   (19/10)

Jack Barlow scooped the Ginetta Super One Junior Rotax crown at Three Sisters last Sunday (16 October), adding to an already impressive tally of victories; including the Kartmasters Grand Prix and Rotax Cup titles.
 
The Strawberry Racing star had gone into the seventh and final round of the series leading by just a handful of points, but was in confident mood having won the Rotax Cup just two weeks earlier.
 
In Timed Qualifying, Jack narrowly missed out on setting the pole position time during his session - by just one hundredth of a second. "I had a really good qualifying. Thankfully it was my team-mate (Rob Holland) who pipped me rather than anyone else," he told reporters. "I think overall I was the faster of us but Rob just managed to get a very good lap in."
 
Starting from second place on the grid for his first heat, the Arai, Superdry and adidas-supported driver went on to claim a comfortable win before taking another emphatic lights-to-flag victory in the following race. This gave him pole-position for what became the title-decider.
 
Not that he was aware of this, as Strawberry's team manager Warwick Ringham, opted to keep him focusing on the race rather than the Championship table.
 
"Warwick wouldn't tell me what the points difference was between me and my nearest rivals. He just told me to go out and win. From the start I got a gap (over the chasing group) with Sam Marsh, but Warwick signaled to me that I should let him through. I did this and from there just pushed him round the track. Unfortunately, he wasn't as quick as I'd have like. After a few laps I could see the team saying 'push, push, push' and knew this meant the pack was gaining on us."
 
At the head of that pursuing group was Jack's closest challenger for the Championship, Nathan Harrison. "He caught up because Sam had started to defend his lead - which was pretty stressful for me because, to win the title, I had to finish ahead of Harrison. I think I could have passed Sam, but the team didn't want me to risk crashing so I stayed put."
 
Barlow crossed the finishing line in 2nd place, but wasn't aware that he'd done enough to seal the Championship: "I didn't know I'd won. I looked up at the team truck and the guys just put their thumbs up. In Parc Ferme I was saying to my mechanic Andy Horne, 'Have I done it, have I done it?"
 
On his return to the Strawberry Racing awning, Jack quickly calculated the points positions and to his relief, realized he was the Champion. "I walked over to Andy (Horne) and gave him a big hug."
 
Jack also praised the level of competition that exists in the Rotax classes at present: "This is one of the hardest championships to win in karting. The standard is extremely good and I've beaten over fifty other drivers, so I'm very proud and pleased with what we've achieved. It is the perfect reward for the people and companies that have helped and supported me. I am very grateful to Andy, Warwick and Dodge (Dave Gregory) and everyone  else at Strawberry Racing, Arai, Adidas and Superdry, Key Motor Finance, Rollersigns, Jonathan Walker, 100ccPR and of course, my family."
 
Before he graduates to the Senior Max class in 2012, Jack's next big challenge is the annual Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, held this year at the home of the Dubai Grand Prix, the Al Ain Raceway (23-26 November).                                                                
 
In the interim, keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting www.jackbarlowracing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Delta Karting 2012 Plans   (18/10)

We have team drives available for Mini Max, Junior Max, Senior Max, Comer Cadet and Bambino, with 2011 team engines and carbs also available.

Delta Power over the years have won almost everything from Super 1 to Stars and even the GP Plate in Comer Cadet - the list just goes on. 2012 will see Delta Karting look after the club drivers with full team drives or just supplying you with all your karting spares.

With us being agents for the Tonykart OTK range there is no need to worry about anything. We are offering everyone 10% discount off everything to help you with the credit crunch!

If you are interested in winning in 2012 give Dean a call on 01792 792485 or 07968 150535.

If you would like to come along and do a meeting with us this year in November we will be at Rissington, Clay Pigeon and Llandow, and in December we will be at Clay Pigeon and Llandow.

There will be loads of Christmas deals on for you all from 1st November - engine rebuilds, karts, helmets, engines, tyres, wheels, trolleys, etc, so if there is anything you need just give us a call and we will send it out on a next day delivery service for you.

Delta Power, your Rotax and Comer service centre. Visit our website at www.deltakarting.com.

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Daniel Wheldon   (18/10)

All at Super One were shocked and saddened to learn of Dan Wheldon's tragic accident in Las Vegas and extend their sympathies to his family and friends.  After his first two RAC Cadet British Championship titles, Dan Wheldon raced with Super One for his third Cadet title, then went on to take the RAC British Junior Championship in 1993. He then raced karts internationally to great effect, his finest win being at Suzuka when he took the CIK-FIA World Cup in Formula A before entering his illustrious and well documented professional car racing career.

Super One Series promoter John Hoyle said: "Dan was amongst the first batch of 8 to 11 year olds in the new for 1987 Cadet class, for three years he was the driver all the other kids had to try and beat. That era gave Britain two Formula 1 drivers in Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson, and a twice Indy 500 winner in Daniel.  We extend our sincerest condolences to his wife, his parents and all his family."

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Pullinger Talks CRG   (14/10)

After his debut win on the new CRG chassis on 2nd October at the Continental Cup, Barrie Pullinger was reflective on his move from Tony Kart to rivals CRG, saying...
 
"For my first win on the CRG to be at the Continental Cup in Rotax Max at PFI on the fantastic new circuit means alot to me. The CRG has been excellent and really easy to adapt to and I feel I am starting to gel really well with the new team."

"I'd like to thank Tim, Jason and Tom from Tim Parrott Motorsport for the hard work, preperation and coaching work with me. I would also like to thank everyone at Ogden Engineering for doing a great job with my engines. I am looking forward now to a winter of solid testing and development with CRG,Tim Parrott Motorsport and Ogden to make sure we have the right package to make an impact in the UK next year."

For more information on the CRG range visit www.kartcrg.co.uk.

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Koden Kart Helmets   (14/10)

Kartwear now stock fantastic new Koden Kart Helmets.

These Koden Helmets are Snell K2010 approved karting helmets which can be used for any championship karting race.

They come in 4 different colours including Jet Black, Pure White, Fiery Orange and a Flourescent Lime colour, so everyone can spot you on the track.

Retailing online at only £149.99 and with free postage on orders over £100, this great deal could make the perfect Christmas present.

Visit www.kartwear.com now for this and other great deals.

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PFI New Circuit Testing   (14/10)

The new extended P.F. International kart circuit is available on the following days for normal 2-stroke testing...
 
15th October (Saturday) - Open Testing
18th October (Tuesday) - Extra Open Testing
21st October (Friday) - Open Testing
22nd October (Saturday) - Open Testing
25th October (Tuesday) - Extra Open Testing
28th October (Friday) - Open Testing
29th October (Saturday) - Extra TVKC Club Meeting
30th October (Sunday) - Extra TVKC Club Meeting
 
These tests day will be using the new longer circuit and cost £45 per driver (member).

For track information call 01636 626424.

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Anderton's Breakthrough Campaign   (13/10)

Ryan Anderton proudly sported the prestigious number '3' plate on his Fusion Racing kart at the end of the final outing of the 2011 Formula Kart Stars (FKS) Championship at Ellough Park Raceway - and he confessed that it was an 'awesome' feeling.
 
FKS carries the official endorsement of both influential F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton - and was the McLaren-Mercedes star's springboard to success a decade-and-a-half ago. In 2011, no fewer than 53 fiercely-competitive young drivers duelled it out in the MSA British Cadet class in an effort to follow in his wheeltracks - and Ryan was one of the leading contenders right from the word 'go'.
 
Having placed 15th in his first full national campaign in 2010, the talented Somerset speed demon entered this year targeting the top five - but he would do rather better than that. Following a disappointing start in the curtain-raising meeting at Rowrah in Cumbria, he proceeded to embark upon a stunning run of six podium finishes in swift succession at Three Sisters near Wigan - scene of his breakthrough British victory - Glan Y Gors in North Wales and Genk in Belgium, results that vaulted him into the championship lead.
 
"Three Sisters was definitely the biggest highlight," reflected the highly-rated Glastonbury-based hotshot, still comparatively young and inexperienced in relation to many of his adversaries. "It was my first major national win - and the biggest result of my career to-date. We were really 'on it' that weekend, and it was such a good feeling when I was the first driver to receive the chequered flag - just outrageous!"
 
"After the way things had gone at Rowrah, we had thought we were going to struggle to even maintain our position from last year - but then at Wigan, suddenly it all just clicked, and that was the moment when we began to realise we could really achieve something pretty special this year."
 
"My confidence grew a lot after that, which made such a difference - my driving really benefitted, I feel. There are a lot of drivers out there with the potential to be good, but they just don't have the confidence they need to fulfil their potential. When you gain that confidence in yourself, you can take it to the next level."
 
"My results really boosted my confidence, especially with FKS being the leading championship in Britain for Cadets. There are so many drivers - the vast majority of them extremely quick - and people said 2011 was probably the toughest year yet. I had to really work hard to finish inside the top three, even in the heat races, because it was just that competitive!"
 
The improvement in Ryan's racecraft from 2010 to 2011 was noticeable, and his 50 per cent podium strike rate impressive in the extreme. There were nine trophies in all over the course of the campaign - a tally bettered only by the eventual champion - in addition to six further triumphs and 13 top three finishes in the heat races. It was, by any measure, a superb season.
 
"My biggest disappointment was probably the penultimate meeting at Whilton Mill," he reflected. "That was where I lost the chance to win the championship, in hindsight, due to a combination of factors."
 
Indeed, having all been flowing so well, Whilton abruptly brought Ryan's escalating momentum and title ambitions to a cruel and shuddering halt. Although it was by then too late, the season finale at Ellough heralded a welcome return to form, with a brace of top three qualifying performances, consistently strong heats and a trophy on the Saturday - even if the 12-year-old found himself needlessly and unceremoniously removed from the action by an errant rival on only the opening lap the following day.
 
Nonetheless, as he concluded proceedings where he had been for the majority of the year - right up at the sharp end - the West Country ace made a point of thanking St. Dunstan's Community School for all of its support and the time off it has granted him, as well as his team, Fusion Motorsport.
 
"Fusion has been the best Cadet outfit in Britain for the last few years," he mused, "and they made another step forward again this year. Eclipse Motorsport came on in leaps-and-bounds, and that rivalry raised the bar and prompted Fusion to step it all up another notch still. The team have done so much to help me, and I really want to thank them for everything."
 
So how, finally, does it feel now to be ranked third in Britain at the end of only his second full campaign of national competition?
 
"It's a good feeling, isn't it?" Ryan grins. "It's a real buzz - just awesome!"

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Congratulations Jamie Caroline   (13/10)

Steve Ogden Motorsport would like to congratulate Jamie Caroline for his outstanding race results this season, culminating in a second final win at Whilton Mill last weekend in final 2 of the Cadet Super One Championship,  where he started from the back of the grid. The results also were backed up by him finishing Vice Champion overall in the FKS series as well as the Super One Series. Steve would personally like to wish Jamie all the success in his future racing career.
 
On a down side, Ogden Motorsport at the last round of the FKS at Ellough Park were deemed to have infringed the Rotax carburettor regulations. This is the first time, as far as we know, this has happened since 1989. The carburettor was being used by Oli Norris in the Junior Rotax category, so with this in mind, Steve would like to apologise for this irregularity and also inform any customer who may have a question mark regarding the conformity of the carburettor, to send it for a free inspection. We have now been made aware of further measurements to stop the chance of this happening again.
 
Can all our Rotax Max users please note, as the cold weather is upon us, can you check the coolant in your radiator has anti-freeze in it. The cylinders easily split with the lightest of frosts, while left over night in the van or awning.
 
For any further questions please contact Steve on 01423 324 738 or email www.oms.gb.com.

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Easykart Grand Finals   (13/10)

The UK's largest ever contingent of drivers is set to compete in this weekend's (15/16 October 2011) 10th Easykart International Grand Finals at the renowned Pista Sette Laghi at Castelletto di Branduzzo in Italy.
 
Twenty countries will be represented at the annual event, regarded as the Easykart World Championship, with Italy the host nation fielding a squad composed of regional, national and international champions.
 
Not to be outdone, the British team is again packed with an exciting array of talent and experience.
 
Provisional Cadet Champion Sam Faulkner heads a seven-strong line-up .  Faulkner made his debut last year, alongside Jordan Sanders, at the same circuit. It proved to be a tough learning curve, but both acquitted themselves admirably and will almost certainly use their previous experience to challenge at the sharp end this time around. Completing the Cadet line-up are brother and sister Ethan and Esmee Hawkey, Matthew Taylor, Jason Gavagan and double race-winner Jenson Murchison.
 
In the pouring rain last year, Toby  Sowery underlined his ability with a creditable 4th place overall. The Junior Champion wants a podium this time and is joined by fellow returnees Ronan McKenzie, Zack Nickson, Will Stowell and Tom Thickpenny. Bar Sowery, they were all Cadets last year - but all have stepped up to the Junior class in fine style, and they will all be out to impress the Birel management team that they are not only worthy of their Easykart Driver Program places but also a berth in the Birel factory KF3 team. First-timers Jay Hudman, William Jeavons, Jay Lay, Willis Mayneord, Jack New and Ben Nicolls complete the line-up.  If he races as well he has at home in Britain, Lay could well be the stand-out debutant in this category.
 
In one of the closest and hardest-fought classes, Light, all our drivers made it through to the 2009 final. Of that particular group of drivers Sam Dimelow and Jamie Crease are back for another go. Last year Dimelow thrilled on his way to an eventual 4th but his preparations for next weekend have been hampered by a dislocated elbow. Not that a minor thing such as that would deter, or even slow him down. UK Champion Ayrton Hirst will be one to watch, as will the mercurial Joe Paterson. Crease will be able to draw on his previous experience, but for Brad Fairhurst, Tim Gibson, Luca Hirst, Grant Hunter, Patrick Lay, Jamie Summerhayes and Ben Yeomans, Castelletto will be an entirely new experience. However, don't expect that to prevent them from putting in some quality performances.
 
Before he switches to the Light category for 2012, Barnaby Pittingale is aiming to cap another brilliant season by adding this year's world crown to the one he claimed so convincingly at Cervia in 2007, and his European title. Pushing him hard will be vice-European Champion Gary Poynter, who will be out to avenge a disappointing domestic campaign and this year's UK Championship runner-up, William Smith.
 
Flying Scotsmen Mark Lawrence and Jack Bruce entertained at Castelletto last year and will surely do so again. If the bad luck that dogged the start to his UK challenge does not return, expect Lawrence to be seriously quick. Damien Hodge returns for to the World Finals for a second time whilst Peter Bunton and 'Great Dane', Stig Elboth make their international bows. 
 
Cadet - Sam Faulkner, Matthew Taylor, Esmee Hawkey, Ethan Hawkey and Jason Gavagan.
Junior - Toby Sowery, James Lay, Ronan McKenzie, Zack Nickson, William Stowell, Tom Thickpenny, William Jeavons, Willis Maynard, Jack New, Ben Nichols, Jay Hudman.
Senior Light - Aryton Hirst, Joe Paterson, Sam Dimelow, Luca Hirst, Patrick lay, Jamie Crease, Brad Fairbhurst, Jamie Summerhayes, Tim Gibson, Grant Hunter and Ben Yeomans
Senior Heavy - Barnaby Pittingale, William Smith, Roland Breadner, Mark Lawrence, Jack Bruce, Gary Poynter, Damien Hodge, Peter Bunton, Stig Elboth.

The event gets underway on Friday (14 October) with timed qualifying, followed by heats on Saturday and the Grand Finals on Sunday. 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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Sixth Successive S1 Title   (13/10)

Ricky Flynn Motorsport won an unprecedented sixth consecutive Super One title at Whilton Mill last weekend (9 October 2011) after Callan O'Keeffe put the KF3 Championship beyond his rivals' grasp. 
The young South African has dominated the series, standing on the podium no less than eleven times. He has also been in impressive form internationally, claiming the Vice-Champion's crown in the CIK/FIA World Cup for KF3.
 
"It has been another fantastic year for us," said RFM owner, Ricky Flynn. "What other team can boast such a legacy of success?"
 
He added: "These results are the product of a lot of hard work, second-to-none preparation and professionalism from everyone in the team. On top of that, it is our ability to get the most out of our drivers and give them the best kit with which to go out and get the job done, that sets us apart."
 
In his debut season with the team, O'Keeffe's team-mate Connor Jupp claimed 4th overall in the Super One KF3 Championship and 3rd in the CIK/FIA European KF3 Championship.
 
Darius Karbaley, on a limited international programme, underlined his potential with 12th overall in the CIK European title race.
 
In his maiden year in the KF2 class and Europe, Sam Macleod finished a creditable 4th in the CIK/FIA European series. 
 
"Callan and Connor both listened, learned, applied the instructions they were given and enjoyed the benefits of this process. Sam laid down an excellent marker for next year with strong performances throughout the year and similarly, for Darius to finish 12th in one of Europe's toughest Championships is a great achievement. More experienced drivers would be really chuffed with that. He and Sam both put down strong foundations on which they can build in 2012." 
 
The RFM driver line-up for 2012 is now being considered and evaluated. If you would like the opportunity to compete with Britain's best team, please email Ricky at rflynn51@aol.com.
 
To find out more about the multiple Championship-winning team, visit www.rickyflynnmotorsport.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Litchfield MotorsportLitchfield Motorsport   (12/10)

Litchfield Motorsport engines and Tonykart chassis outshone the opposition again at the last round of the S1 series at Whilton Mill with Joe Porter taking the series title in the senior class adding this to his TKM Festival win earlier in the year. Litchfield engines have won every main final and all but one pre final at S1 level in 2011.

In the Junior TKM class Toby Sowery took his Tonykart to pole position in the timed qualifying and lights to flag wins in both heats he went on to win both the pre final and final for a complete domination of the junior class.

With Philip Smith taking the O Plate in senior TKM earlier in the year Litchfield tuned engines and race prepared Tonykarts have again come out on top in 2011.

Drives are now available for 2012 and the 2011 team karts are all for sale.

If you would like more information on Litchfield prepared engines and dyno testing or the TKM Tonykarts please give Dave a call on 07789 177977.

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Trent Valley Kart Club   (12/10)

Trent Valley Kart Club are pleased to announce the details of their 2011 Club Championship Awards Dinner.

The annual Club Championship Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday 12th November 2011 at the Ramada Grantham Hotel from 7pm onwards.
 
The evening provides a superb opportunity to celebrate the 2011 racing season and of course, to award the 2011 Club Champions with their prizes.
 
The following trophies will be awarded on the evening... Top 3 drivers from each class*, TVKC 'Special' Award, Novice Driver Of the Year Award, the David Mansell Trophy (most points scored overall) and the Buttons Driver of the Year Award. 
 
The top 3 drivers from each class* will receive a complimentary ticket to the event.  In addition to this, other prizes will also be presented to these drivers.
 
The evening consists of a delicious three course meal, the awards presentation and then a disco to finish the night off with.
 
Tickets are £30.00 for Adults, £10.50 for Children aged between 6-14yrs and under 5yrs are free. The full menu choices can be found on www.tvkc.co.uk.
 
Reserve your tickets today by contacting Clare Mills at clare@tvkc.co.uk. Please Note: Numbers are restricted and tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
 
* - Subject to championship class numbers - please ask for details.

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Tony Kart Viper Wins   (12/10)

The Tony Kart Viper Elite chassis is definitely the choice of Champions when it comes to the TKM classes.
 
Last Sunday (9th October 2011) Toby Sowery and Joe Porter won the 2011 Junior and Extreme Super One titles respectively, using Vipers.
 
Created specifically for the TKM classes, the Italian-made frame features a permanent front torsion bar and 50mm rear axle. In the hands of many drivers it has demonstrated its exceptional build quality, handling characteristics and race-winning performance.
 
Boasting a host of features, including; 30mm chrome moly tubing, adjustable front and rear ride height, CNC-machined, self-adjusting hydraulic brake, magnesium wheel rims and engine mount, plus Tony Kart's trademark stunning looks, the Viper Elite has won several of the most prestigious TKM titles this year alone.   
 
"We would like to congratulate Toby and Joe, plus of course everyone who has raced a Tony Kart Viper Elite or Clubman to victory this year," said Strawberry Racing's Warwick Ringham. "We believe it is the best kart for the TKM classes and these drivers, using Litchfield Motorsports-prepared engines, have proved that point, in the best possible way. Congratulations also go to Dave Litchfield and his team, our engine partner in TKM, for the brilliant work they've done and results achieved."
 
For more information about the Tony Kart Viper Clubman and Elite, please visit www.strawberryracing.co.uk or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Sowery Takes Double   (11/10)

Toby Sowery clinched the Ginetta Super One Junior TKM Championship with a dominant performance at the series' final round at Whilton Mill, last Sunday (9 October). 
 
The highly-rated 15-year old also created history by achieving the rare feat of winning two separate national series in the same season - after wrapping up the Easykart UK Junior title, a fortnight earlier.
 
The Junior TKM title fight went right down to the wire at the Northamptonshire venue, with Sowery needing to beat his closest rival in both the day's two finals in order to secure overall victory.
 
He laid down a marker by comfortably setting the fastest lap in timed qualifying to claim pole position for his two preliminary heats. He duly converted his advantage into a pair of lights-to-flag triumphs.
 
This again gave the Litchfield Motorsports driver the P1 starting position for the pre-final. A superb start saw Toby take the early advantage and he quickly set about building a sizeable lead, whilst his rivals disputed 2nd place.
 
At the front, there were no dramas for the peerless Sowery who crossed the finishing line over seven seconds clear of his pursuers and levelled the Championship points scores, setting up a thrilling showdown for the very last race of the season.
 
At the beginning of the crucial main final he out-foxed his rivals and got the perfect getaway to lead the twenty-eight strong field into the appropriately-named first corner, 'Oblivion'.
 
As his competitors jostled for track position, Sowery was already clear and his consistent speed and inch-perfect driving saw him build an insurmountable lead.
 
"It's fantastic to have won two different Championships in one year," he said after winning the race and the Super One series by just two points. "Very few drivers achieve this and to put my name on the same trophy that Jenson Button won back in 1992 is very special. Of course, this is all down to the help and support I've had from Litchfield Motorsports, plus Martin Stone and Paul Spencer, so a massive 'thank you' to all of them."
 
With little time to savour his latest success, Toby is set to contest this weekend's Easykart International Grand Finals (12-16 October) at Castelletto, near Milan. After retaining his Easykart Junior title, Sowery has again qualified for the popular karting series' annual World Championship and will compete against drivers from twenty different countries.
 
He says: "Last year I finished 4th at my first attempt. This time around I feel better prepared and more confident so, fingers crossed, I can get on the podium next Sunday."

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net and Enver Meyer.

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Cream On Top   (11/10)

In its first season of UK and international competition, Strawberry Racing's motor preparation division Cream Racing Engines has won numerous races and titles; including 2011 Ginetta Super One Rotax Championship, Kartmasters (Jnr and Snr Max) and Rotax Cup (Jnr and Snr Max).  
 
Now Cream is happy to supply brand new or ex-works Rotax Max motors, or rebuild your current engine - regardless of what chassis you use - with exactly the same attention to detail as their own race team engines.
 
Complete new engines are now available. Each has been fiched, dyno run-in and tested and comes supplied with exhaust, fiched carburettor, coil and air box.
 
Senior £2,195 plus VAT, Junior/ Mini £2,090 plus VAT.
 
Alternatively new, fiched engines that have been also dyno run-in and tested, can be supplied with radiator, air box support and fuel pump at £1,775 plus VAT for Senior, £1,700 plus VAT for the Junior and Mini classes.
 
Short engines can be supplied fiched, dyno run-in and tested, with coil from £1,550 plus VAT for Senior, £1,475 plus VAT for Junior/Mini.
 
Full rebuilds for Junior and Senior Max motors start from £460 plus VAT. This includes all internal parts except balance shaft.
 
Dynamometer running-in and evaluation is priced at £75 plus VAT.
 
Ultrasonic carburettor cleaning, set-up (inclusive of new gasket kit) is just £50.00 plus VAT.
 
Strawberry Racing uses the multiple championship-winning Tony Kart Racer EVRR chassis and OTK products.
 
For more information about these and Cream's preparation services, please go to www.strawberryracing.co.uk or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933                                       

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Henry Surtees Foundation   (11/10)

On Thursday the 20th October Buckmore, in association with Club 100, will be hosting the Henry Surtees Foundation All Comers Race Day. The event is designed to raise money for the Henry Surtees Foundation and is priced at £500 per driver.
 
We can now confirm that former F1 star Johnny Herbert has signed up to drive and the entry list also already boasts single seater rising stars such as Oliver Rowland, Jake Dennis, Jack Harvey, Adam Christodoulou, Josh Webster and Formula Ford Champion Scott Malvern. Also about to add their names to the grid are Alexander Simms, Oliver Turvey and Sam Bird. Amongst the karting glitterati lined up to race are Laura Tlllett, Jordan Chamberlain and Edward Brand. More big names are lined up to race against the local talent from BPKC, the Elite Series and Club 100.

Massive Prize Fund!
- Mercedes GP visit. One person to have the opportunity of testing in the Formula One simulator. Four people to meet and have lunch with Ross Brawn(not available to drivers with commitments to other Formula One teams).
- A priceless opportunity to be guest of Shell for a Ferrari experience to look at production and racing departments and test drive latest Ferrari products on Fiorano test track in Maranello including flight.
- Formula Renault test drive with the championship winning Manor Competition team.
- F2 test at Bedford offered by Jonathan Palmer(qualification as stipulated by Jonathan Palmer to be advised)
- Ginetta Junior introduction, briefing and test opportunity for a full day in half-term 24th - 28th October at Anglesey Race Circuit with Hillspeed racing(this is limited to drivers under 18 years of age)
- 2 VIP F1 tickets for a Grand Prix including Paddock entry donated by Bernie Ecclestone
- A full kit of Puma wear for winner comprising 1 suit: 3 pairs of gloves and 2 pairs of shoes plus 3 pairs of lifestyle shoes
- Arai GP65 helmet painted to the prize winner's individual design
- 1 week's work experience at Autosport and an opportunity to write an article
- Andy Priaulx has offered a 2 hour Sim session at iZone Performance, this is a facility at Silverstone that is being used by Andy and major racing teams to develop their drivers skills sets, See www.izoneperformance.com for more details
- 3 tickets to the Autosport Awards
- Teng Tools have offered tool sponsorship for 2012 up to £1,000
Prize allocation and age criteria will be confirmed in the rules.
 
This event will use Club 100 karts and is open to all drivers who hold a MSA Race Licence, BPKDC Elite Permit, Club 100 Membership or ACU Licence. The minimum age limit for this event is 16 years of age due to restrictions on age for some of the prizes.

The event is designed to accommodate a maximum of 140 drivers and will be run to a sprint format with practice laps, timed qualifying, pre final and final. The minimum driver weight will be 75kg. (driver in full race kit, including helmet and ballast.)

Booking can only be made by telephone to 01634 201562 and full payment will be required when booking. With such a fabulous prize fund places are sure to be snapped up very quickly. Please have your licence number and race weight to hand when you call.

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Prokart Engine Parts   (10/10)

Prokart Engine Parts is pleased to announce its brand new web site aimed at tuning the GX160 engine.

Formerly GX160Parts.Com, we have re-branded after expanding our product range to include more of the aftermarket tuning parts used in open racing.  Our new web site has just recently been launched and has taken on board many of the comments raised by our customers.

The website can be viewed at www.prokartengineparts.com.

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Formula BMW Talent Cup   (10/10)

On October 26th there will be the possibility for young kart drivers who not have had any Formula experience before to test the Formula BMW Car in Brands Hatch. The official program will start on at 08:00 a.m. and will be finished around 05:00 p.m. For the allocation of the equipment and the seat fitting the drivers should be at the Brands Hatch Circuit at 05:00 p.m. on October 25th. During the day the drivers will start with some theory lessons followed by different testing sessions to become familiar with the Formula BMW. The new BMW DTM Driver Andy Priaulx will be in Brands Hatch as an Instructor for the Kids. The parents will be informed with all information about the Formula BMW Talent Cup in presentations.
 
The test in Brands Hatch is the third of fourth and is a good possibility to earn some experience. The drivers could also join the final test and Shoot out in Valencia (21st - 22nd November), where the fastest driver will get a free ride for the Formula BMW Talent Cup 2012 with a value of 100.000 Euro.
 
Each test costs 2950 Euro. Further information on the Formula BMW Talent Cup and application forms for the test sessions can be found at: www.formula-bmw.com.  Entries for Brands Hatch close on 14th October.

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Charity Endurance Race   (10/10)

Kelvin Nicholls and Buckmore Park are once again organising a fund raising endurance event in aid of the Philippine Schools Project on 21st October, a Friday evening.

If you've been before you'll know what a laugh it is, if you haven't, then you're missing out!

Come along and join the fun and raise a little cash along the way, team entry costs just £165.

Contact Chris@Buckmore.co.uk or kelvinnicholls@btinternet.com for further information.

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British Jnr Kart Champs   (10/10)

Callan O'Keeffe clinched the championship title with a steady fourth place in the first final at Whilton Mill.

O'Keeffe fell from his front row position to fourth at the start, with George Russell punching in a lights-to-flag victory, chased all the way by Racing Steps Foundation driver Ben Barnicoat. "It's a great feeling to be champion," said O'Keeffe.

Barnicoat lunged past Russell early in the second final, with the pair then trading the lead until Russell established an unassailable gap at the front. Roy Johnson kept the pressure up in third, with Harrison Scott capitalising on a good start for fourth.

Final 1 Results:
1 George Russell (Intrepid)
2 Ben Barnicoat (Topkart)
3 Connor Jupp (Energy)

Final 2 Results:
1 Russell
2 Barnicoat
3 Johnson (Tonykart)

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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New Format Gx160 Ebook   (07/10)

The long standing Gx160 ebook has now been ported to work on smartphones. The smartphone version is a non flash product and loads fast for pleasurable browsing on todays modern phones and tablets.
 
This means you now have a choice of three version of the Gx160 ebook, by Brian Pollard, and all can be purchased by visiting www.ukpollards.com where you can find more information and PayPal 'Buy Now' Options.
 
To summarise the content of each product:
- Smartphone version is the original ebook in 'fold flat' ring binder interface.
- CD-rom version is the ebook and lots of extras in the shape of vids, slideshows... lots of flash content.
- ebook version is an fully loaded flash version with lots of multimedia content.

Three versions for you to choose... if you prepare a Gx160 then these will explain lots and lots!

Please visit the UKPollards website for more info at www.ukpollards.com.

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Where To Race In 2012?   (06/10)

Why not try one of the most accessible tracks in the South of England, 20 metres from the A303!

- Big grids in all classes, some of the biggest in MSA countrywide!
- 1000m flowing circuit
- 4 acres of tarmac pit area
- Free internet access
- 10 rounds with 2 to drop
- Help for Heroes Festival
 
Why not try 15th and 16th of October as a two day practice for £50 for both days, £30 for either day, see if you like the friendly atmosphere and super track!
 
Visit www.fekc.co.uk for more details.

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FKS Champions Crowned   (06/10)

Formula Kart Stars drew the curtain on its 2011 season at Ellough Park in Suffolk with a typically warm welcome from the Beccles and District Kart Club and some excellent racing in wonderfully warm weather conditions.
 
As was the case in 2010 numerous competitors in the Formula One Management backed Championship complimented the host club on their efforts over the weekend with a hog roast, live music and a skydiving display and if the atmosphere off track was electric the action on track was equally dazzling.
 
MSA British Cadet Championship: 
Reigning British O Plate and Kartmasters Grand Prix winner Daniel Ticktum finally added the biggest prize in Cadet karting, the MSA British title, to his list of achievements by a scant eleven point margin over Jamie Caroline.
 
Ticktum fought off a determined late season charge by Caroline to seal the title at the conclusion of Sunday's heat races and watched the final from the sidelines after a season in which he won four finals at four different circuits.
 
A close second place behind maiden FKS winner Dean Macdonald in Saturday's final and then a fine fight-back from last place to third in Sunday's second heat were critical to Ticktum's successful title push, especially after Caroline won both his heats on Saturday and claimed pole position for the final.
 
But Caroline could only finish fourth in Saturday's final and then ran off track in Sunday's first heat and slipped to 13th, which gave Ticktum the opportunity to take the title with one race to spare.
 
With the victorious Ticktum watching from the spectator area he watched Macdonald and William Taylforth dispute first place in the very last race of the year. Scotsman Macdonald led by inches from Taylforth as they pulled away from the rest but with one corner to go Taylforth spotted a gap and went for it, scoring his debut FKS win by six hundredths of a second.
 
Formula Mini Max: 
In his fifth year as a Formula Kart Stars driver, Josh White claimed his first series title thanks to a pair of victories in Saturday's heat races.
 
Arriving at Ellough Park with a 60-point advantage over Jack Mitchell, White shook off any nerves he may have been harbouring with a pair of controlled performances in Saturday's heats, which put his points total beyond Mitchell's reach.
 
White then elected to sit out Saturday's final although he briefly returned to the track on Sunday to lead the field around on the parade laps ahead of the final complete with the coveted number one plate on his kart.
 
Despite the disappointment of losing out on the title Mitchell responded in fine fashion by winning Saturday's final despite some intense pressure from Connor Mills although nobody could deny Mills in Sunday's final round.
 
After four second-place finishes in 2011 Mills finally scored the so-far elusive final win in fine style, winning both heats and then keeping Seth James and Josh Cornwell at bay in a tense final, securing third place in the overall championship standings in the process.
 
Formula Junior Rotax:
With newly crowned champion James Singleton not racing this weekend Sam Marsh bounced back from his disappointing exclusion at the previous round to utterly dominate the weekend.
 
Achieving a total clean sweep of every qualifying session, heat race and final over the entire weekend, something that not even Singleton could manage, Marsh overcame a sizeable points deficit to Ryan Norris and George Williams to grab the runner-up spot in the championship.
 
Marsh's closest rival on Saturday was his teammate Nick Arthur, making his return to the driving seat after suffering two punctured lungs in a crash in round eight of the championship at Genk. However after finishing a gritty fourth behind Jessica Hawkins and Adam Glear in Saturday's gruelling 26-lap final Arthur was ruled out of Sunday's racing on medical grounds.
 
Hawkins was having her best FKS weekend to date and she chased down Marsh in Sunday's final with Bobby Thompson hot on her heels. However Hawkins fell half a second short of catching Marsh before the chequered flag fell and had to make to with her second runner-up finish in as many days.

Full results and more information can be found at www.formulakartstars.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Ambition Motorsport & RPM   (05/10)

Ambition Motorsport & RPM racing engines, have joined forces to supply parts through to engines (clubman & SP) to customers directly within the South of England. Ambition will be available to support customers using RPM supplied engines at various circuits via their calendar commitments.
 
Ambition Motorsport Paul Janes commented "This is a great bond between the two companies, as this will bring available parts and advice for original and new RPM customers at more local club events".
 
RPM Roger Pitchford also remarked "With Ambition located at many circuits in the South it seems a great opportunity to produce and maintain a customer relationship when I am not available in person. We look forward to working with Paul and the team to deliver the results".
 
Ambition can also supply a carriage service for customers looking at giving RPM their engines for quick turnaround services.  Also engines are currently widely available in either clubman or SP form with immediate shipping.
 
Every kart also supplied by Ambition Motorsport will be fitted with an RPM new or used performance engine.
 
For more details please contact Paul Janes at Ambition Motorsport on 0795 183 1236 or Roger Pitchford at RPM on 07977 430 680.

You can also visit www.ambitionmotorsport.com and www.rpmpower.co.uk.

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Online Race Entry System   (05/10)

The world's leading Race Track site has announced today they are launching an online race entry platform.
 
It will enable clubs to take race entries online, without having to spend anything on development - sign up is free too! We've had a huge amount of interest from several clubs we spoke to when researching the project, and we're now ready to take on a few more. We know how little finance is available at the moment, contact us for a rough indication on prices - they're unbelievably low for the next three clubs as an introduction offer!
 
It was around 4 months ago we started to look into this. After some research, work started on the site around 2 months ago. We're nearing the end of development are now looking for clubs to get on-board for the start of the 2012 season. It makes entering much easier, and with address details saved takes less than 3 minute to enter!
 
We've got a load of other features we think will save you loads of time and increase entries:
- Bulk emails - emails will be sent out confirming entry, as well as emails going out before entries close
- Entrants details in one spreadsheet [We all know just how bad racing drivers hand writing is...]
- Wide range of payments accepted [All forms of credit card, paypal, Google checkout, cash and cheque]
- Terms and conditions, calender and track details all listed online, with links over to your site.
- You'll also be able to allow drivers to sort out club membership and practice days if needed.
- Published entry lists [if required]
 
We feel this is exactly what clubs have been asking for; not only does it make entering much easier and save club secretaries hours of admin, we've got a few other ideas which are guaranteed to boost entries (promise!).
 
If you'd like more information or details, view more details or contact Emma at emma@trackreviewers.com or James at james@trackreviewers.com, or visit our website at http://trackreviewers.com/news/online-race-entries/.

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Formula KGP S1   (05/10)

This Sunday sees the last round of Formula KGP at Whilton Mill. As with any good championship it all rests on the last race with mathematically three maybe four drivers in with a chance of taking the title.

Tom Fawcett, Michael Simpson, Mark Litchfield and rookie Jake Hughes could all take the title at the Northamptonshire circuit if things go their way.

Formula KGP has silenced its critics in its first year with a strong grid that has actually increased as the S1 year has unfolded with some great racing and no less than 5 different round winners so far!

"We are delighted with the progress we have made. To start a new karting Formula in such a difficult economic climate hasn't been easy. KGP UK is committed to a high level of customer service and support. We believe we have created an alternative, realistic, karting concept in the KGP class. I think people can now see that with Formula KGP karting can be a level playing field again without huge costs. I would like to thank our partners BMB and the support from our friends in F1 - Marussia Virgin Racing - its been a year to savour." Andy Cox KGP UK

In the end points mean prizes! The top three drivers in the KGP S1 Championship and a wild card from Formula KGP selected by Marussia Virgin Racing will take part in a Formula Renault test with Manor Motorsport as part of Marussia Virgin Racing's association with Formula KGP and the link with its young driver programme.
 
For more information visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on facebook.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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It's That Time Again...   (05/10)

We are gearing up for another race meeting at Lydd, the racing will be non-MSA again, but the meeting is run as if it was an MSA meeting, same rules, same standards and great medical cover
 
Now is a good time to get your entries in, just call on our new number which is 01797 321895 or send us an email at lyddcircuit@yahoo.co.uk race entry is £40 for non members and £35 for members of the club.
 
The weather is looking good for the weekend and entries are already building fast, last month we had an amazing turn out of Bambinos, Honda Cadets and Honda Clubman, Juniors and Seniors all having excellent grids with the Prokarts showing some new talent as well.
 
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday 9th for the race, and don't forget we are open for practice every day, and yet again the Saturday before race day we have kept clear purely for all you owner drivers.

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Ambition Drivers Star...   (05/10)

Sunday 25th of September saw Thomas Imamzade take a well fought victory in the final of the Honda Cadet Clubman at Bayford Meadows after having a race long dual with Charlie Bennett. This was Tom's second final victory at the Kent circuit showing the real strength of the young Essex racers determination to be at the front of an ultra-competitive field of 30 drivers which included a B qualification race due to the numbers.
 
Also showing that the young ones are a force to reckon with was 8 year old Jean Sammut. In his fourth MSA race he qualified to the A final by winning the B final in fine style after a bad heat result which left him with a damaged kart. Jean drove from the back of the grid to an incredible 9th in the A final beating his older rivals with some textbook overtaking manoeuvres. In doing this he was rewarded with the Top Novice Award after finishing ahead of the other 10 novices competing. 
 
Ambition also fielded drivers Noah Nostrati-rad, Elliot Harvey and Wesley Mason who all showed great improvement and commitment over the course of the day.
 
Spaces are limited for drivers looking to join the team, with the team finalising their Winter schedule. 
 
For all enquiries please contact Paul Janes on 07951831236 or by email at info@ambitionmotorsport.com 
 
To look at the teams progress you can also follow us on facebook/twitter or by visiting www.ambitionmotorsport.com for all your karting needs.
 
Stop Press: Ambition Motorsport have Honda Cadet rolling and complete outfits for sale New/Old and many items used by the team available to buy at great prices - Please call for more details.

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Formula TKM Festival DVD   (05/10)

The DVD featuring action from this year's Maxxis Formula TKM Festival at Kimbolton has just gone on sale.

The DVD shows finals as well as other action and interviews.

The DVDs are realistically priced at £13.80p inc Vat or £15.60p inc post, packing & Vat.

They are available biw from Tal-Ko Racing - email info@tal-ko.com or call 01767 682020.

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Evolution Success At FKS   (04/10)

Team Evolution travelled to Ellough Park in September for the final round of the FKS Series.
 
After his recent 2nd place and podium finish at the recent PFI Super 1 round Connor Mills hoped to go one better at Ellough Park.
 
Saturday's race saw Mills start on the front row after two strong heats. Mills lead early on but was demoted to 2nd during the middle of the race. He was not able to challenge for the lead and took the flag in a well deserved 2nd place. The Team made some changes for Sundays race and saw Mills set the pace in qualifying a clear tenth up the road. Mills then went on to win both heats, his pace improving throughout the day. During the final Mills lost the lead once but instantly fought back. He then put in some consistant laps and managed to ease himself a gap from the chasing pack. Mills took the flag, a great and well deserved victory.
 
After a strong end to the year Mills finished the Championship in 3rd place. The team look forward to 2012 with Mills, and are sure he will be a Championship contender at both FKS and Super 1.
 
Hawkins qualified 7th in Saturdays qualifying, strong drives in both heats saw Hakins line up on grid 3 for the final. A great race saw Hawkins battling for 2nd place where she eventually got the better of her competitiors and broke clear of the pack behind. By this point the race leader had managed to pull a clear gap on Hawkins. 2nd place is Hawkins' best FKS result to date.
 
Sunday qualifying saw Hawkins bend the axle on the opening lap in qualifying, unfortuantly this left her in 13th place. Hawkins had great race pace setting the fastest laps in both heats and storming through to 3rd and 4th place. This left Hawkins with an outside start from the front row. A confident Hawkins emerged from the first corner still in 2nd place. The early stages of the race saw Hawkins drop the 3rd place, but she soon picked up the pace and regained 2nd place. Race leader Marsh had made the most of the drama behind and had opened a gap of just over 1 second. During the later stage of the race Hawkins put pressure on Marsh reducing the gap to a mere 4 tenths. With time running out Hawkins crossed the line in 2nd place, a great end to the season and a solid 5th place in the championship for Hawkins.
 
Evolution Racing are taking signings for 2012 in Honda Cadet, Mini/Junior/Senior Max and will compete in the Super 1, FKS and BNL Series. For more information please contact Team Manager Ashley Whitcroft on 07789932134 or ashevolution@hotmail.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Double Podium At Super 1   (04/10)

The Kent based Alonso Race Team Evolution Racing had a good showing with all their drivers at the recent Super 1 round at PF International.
 
Championship contender Nathan Harrison had his best qualifying of the year at Super 1 with 2nd in group and 6th overall!
 
Harrison had a strong 3rd place in heat one. Heat 2 saw Harrison driven into at various points of the race but he recovered to momenterially take the lead with 3 corners to go, unfortuantly another competitior turned in on Harrison demoting the Oxford based driver to 8th.

Harrison lined up on grid 5 for the pre final and the opening lap saw Harrison in 6th place. A strong drive in the middle of the race saw the Evolution driver into 2nd and reeling in the race leader Barlow. With 4 laps remaining Harrison was all over the rear bumper of the race leader and made his move into hair pin 1. Harrison run wide on the exit of the corner and was eased off the circuit dropping him to 3rd place with time running out for Harrison he had to settle for 3rd which left him for an inside start in the Final.
 
Harrison immediately found his way to 2nd place at the start of the final where he had Barlow in his sights. An early move in the pit complex from Singleton saw Harrison drop down the order but a composed drive saw Harrison climb back to 3rd place. With only minutes left Harrison set his sights on Singleton in 2nd place. With only 3 laps left Harrison was on the back of 2nd place but he played safe and settle for the points.
 
With only one round left the Championship is wide open and both Team Manager Ashley Whitcroft and Nathan Harrison feel very confident. "We both feel the speed we had this weekend was very impressive, with only one round left anything can happen. Nathan is very strong round Wigan and 6 points is a very small margin."
 
Also in Junior Max Team driver Erik Johansson showed great race pace at PFI. Heat 1 saw Johansson involved in the first lap melay, he recovered to 14th place and was one of only 3 drives in the 45's. Johannson was on top form during heat 2 where he was involved in a battle for the lead throughout the race. On the last lap Johansson clearly took the lead approaching the chichane but another competitor drove Johansson off the circuit leaving the youngster last. The other competitor was excluded after the race, a small concelation for Johansson.
 
This left Johansson on grid 4 for the repercharge. A strong and determined drive saw Johansson qualify for the Finals. First lap incidents in both Finals saw Johansson with a lot of work to do. In the second final he crossed the line an impressive 9th place setting fastest lap along the way!
 
In Mini Max Connor Mills had a great weekend, with 2nd place in both finals, where he closely contested race winner Ross Gunn. Great points for Mills who moves into 5th place in the championship standings. The Team look forward to the final round at Three Sisters (Wigan) on the 15th & 16th of October.
 
For more information on the Team or Alonso Karts and OTK products please contact Ashley Whitcroft on 07789932134 or ashevolution@hotmail.co.uk.
 
Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Global Taking 2012 Bookings   (04/10)

As the season is coming to an end we at Global Karting would like to announce that we are taking bookings for 2012 in Minimax, Junior Max, Senior max and Honda Cadet. We are looking to compete in the Super One, FKS, Euromax and the BNL, as well as all of the major one off events such as Kartmasters, O Plate and the European Open which is still to be held in Zuera-Spain in October.
 
We as a team can supply full arrive and drive packages or simply awning space and advice. We have a fully equipped workshop, which has a state of the art flat table for measuring chassis flatness. We also use corner weight scales to set the seat position before it hits the track. How would you feel if your chassis was up to 8KG different from left to right hand side!?
 
We are agents for The TonyKart chassis and carry a full stock of OTK spares as well as being able to supply and maintain the karts. As part of our service we also stock all Rotax spares and tyres making running with the team very simple and cost effective.
 
We have developed a strong relationship with Ricky Grice of Grice racing engines allowing us to hand pick engines for the team drivers, meaning there is no shortage of power.
 
The team has shown some fantastic speed throughout the season with numerous fastest laps, wins and podiums. In the Mini Class Jack Mitchell has been challenging for the championship in S1 and FKS, he lies 2nd in S1 going into the last round and is now vice champion in FKS. Josh Price has been very competitive throughout a trying season having never driven most of the tracks prior to this season and having only competed at Rye House in a cadet in 2010. Josh Currently lies a very credable 10th in Super one going into the final round. Jai Nijjar has joined the team at over half distance this season and adapted to our methods, Chassis choice and Engine tuner choice very well. He has had his first win ever since running with the team and has now been qualifying at S1 in the top 10 the last 2 rounds.
 
The London cup was won by Jack, with Josh coming second and Jai 5th after coming second in the pre-final.
 
The Brazilian cup was won by Jack Mitchell with Josh Price coming second, Jai Nijjar was looking good for a podium only to have the throttle cable snap early in the race.
  
At the Anglian Champs Greg Finke took the spoils in the Masters category.
 
Max Weiteska racing in the Honda cadet class has shown great speed since racing with us and has now qualified in the top 5 at both S1 rounds in the team and has had solid top 5 finishes. In seniors we have had some strong outings at both club and S1 level.
 
For any enquiries please don't hesitate to call us on 07957 463109 or 01279 841291.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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New PFI Circuit Is A Hit   (04/10)

From the fantastically spectacular first two turns, the bridge and the downhill sections to the elimination of the hairpin crashes -  the inaugural race meeting on the new circuit last weekend received a massive vote of support from drivers, teams, officials and spectators!
 
PFI is now, more than ever, the place to race every month!
 
The next meeting is 29th & 30th October (5th Sunday with no clashing events) and is followed by the final Club Championship round on 5th & 6th November. The 2011 Awards Presentation evening will be held on 12th November - so the 2011 Club Champions will be crowned almost instantly!  The Club will then commence the Winter Series (4th December/29th January/5th February/4th March)... give us a try - you will not be disappointed!
 
TVKC are delighted to announce that 2012 Membership fees will remain unchanged at £50.
 
For more information, please contact Lesley Richardson on compsec@tvkc.co.uk or 07545 131099 or Clare Mills on clare@tvkc.co.uk.

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Joyner Crowned Champion   (03/10)

Tom Joyner was crowned the 2011 Ginetta MSA British Short Circuit Kart Champion after leading the standalone championship event at PFI from start to finish.

It was the inaugural meeting on PFI's newly extended 1382m circuit, with its unique crossover bridge. Joyner was quickest in timed qualifying before taking third, first and fourth in the heats while his rivals struck misfortune.

Outgoing champion Mark Litchfield endured a seized engine in the second heat but worked his way up to third in the final behind David Sutton and winner Joyner. "In the heats we set the kart to be quick at the end, but for the final we decided to get away at the start," said the new champion.


Results:
1 Tom Joyner (LH Kart)
2 David Sutton (Alonso)
3 Mark Litchfield (Birel)
4 Billy Albone (RK)
5 Sam MacLeod (Alonso)

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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World Motor Sport Council   (03/10)

At its meeting on 23 September 2011 in Singapore (SGP) and on proposals of the International Karting Commission Members, the FIA World Motor Sport Council took in particular the following decisions concerning Karting:

Sporting Regulations
Within the framework of the 2012 CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship, it has been decided to introduce the allocation of engines to the Drivers by drawing lots, as agreed with the most involved engine Manufacturers in the category concerned. These Manufacturers shall expressly enter the Championship by stating that they are engine suppliers, and they must place at the disposal of Drivers a set of identical and sealed engines at each event. When they enter the Championship, Drivers will indicate the engine brand of their choice from entered makes, and they will be allocated at each event two engines by drawing lots from the set of engines of the said brand. These engines shall comply with the current KF2 regulations.

With the aim of making more attractive the yearly programme proposed to the Drivers of the categories concerned, it has been decided to increase to two the number of rounds counting towards the CIK-FIA European Championships of the KF2 & KF3 categories, as a replacement to the current format which comprises two regional (North and South) qualifications followed by a final. It will be mandatory for Drivers entered in these European Championships to take part in both their events in order to be eligible for the World Cups to be held later in the season.

Technical and Homologation Regulations
Two modifications with immediate application have been made to the valid Technical Regulations: on the one hand it will be mandatory to use reinforcement plates for the attachment of ballast when it is placed on the seat and, on the other, the reading of GPS data by data logging systems is authorised.
As from 2012, the use of tyres in the KZ1 category will be extended to "Medium" type compounds instead of being restricted to "Soft" ones.

In the year 2012, there will be a new homologation session for KF engines, to be valid as from 1st January 2013. Manufacturers will be able to homologate up to two makes of engines and two engine models per make, compared to just one make and one model until now. Bodywork Manufacturers will have the possibility to homologate and produce rear wheel protections made of several elements instead of being in one part.

As from 2013, the choice of the homologated carburettor make for the CIK-FIA KF3 Championships, Cups and Trophies will be left up to the Entrants' appreciation. It will no longer be a single model designated further to a tender procedure.

In 2017, 250cc engines from Grand Prix motorcycles will be deleted from the list of engines approved for the Superkart category.

Calendar of the 2012 CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies
The FIA World Motor Sport Council has validated the proposed calendar of the CIK-FIA Championships, Cups and Trophies submitted for the 2012 season. This proposal included most of the dates and venues selected for next season, but the final and complete version of the calendar will be ratified at the next meeting of the World Council, in December. The addition of an event to the calendar is being studied, and so is the entry of the Monaco Kart Cup. The full programme of the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship is still to be finalised as it has been possible to officialise only two out of the three scheduled rounds.

CIK-FIA "U18" Karting World Championship (drivers under 18 years of age)
06-08/07       Braga (PRT)
24-26/08       Angerville (FRA)
TBA              Bahreïn (BHR)

CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship
26-29/04       Varennes s/Allier (FRA)
17-20/05       Suzuka (JPN)
18-22/07       PF Int'l, Brandon (GBR)
06-09/09       Sarno (ITA)
18-21/10       Macau-Coloane (MAC)

CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy
06-08/07       Braga (PRT)
24-26/08       Angerville (FRA)
TBA              Bahreïn (BHR)

CIK-FIA World Cups for KF2 & KF3
20-23/09       Zuera (ESP)

CIK-FIA World Cups for KZ1 & KZ2
06-09/09       Sarno (ITA)

CIK-FIA European KZ1 & KZ2 Championships
07-10/06       Wackersdorf (DEU)

CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship
26-29/04       Varennes s/Allier (FRA)
18-22/07       PF Int'l, Brandon (GBR)

CIK-FIA European KF2 Championship
07-10/06       Wackersdorf (DEU)
18-22/07       PF Int'l, Brandon (GBR)

CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship
17-20/05       Suzuka (JPN)

CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship
TBA              TBA
TBA              Snetterton (GBR)
07-09/09       Le Mans-Bugatti (FRA)

CIK-FIA KF2, KF3 & KZ2 Viking Trophy
15-17/06       Pori (FIN)

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

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Sowery And Hirst Crowned   (30/09)

The Easykart UK championship drew to a dramatic close in the Welsh valleys (25 September) with two titles decided on the day and a third pending an appeal.
 
Cadet:
Jenson Murchison's early dominance came under close scrutiny in the latter stages, as Matthew Round-Garrido and Jordan Sanders piled on the pressure. Round-Garrido briefly took the lead through Macwhirters corner but Murchison reclaimed it with a clinical move at the NGK Chicane. For Round-Garrido, 2nd was sufficient to clinch the championship but a technical infringement saw him disqualified. His team launched an immediate appeal and pending the MSA's decision, the overall winner remains unresolved. It will be an anxious wait for both Round-Garrido and Sam Faulkner, whom finished unusually well down in 15th place but had sufficient points in the bag to be provisionally crowned Champion.
 
Junior:
A snapped chain and ripped off nosecone for Toby Sowery and James Lay respectively in the heat may well have sent their parents' blood pressure soaring but the pair themselves kept cool heads to rocket through the field in the pre-final, setting up an exciting showdown in the main final. However, just as was the case at Fulbeck, a string of drivers stood poised to punish any mistakes their rivals might make. Lay initially led from pole position but Sowery quickly seized the initiative, only to see Jack New catch and pass him on lap eight. Controversy followed as New suddenly slewed off the track after contact with Sowery in the braking area for Raymonds'. Lay nipped past and brilliantly held Sowery at bay for ten laps before the reigning Champion backed off and drove for the championship. Tom Thickpenny claimed a richly-deserved 3rd following his race-long scrap with Willis Mayneord.  
 
Light:
Ayrton Hirst caught pole-sitter Patrick Lay napping and simply motored round the outside of him going into the first bend. Jake Hughes and Jamie Crease followed Hirst. Stalemate ensued for the next fifteen laps, before Lay managed to pass Crease for 3rd. Less than a minute later Patrick was up to 2nd and a deft move at the Hook, saw Sam Dimelow snatch 3rd. Moments later he nearly lost it when Crease tagged him under heavy and late braking for the Hairpin. Sublime kart control kept Dimelow on track and on course for the podium. Hirst responded to Lay's late challenge and coolly went on to claim both the race win, and the championship by just six points over 6th-placed Elliot Rice.    
 
Heavy:
Mark Lawrence's frustrating 2011 campaign came to a satisfactory end with an unbeatable performance in the final. The Scot had been in dominant form in the heat and pre-final and once again his pace and consistency combined to superb effect. Roland Bredner's spirited chase pegged Lawrence's advantage to approximately a second but he couldn't find those vital extra tenths during the 20 laps to make it more of a contest. William Smith in 3rd found himself neither challenging nor challenged and sensibly opted to race for the runner-up spot in the championship. If the top three all had the trophies in the bag, the fight behind them was hugely entertaining. Andrew Gould enjoyed his best finish of the year with 6th and earned himself the Karting magazine Driver of the Day award for his efforts.   
 
For the full list of results and more information about Easykart, please visit www.easykart.co.uk.

Photography courtesy of Enver Meyer Photography.

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Jensen Back In Action  (30/09)

Round 7 of Dunkeswell's Club Championship saw Jensen Kart Team back in action, this time with Team Principal Jacques Jensen in the driver's seat, despite having not raced all season. Jacques wasted little time in adapting to his Exprit chassis and Mojo tyres, setting very competitive lap times during unofficial practice.
 
Race day saw Jensen on a mission, winning the first heat in the wet by a comfortable margin, and finishing second and sixth in the remaining heats. These strong results earned Jensen with pole position for the final. From here, Jacques made a clear start and controlled the race for the full 15 laps, taking the chequered flag as the eventual winner. Jensen stated, "This win was great for my team, as it is our third victory in the past three race meetings, with three different drivers! I decided to enter the event in order to learn more about the Senior Max Mojo tyres and the Exprit chassis, and it was certainly worth while!"
 
Thinking about changing to an Exprit kart chassis? Please contact us via our website, www.jensenkartteam.co.uk to arrange a test drive. Serious enquiries only.

Photography courtesy of Tel T Motorsport Photography.

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GMS Shows Its Colours   (29/09)

The GMS team continues to show it is a force to be reckoned as the Super One season nears its conclusion, with a raft of 177 drivers fighting throughout the field. Up front, Dave Griffiths run of three wins, two seconds and a cruel DNF from the lead have left him as the only realistic challenger to Lucas Orrock going into the final round. In spite of a monster crash at Buckmore Park, his repaired X30 chassis proved quick enough to fight Orrock all the way to the flag at PF International last weekend.
 
Moving up to Super One 177s for the first time, Andrew Cole got stuck in immediately, sneaking into the top 5 through the weekend and taking 6th and 7th in the finals, having taken 2nd place at the prior club meeting. Dan Mulvaney, running his three season old Mk2 X30, showed the longevity of the chassis to take a double top 10, to complement  his best ever result of 5th at Buckmore.

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.

An interview with Dave is to be shown in the next Super One Rotax Series TV broadcast, explaining the motivation behind the chassis and how the season has gone so far...

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Barlow Wins In Wigan   (29/09)

Strawberry Racing's Jack Barlow notched up another impressive victory to boost his bid to win the Ginetta Super One Rotax Championship.
 
The 2009 Formula Kart Stars Mini Max Champion added a further title to his already impressive list of wins so far this season, with success in last Sunday's (25 September) Rotax Cup.
 
The Adidas, Arai and Superdry-supported driver beat a quality field at Three Sisters near Wigan, to retain the trophy he won last year.  
 
Despite making his mechanic and team manager "get in a flap" when a gaggle of slower drivers temporarily blocked him during his timed qualifying run, Jack was able to comfortably secure pole position for the first of his two heats.
 
"The Rotax Cup uses an unusual format, in that qualifying only decides where you start on the grid for the first race. Where I finished would be where I started from in the second. Thankfully I won, so was on pole position for the next race.
 
"I managed to make a really good start and basically led all the way to the finish. I was chased hard by just one other driver, who sat behind me the whole race. In the infield section I'd pull away from him but he'd close up down the main straight - one of the longest in Britain."
 
Having kept his rival and the rest of the field at bay to claim the win, Jack - who races Tony Kart's Racer EVRR chassis with Cream Racing Engines-prepared motors - was assured of his third front row start, this time for the grand final.
 
Describing the opening moments of the race, he said: "I got another great start and opened a good gap on the rest of the field. Unfortunately I made a mistake going through the Valley and hit one of the kerbs too hard. This cost me time and allowed the 2nd-placed driver to catch me. Thankfully he couldn't quite get close enough [to launch a bid for the lead]."
 
Having settled down and found his rhythm, Barlow confidently powered away to cross the finishing line unchallenged.
 
Jack returns to Wigan on 16 October and hopes he can use this latest triumph to inspire him to clinch the Ginetta Super One crown in the Junior Rotax category. In the meanwhile, you can keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting www.jackbarlowracing.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Graham Smith/TSR Productions.

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Strawberry Racing Lock Out   (29/09)

Strawberry Racing's Junior and Senior Max drivers enjoyed a successful Rotax Cup at Three Sisters yesterday (25 October), with five of their seven drivers on the podium.
 
Junior star Jack Barlow repeated his 2010 success with a dominant performance, whilst his team-mate Rob Holland was in the hunt throughout the 12 lap final and was pleased to secure 3rd place.
 
"Jack got away from the pack right from the start," explained Strawberry team chief, Warwick Ringham. "Rob made a couple of mistakes and had to fight back. Jack had one lap where he hit a couple of the kerbs but he quickly settled down and traded similar lap times with Olly Myers (in 2nd). It's very hard to get away at Three Sisters and lead the race from start to finish but that's exactly what he did. It was impressive."
 
Like Barlow and Holland, Myers used a Racer EVRR chassis and Cream Racing Engines-prepared motor to earn his trophy.
 
In the senior encounter, Ash Hand, Andy King and Jack Marshall heeded Dave 'Dodge' Gregory's pre-race instructions to great effect.
 
"I had a chat with the lads beforehand and told them if you hit the front and battle, you'll be caught. My advice was to let the quickest driver take the lead and not to block or defend if one of the others thought they were faster. Initially, Ash was overtaken by Andy but he passed him cleanly to lead again and once the race had found its rhythm, all three drove away from the pack. It was an excellent result and for all the boys, it's good preparation for the season closer back at Three Sisters in October (15/16)."
 
In the Mini Max class, a heavy crash on Saturday prompted Harry Webb to withdraw from participating in Sunday's action, leaving Zhou Guan Yu - AKA 'Joe' - as Strawberry's sole representative. Despite his inexperience of racing in Britain and having never been to Three Sisters before, he claimed a creditable fifth place overall.
 
Strawberry Racing has a small number of ex-works Tony Kart Racer EVRR chassis and Cream Racing Engines-prepped Rotax motors for sale. For more information about them, OTK products and Cream's preparation services please call Warwick Ringham on 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933.

Photograph courtesy of Graham Smith/TSR Productions.

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Formula BMW Talent Cup   (29/09)

The Formula BMW Talent Cup presents its latest cooperation partner, V1 Championship. Applying an innovative process of elimination, V1 Championship will be awarding a Formula BMW Talent Cup drive for the year 2012 and will carry the €100,000 cost of the training programme.

V1 Championship provides an affordable means of recognising young driving talents at an early stage. Using a combination of physiological and psychometric units, their race simulator - the "V1 Championship Simulator" - filters out the best candidate for the 2012 Formula BMW Talent Cup. After four years of development work, V1 Championship has come up with accurate tests to assess the talent of young drivers. "Today simulations are a fundamental part of Formula One and hopefully will soon be a way of identifying talent as well," says former F1 World Champion John Surtees. The simulator can be downloaded for a fee from www.v1championship.com.

In the Formula BMW Talent Cup a total of 15 young drivers, who may not have any prior experience in formula racing, are systematically introduced to the requirements of a professional motor racing career. Driver coaches and race engineers take charge of small groups and take them through everything from individual driving style to complete vehicle set-up.

The training concept behind the Formula BMW Talent Cup is based on the competence of qualified experts. Fitness trainers from the Sense company, for example, teach the drivers all about physical fitness and nutrition. But beyond the physical side, the psychological aspect of motor racing is taking on an ever greater role: here the internationally renowned mental coach Professor Dieter Hackfort teaches strategies for handling stressful situations on and around the race track. Dealing with the media is another increasingly crucial aspect. The young drivers get to grips with professional media content and learn how to conduct themselves in front of a radio mike or television camera. All communications are based on English, the international language of motor sport. The international nature of the Formula BMW Talent Cup is reflected in its range of event venues right across Europe.

ABkC KF2/KF3 O Plates   (28/09)

Here is some great news for the serious competitor to race in a Winter Championship with three dedicated meetings between November and March, including the ABkC 'O' Plate for the KF2 and KF3 classes.  MSA permission has been given to hold the usual KF Winter Series in dedicated meetings, and add Cadet and Rotax classes, thus improving the benefits to team and competitor alike:
 
- Friday Testing (optional).
- More track time than at a club meeting.
- Spreads the cost to teams by having drivers from more classes.
- Timed Qualifying, 3 heats and a final.
- Uniloggers as per S1.
- Control fuel for KF classes.
- Trophies on the day and overall trophies.
- Points for heats and finals.
- One chassis / two engines as usual.
- Officials from the Super One team.
 
The classes available are KF2 - ABkC O Plate, KF3 - ABkC O Plate, Comer Cadet, Honda Cadet, MiniMax, Junior Max, and Senior Max.
 
This is a great opportunity to race against the best over the winter, whether you are a regular championship runner or trying out the higher steps for the first time.  The event is promoted by Shenington Kart Racing Club and for a registration form please click here or visit www.s1series.co.uk, but remember this is limited to 30 drivers in each class (a reserve list will be taken) and the closing date is 28th October.
 
Remaining dates will be announced as soon as we are certain not to clash with other important European events and the venues will be Glan y Gors (12-13 November), PF International and Shenington. Foreign drivers are welcome, subject to the usual FIA regulations.
 
Any queries please contact the co-ordinator Sonja Game on 01869 320157 or by email on sonja_super1@msn.com.

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Extra Wigan S1 Testing   (28/09)

DHR have an exclusive track hire day booked at Three Sisters Wigan on Thursday 6th October. Due to the high costs the team are opening the day to other drivers and teams wanting to test. It's an ideal date for last minute testing ahead of the final Super 1 round of the year.

Testing is from 9am-5pm and marshals and medic staff are provided by Three Sisters. The café will also be open.

It's likely we will arrange sessions depending on numbers and classes. For anyone wishing to come and test please contact Dan to book your spaces as limited numbers available only.

For further details please call Dan on 07960 047810 or email dan@danhollandracing.co.uk.

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Put Rissington To The Test   (28/09)

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 go this weekend, the 1st and 2nd of October.
 
This has got to be 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 racing experience. Check the classes and grids in the results section here.
 
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 and to work on your set ups. Race on Sunday! There will also be another chance to try out the track and that's the first weekend in November.
 
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
 
For more info about the track and facilities see www.rissykartclub.com. 

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The Brilliance Of Brand   (28/09)

Fresh from clinching 3rd in the Euro Max Challenge at Angerville in France just days earlier, Ed and his Strawberry Racing colleagues returned home seeking to wrap up the Ginetta Super One Rotax Championship at PFi (17/18 September).
 
With the incoming talents of Ash Hand and Andy King, plus a collection of title rivals - including his other team-mate Jack Marshall - Ed was far from assured of taking the title easily, but responded in the style of a true champion.
 
He won both his qualifying heats to take pole position for Sunday's first final, with King and Hand completing row two and Marshall sitting on P5.
 
When he crossed the finishing line well clear of the field, he had already done enough to put the Championship to bed, whilst Andy, Jack and and Ash finished in 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively.
 
With little time to savour the moment, and heavy rain forcing the teams to hurriedly change the karts' set-ups from dry to wet settings, Brand faced a tough decision. Should he end the year on a high and go for the win, or stay out of trouble and gather the best points finish possible? He told passing journalists that he'd go for the latter - but just moments into the race this was evidently not the case. He was delivering a rain masterclass.
 
Andy King finished a worthy 2nd to Ed with Ash 7th and Jack a frustrated 19th after a contact-filled 16 laps.
 
With Ed and Strawberry Racing declared champions - the team's 4th senior Super One Rotax crown - the focus fell on advancing Jack Barlow to overall success in Junior Max.
 
Like Ed, Jack was spurred on by the incoming Rob Holland, and similarly stepped up. Both drivers topped their groups after timed qualifying, but it was Jack who claimed pole position for the first final thanks to a 1st and 2nd in the heats. Jay Goodwin enjoyed a terrific day to put his kart down on P3 - his best performance of the year - whilst Alessandro Latif qualified on row seven, with Holland further back in 28th place after having to come through the repercharge.
 
Jack drove a perfectly judged race to win comfortably, with Jay an excellent 4th, Rob a gritty 9th and Alessandro completing the top 20.
 
Barlow saved his best for last and went on to dominate the main final. He crossed the finishing line over two seconds clear of the next driver and taking a maximum score of 100 points. Holland completed his day in 4th with Latif a creditable 5th and a heart-broken Goodwin watching from the sidelines after a collision just two laps from the chequered flag.
 
In Mini Max qualifying, Chinese star Zhou Guan Yu - or 'Joe' as the team have christened him - astonished the Championship regulars when he recorded the 6th-fastest lap. Title protagonist Harry Webb experienced a tougher time against the stopwatch, but a good run in his heats saw him take P4 of the pre-final grid with Joe on row five.
 
They went on to claim 5th and 8th in the race, with Zhou completing his best weekend in the Championship so far with an eventual 10th place in the final.         
 
Strawberry team manager Warwick Ringham was full of praise for Brand and Barlow: "Ed knew he could put the title beyond reach if he won. That sort of knowledge normally puts a lot of pressure on a driver, but not him. He was cool throughout and after clinching it in the pre-final, his mastery of the conditions and desire to win was a treat to watch."
 
On a number of occasions Ringham was spotted giving a 'perfect' hand signal to Jack Barlow. "Jack seemed a little bit uptight before both finals, but once the races were underway he relaxed - and yes, he did a perfect job. He's extended his points lead in the Junior  table and if he can maintain the form he showed at PFI and Buckmore Park before that, I think he'll be in the box seat. "
 
Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart Racer EVRR chassis and Cream Racing Engines. For more information about OTK products and Cream's preparation services go to www.strawberryracing.co.uk. Or call 0114 269 6215 / 0114 288 9933.

Photographs courtesy of Graham Smith/TSR Productions.

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Fusion Retain Cadet Title   (27/09)

Fusion Motorsport retained the British Cadet Championship, won in 2010 by Nathan Aston, as Dan Ticktum clinched the 2011 title at the final round of Formula Kart Stars at Ellough Park.
 
Ticktum scored enough points in the heats of Sunday's Round 12 to secure the Championship without needing to race in the Final.  The 12 year old added the British Championship title to his British Open and Kartmasters GP crowns he has won already in 2011, making him one of the most successful Cadet drivers in history.
 
Ticktum's team mate William Taylforth took his maiden victory in Sunday's final, after which, Fusion Team Manager Neil Doran commented, "Its been a fantastic day to clinch the Championship with Dan and Will winning the race just capped it off.  Its been a long hard year and its really satisfying that all the hard work has paid off."
 
Ticktum commented, "We were pretty sure from our calculations that we had won the Championship following the second heat, when I recovered from being taken off to finish 4th, but we had to check our figures over and over and save the celebrations until it was official.  It's a great feeling to have achieved our goal and we're now going to focus on winning the S1 Championship as well."
 
Fusion Motorsport drivers Ryan Anderton, Shanaka Clay, William Taylforth, Josh Smith and Alfie Brown finished 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th in the Championship respectively, capping off a superb season of FKS for Fusion, becoming the first team to get 6 drivers in the top 15 seeded numbers in the British Championship.
 
"We've had a great season, as always there have been highs and lows, but the team spirit has been excellent and thats whats given us the results," said Team Owner, Dan Hazlewood, "Winning the Championship and having 6 drivers in the top 12 is a fantastic achievement, but would not have been possible without having such good people around us.  I'd like to thank Neil Doran who has done an excellent job of running the team, Craig Boyd and Dan Hart, the best two mechanics in the business, Johnny MacDonald at Shox Performance and all the companies that have helped support us this year; iZone driver performance, Race Data, KartDavid graphics, RL Racing Dept., Teng Tools, AST signs and MIR racewear."

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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3DR Motorsport Dominate   (27/09)

The 3DR Motorsport squad have had unrivalled success throughout August and September, with no fewer than 8 outright race wins at Whilton Mill, Rissington, Kimbolton and Shenington in the Rotax and Cadet classes.

In Senior Rotax, Danny Russell has taken 6 victories from 6 races at Rissington, Kimbolton, and Shenington, proving the dominance the team have against their competition in arguably the hardest of all of the Rotax classes. He also wrapped up the Midland championship last month, with a-lights-to flag victory.

Proving strength in depth within the team, Richie Raymond took victory in his first 177 race with the team, against a strong Shenington grid in August. Outright race wins have also come for Sam Jackson in Junior Rotax, and Reeves in Comer Cadet at Whilton Mill.

The team has expanded beyond expectation over the summer, and we would like to congratulate all of our drivers on the improvements that they have made since joining the squad and throughout 2011:

Jake 'Simmo' Simpson - Comer Cadet (2 novice wins)
Karl Bonney - Junior Rotax
Ben Tuck- Junior Rotax (2 Podiums)
Sam Jackson - Junior Rotax (4 podiums, 1 race victory)
Aaron Bartlett - Junior Rotax
Ryan Jones - Senior Rotax
Danny Russell - Senior Rotax (14 race victories)
Richie Raymond - Rotax 177 (2 podiums, 1 race victory)
 
The team would also like to thank Strawberry Racing, Cream racing engines, and Soixante Racing engines for their continued support and efforts throughout the season.

As Cream agents, 3DR offer a complete engine service at our local clubs, from rebuilds, to rental and dyno optimisation.

3DR are actively seeking drivers to participate in the 2012 Rissington, Shenington, Kimbolton and Whilton Mill club championships, as well as the 2012 Super 1 Series, in all Rotax and Cadet Classes.

For more information on joining the team, or to find out how we can help you move forward in the New Year, contact Tom Smith on 01582 665113 or email tom@3drmotorsport.com, or Danny Russell on 01582 665113, email danny@3drmotorsport.com.

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White And RL Take Title   (27/09)

This past weekend the Rotax max specialists, RL Racing Department Ltd, creamed the opposition in the final round of the 2011 Formula Kart Stars championship with Sam Marsh destroying all competition in Junior Max with outright Pole in TQ, wins in both heats and the final on both days, rocketing him back up to runner up spot in the final points standings!  Josh White took the Mini Max title with two heats and two finals to spare in the Mini Max class after outright pole in TQ and wins in both of the heats he competed in by some margin, giving him enough points to be safe enough not to race for the rest of the weekend, a decision made by team principle Steve Armstrong.

In the Junior class, Marsh's team mate Nick Arthur, fresh back from injury at the Genk rounds of the series took P3 in TQ and 2 2nd places in the heats giving RL a front row lock out for the Saturday final. Marsh broke free on lap 1 and stretched away for a massive win whilst Nick struggled to keep going and after an impressive effort his energy eluded him dropping to 4th at the flag, a valiant effort from young Arthur, so soon after his horrific crash at Genk. Nick took no further part in proceedings under medical advice. Their new team mate Oli Norris, showed very well on the Sunday with p5 in TQ and placed high up in each heat, then running in 3rd for some of the final eventually ending up 4th but then being excluded for a technical infringement post-race.

In Mini Max, White's team mates Rob Hodkinson took a strong 5th place in Sundays final with Sam Oram Jones struggling with an engine fault and a melay of crashes in the heats, as well as Harry Campey also. Oram Jones had however shone in the Saturday races with  an impressive 5th place in the final after strong heat performances.

Overall the RL drivers finished 1st, 5th, 9th and 11th in the Mini Max series, and 2nd in Junior Max.

The team line up is now complete for 2012 and will be revealed after the last round of the Super One Series for Rotax at 3 Sisters in 2 weeks time.

For more info on the Racing Dept. or the Tonykart range used by RL contact Steve Armstrong on 07843 586416 or email accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk.

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Kartcam.co.uk   (26/09)

Aimed at all drivers that want to record their races for analysis, promote themselves on the net, provide promotional videos to current or potential sponsors or you just want to have footage to look back in years to come, Kartcam.co.uk has the ideal solution for you.

We offer our Kartcam Cameras inclusive with a 4GB SD memory card for an amazing price of £23.99.

The Camera offers excellent quality footage ideally suited for recording & watching back your days racing.

The Camera can be positioned almost anywhere on the Kart giving you the best, most realistic view of the track, steering angle, throttle & brake positions.

For more info on Kartcam Cameras or to purchase your camera please visit www.kartcam.co.uk.

You can also email us at enquiries@kartcam.co.uk.

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Tooley Motorsport At PFI   (26/09)

PFI was the host for the penultimate round of Rotax super 1, being one of the best venues in the country the whole team were looking forward to this visit. Going into this round there was a lot at stake as 3 of the 6 drivers in Tooley Motorsport were all in seeded positions, Adam Mackay in Junior max was 9th on drops, Dan Fazzone in mini max was also 9th on drops and Ross Gunn was leading the championship on drops.
 
Throughout practice both the mini max were quick having a very good end to the day on Friday, with Gunn being quickest and Fazzone going 3rd quickest. Qualifying brought misfortunes for the team as Dan had problems at the start which meant he dropped out of the pack losing the tow, this resulted in Dan qualifying 8th . Gunn was in the pack so had the advantage of a tow but had electrical problems causing him to qualify 5th.
 
Race day again included a lot of mischief with the first hairpin keeping its 'crash and bash' reputation, Fazzone was the victim of the domino's effect causing most of the front of the kart to be bent. Gunn however got through this and battled with White and Webb throughout the 15 minute final to come out on top. Final 2 again brought misfortune for Dan, being the victim of a harsh decision from the stewards who excluded him from the race. Gunn set off on pole for the main final but knew it was going to be hard, and his thoughts turned into reality when white pushed him onto the grass going into the chicane putting him back to 7th. However the win was still achievable and in Ross's sights, he picked his way through the top 6 and got to the leader which was Mitchell, Performing an outstanding move on Mitchell in the garage complex gave ross a bit of breathing space. This then gave Ross his 3rd double win of the year.
 
Junior max was also promising throughout testing with both Bowness and Mackay being on the pace, Skingley was getting there after not being on the track for more than a year. In qualifying Mackay managed to put it 3rd in his group which meant he was 4th overall giving him two 2nd positions to start the heat with. Heat one gave Adam a 12th position and heat 2 gave Adam an 11th putting him on 17th for final 1. Adam drove his way to 9th but sadly lost out on the last lap and ended up 13th. So for final 2 he had the inside but again the first hairpin took its victims, taking Adam to the very back of the field. But with Adams outstanding pace he climbed his way back up to 14th and was quicker than the race winner. Keiron and Ollie both had an average qualifying, with Keiron making a mistake on his flying lap and Ollie battling throughout. Because of the qualifying they both set off mid pack in their heats, going through many battles they both qualified into the repercharge. Again Keiron was fast enough being less than 1 tenth off the fastest but he only managed to get 11th, Ollie was also fast and drove well but ended up 13th.
 
There are still spaces left in the team for next year, so do not hesitate to contact Tooley Motorsport - details at www.TooleyMotorsport.com.

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British Cadet Kart Champs   (26/09)

Dean Macdonald and William Taylforth won the final two rounds at Ellough Park, but Daniel Ticktum was celebrating the most after narrowly defeating Jamie Caroline in the battle for championship glory.

In Saturday's race Ticktum and Caroline disputed the lead with Macdonald, who eventually took his maiden win despite a late lunge by Ticktum with two corners to go.

Macdonald and Taylforth broke away from the pack in Sunday's final.

Taylforth shadowed Macdonald for the first 18 of the 19 laps, before making the winning move at the penultimate corner to score his first win.

Results - Race One:
1 Dean Macdonald (Zip) 13 laps in 19m22.33s
2 Daniel Ticktum (Zip) +0.27s
3 Josh Smith (Zip)

Results - Race Two:
1 William Taylforth (Zip) 19 laps in 15m57.05s
2 Dean Macdonald (Zip) +0.06s
3 Jamie Caroline (Zip)

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Long Circuit Kart Champs   (26/09)