News & Press Releases

Keep up-to-date with what's happening in the sport in our news section.  Full articles are shown below, for a summary of the news be sure to start at the main index page of UK Karting.  General news and press releases can be emailed to us at newsdesk@karting.co.uk, although please note that a charge is made for the publication of press releases and promotional news items. Please note that the following are the views of the contributors and not necessarily those of UK Karting. All information is published in good faith.

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Current News & Press Releases:

TAG Heuer Timing & FKS   (18/05)

Following another successful start to the championship, Formula Kart Stars continue their partnership with TAG Heuer this weekend at Ellough Park for rounds 3 & 4.

Through a continued development program, TAG Heuer have established a significant leap forward, bringing the karting world in line with some of the world's highest profile racing.
 
From multiple sector timing and speed traps we have now released a live internet timing solution paramount to most other live timing services.
 
Subject to internet connectivity at the circuit, Formula Kart Stars timing data will be broadcast live at www.formulakartstars.com/live-timing.

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Spirit Of Motorsport Award   (18/05)

KartMania, the UK's leading kart show which takes place on the 17th & 18th November in the prestigious Silverstone Wing exhibition complex has joined forces with Silverstone Motorsport UK and RAVENOL high performance engine oil in promoting "The Spirit of Motorsport UK Awards" a £10,000 prize fund for national motorsport competitors, which is one of the largest prizes in national motorsport!
 
The 2012 "Sprit of Motorsport UK Prize" will be open to competitors from the world of karting, racing and rallying, and will be awarded to three competitors, who will share a selection of prizes worth more than £10,000! The competition will be judged by an experienced judging panel led by Mark Hales, BRC series organiser Mark Taylor, Carloyn Hoy organiser of Formula Kart Stars, Frederic Viger of Motors TV and Silverstone Motorsport UK organiser Martin Capenhurst.

An enthusiastic Martin Capenhurst comments, "We are absolutely delighted to have team up with RAVENOL in offering club competitors of all forms of motorsport the chance to compete for a selection of prizes, which include three cash prizes, product sponsorship and promotional support, with the winner announced at Silverstone Motorsport UK in November - all you have to do is visit www.kartmania.co.uk and register today!"

Capenhurst adds, "In addition we have teamed up with RAVENOL, to offer an ongoing initiative which is open to any MSA license holder and will see any competitor who runs a "The Spirit of Motorsport UK" sticker will receive 20% off RAVENOL engine oil this season and admittance to Silverstone Motorsport UK for only £10- which can only make national motorsport more affordable"

Dave Mott, ex-co driver and Sales Director of RAVENOL's UK distributor German Oil commented, "We are delighted to be involved in this fantastic initiative. We feel that this partnership will not just showcase the high performance of RAVENOL engine oils but will demonstrate our desire to be involved in all levels of national motorsport, from the BTCC and BRC to entry level club racing and track days."

The Spirit of Motorsport UK prize will be open to individuals who compete in the following three categories: Kart, Race and Rally, and the winner will be judged by a panel including Mark Hales, BRC championship boss Mark Taylor and Silverstone Motorsport UK organiser Martin Capenhurst, who will be judging applicants on their performance, overcoming adversity and their approach to motorsport. Individuals can enter via visiting the www.kartmania.co.uk website.

Winners will be presented their trophy at the main stage at Silverstone Motorsport UK, a cheque for £500, a year's supply of RAVENOL high performance oils and lubricants and significant promotional support from  motorsport marketing agency APEX Consultants and Silverstone Motorsport UK and their partners.

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World KF1 Championship   (18/05)

Over two days, the 35 drivers competing in the World KF1 Championship have been preparing for the first round of the 2012 season. On the fast Suzuka circuit, each of them has been trying to find the best set-up before tackling the two days of racing. Between professional drivers and young pretenders, and also between Europeans and Asians, the battle is shaping up to be a tough one! In the pack are three drivers looking for another world title: Davide Foré, Arnaud Kozlinski and Matthew Graham.
 
Venue for the first meeting of the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship is Suzuka, a circuit steeped in history. Everyone remembers the close of the Formula 1 Grand Prix so critical in deciding the World Champion. A stone's throw from the famous motor racing circuit, this year celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, the Suzuka kart track is welcoming the world of karting for a second time. But whilst the Japanese track was the scene for the crowning ceremony last year, this time it opens what promises to be a hard-fought 2012 season.
 
Although Nyck De Vries has moved up to cars, there will still be three former World Champions on the grid: the Italian Davide Foré, who took four titles between 1998 and 2006, the Frenchman Arnaud Kozlinski, crowned in 2009, and the young British driver Matthew Graham, U18 World Champion (for under-18s) in 2011.
 
"I'm delighted to be fighting for a world title once again," smiles Davide Foré (CRG-BMB). "I'm really very motivated... but it's bound to be extremely tight and there are a great many prospective winners!"
 
That observation is shared by Arnaud Kozlinski (PCR-TM), pleased to be back at a circuit on which he has often been victorious. "Every time I come here, I end up on the podium," the French driver recalls. "I can't really explain why, but I love the atmosphere at the Asian circuits. In addition, the Suzuka track is great: it's big, fast, safe... a real treat for drivers!"
 
After his victory last year in the U18 World Championship, this year Matthew Graham (Zanardi-Parilla) will be discovering what it is like to compete at the highest level of international karting. "Unfortunately, we have not had a lot of success since we came here," the British 16-year old sighs. "We've had an accumulation of technical problems and we've not been bale to prepare as well as we would have liked ... but I'm ready to give it my best shot!"
 
With four races on the programme (two on Saturday and two on Sunday), Matthew will have an opportunity to cross swords with the other two World Champions, as well as a large field of promising young European and Asian drivers. Recording the best time during the two days of free practice, the Japanese driver Daiki Sasaki (Kosmic-Vortex) has already announced his ambition. "It's something very special to fight for the World Championship here, in Japan," whispers last year's winner of the Asia-Pacific KF1 Championship at the Macao circuit. "Suzuka is my preferred circuit and I feel very much at ease here. So I hope to be fighting for victory from tomorrow."
 
Two other young drivers caused something of a stir in free practice: in fact Christian Sorensen (LH-BMB) from Denmark and Max Verstappen (Intrepid-TM) from the Netherlands were only a fraction of a second behind the Japanese driver. In brief, the suspense should be considerable from Saturday morning qualifying.
 
Suzuka is also venue for the Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship, which will be fought at a single meeting. So the final, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, will be decisive. On Saturday the 30 drivers involved will be at the heart of the action in qualifying and the first rounds proper.
 
Find all the information on the World KF1 Championship and the Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship at www.cikfia.com/competitions/cik-calendar/2012/suzuka/event-guide.html.

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RSF Zip Young Guns   (17/05)

Following a successful weekend at the WSK round in Val De Argenton (France), where RSF/Zip driver Ben Barnicoat finished in an impressive 2nd place in the first final and team mate Ricky Collard came from the back of the grid to finish a very strong 8th place in the main final, the RSF Zip Young Gun team headed to Whilton Mill for round 2 of Super 1 KF2 championship. Driver Ben Barnicoat dominated the meeting, securing wins in both finals to go top in the driver standings.

After the disappointment of missing yesterday's heat one due to a snapped chain on the roll up lap, the 15 years-old Chesterfield racer started the day as he meant to continue with a win in heat two which he led from start to finish.

With no result to show from heat one he started the first of the afternoon's finals from the back of the grid charging through to relieve PF International's Mark Litchfield of the lead with five laps to go and setting fastest lap along the way.

The second final turned out to be a repeat of heat two with Barnicoat securing the lead from pole and heading the field all the way to the chequered flag.

Fellow RSF Zip Young Gun Ricky Collard also improved his position in the standings with third and fifth places in the races to bolster his reputation as a fast-improving driver in the senior category.

Team-mate Sam Webster, who is still short of KF2 track time, showed good race pace to finish seventh and sixth.

Collard and Webster move up to fourth and seventh in the points table.

"Ben's clearly been the quickest person around in Super One with the new ART kart and both Ben and Ricky had excellent weekends on it at the last WSK round in France.

"Sam's obviously having to play catch up due to the limited amount of time he's had in the kart but he's demonstrated this weekend that he's got good pace so hopefully things are starting to look up for him."
 
The RSF/Zip Young Guns Team Manager Grant Munro commented that we are extremely pleased with the performance of the ART Grand Prix chassis which is reflected in the results in both UK and Europe. 
 
Zip Kart are the UK distributor for ART karts and have karts available for all the Rotax and KF classes. Please contact Zip kart to discuss your requirements or to arrange a test day on 01327 855310.

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June At Shenington KRC   (17/05)

The Shenington SuperPrix on 15-17th June is the Midland club's premier annual event for members and guests with many attractions for competitors and their friends, not least of which is the Historic Revival.  For starters every competitor will receive a free commemorative T-shirt, and a free pig roast ticket whilst the 2-day entry fee is only £75 for members, huge value with guests welcome. Friday optional practice is open to everyone, even if not entered into the meeting.  Practice will continue on Saturday up until mid-afternoon, when there will be some heats with the remainder on Sunday along with the grand finals.   All class winners receive a special perpetual trophy to keep for a year and the club classes count for the club championship. Entry forms and regulations are here: http://www.sheningtonkrc.co.uk/forms.shtml.
 
In a great gearbox bonanza the meeting hosts the ABkC National Open Gearbox championship for KZ2 UK and 250 National, (£100 entry) and the 210 Challenge O Plate. The 250 National and 210 are open to National B licence holders, but no novices in the 250's. Tyres and cash prizes are on offer in the ABkC O Plates.  So why not try your hand in racing against the best in the country and maybe come away with a unique plate to use for up to a year.
 
Shenington hosts a round of the new TKM InterClub Championship for Junior TKM and TKM Extreme. The junior points table is currently being led by a Shenington driver and the competition is bound to be fierce in what has been a resurgence of interest for these economical classes. With 65 registrations the guest drivers join in the normal club races so that should be exciting!
 
Shenington started the now huge revival movement for historic and classic karts in 2000, now grown to having some 120 karts on display in one of the two large marquees on site, with about 80 giving track demonstrations on all three days of the meeting.  For more information visit www.britishhistorickartclub.com. It's a great chance for drivers from yesteryear to meet old friends, enjoying a pint and roast pig at the same time.
 
On Saturday evening a disco accompanies the usual pig roast and salad, with a cash bar on both Friday and Saturday evening.  Local shops are available for take-away meals on Friday night and the ladies could also visit the Shenington Flower Festival nearby.  The club is also asking visitors to contribute to two charities, firstly the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance which so effectively airlifts any injured drivers straight to hospital.  And secondly there is the chance to support the Joseph Foote Trust by playing on a DIRT3 Mini simulator game located in race control and trying to 'Crack the Code' and raise £1000 to help brain tumour survival rates. Please support them both.
 
And finally Shenington has put on some extra practice days this year, on 7th June, 13th July, 16th August and 14th September.  These have been chosen to give Super One competitors the maximum opportunity to practice and race prior to the British and ABkC National Championships in September and October and there is another on 25th October, once again in the school holidays.

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Formula K Double Victory   (17/05)

The Protrain team return from round 3 of the Rotax Euromax Challenge at Wackersdorf with news of yet more impressive results from the Formula K kart. From the very first session of timed practice right through the heats and into final the Formula K continued to show it's dominance across all three categories.

Senior Rotax drivers climbing into Formula K karts included, Charlie Eastwood, Jesse Lazare, Sabedin Turker, Ed Brand and Shaun Slavin. Each driver showed great pace and with superb performances including Charlie Eastwood securing fastest lap time in timed practice. Early signs were that victory could go to any one of them but eventually after an action packed final it was Ed Brand who took the win and set the finals fastest lap.
 
DD2 Formula K driver Xen De Ruwe took a well deserved victory and another fastest lap in the final after being dominant all weekend.

Not to be outdone Formula K Junior drivers Max Aitken, Thomas Preining, Fazio Franssen, Joseph Burton Harris, Jonathan Judek, Tom Meijer, Ameer Hassan and Max Timmermans all achieved personal successes including Protrain's' Thomas Preining securing fastest lap in the final and being one of only two drivers in the final to break the 52s barrier.
 
Speaking afterwards Gary Chapman said, "Obviously we are disappointed that our drivers weren't able to achieve on finals day the best results that their speed deserved, especially after being so strong all weekend, but we are thrilled at the domination of the Formula K kart across all classes."

The Formula K was victorious across all categories at various points over the weekend and securing a win in both DD2 and Seniors and fastest lap in all three finals speaks volumes about the incredible pace and versatility of this fantastic kart.

The drivers go on to Kristianstad with Formula K drivers Xen De Ruwe heading up the DD2 Championship, Ed Brand leading the Seniors and Max Aitken in fourth place in the Juniors.

More and more drivers and realising their full potential in the Formula K, how much better could you be? If you want to find out what Formula K can do for you give Gary Chapman a call today on 07802 966064.

For more information please see www.formulakeurope.com or www.protrainracing.co.uk.

To support growing national demand for Formula K products, Protrain Racing are looking for UK agents; if you are interested in working alongside us with this impressive marque please contact Gary Chapman on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Autosport NL.

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Last Chance To Enter   (17/05)

There is still time - just - to enter the ABkC O Plate and MSA Short Circuit GP Plate event taking place at Rowrah in June.

This is your chance to win the right to carry the ABkC 'O' Plate for Comer Cadet, Honda Cadet, Junior TKM, Minimax, Junior Max, TKM Extreme, Rotax Max and Rotax Max 177, as well as the MSA Short Circuit Gearbox GP Plate for 125 ICC UK and Formula 250.  If prestige isn't enough for you, one lucky entrant could be the winner of brand new Suzuki car (in association with J. Edgar & Son)!

The event takes place from Saturday 2nd to Monday 4th June, with optional practice available on Friday June 1st, consisting of Timed Practice, Two Heats, and a Pre-Final & Final.

The entry fee is just £165 which includes practice on Saturday and racing on Sunday and Monday.

Full details and entry forms can be found on our website at www.cumbriakrc.co.uk.

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Double Podium For Scott   (17/05)

Harrison Scott claimed consecutive 1st and 2nd place finishes at Wackersdorf last weekend (12/13 May) to strengthen his bid to win the Rotax Max Euro Challenge crown. His team-mate, Harry Webb, was also in fine form, taking 2nd and 4th respectively to go joint top of the Junior points table.  
 
Strawberry's exciting Junior Max squad experienced varying fortunes in the event's preliminary stages. After timed qualifying, Webb had recorded the 6th-fastest lap overall, with Jay Goodwin 14th quickest, Guan Yu Zhou - AKA 'Joe' -       
in 18th position and Jessica Backman 36th.
 
Strong performances from each of the youngsters saw them all automatically make the cut for Sunday's two main finals. Jay classified 6th overall after the heats, followed by Harry (7th), Jessica (19th) and' Joe' (23rd).
 
After being excluded for contact driving at the series opener in Belgium last month, Goodwin was left angry and frustrated when the officials failed to respond with similarly severe punishments that saw him "smashed off" at the start of the first final, as Strawberry's Warwick Ringham observed. Jay's demise allowed Harry to pounce and a terrific drive culminated in a well-earned 2nd for him at the chequered flag. 'Joe' powered from 23rd on the grid to take 10th with Goodwin clawing his way from the back of the field to an eventual 21st. Sadly Jessica was another driver to fall foul of an incident and was unable to finish.
 
The second final saw Harry lead, but a mistake allowed his rivals to push him down to 4th at the finish. Jay's weekend was compounded by another startline collision, once again prompting a come-back drive; this time to 15th. Guan Yu Zhou's earlier joy turned to misery as he trailed home in 28th place, eight places behind Jessica. "The first corner is terrible there," said Ringham. "Admittedly this weekend was not as bad as previous years' but when you start by going into a flat-out left followed by a flat-out right and then into a 180-degree hairpin, you're always going to have accidents. People were guilty of much, much worse at Wackersdorf than they were at Genk. If you set a certain standard (with exclusions for even mild contact), then you have to maintain it. On a brighter note, I'm happy with my drivers. They all gave very good accounts of themselves and, in what is turning out to be a really hard season, they are all improving."
 
The team's senior stars were also experiencing mixed results. Harrison Scott had won three of his four heats, but a lowly 28th classification in one of his races saw him ranked just 8th after their conclusion. Andy King claimed a third row start for the pre-final, three places ahead of Harrison. Ash Hand had been made to fight hard in each of his races and qualified 17th for the pre-final.
 
Scott, in only his third outing as a senior driver, went on to demonstrate just why he is so highly-regarded with a superb victory. Having started from 17th place, Hand made up ground to cross the line in 12th but King found himself sidelined by an engine problem.
 
The second race saw Harrison unable to repeat his earlier result, but he was still able to scoop the runner-up spot. Similarly, Ash had to settle for 8th with Andy handicapped by starting at the back of the field and unable to make a greater impression than 22nd. "Harrison was one of two drivers in the finals that were the class of the field. It is hard to believe that this was only his third senior Max race. He did really well. Andy and Ash had a bit of bad luck and pretty much did everything asked of them," Warwick said with obvious satisfaction, adding:  "Overall we're doing alright. In some cases, better than I expected at this stage of the season. There's plenty more to come from us, our drivers, the Tony Kart EVRR and of course, 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 Bas Kaligis.

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Litchfield Motorsport   (16/05)

Litchfield Motorsport had a mixed weekend at Whilton Mill for the 2nd round of the MSA/TKM Super 1. Phil Smith put in brilliant drives to gain pole position in the senior time qualification and after winning both heats was excluded for an engine infringement this is very embarrassing for the team and is the first time in over 15 years of race engine preparation that this has happened. Dave Litchfield would like to publicly apologise to Phil Smith and his family for the error.

In the senior class 7 of the top ten engines were Litchfield prepared and winning both heats with fastest laps the first final was won by Joe Porter and the second by Ash Crossey also using Litchfield engines.

The juniors saw Sam Randon put it on pole with J Campbell-Mills second and Matt Davies third all on Litchfield prepared engines heat 1 saw Randon get the fastest lap and Randon taking the second heat with Campbel-Mills the fastest lap. Final one was won by Irvine with Randon getting the fastest lap and the main final going to Sam, both on Tonykart with Litchfield engines.

Dave would like to congratulate Matthew Allnutt for winning the main final in senior TKM at Kimbolton in the 1st round of the Inter Club Championship.

For more information on Litchfield Motorsport please contact Dave on 07789 177977.

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Brand Eases Into Lead   (16/05)

Victory in the forests of Bavaria gave Formula K Europe's Ed Brand a narrow lead over his closest title rival in the Rotax Max Euro Challenge, at Wackersdorf last weekend (12/13 May).

Not that he had enjoyed an easy ride to his eventual triumph. In timed qualifying he was, by his own standards, "off the pace" and could only record the 14th-fastest lap.
 
"I don't know what happened. I didn't drive well. It was my own fault," he said with characteristic honesty, adding: "I went faster (by three tenths of a second) in the first heat than I had done in qualifying!"
 
He finished 4th in that race before taking a brace of runner-up positions and a win. This was sufficient to give him pole position for Sunday's pre-final. Scott had qualified seven places behind him, but would quickly charge up the order to challenge Ed for the race win.
 
It became a close-fought affair with Brand not quite able to catch his rival's pace and subsequently he settled for 2nd and a hatful of valuable championship points. Once out of Parc Ferme, he decided to make some crucial adjustments to the Formula K chassis but was unable to alter the questionable driving standards, as he explained: "We made a few changes ahead of the main final, but at the start I was hit from behind. This allowed Harrison and Philip Morin to get away and left me fighting to regain track position. I managed to reel them in and, after passing Morin, caught Scott."
 
Ed tracked his prey and seeing his chance pounced: "He made a mistake in the chicane and I closed in from a kart-length behind. I passed him as we braked for the next corner. From there I just got my head down and drove away. I won by eight tenths of a second, so it wasn't majorly close at the finish but it was close enough!"
 
He added: "I'm leading by two points, so it is not a comfortable gap. I've got to keep pushing on. The series goes to Sweden (the Asum Ring at Kristianstad) for the first time for round three. We're not testing there beforehand, but hopefully I'll be as fast as normal. We'll just rock up and see how we do on the day."
 
Acknowledging the contribution from his team and partners, Ed said: "I would like to thank Martin Blom and Martyn Reuvers of Formula K Europe, Nigel Horner of HRS and my principle sponsor, Brands of Watford."
 
Ed continues the defence of his national Super One title in the second round of the UK-based championship (25/26 May) at the stunning Glan Y Gors circuit in North Wales. He is the current points-leader.
 
In the interim, keep up to speed with Ed and his racing career by visiting www.edbrandracing.net.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis.

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Flying Start For TKM Champs   (16/05)

The new TKM Club Championship got off to a flying start at Kimbolton with 50 registered drivers taking part in some close but very clean racing.
 
Rissington proved to be the leading club with the top three in Extreme all from the club, headed by Matthew Allnut ahead of Nathan Durnford and Ashley Yorke. In Juniors first and second places went to Rissington members with Matt England heading Josh Grimston and Joseph Reeves-Smith to the flag.
 
Tal-Ko Racing boss Alan Turney commented: "This has been a great start to something new within club karting. The sheer weight of numbers emphasises the interest and support this new initiative has created. Our thanks go to Kimbolton for a great race meeting and for making so many new drivers feel very welcome."
 
The next round takes place at Shenington in June. Full details on the www.tal-ko.com/icc website.

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World KF1 Championship   (16/05)

A little more than six months after crowning Nyck De Vries, the Suzuka circuit will host again the World KF1 Championship from 17 to 20 May. This time the Japanese track will be the scene of the first event of a competition which will see the fight between Karting stars and very ambitious young Drivers. In addition to the World KF1 Championship, the Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship should also provide a good show.
 
With 38 candidates for the CIK-FIA World Champion title, the first event of this competition promises to be interesting on several grounds, and in particular because we shall witness a generation gap: on the one hand, a few Karting professionals want to add a world crown to their list of results; and, on the other one, many young Drivers for whom a World Champion title could be a springboard for the highest echelons of Motorsport.
 
Amongst the most experienced Drivers, there will notably be the Karting legend Davide Foré (CRG-BMB). Already four times World Champion in the top category of direct-drive karts, the 37 year-old Italian is determined to show to his young opponents that he is still entitled to have his say at the highest level. Likewise, the 2009 World Champion Arnaud Kozlinski (PCR-TM) will have a sole ambition: to win a second crown! As for Belgium's Yannick de Brabander (FK-TM), winner of the World Cup for Super KF on this very Suzuka track in 2009, he is also dreaming of making a victorious comeback on the ground of his finest win.
 
These three top-guns will clearly be the references for the younger Drivers or those who have already landed titles in lower categories. Such is the case of Britain's Matthew Graham (Zanardi-Parilla), last year's U18 World Champion (under 18 years old). It will also be worth keeping an eye on France's Anthoine Hubert, third in that U18 Championship, the Italian Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart-Vortex), who stepped on the podium of the 2011 World KF1 Championship, the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Intrepid-TM), the Pole Karol Basz (Birel-BMB), Italy's Felice Tiene (CRG-BMB) or Britain's Tom Joyner (LH-BMB)...
 
Not forgetting the Japanese, who will be in their home land. Although they do not always compete in Europe on a regular basis, 13 of them dream to create a surprise in front of their supporters. Last year, Daiki Sasaki (Kosmic-Vortex) and Kazuya Ishii (Birel-BMB) showed how competitive they were in the championship final. This time they will clearly target the podiums! Like their competitors they will have four opportunities to score championship points: after practice and the qualifying heats (two per Driver), two Races are scheduled on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
 
As well as the World KF1 Championship, Suzuka will also host the Asia-Pacific Championship of the KF2 category, the Hopefuls' class. With 20 representatives out of 30 entries, Japan will have the advantage of numbers. They will be joined by Drivers from Singapore, Hong-Kong, Australia, Thailand, as well as Argentina and Europe. Unlike the KF1 category, this championship will be held in a single Final, scheduled for Sunday at the end of the day - a competition which will certainly not lack in spectacle and suspense!

Find all the information on the World KF1 Championship and Asia-Pacific KF2 Championship at http://www.cikfia.com/competitions/cik-calendar/2012/suzuka/event-guide.html.

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DC Motorsport Lockout   (15/05)

It was a stunning performance for the two DC Motorsport twins last weekend at Kimbolton.

Matthew and Shaun Arnold both drove fantastically well all day securing grid 1 and grid 2 for the final. Shaun led the race from lights to flag with a great consistent drive, which he is now getting used to doing. Matthew however had a poor start from grid 2 and was pushed back to 6th position. Keeping his composure he stormed back through the field with a positive and aggressive drive. Both boys are brimming with confidence after their recent run of great results and blistering pace.

DC Motorsport will be competing in the Kimbolton and Whilton Mill club championships and Formula Kart Stars.
 
To enquire about joining DC Motorsport please call 07852 971040, 01322 228516, or email danny.cruttenden@gmail.com.

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Protrain Are Recruiting   (15/05)

Due to expanding its operations, one of the UK's leading International Kart Teams is looking for a Team Race Engineer and ARKS Driving Instructor.
 
Duties will include:
- Preparation of Karts for European, Super One and Club Meetings
- Preparation of Driver Training Karts
- Preparation and delivery of new Formula K karts
- Race Engineering to leading International Drivers at the European and Super One Championships
- Organisation of Company's Vehicles and Awnings for race meetings
- Driver Training for novice and experienced drivers
- Instructing on ARKS Tests
 
Suitable applicants should have a thorough knowledge of kart racing at the highest level, have held a National A kart licence, be personable and comfortable when dealing with the general public, and self motivated, with the ability to work unsupervised in the workshop and hold a current car driving licence.  The vacancy will be based in Buckingham but will include travel throughout the UK and Europe.
 
Please contact Gary Chapman on 01280 814774 or protrain@karttraining.co.uk for further details and enclose your CV.

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Second Podium For Barlow   (15/05)

KF2 star Jack Barlow says handling problems cost him a possible shot at victory at Whilton Mill last Sunday (13 May) after finishing on the podium for the second time.
 
The Millennium Racing driver remains confident that a maiden win is within touching distance, but admits that he has "work to do" beforehand.
 
After taking 3rd place on his Super One debut last month at PFi, Barlow was again amongst the frontrunners in Northamptonshire. He eventually finished 3rd in the second of Sunday's two points-scoring finals.
 
While he was slightly disappointed with the result, the 2011 Super One, Kartmasters and Rotax Cup Junior Max champion said that he remains confident that he is capable of winning races in his debut season in KF2.
 
"I'd started in 4th place and quickly got up to 2nd but then slipped to 3rd. (Reigning champion) Mark Litchfield's ignition apparently exploded putting him out and leaving me in 2nd again - but I was passed by another driver whose kart appeared to be more stable through the corners. He made a lot of mistakes, which enabled me to stay in touch, but I too had to keep making (steering) adjustments through the corners due to my lack of grip."
 
He added: "We didn't really test at the circuit beforehand and the chassis may need a little more development, but after the pace I showed in practice I'm sure it is just a matter of time before that first win comes. It is so close between the top drivers that the slightest problem or issue with your tyres, kart or engine can hurt you. Everything has to fall into place for you to be able to take the win - we're almost there, but not quite."
 
Prior to the second final, adidas and Arai-supported Barlow finished 4th in the day's previous points-scoring encounter. "I'd started 5th but the kart was sliding through the mid-corners. This compromised the engine's ability to accelerate out of the apexes, so to finish as high as I eventually did was definitely a positive. I was competitive despite my compromised speed."
 
"Both finals were okay, but I didn't have the speed to stay with the leaders. It was a bit disappointing. My next race is out in Germany, at Wackersdorf. We'll be going out there to test beforehand and I hope to be able to visit the adidas factory also, as it is relatively close to the circuit. It would be fantastic to give the adidas XLT race shoe a great result in its debut year in karting and at its home circuit!"
 
Keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting www.jackbarlowracing.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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MSA British Kart Champs   (15/05)

Round 2 of the MSA British Short Circuit and Junior Kart Championships took place at Whilton Mill on 12th and 13th May.

Two dominant wins at Whilton Mill propelled Ben Barnicoat to the top of the standings, despite starting last in the first final after breaking a chain during a heat.

Barnicoat stormed through the pack during the first race, closing down and passing Mark Litchfield for the lead and ultimately the victory. Ricky Collard completed the podium.

Barnicoat then made a great start in the second final and romped to another win, this time ahead of Zubair Hoque and Jack Barlow. Litchfield initially gave chase to Barnicoat but retired with engine problems.

Results - Final 1:
1 Ben Barnicoat (ART) 22 laps in 16m05.23s (56.98mph)
2 Mark Litchfield (Birel) +01.51s
3 Ricky Collard (ART) +2.17s

Results - Final 2:
1 Barnicoat 22 laps in 16m01.85s (57.18mph)
2 Zubair Hoque (Alonso) +07.25s
3 Jack Barlow (Intrepid) +7.49s

In the Junior championship, Martin Kodric dominated both finals at Whilton Mill, while Alex Gill took the championship lead with a pair of second places.

Kodric was aided by trouble for round one winner George Russell, who was excluded from second place in the first final on driving standards grounds. Gill held off 'One in a Billion' Sahara Force India driver Jehan Daruvala for the eventual second place, the Indian driver belying his lack of experience at this level.

By the time Gill had cleared Daruvala at the start of the second final, Kodric was already well clear and uncatchable. "It's really great racing in England against such good drivers," said the winner.

Results - Final 1:
1 Martin Kodric (Alonso) 22 laps in 16m23.41s (55.92mph)
2 Alex Gill (Wright) +01.88s
3 Jehan Daruvala (Alonso) +2.45s

Results - Final 2:
1 Kodric 22 laps in 16m23.20s (55.94mph)
2 Gill +02.70s
3 James Kellett (Birel) +3.13s

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Mixed Fortunes...   (14/05)

At a very wet first round of the ABKC Rotax max S1 championship the championship wining squad had a promising 7 drivers out, after positive winter testing each driver had the potential to score good points to start off the championship.

The team had a new arrival in Honda, after competing in Scotland last year and challenging for the titles up north, Michael Macpherson fancied his chances on competing in the prestigious Super one. Having been a last minute decision Michael was going into Whilton mill having never seen the track or having worked with the team, so after a hard days testing he was on the pace going into qualifying and the heats and qualified 8th in group. Harry Howes also put in some good times throughout the weekend and recorded 2 constant finishes in the heats, a 9th and 12th.

In Mini max the team suffered misfortunes, with Daniel Mcauley putting in a great performance having a few top 6 positions in the heats which placed him on 5th position for the final, which due to the weather he came away in 5th in the championship and top rookie. Ben Thompson again put in a very positive drive all weekend, being one of the quickest throughout testing. In qualifying the track was changing rapidly, after good pace in the morning on new tyres the team were confident with Bens setup, but due to the track drying the setup wasn't quite right for Ben resulting in him qualifying 8th in group. He then had a good finish in his first heat with a top 8, and then suffered technical problems in the 2nd heat which lead to him finishing mid pack. Zelos was on top form come qualifying and finished 3rd in group which was well deserved, but Dan then became a victim of a very harsh decision and was thrown out of the whole meeting based on a minor technicality that was deemed not performance enhancing by the chief scrutineer.
 
Gunn was back on top form after a tough winter, qualifying pole in group and 3rd overall with his team mate Mackay qualifying 8th in group after struggling to get to grips with the torrential conditions. Mackay soon redeemed himself in the heats, coming from mid pack on the grid each time getting up to 6th in the first heat to then be involved in an un-avoidable crash causing his chain to fall off. The second heat Mackay again stormed up to 6th and was constantly quickest whilst catching the front group, but was just pipped on the fastest lap by Sowery after catching him. Gunn was dominant in the heats recording a 1st and a second, putting him on pole for the final which now means he is leading the championship.

The team would like to say a big well done to all the drivers after some solid performances.

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

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Mectech Dominate Silverstone   (14/05)

Mectech Motorsport team manager Bradley Smith recorded a fantastic double victory at Silverstone this weekend in the Radical Clubman Cup.

Bradley, driving a Mectech prepared Radical SR3, Secured pole in both races in qualifying and setting a new lap record in the process.

Race One saw Bradley make an excellent start and by the end of the race had pulled a gap of nearly 30 seconds. At the start of Race Two Bradley gained too much wheel spin and lost out to Mark Abbotts' PR6 on the run to the first corner, but regained the place back a couple of corners later and then extended his lead to 27 seconds by the finish of the race.

The team's attention now turns to this weekend at FKS with Bethany Abbott and Yukinori Ishii in Honda Cadet and Junior drivers Samuel Cromwell, William Stacey, Sam Kelly and Anthony Ayres Competing in the Kent Cup at Buckmore Park.

For more information on the full range of services and support for all classes from Cadets to cars, Contact Bradley on 01277 372848, or email Mectechmotorsport@live.co.uk.

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Karting Academy Trophy   (14/05)

British karter Gabrielle Weyer has been selected as one of 11 drivers to take part in a karting 'shootout', the winner of which will receive a fully-funded drive in this year's CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, a world championship for 13- to 15-year-old karters.

Weyer's selection follows her nomination by the Motor Sports Association (MSA), which was asked to put a female karter forward for the FIA Women and Motor Sport-backed competition.

On 1-2 June at Friuli Venezia, Italy, Gaby will go head-to-head with 10 other international karters in a selection process incorporating a mix of theoretical, presentation and driving activities. The driver deemed to have demonstrated the greatest potential will receive a free entry to the Karting Academy Trophy, which takes place over three rounds: Braga, Portugal (8 July); Angerville, France (26 August); and Bahrain (10 November).

The finalists are:
Torey Blanch (Australia)
Melissa Calvi (Luxembourg)
Nicole Coffey (Ireland)
Jeanne Fantini (Madagascar)
Olivia Natalie Kuhne (Portugal)
Adeline Prudent (France)
Carrie Schreiner (Germany)
Lina Von Schedvin (Sweden)
Gabrielle Alice Weyer (Great Britain) 
Kamilla Willum (Denmark)
Gabriella Yu Ting Teo (Singapore)

Weyer, aged 13 from Frettenham in Norfolk, began competing in local kart events in 2009. The following year she took part in Formula Kart Stars and the WTP Cadet Championship, becoming the first female karter to be seeded in her first full year of racing. Last year Gaby became the first female winner of the prestigious Kartmasters GP, and this year she is contesting the MSA British Junior Kart Championship alongside selected European outings.Weyer said: "I feel privileged to have been chosen by the MSA to represent the UK when there are so many other good female competitors in this country. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I want to repay the faith that the MSA has put in me by going out there and proving that I am the best female karter in this age category in the world."

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12 Hour Karting Challenge   (14/05)

Deepings Round Table is pleased to confirm that the 16th Annual Deepings Round Table 12hr karting challenge will take place on Friday 13th July and Saturday 14th July 2012. Based on the outstanding successful of last year's race, we will again be using Daytona's high performance DMax karts which provide a faster and more challenging race for all.
 
As in previous years, Lotus GP, Williams F1, Virgin, Caterham F1 and Mercedes GP have all confirmed their entrance and look forward to challenging all!

There is no other 12Hr Karting Challenge in the UK and no other open event that has so many Formula 1 teams taking part. The thirty-five team grid will consist of drivers that range from those who have never driven a kart before, to highly experienced, professional drivers (past entrants have included Mark Webber, Johnny Herbert, Justin Wilson (ex-Jaguar F1 Driver), Gary Paffett (German DTM Champion & Honda F1 Test Driver) and Anthony Davidson.

This event really is unique. It offers an excellent chance to entertain customers in a relaxed environment, a superb team building opportunity or just a great way for friends to get together for a great day out.
 
One of the main aims of the event is to raise substantial amounts of money for charities both nationally and locally (we have raised in excess of £180,000 from the last 15 events).  In fact, the overall prize fund is split between the top corporate teams, the top F1 team and Deepings Round Table, so every team has a chance of securing a significant sum for donation to a charity of choice.

The event is held over a  Friday evening and Saturday. Friday evening sees all drivers register, followed by a full safety briefing (all protective clothing and helmets can be supplied by Daytona) and Qualifying.  Following the qualifying session, there is an event meal and charity auction of Formula 1 and motor sport memorabilia. The Formula 1 teams are all so supportive of the event that rare items never normally seen in the usual F1 Shops can be bought (reduced rate hotel accommodation can be booked through Deepings Round Table at the Milton Keynes Holiday Inn).
 
On Saturday morning there is practice time before the race proper starts at 9am. The challenging track layout and enhanced karts will ensure that the racing is close and that everyone gets the chance to really test their skills.  The race finishes at 9pm followed by prize presentations (remember, the winning karts get a share of the overall charity pot for donation to a charity of their choice). 
 
The entrance price is £1,495 per team and a deposit of just £299 will guarantee your place in this unique event. Due to the unprecedented success of 2011, we would urge you to submit applications asap, as we expect the event to be a sell out and places to go fast.

If you would like to register your intention to attend the event or if you have any further questions then please visit our website at www.deepingroundtable.co.uk/Kartathon_2012.html.

If you are unable to attend this event but would still like to support our charity fundraising, then donation of branded merchandise or motor sport items for the auction would be greatly appreciated.

The Deepings 1090 Round Table looks forward to seeing you in July.

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BPKC Summer Champs   (11/05)

The second round of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Championship kicks off on Sunday the 20 May.

All ABkC non gearbox classes are welcome including Bambino and Subaru. The meeting also incorporates the round 2 of the Kent Kart Championships.

Open Practice is available on both Friday 18th and Saturday 19th May.

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

Full details here: http://www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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Gill Off To Portugal   (11/05)

The MSA has nominated Alex Gill to be the second UK representative in the 2012 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.
 
The MSA was initially invited to nominate a single driver to contest the championship and chose reigning CIKFIA European KF3 Champion George Russell. However, the CIK-FIA later offered the UK a second slot in the prestigious three-round championship for 13- to 15-year-olds that kicks off in Portugal in July.
 
"I am grateful for this opportunity to represent the MSA and UK karting," said 14-year-old Gill, who lies third in the MSA British Junior Kart Championship after round one. "I look forward to racing some of the best drivers in the world and would also like to thank everyone who supported my nomination."

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Bambino Class Regulations   (11/05)

The Bambino kart class regulations have been amended with effect from 1 May 2012 to include a mandatory inlet restrictor and fixed rear sprocket for use with the Comer C50 engine.
 
These changes do not relate to the other registered engine, the Honda GX35. To view the updated regulations, please click here.

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Looking For Race Support?   (09/05)

Kart-Tek Racing are now taking on drivers to compete in all classes.
 
Kart-Tek Racing have been successful in all levels of karting, from club meetings up to Super One and FKS, in all classes Cadet, TKM and Rotax. With prices starting from £50 per day for awning space at Whilton Mill, Shenington, Kimbolton and Rissington, going up to full race day support Kart-Tek could well be the team for you.
 
Kart-Tek also give tuition for all levels of karting from Bambino to Gearbox karts, either on your own kart or on one of Kart-Tek's hire karts. They can give advice on everything from kart set-up to driving techniques.
 
Kart-Tek also offer a kart rebuild service, carb rebuilding, engine rental, storage and kart sales.
 
For more info go to www.karttek.co.uk or call Darren on 07792 990592.

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New Engine Unveiled   (09/05)

Tal-Ko Racing, the UK's only manufacturer of kart racing engines, has unveiled a new 80cc hi-tech kart engine aimed specifically at the Cadet to Junior karting age range.
 
The engine is water cooled with reed valve technology induction. It utilises a simple TAG touch-and-go starter system where the starter operation is separate from the PVL ignition system. It has a centrifugal clutch and a choice of make and size of carburettor dependant on market place and BHP requirements. 
 
The engine was first designed, developed and manufactured by the WTP consortium in Italy as a new international engine. But it was never introduced formally with homologations into any country, although the engine has been sold into various countries world-wide.
 
When the WTP consortium collapsed the engine was left literally sitting on the shelf. Now Tal-Ko's Alan Turney has bought the global rights to this 80cc engine and taken delivery of all the components and tooling required to manufacture and build the engines and supply spares.
 
The engine will retain the WTP logo and will be referred to as the TKM WTP80 and sold as a TKM product world-wide.
 
Explains Tal-Ko boss Alan Turney: "This is a well designed compact engine with all of the latest technology to make it a perfect choice for that interim sector between Cadet and high power Junior units.
 
"We see great potential for the engine right around the world and for us this was a perfect opportunity rather than designing a new engine from scratch. We will be going ahead with giving the engine TKM branding and manufacturing the engines in quantity."
  
Ironically the introduction of the engine into UK racing looks likely to be delayed because of the MSA's decision to stop the creation of any new classes. However the engine will be sold here for hobby use and into the growing number of circuits offering non MSA racing.
 
Adds Alan: "We will be talking with dealers & organisers in many countries to enable the introduction of this engine and we anticipate strong interest. While initially MSA racing looks unlikely in this country, we have little doubt that the unit will be popular in the non MSA events. It is an exciting new development for us and moves us into a new age range market sector with great potential."
 
Further information is available from Tal-Ko Racing at www.tal-ko.com, on 01767 682020 or email info@tal-ko.com.

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CIK European Champs   (09/05)

Trent Valley Kart Club are pleased to announce that they'll be offering a free admission ticket to all their current members for the CIK European Championships!

All 2012 TVKC members will be eligible for one free ticket that can be used on either the Friday, Saturday or Sunday of the event.
 
In order to claim your free ticket, simply visit the dedicated website www.tvkc.co.uk/cik and complete the member's ticket application.  Your complimentary ticket will then be posted out to you.
 
Please Note - this offer is only applicable to those who apply for their ticket in advance and will be accompanied by a full paying adult.
 
If you want to get close to the action in the paddock, Paddock Passes can be purchased separately.  These are priced at £40 per person and, once purchased, are valid for the duration of the event.  Paddock Passes can be ordered in advance from Clare Mills at clare@tvkc.co.uk or from Race Control on arrival at the circuit. 

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Lydd Kart Circuit   (08/05)

Lydd kart circuit is bracing itself for another busy weekend - 12th & 13th May - following their record breaking entry last month. As one of the fastest kart tracks in the UK, more and more kart racers are discovering all that Lydd has to offer.
 
It's the 2nd round of their popular non-MSA summer championships this Sunday 13th May with most classes catered for, from Bambino to Cadet and Prokart to Rotax.
 
Open practice takes place on Saturday 12th, with racing for all classes on Sunday 13th May. So what are you waiting for? Get on the phone to 01797 321895 and reserve your place on the grid. With lots of friendly but competitive racing Lydd Kart Circuit is the place to be this weekend.

Away from the circuit, good luck to Cameron Clarke this weekend who will be flying the Lydd colours in Super One - keep an eye out for him in Junior TKM.
 
Further information on Lydd Kart Circuit can be found on their website at www.lyddkarting.com.

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Southern Area Champs   (08/05)

Once again Forest Edge Kart Club are hosting the Southern Area Championships for the coveted SC plate. Annually this has become one of the most supported events in the karting calendar, attracting more entrants than even the O plate.

Forest Edge are urging all drivers, particularly from other areas, to come and test their metal against some of the top drivers in the country. At Forest Edge, we regularly attract some of the leading Super One drivers at club rounds due to the inherent friendliness and the excellent opportunity afforded by the track. Whilst the club has grown to one of the largest in the country, it has remained a friendly and welcoming environment in which new comers are made to feel at home. Do not miss this opportunity to race at the highest level, so please send your entries in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Entries can be made online with ease, just follow the link on www.fekc.co.uk - three years ago the club was the first in the UK to run online entry and payment making everyone's lives easier.

The format for those who have not competed before is two/maybe three practice sessions Saturday morning followed by scruitineering Saturday lunchtime. In the afternoon it is two heats and a final, Sunday three heats and a final. The best aggregated results from both finals will determine who is crowned to carry the SC plate in the relevant classes.

So great value for money with so much competitive track time you'd be mad to miss it!

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MSA Long Circuit Champs   (08/05)

Paul Platt continued his title defence with another pair of wins at Silverstone after fending off stiff competition from the chasing pack.
 
Adam Underhill led the opening laps of race one until an electrical fault spelled retirement. Platt then took the lead but came under pressure from Trevor Roberts and the Davis brothers. Traffic towards the end of the race allowed Platt to open a small gap and seal victory, while Toby Davis out-braked his brother Ben at Brooklands on the last lap to snatch second place.
 
Platt led the way at the start of race two but was passed by Louis Wall at half-distance. The champion fought back, with the lead changing hands several times before Platt gained a small advantage and secured another win. Toby Davis passed Wall at Brooklands on the last lap to take second, with only 0.68 seconds covering all three at the flag. GJ
 
Results - race one:
1 Paul Platt (PVP Honda)
2 Toby Davis (Anderson Honda)
3 Ben Davis (Anderson Honda)
 
Results - race two:
1 Paul Platt (PVP Honda)
2 Toby Davis (Anderson Honda)
3 Louis Wall (Anderson Honda)

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KLS Engineering   (03/05)

South Yorkshire based KLS Engineering manufacture portable fold-down pit benches in 2 sizes and currently have their 4 foot model for sale at just £199 + vat.
 
These pit benches are proving popular for both home and trackside use, being quick and easy to assemble and also to fold down, they are manufactured with a galvanised rust-free worktop, a tyre storage rack under and a strengthened bottom shelf for engine or tool box storage.
 
Both sizes come with zinc coated non-rust sections and adjustable feet. Buy one and you'll wonder how you ever managed without it before. Optional extras include carry straps and a rubber worktop protector.
 
Download a PDF brochure or for further information contact Mark on 07714 153007 or e-mail mark@klspackaging.co.uk.

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Russell Begins Defence   (02/05)

George Russell began his defence of his European KF3 crown with an emphatic performance at Varennes (29 April).

The Forza Racing and Intrepid Driver Program member lived up to his pre-race billing as a title favourite with a series of strong performances ahead of Sunday's finals. In timed qualifying he recorded the second-fastest lap and converted his front row starting position for each of Saturday's five heats into four clear victories.

With 105 drivers vying for just 34 places on the grid for each of Sunday's two finals, the competition was understandably fierce. George fell victim to some bad luck in two of his races and ultimately ranked 6th overall in the intermediate classification.

His less-experienced team-mate, Billy Monger also acquitted himself superbly to earn a 7th-row start for the first final.

By the end of the opening lap Russell was already leading, and with each further tour he looked increasingly in control. He was pursued by fellow Intrepid pilot Dorian Boccolacci, but George's relentless pace and faultless driving ensured that the Frenchman never had a chance to launch an effective attack.

Monger enjoyed an absolute screamer of a start and briefly ran as high as 2nd before engine gremlins forced him to drop back to an eventual 15th place.

The team's joy at George's triumph proved to be short lived. Just moments after making another superb start in the second final, Russell had turned into the hairpin when he was hit by an errant drive. Such was the violence of the impact that George was pushed onto the outside of the track and stranded in the gravel. By the time he had managed to extricate himself, any chance of a top five - or even a top ten - finish had gone and he crossed the finishing line down in 26th place.

Billy's fortunes were a little better and he was able to complete his encouraging weekend with another top-twenty finish (20th).

"Both drivers were exceptionally strong in the build-up to the event," said Forza team manager Jamie Croxford. "Varennes was the best I've seen Billy drive yet. He's made a big step forward. Similarly, George's confidence, controlled aggression and raw pace was really impressive. He's 2nd overall in the championship, so he's got a good, solid platform to build on."

George was similarly upbeat and philosophical: "It was a very good weekend, all things considered. I was on pole for my heats, which I nearly won all of. I won the first final comfortably, but yes the accident brought us all down a little. We can drop one race from our total score at the end of the championship, so I'll be dropping that second final. Hopefully, I'll have the upper hand at PFi (the Lincolnshire circuit hosts round two on 18-22 July) and we can go on from there."

This week sees George and the Forza Racing team preparing for the WSK Euro Series' visit to Val D'Argenton. He currently lies 5th in the championship after last month's opening race at Sarno, Italy.

For more information about the team visit www.forza-racing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Kartal Motorsport   (02/05)

Kartal had another successful meeting at the recent MBKC meeting with drivers in Comer Cadet, Junior Blue and Junior Max taking home the top trophies. In Cadets Sam Gerrard drove a great race to take his first win whilst novice driver Ben Deeming showed great resilience to take first novice.

Adam Smalley in Cadets has showed great form over the last few months and deservedly won the Winter series.

In Junior Blue Joe Bleackley continued to develop as a driver to watch and his consistent form meant that he won the Winter series - an excellent result in his first season.

Robbie Lightfoot was racing for the first time using his new Kartal prepared Junior Max engine and used it to gain fastest lap in all 3 heats and went on to take a win in the final - a great result.

These drivers choose to use Kartal Motorsport prepared engines because they demand the very best. If you would like to join the winning ranks please contact Alan on 07801 379880 to discuss your requirements.

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JRMotorsport Clean Up   (02/05)

After winning comfortably at Forest Edge, Duncan Mcleod went one better and successfully did the triple at the Formula Blue 0 Plate this weekend at Dunkeswell. Winning outright, top weight and masters, something no driver has ever achieved in the past. Duncan was using the Formula K FK01 chassis which worked excellent in the super wet conditions in which he won 2 heats against a large competitive field, setting fastest lap in every heat along the way. Thanking us he said "that kart did everything I wanted it to do and more."
 
Laurence Malyon has gone from strength to strength this year in Junior Blue, and has really excelled with the performance of the Formula K. A near win at the Clay Pigeon NKRA round when he unfortunately fell short with carburettor problems, and two further 2nd places.
 
Our newest member of the team, novice Callum Martin has progressed massively and is putting in some stunning lap times.
 
In the first round of the MSA British Kart Championship, Jamie Rush driving his FK01 chassis in KF2 for the first time had a fantastic weekend, always outperforming his expectations. Putting together some great heats, Jamie found himself starting 3rd for Final 1 just one point from the pole sitter. Showing how good the kart was in both wet and dry conditions.
 
Going into Final 2, the black clouds loomed. Whilst the race started on slicks, the inevitable happened and a massive downpour of rain hit the track. Making some excellent overtaking manoeuvres, Jamie found himself sitting comfortably in the final podium slot when engine failure brought a stop to his race, just one lap from the end.
 
Team Boss, Brian Rush said "We are very comfortable and confident in the product, and would like to thank all of Formula K and Formula K Europe for all their help and support."
 
JRMotorsport are official Formula K dealers for the Formula K Chassis and Parts. Test drives are available so test it and see for yourself. Teams drives also available at all MSA Super 1 Rounds and selected club meetings.
 
Sensible dealers are required to promote and support this product around the UK.
 
Call today on 07824 324255 or email info@fkuk.co.uk and check out the website http://fkuk.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Touring Car Stars...   (01/05)

Triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (@andypriaulx) and BTCC race winner Rob Collard (@CollardRob) have chosen British Cadet Champions Fusion Motorsport to run their sons in 2012.
 
Andy, who this year makes his DTM debut racing for BMW has placed his son, Seb, with Fusion following a successful 3 day test at Campillos in Spain. The 10 year old impressed the team by lapping within a few tenths of the official drivers, and backed that up with a solid performance at a recent test at PF International.

Seb will compete with Fusion in club meetings and the Kartmasters GP this season, before stepping up to S1 and FKS in 2013.  

Rob, who won the first round of the 2012 BTCC and currently lies 5th in the points standings, already has a good relationship with Fusion, having enjoyed success with them in 2009 with his elder son Ricky (winner of the final round of the 2009 British Championship).  Rob has now placed his youngest son, Jordan, with the team in a bid to equal, or better, Ricky's achievements. Early signs are promising for the 11 year old, who finished on the podium at the last Shenington Club meeting.

Jordan will compete in selected club meetings and the S1 series in 2012, before moving tackling the British Championship in 2013. He currently lies 12th in the S1 Championship after 2 rounds.

For more information on Fusion Motorsport visit www.fusionmotorsport.co.uk.

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2012 Welsh Championship   (01/05)

Llandow Kart Club is hosting the 2012 Welsh Championship on the 12 & 13th May.
 
This 2 day meeting offers the opportunity to compete for the Nationally recognised 'C' plate at club prices with the entry fee for the 2 day event at just £85.
 
The format as always is Saturday morning official practice followed by Qualification session 1 and Heat 1 whilst Sunday kicks off with Qualification session 2 followed by Heat 2, a 10 lap Pre Final and the 15 lap Final. (12 laps for Cadets)
 
There will be free overnight parking from Thursday 10th May with full facilities and Friday practice will also be available for only an extra £35.
 
Entries will be accepted for all recognised ABkC classes. Full details and our online entry system can be found at www.llandowkartclub.co.uk or further details can be obtained from Colin on 07817 449617 or 01685 874814 (evenings only)

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Protrain And Formula K   (01/05)

Whilton Mill might have been a washout for some but not for Formula K and Rotax masters Protrain Racing.
 
Right from the start the Senior Max drivers flexed their Rotax muscles and threw down the gauntlet to the other drivers with a superb 1-2 in timed qualifying. Qualifying was electric with the two Protrain Drivers incredibly evenly matched with success likely to go to either driver, in the end it was Charlie who took victory with a time of 57.34, just 0.03 ahead of teammate Ed.
 
In a stunning show of adaptability and skill the drivers showed the flexibility of their Formula K karts reacting positively and easily to the changing conditions on Saturday with a Protrain Driver either winning each of the heats they contested or setting the fastest lap.
 
Heat one was dominated by the Protrain drivers and Formula K with Ed Brand finishing first, Charlie Eastwood second and FK driver Shaun Slavin taking a well deserved third place. The performance of these drivers in a world class field was incredible with the three of them almost 9 seconds ahead of the fourth placed driver. The dominance continued through the day with Ed winning his next heat in superb style.
 
Overnight torrential rain meant that after intensive efforts by the Whilton Mill staff racing finally started at 11am with practice in truly difficult conditions.  In the last Senior Max heat Charlie started on pole position but lost power coming off the line due to a  power valve issue and dropped back, undeterred he fought back and secured a well earned second place and secured the fastest laptime in the process.
 
Following another hold up due to the weather the meeting was cancelled denying us all the opportunity to witness karting excellence again from these superb drivers; all final qualifying places determined the result with Ed taking victory with 60 points and Charlie third with 58 points.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
 
Gary Chapman said afterwards "I have to give huge thanks to all the team, this was a testing weekend but the flexibility and capability of the drivers in this superb kart is a pleasure to watch and work with. The conditions this weekend have been incredibly changeable and the Formula K has been dominant no matter what the conditions. The drivers have once again demonstrated that talented guys on this kart will be very hard to beat. What we need to see now are some Juniors on the Formula K."
 
Are you the Junior Max driver with talent enough to be supreme in a Formula K? Protrain would like to hear from you if you think you've got what it takes. Call Gary Chapman now and see what you can do in this quality kart.
 
The team moves onto Wackersdorf where following our recent success in Genk Charlie Eastwood and Sabedin Berat will be joined in Seniors by Canadian Champion Jesse Lazare and Junior driver Max Aitken will be joined by Austrian Champion Thomas Preining.

To arrange your test drive or to find out more about Formula K karts call Gary Chapman now on (01280) 814774 or  07802 966064 - it could be the best call you ever made. For more information please see www.formula-k.it, www.formulakeurope.com or www.protrainracing.co.uk.

To support growing national demand for Formula K products Protrain Racing are looking for UK agents, if you are interested in working alongside us with this impressive marque please contact Gary on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Forza To The Fore   (01/05)

Reigning European KF3 champion George Russell enjoyed a triumphant return to the domestic scene with a dominant performance at PFi (21/22 April). His team-mate, Hugo Bentley-Ellis, also claimed his first silverware of the new season.

The Wisbech-based Forza Racing team laid down a marker with a string of encouraging performances in the first test of the Super One series. Intrepid Driver Program star George Russell justified his status as the early KF3 championship favourite, while Billy Monger continued his learning journey after graduating from the Cadet ranks.
 
Herbie Grout and Dylan Lee joined Bentley-Ellis in the Comer class with all three competitive in the competition's early stages and making the cut for Sunday's pre-A Final. Hugo went on to finish 6th, ahead of Herbie in 16th and Dylan 24th. In the main final Bentley-Ellis crossed the line in 3rd place, with Dylan charging up to 14th whilst Grout battled to 17th. 
 
Forza's Cadet team principal, Paul Munn, said: "This weekend one was a learning one for everyone. Hugo had his first race with us and to net a podium was excellent. Dylan and Herbie both showed flashes speed and, in terms of experience, were punching above their weight.  Dylan delivered a creditable performance and Herbie fought back from being pushed to last place and was quick."
 
Back to back 4th place finishes in his two finals saw Super Cadet rookie Jack Davidson get his debut season in the class off to a solid start and Paul says more is to come: "Jack was another driver making his Forza debut and did a great job. We didn't have time to swap from wets to slicks, so he showed great character to take 4th."
 
In race trim, no one had an answer for George in KF3. He blitzed the heats before comfortably winning the pre-final by over five seconds. 2010 Honda Cadet Champion Monger found himself scrapping in the midfield in the heats, but lost ground in the first final to finish 20th. "From the first practice session on Friday, George looked strong. Getting the right set-up was crucial and he made the most of it. Billy was consistently in the top five or six during testing but was unfortunately the victim of two accidents, undoing his brilliant starts," observed Forza KF boss Jamie Croxford.
 
A much closer race in the second final saw George having to step up a gear and display the ability that has brought him a string of major titles in his fledgling career. Despite losing the lead for two laps, George was able to pick his moment and reassert himself at the head of the field. From there, he was never headed again. "He was pushed hard but responded superbly and pressed on to make it two from two. He was really strong throughout. Billy had got another superb start but was collected by another driver and that ruined his chances of a better finish."
 
Josh Read raced as the team's sole representative in the senior KF2 category and looked set for a great start to his campaign after taking the chequered flag in 2nd place in one of the heats. After going off P5 in the pre-final, Read eventually claimed a fine 7th place, with the team buoyed that more was to come.
 
Until the rain fell. With the entire field taking the start on slicks, under dense black clouds but on a dry track, a heavy shower was bound to create excitement and drama and duly did. The drivers slowed down to a crawl through the corners and such was the amount of standing water that the drivers found it hard to keep their karts on the soaking track. Josh was the first to suffer, parking his kart on the sidelines just five laps into the race. "Josh avoided the crash at the start but went into the first corner, ran wide and damaged the back of the kart. It was such a shame as we were looking forward to seeing him recreate his great drive in his second heat, where he came through the firld to ultimately finish 2nd. That was a great achievement."
 
For more information about the team visit www.forza-racing.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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MLC Motorsport Shine  (30/04)

MLC Motorsport shone at an otherwise wet Whilton Mill Rotax Super 1.
 
After a long winter of testing and preparing for this year Rotax Super 1 championship, this weekend saw everyone show their cards, at a wet and windy Whilton Mill circuit.
 
From the outset MLC Motorsport Junior Max driver Luke Hughes looked to be the one to beat, in testing being fastest in most sessions. "We were fast from the start which meant we could work on finding small amounts of extra speed from both setup and driver, where others seemed to still be struggling and looking for big changes to get close. We steadily went faster keeping ourselves firmly at the front and ended the day in a confident but wet mood" said team manager Lee Murray.
 
Saturday started just as wet, and in timed qualifying Luke drove a perfect lap on his Kosmic Mercury chassis powered by Revolution Racing Engines to put us on pole overall by nearly 2 tenths, which in a field of that quality was a truly great drive.
 
In a tricky first heat on a damp drying track, the team made a few last minute 'literally' changes in parc ferme then a great drive again gave us the win by over 9 seconds!
 
In the second heat a tricky start left us on the outside eventually pushed down to 7th but a patient drive from Luke meant a fifth place finish.
 
After what can only be described as a monsoon on Sunday the meeting was eventually called off after the heats leaving us with a well deserved place on the podium, although the team all felt slightly disappointed as we felt the pace was there to win in the final. But we're now in a strong position to make a challenge for the rest of the year.
 
MLC Motorsport have drives available at Rotax Super 1 from only £200 per round, and are agents for Kosmic racing karts. For more information how we could help your racing please get in touch.
 
For more information contact MLC at info@mlcmotorsport.co.uk telephone 07701 065325, or visit the website at www.mlcmotorsport.co.uk.

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Sports Sponsorship   (30/04)

Few would argue that sponsorship, the lifeblood of most forms of motorsport, is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in this harsh economic climate.  Whether a club racer, the parents of a young competitor, or perhaps even an aspiring F1 or WRC driver, the search for financial support can be a daunting experience. Thanks to a dynamic new initiative being launched in May by Brian Sims, in association with the Motor Sports Association, specialist insurer Ellis Clowes and Oxford Brookes University, that task might just become a little easier.

Brian Sims, former Marketing Director of the Lola F1 and Benetton F1 teams, is one of motorsport's most experienced and successful exponents of sponsorship acquisition. The author of two highly acclaimed books on the subject, Brian is a regular Guest Lecturer for the World Academy of Sport, the prestigious FIFA Masters programme. He is also the founder and an Honorary Life Member of the Motorsport Industry Association.

Starting on the 21st May at Oulton Park, Brian will be presenting a comprehensive 1-day training seminar, in eight different regional venues, which  has been designed to help sponsorship-seekers at all levels of motorsport greatly increase their chances of success. This will be the first major project for Brian's new training and consultancy business, aptly named: "Sponsorship Sales Training".

More good news is that current MSA Competition Licence Holders will be entitled to a substantial discount on the course fee - they need only pay £98 instead of the full course fee of £225. This massive saving has been made possible thanks to the visionary support of the initiative by specialist insurer, Ellis Clowes and Company Ltd.

Karen Ellis, CEO, Ellis Clowes said "As the leading provider of professional and personal insurance services to the motor sport industry for more than 30 years, Ellis Clowes & Company Ltd is delighted to be working alongside Brian Sims, the MSA and Oxford Brookes University in providing an excellent programme for Sponsorship Sales Training".

"Ellis Clowes specialises across the entire spectrum of insurance risk management and associated insurance products, representing a world class client base from all areas of what is a truly international sport, from individual competitors and teams (both two and four wheels) to championship organisers and governing bodies".

"We pride ourselves on being 'a service driven broker in a fast moving world' with an intimate knowledge of the sport allowing us to react to all scenarios with professionalism and speed. This intimate knowledge also enables us to provide advice and guidance to support any sponsorship strategy that is being discussed."

Brian Sims of Sponsorship Sales Training added "I'm delighted that Ellis Clowes, the MSA and leading motorsport university Oxford Brookes are supporting this series of events. Can you imagine being 18 years old and told that you need to bring sponsorship, often well in excess of £175,000, to compete for a season in a junior formula?  Even with parents help, that is a huge ask".

"Hopefully, we can help competitors across all categories and at all levels develop innovative sponsorship strategies that will greatly improve their chances of being taken seriously by business decision-makers. We want to follow this series up with further courses and some practical workshops to help even more."

Booking information is available at www.briansims.co.uk.

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CIK-FIA Euro KF3 Champs   (30/04)

This weekend the French Varennes-sur-Allier track welcomed the first of two events of the CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship. As is often the case in this highly animated Juniors class (13-15 years), there was no lack of race incidents and developments. Winner of the first Race, title holder George Russell (Intrepid-Vortex) was unfortunately involved in an accident in the first bend of the second encounter. The Spaniard Alex Palou Montalbo (CRG-BMB) took full advantage of this to clinch Race 2 and take the lead in the championship ahead of George Russell and the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (Intrepid-TM).
 
With its new format of two races and four opportunities to score points, the European KF3 Championship is now focussing on both top speed and regularity. Following the second meeting to be held at Brandon, in Great Britain, three results will be taken in account to award the highly coveted title. However applying the regularity card in such a lively pack is never an easy matter ...
 
Race 1: Russell as champion
Taken as the major favourites of this CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship the Brit George Russell (Intrepid-Vortex) and the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (Intrepid-TM) were up to expectations as from the first Race of this Sunday afternoon. Having both experienced bad luck during their last Qualifying Heat, obliging them to start off from 6th (Russell) and 9th l (Boccolacci) positions, it took the two drivers a mere two laps to grab the first two places. Title holder, the Brit George Russell never gave the Frenchman the opportunity to go into the attack, and the perfect way in which to start off in the championship.
 
Even though everything seemed pretty clear regarding the first two treads of the podium, it was not quite the same when it came to the third. It was finally the Croat Martin Kodric (FA Kart-Vortex) who got the better of the Spaniard Alex Palou Montalbo (CRG-BMB). Having broken away from a highly lively chasing group, the Italian Simone Cunati (Top Kart-Parilla) completed the top-5 ahead of the Italian Alessio Piccini (Kosmic-Vortex), who had started out from the front row, the Belgian Amaury Bonduel (Kosmic-Parilla), who had brilliantly climbed back up from 33rd place on the grid, the Brit Daniel Ticktum (Zanardi-Parilla), who set the best race lap time, the American Santino Ferrucci (Energy-TM) and the Dutchman Marijn Kremers (PCR-Parilla), who had experienced a mechanical problem during he warm-up lap and forced to take the start from the back of the grid. So his final 10th place was an excellent reward for his hard endeavours.
 
Amongst the pack, several drivers who had performed well during the Qualifying Heats saw all their hopes vanish due to various race incidents and accidents. This was the case amongst others for the Brit Connor Jupp (Energy-Vortex), who had started from the pole position, as also the Canadian Lance Stroll (Zanardi-Parilla), the Brit Callum Ilott (Zanardi-Parilla) and the Belgian Matteo Raspatelli (Tony Kart-Parilla), all three victims of race incidents and respectively relegated to 14th, 18th and 22nd places.
 
Race 2: Palou takes advantage of the chaos
George Russell, having dominated Race 1 had a perfect start in the second confrontation of the day. However this was without counting on Simone Cunati's clumsiness, who braked on the grass just in front of the first bend, violently hitting the Brit. Even though Russell finally managed to extract himself from the sand trap, he was well behind the pack. His rival, Dorian Boccolacci was now hoping to make the break in the championship. But having taken the lead after a poor start the Frenchman was pushed off track by his ... Russian team-mate Robert Shwartzman (Intrepid-TM), who had committed a completely missed attack. Having climbed back into 11th spot, Dorian managed to grabble a few championship points, but no way could he hide his disappointment. Because up front Alex Palou Montalbo did not waste any time. Following his fourth place in the first Race, the Spaniard has scored the maximum number of points to take over the reigns of the championship ahead of Russell and Boccolacci, tied in second.
 
This second race also enjoyed a fair amount of surprises. Starting out with the second place of the Rumanian Marcu Dionisios (Top Kart-TM), who had set off from 23rd place on the grid, ahead of the Brits Alex Gill (SWRD-Parilla), 19th on the grid, and Nathan Aston (Intrepid-TM). Fifth was the American Santino Ferrucci, who proved his top speed throughout the weekend and holding off the Brit Daniel Ticktum, who once again set best race lap time. We also noted the 7th place, as in Race 1, of the Belgian Amaury Bonduel, eighth in the championship.
 
At the end of this first meeting the suspense remains high and the journey over to Brandon, on a highly modified first part of the PF International track, will definitely be worth the trip. So as they say, "See you there!".
 
Discover all information on the European KF3 Championship at www.cikfia.com.

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TAG Heuer Timing   (27/04)

TAG Heuer don't just create some of the world's finest watches...

...for over a decade, transponders have been standard in UK motorsport, although only providing a solution for race results and lap time data.
 
Through a continued development program TAG Heuer have established a significant leap forward, bringing the karting world in line with some of the world's highest profile racing.
 
From multiple sector timing and speed traps we have now released a live internet timing solution paramount to most other live timing services.
 
The very solution in its third successful year at the Formula Karts Stars championship has now also been adopted by the Rotax Super One Series for 2012.
 
So if your club is still stuck in the day of 2001 where your timing system provides little more than a basic result, let us demonstrate the way forward for UK clubs
 
Subject to internet connectivity at race circuits both Formula Kart Stars and the Rotax Super One Series (starting this weekend) timing data will be broadcast live at www.tagheuer-timing.co.uk.

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Zip Young Guns RSF   (27/04)

The Zip Young Guns RSF team got off to a terrific start at Round 1 of the MSA Super 1 Championship at PFI International. Team drivers Ben Barnicoat , Ricky Collard and Sam Webster were driving the new ART Grand Prix kart for the first time in the UK and showed great pace straight away with Barnicoat finishing a very credible second behind multiple British Champion Mark Litchfield. Barnicoat's team mate Collard finished in 3rd with Sam Webster coming in 8th place in his first ever race in the UK's premier class.
 
Zip Young Guns RSF team principle Grant Munro said "I'm really pleased with the team's performance, we have only had a very limited time to test on the kart in the UK, so to come away with a 2nd and a 3rd is fantastic and really shows the kart has great potential in both wet and dry conditions. Sam had good pace as well as he is still adjusting to the class but is improving every session".
 
The Zip Young Guns RSF team will be racing at all the MSA Super 1 rounds plus WSK Euro and CIK KF2 events in 2012.

Zip Kart are the UK distributors for the ART Grand Prix kart.

For more information or to arrange a test drive please contact 01327 855310.

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Intrepid Dominates At S1   (27/04)

There was a lot of expectation going into the first round of the British Championship that Intrepid would yet again take the spoils. After winning the last twelve consecutive races in KF3 at British Championship level with George Russell, James Kellett, Nathan Aston, Jamie Caroline and Josh Price, who would bet against another Intrepid driver coming out on top this weekend in KF3.
 
With extreme weather changes during the event, no one truly knew who was fast and who wasn't, but qualifying would soon reveal who would come out on top. The orange kart of Jacques Morley qualified on pole by one hundredth of a second over the reigning European Champion George Russell leading to an all Intrepid front row for the heats. The other Intrepid drivers were not far behind in 4th (Nathan Aston), 6th (Brad Shaw), 7th (Sam Oram-Jones) and 8th (Josh Price), proving how quick the kart is in the wet. The day started to dry up and the first dry race came in heat two and another successful race for Intrepid finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th.
 
With an orange kart winning every heat setting the fastest laps along the way, it was hard to see any other kart putting up much of a fight in the finals. George Russell strolled to an easy victory by over 5 seconds ahead of his former team mate, with yet again 6 Intrepids in the top ten and the fastest lap of the race. Final 2 was much the same with George Russell winning by a comfortable margin setting the fastest lap and a new lap record along the way. This making it 16 wins in a row for the Intrepid kart in this class.
 
The Intrepid kart was also very fast and successful in the other classes with Jonathan Davis being exceptionally fast in the dry coming through from the back in Final 2 to take a well deserved second place and the rookie trophy along with it.
 
The new Intrepid Panther designed especially for the TKM market by Joe Porter was finalised on the Monday before the race, meaning that Intrepid had to make the chassis, paint it and deliver it at break neck speed. The chassis arrived at PFI Friday afternoon making its track debut on Saturday morning and it looked blisteringly quick. A problem with Joe's best motor during the heats meant that he had to compete on an engine that was not quite as strong as the competition. However, he still came home with two solid 4th place finishes - not bad after only two 8 minute practice sessions on the kart.
 
In KF2, the Intrepid looked very strong again, and qualifying 2nd and 3rd on the grid with Jack Barlow and Alex Hamilton proved this. The weather was very harsh on all of the KF2 drivers with some on wets in the dry, slicks in the rain, wet sprockets on in the dry on slicks. However, this led to some exciting racing with the Intrepid kart coming home in 3rd and 4th in the two finals.

For any more information about the Intrepid Cruiser-M2 please feel free to contact us on 07585 448540 or visit our website at www.intrepidkarting.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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V Plate And S1 Wins   (27/04)

Maranello UK works driver, Denis Gorman, took the latest 28mm Maranello RS12 chassis to win both the Formula KGP 'V' Plate, held on 1st April at PFI  and final 2 of the first round of MSA Super One held two weeks later also at the team's Lincolnshire home track.
 
Gorman took the win in final 2 and second place in final 1 in very challenging conditions that meant the track changed from completely sodden to dry and grippy in as little as two and a half hours, several times on race day. It was dry at the start of final one but a big downpour meant that Gorman had to settle for second place behind karting veteran Bobby Game.
 
In final 2 the track had dried out with Gorman taking the lead at the iorst hairpin from Game, then went on to pull out a comfortable lead from the battling pack.
 
KGP drivers also on Maranellos include Fraser Wallace and Stephen Philip of Scottish Team LP Tent Motorsport who had their very impressive and roomy fold out awning at work. Philip got a strong 8th place finish in final 2 with Wallace in 11th. Denbighshire driver John Pike, had shown glimmers of rapid pace throughout the weekend, at one point in the heats he was in second place. Much more is to come from Pike, Philip and Wallace as this season develops.
 
Thanks go to waft consultants GFR Engines and Kartune Motorsport for their help and advice with engines at Super One and the 'V' Plate respectively. 
 
Maranello Karts and spare parts are available from the sole UK importer Maranello Karts UK and also from LP Tent Motorsport/Kartcart www.kartcart.co.uk.
 
For a full list of UK agents for Maranello Kart please visit www.maranellokarts.co.uk.
 
Test drives on the RS12 with a race winning KGP engine are available at PFI and Fulbeck. Contact Laury Curran at laury@maranellokarts.co.uk or by calling 07903 623 348.
 
For test drives at Larkhall contact sales@lptent.co.uk.
 
Honest and impartial advice about the Formula KGP class are also available from the above contacts. We have no financial interests in Formula KGP UK, we just like to support a class that offers drivers and teams so much fun and value with no hidden costs to be competitive.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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IAME Chosen By MSA   (27/04)

John Mills Engineering are proud to announce that they have been appointed the sole UK importer for the IAME Gazelle 60cc UK - selected by the MSA as the British Cadet Class from 2013.
 
Following many months of intense tender processes, we are delighted that the hard work has paid off.  This whole vision started several years ago when we learnt that the tender for the Cadet class would be renewed from 2013.   Our main goal was to deliver a cost effective, out and out kart race engine for the UK market.  In conjunction with IAME, one of the most renowned engine manufacturers, we have been able to bring this new product to the market and introduce a new era of Cadet racing into the UK.
 
John Mills Engineering Director, James Mills, comments "After many years working towards this goal, this feels like a true milestone for British cadet racing.  The current engine has obviously been established for over 20 years in fact being a user in its first years. To many people this may seem like a hard act to follow, however, I feel there is no better time to introduce a new product and feel positive that the combination of the un-sealed IAME Gazelle, simple fixed jet carburettor and IAME's new, compact recoil start mechanism will step up to the mark and be a successful predecessor.  We have several plans that will benefit drivers at all levels - from the Let's Go Karting scheme, club racing, through to championship racing.  Our aim is to make the transition period as seamless as possible and offer supporting incentives along the way".
 
IAME Technical Director, Andrea Bossaglia, added: "IAME are delighted that the MSA have chosen our Parilla Gazelle 60cc to be the next generation Cadet engine for the UK. We are really looking forward to continuing our close working relationship with John Mills Engineering, who we are proud to have as our sole UK importer for this product. We feel this partnership will help take the MSA British Championship and club Cadet racing into a new era that builds on their current success".

For further information about the IAME Gazelle engine, please contact James Mills directly on 01636 626424 or email james@jmracing.co.uk.

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MSA Selects IAME   (26/04)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is delighted to confirm that it has selected the IAME Parilla Gazelle 60cc UK air-cooled engine to power the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship for a minimum of five years from 1 January 2013.

The decision follows a long and exhaustive competitive tender process that was launched in May 2011 and contested by several leading manufacturers. The process consisted of detailed technical and sporting presentations by the tenderers, followed by extensive on-track testing at Shenington and Whilton Mill, as well as dynamometer evaluation.

The findings of these tests were considered in depth by a specially formed Cadet Engine Selection Panel - comprising independent industry experts and the relevant MSA Executives - which made its recommendation to MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton.

IAME's appointment brings to an end the era of the Comer W60 - and its predecessor the S60 - as the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship engine, having served the class so successfully since it was established by the late karting legend Martin Hines. However, in recognition of the large number of Comer engines in circulation, the MSA intends to sanction a National Comer Cadet Championship until the end of 2015, while the W60 will also remain eligible at club level.

MSA Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, said: "The MSA's objectives in this process were to deduce the best engine package for the British Cadet class to ensure its on-going health and success. It was a very difficult decision to leave the Comer engine that has served the sport so well for the past 20 years and we will always be indebted to Martin Hines and Zip Kart for creating the class in the first instance, but the panel felt that it was time to begin a new era of cadet karting.

"The IAME engine is an exciting step forward and we were impressed by both their technical and sporting proposals. We are also excited that the excellent manufacturing tolerances in the IAME engine will allow unsealed engines that will encourage competitors to look after their own units rather than having to use designated engine tuners. Not only does this potentially reduce costs but it also promotes the engineering element that many competitors enjoy. We look forward to working closely with IAME in the coming months to ensure that the introduction of the new engine is as seamless as possible."

IAME Technical Director, Andrea Bossaglia, added: "IAME are delighted that the MSA have chosen our Parilla Gazelle 60cc UK to be the next generation Cadet engine for the UK. We are really looking forward to taking the MSA British Championship and club Cadet racing into a new era that builds on their current success, and we have several initiatives to support the class and the transition. We would like to thank the MSA for undertaking what was a very rigorous selection process."

IAME Parilla Gazelle 60cc UK air-cooled engine Q&A:

Q: When will the new units be available to buy?
A: Competitors and teams will be able to purchase the new engine from 1 October 2012.

Q: What will the new engine cost?
A: For 2012/2013 the engine and carburettor package cost is fixed at £846 plus VAT.

Q: How long does the contract run for?
A: The new contract is for an initial five-year period, with the MSA having the option of granting a two-year extension.

Q: Will the units be sealed?
A: No, although the MSA is considering pooled engines for championships.

Q: Who will supply the engines?
A: The engines will be supplied by IAME via their appointed UK dealers.

Q: What will happen to the existing Comer W60 engines?
A: The MSA intends to sanction a National Comer Cadet Championship until the end of 2015 to ensure that the Comer engines are not made obsolete by the new IAME unit, and the Comer W60 will also remain eligible for club karting. However, from 1 January 2013 all existing Cadet engines, including Honda WTPs and Comers, will have their performance restricted to a level that does not exceed the new IAME engine.

Q: Which championship will run the IAME engine?
A: The IAME engine has been selected for the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship, but club championships can also choose to use this engine.

Q:Who will promote the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship when it switches to the IAME engine?
A: The MSA will launch a tender process for a new contract to promote the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship, running from 1 January 2013 to coincide with the introduction of the new engine.

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Myers Seizes The Initiative   (26/04)

Oliver Myers got his 2012 Formula Kart Stars campaign off to a near perfect start by claiming a brace of podium finishes, and the championship lead, on the opening weekend at Kimbolton.
 
Buoyed by the opening round taking place at a circuit where he has always gone well, Myers posted top three times in every practice session and remained there in Saturday's qualifying session, before making the best possible getaway to heat one, vaulting past the front row into turn one to claim a lead he would not lose, despite the onset of rain. Heat two, whilst dry throughout, wasn't quite so comfortable, as the 16-year old dropped to fifth off the line, but he battled back up to second spot by the chequered flag, claiming pole for the final.
 
Saturday's final again showed Myers' tenacity as his advantage was eroded by a move from a rival that left him out 'on the marbles'. Despite dropping to sixth as the chasing pack streamed past, however, he reeled off a series of fastest laps to not only catch, but also pick off, the drivers ahead, eventually getting back into second place.
 
Myers' results ensured that he led the standings by a point going into day two, but qualifying fifth left him vulnerable to contact at the first turn and, in both heats, the Coles Racing kart was a victim of the melee, leaving the Leeds resident to fight back to sixth and fifth places respectively.
 
That left him on row three for the final and, incredibly, he was again forced off the road at turn one. However, despite the race being run on a fully wet track, Myers quickly clawed back the lost places, and was not to be denied another podium, moving back into third place with a handful of laps to run. When a post-race penalty then reversed second and third positions, Myers claimed another runners-up spot and ended the weekend with a convincing 20-point championship lead.
 
"Short of winning both finals, I couldn't have asked for a better start to the FKS season," he smiled, "To be leading the championship after rounds one and two is a great position to be in - and gives me more confidence for the races to come..."

Follow Oliver's progress in the 2012 Super 1, Formula Kart Stars and RGMMC Euro Challenge via his website at www.olivermyersracing.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Easykart UK Hots Up...   (25/04)

Series promoter John Vigor says that nearly a third of the Light grid contesting this weekend's second round of the Easykart UK Championship could triumph on Sunday (29 April 2012).
 
The small, but perfectly formed, Ellough Park Raceway welcomes the next chapter of what promises to be an enthralling day of racing in all four classes; Cadet, Junior, Light and Heavy.
 
At last month's opening round at Teesside, Cadet E-Plate champion Sam Faulkner emerged as the driver to beat. From qualifying to the main final he was never bested. It is also worth remembering that Faulkner was triumphant on last year's visit to the Suffolk track and then, just as in Middlesbrough last month, Jenson Murchison was his nearest rival. Do not overlook Ethan Hawkey though. He has been putting extra mileage under his belt by taking part in other competitions, and this valuable seat time has clearly been beneficial.
 
Behind this trio, Andrew Dutton, Bailey Campbell, Shayne Harrison, Jason Gavagan and Adam Sparrow all entertained the crowd at round one. They will be looking forward to recommencing their battles for individual supremacy at Ellough.
 
The series welcomes newcomers Jacob Wardle and Arron Mullen, so keep an eye out for them to see how they enjoy life in Easykart.
 
With double Junior champion Toby Sowery vacating his crown, James Lay wasted no time in setting out his claim for the 2012 title with a series of stunning performances at Teesside. Rookies Brandon Williams and Thanassi Barnicoat almost wrested the headlines from the rapid Oxfordshire driver with an excellent 2nd and 4th respectively. Ronan McKenzie separated them at 3rd - and in 2011 showed his quality by holding Sowery off to take the win at Ellough. However, with a works KF3 drive luring him away, the door is surely open for the exciting Zack Nickson to seize the moment. James White, Nicole Firth, Michael Iacovou and Matas Grigalauskas could each spring a surprise; making a trip to Beccles well worthwhile.
 
"Thirty seven drivers!" enthused Vigor as he contemplated the mouth-watering prospect of the forthcoming Light contest; featuring reigning British and World champions, Ayrton and Luca Hirst, plus Heavy number one Barnaby Pittingale. The talents of Patrick Lay, Jake Hughes, Sam Dimelow, Kieran Gordon and Owen Jenman will be to the fore and they will be hard pressed by Grant Hunter, William Hill, Richard Moxom - to name but a few. Series regular Tony Longstaff re-enters the fray after missing Teesside, as does Matthew Pearce, whilst Gareth Sutherland makes his Easykart debut. "I'm so excited by this grid," adds John. "The racing in this class is always terrific and the fact that any one of twelve guys could win, it is just fantastic."
 
If being a local and having the noisiest supporters in the entire paddock - in fact any paddock - gives a driver an edge, then Heavy star Will Smith is the man to beat. Joe Paterson will beg to differ and his pace and results last month wholly support this. However, Joe is arguably something of a Teesside specialist and there is nothing like having a home advantage. Or indeed, a far from home incentive. Edinburgh-based Mark Lawrence will not be content to leave Scotland simply to make up the numbers at Beccles. He's almost always fast, feisty and up at the sharp end. As is Michael Roots. Other runners to consider a cheeky wager on would have to include Carl Churchill, Simon Mace, Brian Trott, Christopher Wright and Andrew Gould.

In a bid to further restrict 'chequebook racing' - and keep Easykart true to its value for money roots - Andy Cox Racing has brought in a lottery draw for tyre sets. Drivers must pre-order their tyres ahead of each event but can only collect one set - drawn by lot - on race day. This is to avoid competitors buying a number of sets, testing to find the best set and then using that rubber in an attempt to gain an advantage.

"It further restricts costs and maintains the spirit of Easykart," explains John Vigor. "I think that approach explains why we're still welcoming new drivers into the series."

Another key aspect of Easykart's success is its focus on the competitor as a customer and John says that Ellough Park shares this approach: "There's not a year where further improvements aren't made at Ellough to improve the experience for drivers and spectators alike. The hospitality is always second to none. Everyone there does a great job, not least the marshals."
 
The 109-strong field can also expect media support from the championship's own film maker, Chris Simpson and photographer, Enver Meyer. "It's all part of the great package Easykart offers" says John with pride.
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday 29 April at Ellough Park Raceway, Benacre Road, Beccles. For more information, please visit www.easykart.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Enver Meyer.

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Double Trouble At Mill   (25/04)

Brothers Lando and Oli Norris landed a win apiece for RL Racing Department, whilst team-mate Lewis Plato also earned plaudits for his podium performance ahead of this weekend's (28/29 April) Rotax Super One championship opener at Whilton Mill.

The final warm-up ahead of the season's curtain raiser saw Steve Armstrong's talented young squad send out a strong signal to their respective title rivals with a string of confidence-boosting performances at the Daventry venue.

In Mini Max, Gaby Weyer delivered on the promise she has being showing in recent outings to earn an excellent third row start for the main final. Ahead of her, Lando Norris had claimed pole position. Despite being out-jumped at the start, Lando was able to reel in the leader and pass him - but a coming together damaged the RL driver's radiator. Unfazed he carried on and once again caught the front-runners. A last lap skirmish saw him take the chequered flag first, with Gaby denied 4th in the dying moments of the race to ultimately finish 7th.

"She had good heats and although she was denied at the last, Gaby really is the progress story in our team at present. She lapped close to the fastest times throughout the day and her racecraft is coming on in leaps and bounds. Lando is in great form at present and hopefully, he can carry it through to next weekend and beyond" said team boss Steve.

His brother, Oli, was also in formidable mood. He started from 5th on the grid and quickly slotted into 2nd before hounding the leader. Norris probed and harried, trying to force a mistake and create an opening. It came when his opponent was given a five-second penalty, handing Oli a deserved victory. His team-mate Josh White - who recently featured in GQ magazine - came through from 10th at the start to cross the line in a fine 4th.
 
"I can't fault the two lads," said Armstrong. "Oli earned his win fair and square. For sure, we'd like to have won it in a straight fight, but when these moments in sport occur, you have to be there to grasp the opportunity. Josh showed his typical grit. He never gives up and that makes him a great driver to watch and a really tough one to race against."
 
"Lewis was the class of the field" stated the RL boss baldly. "After the heats he took pole position for the final, only for the drizzle to stunt his speed. This lost him the advantage, but once the rain had stopped and the track had dried, he closed the gap back to the lead duo. He launched his bid for the win on the last lap but wasn't quite close enough for a last lap lunge and so intelligently opted for 3rd."
 
Summing up the overall performance of his team, he added: "Our pace in all three classes was very encouraging, making this club event good preparation for next week's Super One opener."
 
For more information about RL Racing Department visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Another Stunning Victory   (24/04)

Whilton Mill was once again the scene of another Protrain Senior Max win for Formula K driver Charlie Eastwood.
 
Eastwood's day started off badly with him taking a hard knock in heat 1 causing his chain to come off resulting in a DNF. Despite this setback he went on to come from 17th to fifth in heat 2 also setting the fastest lap and coming from fifth to win his third heat.

The final saw another demonstration of karting excellence as the Formula K driver came through from ninth to first in the first few laps setting yet another fastest lap in the process and taking the chequered flag well ahead of the competition. Eastwoods dominance in the Formula K once again evidences what a superb driver he is and the strength of this brilliant Kart. He moves on to Super 1 with every reason to be optimistic.
 
Cadet Joe Turney secured his best finish after a very good days racing. After three well contested heats he qualified in fourth place; a downpour saw the final red flagged temporarily to allow for wet tyres and following the restart he went on to take sixth place.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Mini max driver Alex Stott was not so fortunate this weekend. He also performed superbly in his heats and started the final in third place. As he avoided a spinning kart he was struck by another and the resulting damage ended his final. His performance and times were brilliant all weekend positioning him as a serious contender in next weekends Super 1.
 
Protrain moves on to Super 1 at Whilton Mill next weekend with Charlie Eastwood, Ed Brand, Reece Wade and Jack Saffery in Senior Max and William Creighton and Alex Stott in Mini Max. They are all superb drivers capable of victory.
 
Gary Chapman said afterwards "We move onto Super 1 very excited at the prospect of seeing the Formula K and our drivers pitched against the best of the rest. The performance to date has been remarkable and it really is showing itself as being the kart to be on, the top drivers on this kart are producing incredible results"

If you would like to try a Formula K Kart call Protrain; for a limited period we are offering you the chance to join us on a demo day at Whilton Mill to test a Formula K for only £150 which is fully refundable when your purchase of your FK through Protrain is completed. PLUS when your kart arrives you will be invited to a free set up and testing day at Whilton Mill FREE of charge! With these results and at only £150 can you afford not to give it a try? This offer must end soon, call now to avoid disappointment.

To arrange your test drive or to find out more about Formula K karts call Gary Chapman now on 01280 814774 or 07802 966064 - it could be the best call you ever made. For more information please see www.formula-k.it or www.protrainracing.co.uk.

To support national demand for Formula K products Protrain Racing are looking for UK agents, if you are interested in working alongside us with this impressive marque please contact Gary Chapman on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Raceography.co.uk.

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Fortune Favours The Intrepid   (24/04)

Reigning junior Rotax karting champion Jack Barlow delivered a Super One podium on his UK debut in the senior KF2 category at PFi last Sunday (22 April).
 
Despite this being only his second KF2 race - after making his bow in Italy a fortnight before (14-15 April) - the Intrepid Driver Program star had mixed emotions about his overall performance.
 
"In timed qualifying and the heats I was fine, but I didn't perform to my best in the two finals," he said with characteristic openness.
 
Barlow had travelled to the Lincolnshire circuit in confident mood after finishing in 11th place at Sarno near Naples, in the opening round of the WSK Euro Series - instantly laying down a marker with the second-fastest time in qualifying.
 
From there he finished 3rd in the first of Saturday's two heats, but a snapped chain in the following encounter put-paid to his further participation in the race.
 
However, the adidas and Arai supported youngster had done well enough to earn a fourth row grid slot for Sunday's first final and an opportunity to put early championship points on the board.
 
Using the pace he'd demonstrated in the preliminaries, Jack quickly charged up the order and became embroiled in a spectacular battle for 2nd place. Mobile phones buzzed with Twitter feeds reporting his wheel-banging battle for supremacy. Unfortunately, it was marred by some controversial tactics from his rival.
 
"I'd caught the other driver up, went for a move and he defended. I drew alongside in the next corner and he turned in on me and simply pushed me off the circuit," he explained. "This made the last few moments of the race quite nerve-wracking as the 4th-placed man closed the gap to me, but I was just able to hang on and take the last podium place."
 
Heavy rain fell as the field prepared to take the start of the main final, leaving no chance to opt for wet weather tyres. The slick-shod karts slithered around the soaking track at little more than a crawl.
 
"I dropped to 4th and then fell to 6th. My kart was aquaplaning quite badly, but then so was everybody else. I managed to catch the leaders, but ran wide in one of the corners. I was pushing too hard and paid the penalty. Still, 4th place at the finish was okay and, added to my earlier 3rd, has put me 3rd overall in the championship at this early stage."
 
"I don't think he, or we, can be too hard on him," said Jack's UK team boss, Dean Panrucker of Millennium Motorsport. He added: "He has no experience in this type of kart, in the wet and on slick tyres. When we saw the big black cloud loom overhead before the start, we didn't know whether to slap the wets on or stay as we were, as it might not have rained. You get moments like that in racing, so 4th was respectable for Jack."
 
"Hopefully it won't get worse than 4th," Barlow rued. "If I'm honest and very critical, I think that second final was the worst I've ever driven. Now I have to take it to my opponents. There's everything to play for."
 
This weekend sees Jack head to North Western France to test at Val D'Argenton in the Poitou-Charentes region. He will spend the week there preparing for the second round of the WSK Euro Series (3-6 May).
         
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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Just The Job For You?   (24/04)

Full time duel site mechanic required for Team-Sport indoor karting at Crawley & Brighton.
 
As a mechanic, you will be responsible for provision of a fully serviceable fleet of karts as per the track requirements.
 
Main duties will include the servicing of the fleet of karts, management of kart documentation, pit marshalling if required, and contribution towards the in-house sales activities.
 
The ideal candidate would be from an automotive repair and servicing background or a karting background however full training will be provided, and will also need to be an individual who is confident and calm under pressure. As the role will be split over two sites the successful candidate will need to be flexible and be able to arrange / provide their own transportation. Working hours vary but some evening and weekend shifts will be expected.
 
For further information on this role and to apply, please email your CV to: MP@Team-Sport.co.uk.

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MSA British Kart Champs   (24/04)

The first round of the MSA British Short Circuit and Junior Kart Championships was held at PF International on 22nd April.

MSA British Short Circuit Kart Championship:
Mark Litchfield dominated proceedings at PFI with two comfortable victories ahead of Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver Ben Barnicoat.

Litchfield won the first Final by almost eight seconds, while Barnicoat held off Sam MacLeod and Jack Barlow to take the runner-up spot.

A heavy shower hit the second Final soon after the start, leaving the karts to crawl round the tighter corners on their slick tyres. Litchfield used his experience to move 15 seconds clear of Barnicoat, who had been catching him in the dry but spun in the wet. Ricky Collard completed the podium after a battle with Jamie Rush.

Results - Final 1:
1 Mark Litchfield (Birel) 16m41.16s
2 Ben Barnicoat (ART) +07.79s
3 Jack Barlow (Intrepid) +9.02

Final 2:
1 Litchfield 17m32.87s
2 Barnicoat +14.70s
3 Ricky Collard (ART) +41.75

MSA British Junior Kart Championship:
Reigning CIK-FIA European KF3 Champion George Russell took the early British Championship lead with a pair of victories in the season-opener at PFI.

Russell dominated the first Final on a slippery track after pulling away from Croatian Martin Kodric. Alex Gill initially slipped from the front row to fourth place but clawed his way past former MSA British Cadet Kart Champion Nathan Aston to finish third.

Russell made a great start in the second Final but with a few laps to go Gill nipped past to take the lead. However, two laps later Russell found his way back in front to collect his second win of the weekend.

Results - Final 1:
1 George Russell (Intrepid) 17m18.75s
2 Martin Kodric (FA Alonso) +5.69s
3 Alex Gill (Wright) +8.25s

Final 2:
1 Russell 16m27.22s
2 Gill +0.79s
3 Nathan Aston (Intrepid) +4.52s

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Rowrah This Weekend   (24/04)

Following a last-minute cancellation, Rowrah kart circuit is available for hire this weekend - the 28th/29th April.

This is the perfect opportunity to get in some exclusive track time on one of the UK's most popular circuits, especially ahead of the visit of Super One later this year.

If you are interested in hiring the circuit please contact Malcolm fell on 07802 667579 for more information.

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CIK-FIA Euro Superkarts   (23/04)

Marcel Maasmann (Anderson/FPE) of Holland followed up his 2nd place in Saturday's Race 1, with victory on Sunday. That gives him a clear lead in the Championship standings, but Sunday's win owed a debt to the misfortune of British Team mate Lee Harpham (Anderson/FPE) who looked to be heading for a double victory until his chain snapped on lap 7 of the 9-lap race. Adam Kout (MS Kart/DEA) from the Czech Republic had two 3rd places and Dane Henrik Lilja (PVP/PVP) followed Saturday's 4th place with 2nd on Sunday.

Daniel Hentschel (Anderson/DEA) was the early leader of a rain-affected Race 1 and Damien Payart (Anderson/FPE) soon joined the battle for the lead. It was Harpham who got in front on lap 2 and his consistent blistering pace made sure that he was never caught. Maasmann was almost as impressive and held down second place from lap 2 onwards. The other consistent drives came from Kout and Lilja with the Czech Driver solid throughout in 3rd place whilst Lilja caught the eye despite missing the podium by finishing 4th. Gavin Bennett (Anderson/DEA) worked hard over the full 10 laps and was rewarded with 5th place - not what he would have wanted at the outset but a big improvement from the lower end of the top 20 after an opening lap scare when he had to take evasive action from Drivers out of position.

There were two great drives from Henrik Vejen (PVP/PVP) going from 16th to 6th and Tony Ahlgren (also PVP/PVP) 7th from 17th. Paul Kennings (Anderson/FPE) was having his first race of the season after a nasty illness and could not have anticipated an 8th place finish from his 28th place start. Stefan Malm (Nibor/PVP) had held 4th place at one time before dropping back to 9th and Daniel Hentschel, who had fallen out of the Top Ten when leading, repaired the damage to some extent by climbing back to 10th place. Another good drive from the back of the field was from Welshman Carl Kinsey (Anderson/FPE) from 26th to 11th.

Several top Drivers had a disappointing start to the 2012 Season. Emmanuel Vinuales (MS Kart/DEA) had qualified 8th fastest but made no significant progress and went out on lap 7 after his second spin of the race. Payart was impressive after his year away from racing, climbing to 2nd place, but in the wet conditions he suffered a waterlogged engine and retired when 4th on lap 3. For once, Bennett did not make his usual fast start and when he came upon the incident on the opening lap, fell back to 16th place. But worst of all was pole man Jurgen Reinke (Anderson/DEA) who, after a slow start, lost place  regularly and eventually finished a lowly and very disappointing 19th.

Race 2 was stopped after two laps when heavy rain suddenly fell. But when the restart over 9 laps was called, neither of the front row men, Reinke or Payart, appeared and both were non-starters. Once again Hentschel was the early leader but Harpham overtook him on lap 2 and held the lead to lap 7. Maasmann went through to 2nd on lap 6 and looked to be getting closer to the lead, but a snapped chain with less than 2 laps to go took Harpham out and promoted Maasmann to a first place he never lost. Lilja and Kout were 2nd and 3rd as Hentschel drifted out of the podium places late on and had to settle for 4th. Henrik Vejen (PVP/PVP) was worth his 5th place but former Champion, Gavin Bennett followed Saturday's 5th with 6th on Sunday for a modest start to his bid to regain the title. Defending Champion Emmanuel Vinuales was not impressive, but Sunday's 11th place was a huge improvement on Saturday's non-finish. The un-fancied Tony Ahlgren had his second Top 10 finish of the weekend.

It has to be said that the rain spoiled both race days but equally, it should be said that some Drivers handled the wet conditions better than others.

Adam Kout, for example, told us: "We had some technical problems on Saturday but Sunday was really good. I am very happy. The weather doesn't bother us. We are fast in the wet and the dry."

Henrik Lilja was pleased with his weekend's work to lift the spirits of Poul V. Petersen back home nursing a broken foot. "Poul will be very happy with this result. We had a very good race here a month ago so a win was on his mind. But 2nd and 4th is good."

The Driver struggling for words was Marcel Maasmann: "This is like a dream. I felt we were very fast in the dry and just as good when the rain came. I have to acknowledge the bad luck that Lee (Harpham) had because he would have won Race 2. But I want to thank John (Riley) for all the hard work and testing that was put in during the winter."

So the first event of the Championship answered several questions. In particular the FPE and PVP engines show significant improvement from 2011 but we still do not know if they would match the DEA in totally dry conditions. This is one of the fascinating questions that the Championship will answer in the forthcoming months. We do know that Marcel Maasmann is a serious title contender - perhaps the best Dutch Driver since Perry Grondstra!

Races 3 and 4 take place at Snetterton (GBR) on 13-15 July 2012. This event is scheduled to be a major festival of Superkart racing with the CIK-FIA Championship top of the bill on the British Superkart GP programme which also includes separate rounds of international and domestic Superkart Series.

Further information on the event at Hockenheim is available at http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/2012/hockenheim/event-guide.html.

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DC Motorsport   (20/04)

DC Motorsport driver Shaun Arnold dominated round 2 of Formula Kart Stars at Kimbolton. The talented young 15 year old had his first national race win with the newly established Kent based team. Shaun and his twin brother Matthew have been managed and coached by the vastly experienced team manager Danny Cruttenden for the last 14 months, and all the hard work and effort is starting to pay off with both drivers getting some great results and showing fantastic speed at all races they enter. DC Motorsport has recently been working with a new signing Daniel Fazzone who is also showing great potential with a front running pace from the start, with some work in key areas Danny is confident that Fazzone will achieve great results in the near future.
 
DC Motorsport are now looking for new drivers to coach and develop into race and championship winners. Team manager Danny Cruttenden has a vast experience in karting as he has been racing and achieving success at the highest level for the past 14 years. The Cruttenden family have been involved in karting for over 35 years, and are multi British champions, multi European Champions, and multi North American champions. We know what it takes to win.
 
If you're interested in joining a truly professional team call Danny on 07852 971040 or 01322 228516.

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ABkC 'O' Plate   (19/04)

This June, Rowrah plays host to the ABkC 'O' Plate for Comer Cadet, Honda Cadet, Junior TKM, Minimax, Junior Max, TKM Extreme, Rotax Max and Rotax Max 177, as well as the MSA Short Circuit Gearbox GP Plate for 125 ICC UK and Formula 250!

Sponsored by AST Signs, printing.com & JAG-Rotax, the event promises to be the highlight of the 2012 racing calendar, but if that's not enough, how about this...

We are offering what we believe to be the biggest prize in karting this year, as all signed-on competitors will go into the draw to win a brand new Suzuki car (in association with J. Edgar & Son)!

Plus, Cumbria KRC have organised TV coverage, a barbeque, and live music.

The event takes place from Saturday 2nd to Monday 4th June, with optional practice available on Friday June 1st, consisting of Timed Practice, Two Heats, and a Pre-Final & Final.

The entry fee is just £165 which includes practice on Saturday and racing on Sunday and Monday.

Full details and entry forms can be found on our website at www.cumbriakrc.co.uk.

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Winning Is Haggis-Forming   (19/04)

Lando Norris and Lewis Plato added to RL Racing Department's impressive tally of early season wins with victories at Larkhall (14/15 April).

Hot on the wheel-tracks of a successful test at Rowrah last week, the Ellough-based squad headed across the border into Scotland to give its young squad a vital run out at Larkhall.

Team owner Steve Armstrong explained: "We'd gone to Cumbria in preparation for the forthcoming O Plate Championship meeting there on 3/4 June and of course, for the Super 1 round a fortnight later (16/17 June)."

He added: "We enjoyed a successful couple of days there and then drove up to Lanarkshire for a West Scotland Kart Club meeting. Formula Kart Stars visits Larkhall in June, so getting some valuable seat and race time around the circuit is always helpful. Winning makes it all the better!"

In Mini Max, Lando Norris' strong run of form continued with another well taken win. His team-mate Flashman Finneran continued his positive learning journey in the class with a solid 9th in the main final.

"Lando took the lead on lap six, lost it but then grabbed it again just two laps later and was never headed again. Admittedly the run to the flag was very close but he had just enough in hand to edge it in his favour."

His older brother, Oli, also returned home with a trophy. The ever-improving Junior Max driver figured strongly in a close-fought race, leading briefly before eventually settling for a solid 3rd place finish from the midway point.

"Oli drove with his head and deserved his podium. There is perhaps a little bit of pace to find, but on Sunday he used what he had to good effect."

Lewis Plato returned to the winner's circle with following a dominant performance.

Pushed from 2nd to 3rd at the start, he calmly picked his way back up to 2nd before taking the lead eight laps from home.

"Like Oli, we ideally need to find a tenth or too for Lewis, but then again he demonstrated that it is not always the fastest man who wins. His consistency won the day and consequently he crossed the line completely unchallenged. A great drive!"

Encouraged by their recent domestic form the Norris brothers have opted to join the Rotax Max Euro Challenge and will make their international debuts in the second round, held at Wackersdorf in Germany (9-13 May).

"Lando will step up into Junior Max, whilst Oli will race with the Seniors. It will be a steep learning curve for both of them but we're all looking forward to it. It will be exciting."

For more information about RL Racing Department visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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GW Motorsport   (18/04)

GW Motorsport would like to wish our following drivers on Zanardi Karts, good luck in the MSA Super One KGP Series - Chris McCarthy and Luca Hirst.
 
Also in Rotax Super One (with Coles Racing) - Jack Bartholomew - Junior Rotax and Ashley England - Junior Rotax
 
GW Motorsport are the sole UK Importers of the Zanardi Kart.

For more information on this World Championship winning Kart, visit www.gwmotorsport.co.uk or phone Gary on 07950 032519.

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KartForce At Whilton Mill   (18/04)

Team KartForce a karting team of injured troops took on pro racers and teams at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire on Sunday 1st April 2012. A superb day commenced with a warm, dry and frankly hot, sunny day, perfect. Which made sure the racing was even better.
 
Prior to their debut outdoor race event Team KartForce benefitted from coaching sessions and expert tuition from Johnny Mowlem and Josh Hill. They kindly gave up their time in the run up to the event to pass on driving skills to the lads.
 
Of coaching KartForce, Josh says, "they have exactly the right mentality for motorsport; they have the discipline and want to be the best they can be. In next to no time they were taking the right lines and just getting quicker and quicker."
 
The morning sessions kicked off with individual sprint races where each driver took part in some practice laps then two heats. After all 62 drivers had completed both their heats; points were given according to their finishing places, which then determined their places on the grid in the finals. As there were so many drivers, there had to be three finals - the A final for the fastest drivers, the B and C finals.
 
This was the first sprint race any of Team KartForce had entered but they did themselves proud. Two lads were in the B final and two in the C final, finishing respectfully high up in each final.
 
More drivers joined the event for the afternoon endurance race, which was a team event with 16 teams. Team KartForce qualified in 10th position on the grid but after a fantastic start were right up to 6th place after the first lap. Even after a few incidents that pushed the team back down to 10th, with the expert tactics of KartForce team manager Josh Hill, KartForce never dropped below 10th position and at one stage were 5th. Team KartForceachieved a very impressive 6th place at the chequered flag against many seasoned kart racers on their first race at an outdoor track is a true testament to what these lads are made of - true British bulldog spirit!
 
Once again they have more than demonstrated that you don't need all your limbs to race on a totally level playing field against non-injured drivers - you just need British bulldog balls, and they have that in wheelbarrow loads! One KartForce double amputee team member also only has a thumb and ring finger on his right hand so pulls the throttle lever with his ring finger, but still manages to keep the pace up.
 
Dave Player, founder of KartForce says, "These lads come here to race, they come to win. They're not looking for any preferential treatment, the hand controls they use allow them to compete on a level playing field".
 
Team KartForce's next event is on 3rd June, Jubilee weekend, at Daytona Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. Josh Hill will again be Team Manager for race day and both Josh and Johnny Mowlem will be giving them coaching sessions on the run up to the event to hopefully put the lads on the podium.
We invite everyone to come down and take on the team. The more the merrier.
 
Follow Team KartForce's journey on twitter @KartForce or facebook at www.facebook.com/KartForce.
 
KartForce solely relies on donations. You can donate to KartForce at http://www.justgiving.com/kartforce/Donate.
 
For all information about KartForce visit www.KartForce.org or call Dave Player on 07824 628029.

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Jack Barlow Impresses   (17/04)

The reigning British Junior Max champion racked up an impressive series of performances on his KF2 debut with Italian manufacturer Intrepid last weekend (14-15 April).
 
Initially, the 16-year old looked to have got his WSK Euro Series campaign off to a shaky start when he was only able to set the 51st-fastest lap in timed qualifying at Sarno, near Naples.
 
With the 74-strong field of drivers split into three groups for the following heats, Barlow started all five of his preliminary races from the 9th row of the starting grid.
 
He opened his account with a solid, if unspectacular, 13th place finish in his first heat - but an excellent 3rd in his second race announced his abilities. Despite the wet conditions, Barlow was then able to further demonstrate the skills that won him three major Junior Max titles last year and scored another brace of top ten finishes (7th and 5th). This left him ranked 26th overall and on the grid for Sunday's finals.
 
"I had a bit of a blip in my third heat," he said, referring to a race in which he had crossed the finishing line down in 24th position. "I was smacked off by the kart behind me at a hairpin (bend) and when I came back on the track I aquaplaned and spun off again. On the up side I was one of the fastest drivers, but that poor finish put me 35th overall and needing a good finish in my last heat if I was to be one of the 34 drivers qualifying for the pre-final. Thankfully, I took 5th and that was enough to send me through."
 
With the rain increasing, conditions for the drivers became even worse, but the officials remained committed to letting the racing proceed. Jack says "The pre-final was crazy. In England it would've been stopped because there were karts aquaplaning off the circuit or running into each other. I was hit off at the start and fell to last place. I was able to come back through - largely due to people going off left, right and centre ahead of me. There were a lot of accidents. I could barely see the kart ahead or the sides of the track, so just had to commit and keep going forwards."
 
Describing them as "the toughest conditions I've ever seen," Jack gamely plugged on to finish 18th.
 
Starting again from the 9th row of the grid in the main final, the Arai and adidas-supported driver used the knowledge he'd gained in the heats to avoid the melee at the first corner and rapidly work his way into 9th place.
 
His inexperience adjusting KF2 carburetors cost him a few places, but he eventually found a competitive speed and was eventually classified in 11th place: "I really wanted a top ten finish, but overall I'm really happy. The racing is very hard and I was up against people with much more experience, several of whom are also professional drivers - so to beat them was very satisfying. I don't think the Intrepid Driver Program team expected too much at first, but when they saw me race, they became quite excited. The boss, Mirko Sguerzoni, was very complimentary and told me he likes my driving, so if he's now a fan that's a big bonus."
 
With the opening round of the British Super 1 Championship taking place this weekend (21/22 April), at the PFi circuit near Grantham he added: "I'm looking forward to it. Mirko has supplied me with a works chassis and although I still have a lot to learn about KF2, I'm quietly confident."             

Keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting www.jackbarlowracing.co.uk.

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CIK-FIA Euro Superkarts   (17/04)

The 2012 CIK-FIA Championships begin this weekend with the European Superkarts going to the famous circuit at Hockenheim, Germany, for rounds 1 and 2 of their 8 round Series.

The Series has been expanded for 2012 with events in 4 countries: Hockenheim, Germany; Snetterton, GB; Assen, Holland; and Le Mans, France. 2 rounds will be raced at each event and the Championship will be decided by a Driver's best 7 results in the 8 rounds.

The choice of these countries means that rounds will be staged in all of the leading Superkart racing nations with the exception of Sweden who have indicated that they will bid to stage a round in 2013.

The 2011 Championship was one of the best ever with the title only being decided in the final race of the season when the two top contenders, on equal points, started on the front row. It was a great race with Emmanuel Vinuales of France easing his way past defending Champion Gavin Bennett of Great Britain to take the Championship. The much improved German, Daniel Hentschel was third in the standings and all 3 Drivers are likely to feature strongly in 2012.

But there was a pre-season shock when it was announced that the Champion would change chassis for the 2012 Championship. As Vinuales explained "Maybe we are a little bit crazy to change chassis because Anderson was at the top level and Mr Anderson is very professional and was a very nice person to us during 2011. I hope he will not be irritated by the change".

"But MS Karts made a great offer to supply all 2012 equipment and spares, and I have accepted the offer and taken on this new challenge as their development Driver".

"I do not know what to expect. My early testing has been on some smaller and slower tracks but not until I test on an ideal fast circuit will I know about the performance of the chassis".

"I think the 2012 Championship is very open. I hope to successfully defend my title but my new Team mate Adam Kout, former Champion Gavin Bennett, Marcel Maasmann, Daniel Hentschel, and others are all capable of winning the title."

Gavin Bennett will stay with the Anderson chassis that took him to 3 championships. He was more direct in his assessment of the 2012 season. "I am very, very motivated", he said. "I am still angry that I lost the title in 2011, but I do acknowledge that Emmanuel drove well all year. But I want that title back!"

A welcome surprise when the entries were announced was the return of double Champion Damien Payart of France. He had taken a year out of racing to help his father develop the FPE engine. It will be interesting to see what progress has been made in the FPE factory.

All of the top Drivers have been in action in recent weeks, and all with some success. Emmanuel Vinuales had a race victory over top opposition at Hockenheim at the end of March, but finished less than 0.2 of a second in front of Daniel Hentschel.

In Race 2, Henrik Lilja was first to the chequered flag beating Vinuales into 4th place, Brit John Riley and Daniel Hentschel finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Lilja, from Denmark, was mounted on the Danish PVP chassis powered by the newly upgraded PVP engine. He had put in a very good performance at Le Mans last autumn, and at Hockenheim showed himself a genuine 2012 title contender.

That same weekend Gavin Bennett drove as a guest in a British domestic event at Oulton Park and recorded a victory. At Nürburgring a week later, John Riley beat Dutchman Marcel Maasmann in a blanket finish, whilst in Race 2 Jürgen Reinke of Germany was the winner.

Former Champion John Riley had been undecided whether to enter the 2012 championship. Having just turned 50 years of age, maybe he recognises that the Series is producing younger Champions these days and since he has several strong contenders in his Redspeed racing Team, perhaps his time will be fully occupied dealing with off-track matters.

But Riley's long-time Anderson Team mate, former British Champion Malcolm Crowe, without the worries of running a Team, has shown that he is also in good early season form.

Former British 250 National Champion James O'Reilly makes his CIK-FIA European Superkart debut, but whatever his results, he will be out of Superkart racing for a while as work commitments take him to the USA immediately after this event.

There will be 2 Free Practice sessions on Thursday afternoon and 2 Qualifying Practice sessions on Friday. Race 1 will be at 14.00 hours on Saturday with Race 2 scheduled for 12.35 hours on Sunday.
 
More information on the event at Hockenheim is available at http://www.cikfia.com/championships/cik-calendar/2012/hockenheim/event-guide.html.

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Formula KGP & Ginetta   (16/04)

Yorkshire road and race car manufacturer Ginetta have announced their backing for the Formula KGP karting category for 2012. Now in its second Championship season, Formula KGP has similar aspirations to its new title sponsor Ginetta - low cost racing combined with a high level of track performance.
 
 The 2011 Championship delivered some fantastic racing with the Formula KGP Championship going down to the wire at the final round and this season looks set to be even more spectacular.
 
Ginetta factory driver and 2011 Formula KGP champion Michael Simpson said; "I'm delighted that Ginetta is going to support Formula KGP this season, I have moved from KGP to race in Ginetta's for 2012, so it's a natural progression for KGP to achieve such a collaboration with Ginetta."
 
All Formula KGP drivers in the 2012 S1 Formula KGP Championship will carry Ginetta logos and the Formula KGP logo will also carry Ginetta branding. Ginetta will support Formula KGP with prizes of merchandising, factory tours and some hospitality prizes at selected Ginetta events.
 
Furthermore, the top the drivers in the Formula KGP 2012 S1 Championship will win a test day in a Ginetta G50 where they will be assessed by the Ginetta factory.
 
There will also be a place at the test for a wild card Formula KGP driver to be chosen Chairman of Ginetta and 2006 Le Mans 24hr winner Lawrence Tomlinson. He said; "Formula KGP has many synergies with our Ginetta business, they both offer unrivalled performance and an affordable price. Formula KGP produces some of the best young karting talents in the UK and Ginetta wants to help them by showing them the door to the next level."
 
The first round of the 2012 Ginetta Formula KGP S1 championship kicks off at the PF International near Grantham on April 21st/22nd.
 
For more information visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk or follow us on Facebook: Kart Grand Prix UK.

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Stunning Shenington 1-2-3   (16/04)

Following on from success at Genk the Protrain team had much to celebrate after the Shenington April meeting.
 
Senior Rotax Max drivers Charlie Eastwood, Jack Hawksworth and Jack Saffery dominated all of the heats with either one of them looking likely to take victory. In the end it was Charlie who took the lead and despite losing it briefly to Jack Hawksworth he snatched it back in a nail biting last lap. Closing down on them rapidly was Jack Saffery who produced a brilliant drive and completed the all Protrain podium. James Beauchamp delivered a very solid performance with some of his best lap times in his FK. With first and second places going to Formula K kart drivers the performance of this flexible and dominant Kart continues to impress.
 
Jack Hawksworth rejoined the team on a rare weekend back home from the USA where he is competing in single seater Star Mazda series. The Formula K suited Jack and immediately he was on the pace reinforcing the trust the team has placed in the quality of this incredible 'drivers kart'. The team wishes Jack every success back in America.
 
In Junior Rotax Max Aitken did not achieve the result he deserved; after suffering an early race incident placing him last he drove an amazing comeback with impressive speed and driving to finish 8th in a very competitive field. This was disappointing for Max but he was impressive in his Formula K and secured the fastest lap of 42.79s.
 
Mini Max driver Alex Stott shone once again as a driver with great skill and talent. Despite losing a heat following an unavoidable incident in which he suffered a bent chassis he led for the majority of the final and crossed the line just 0.07s behind the eventual winner. Alex has shown himself to be one to watch and his transfer from the front of Cadet to the front of Mini Max is testimony to his talent.
 
Cadet Joe Turney delivered very assured performances in all three heats with retirement robbing him of a highly likely podium. Joe is also showing great speed and talent and success is surely very close.
 
Drivers Georgie Chapman and first time Shenington driver William Creighton delivered very solid performances. Omar Ismail was involved in an early nasty accident which he did well to recover from.
 
Ed Brand completed the driver turn out but acting on medical advice could not drive due to a rib injury so instead turned his attention to coaching and supporting some of the younger drivers which gave them great confidence and shows real team commitment. No doubt Ed would have liked to have joined in the Senior Max thriller.
 
The talk of the weekend was the absolute dominance of the Protrain Senior Drivers who showed class and driving style to be watched, enjoyed and admired.
 
Team manager Gary Chapman said "The boys delivered a superb performance, the karts were brilliant and the driving was at an incredibly high standard. Charlie delivered a fantastic win with a truly accomplished drive. Jack H had never been in an FK before; that he was immediately on the pace shows the incredible talent of the driver and the capacity of this brilliant kart. To take 1-2-3 in Rotax Max with such other strong competition is fantastic for the whole team"
 
The Protrain team moves on to Whilton Mill where Ed Brand took the lap record last month with a great team atmosphere and high hopes.

Protrain are bringing you a fantastic offer; we are offering you the chance to join us on a no commitment demo day at Whilton Mill to test a Formula K for only £150 which is fully refundable when your purchase of your FK through Protrain is completed. PLUS when your kart arrives you will be invited to a free set up and testing day at Whilton Mill FREE of charge! With these results and at only £150 can you afford not to give it a try? This offer must end soon, call now to avoid disappointment.

The results speak for themselves; the top drivers making the move to this remarkable kart are delivering superb results. As UK distributors you could say we are biased but the results speak for themselves, we've put our faith in Formula K and it's well placed, when will you take a look?
To arrange your test drive or to find out more about Formula K karts call Gary Chapman now on (01280) 814774 or 07802 966064 - it could be the best call you ever make.

For more information please see www.formula-k.it or www.protrainracing.co.uk.

To support national demand for Formula K products Protrain Racing are looking for UK agents, if you are interested in working alongside us with this impressive marque please contact Gary Chapman on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Drives Available With KR   (16/04)

British Champions KR-Sport has an opening within their Successful TKM team for the 2012 season; the place is to be filled by a JNR or SNR TKM Driver looking to compete with a top flight team in the S1 British Championships along with other major championships and testing plan.

The opening is available immediately and a package can be tailored to the driver's requirements, this is strictly limited and a great opportunity to put your Son or Daughter into the most successful TKM team in the paddock.

The KR-Sport team have been appointed as main agents for the Tony Kart Viper for TKM and all other OTK Parts and accessories, the team will be providing full TKM support to Tony Kart customers' at all major events during 2012 with trackside flat bed facilities also available.

To find out more information about the KR-Sport TKM team, Tony Kart Test drives and OTK Products please contact team manager Ashley Orchard on 07921 225 680 or email ash@kr-sport.com.

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RL On A Roll...   (13/04)

Lando Norris and Sam Marsh opened their 2012 Formula Kart Stars accounts with victories in the first Mini and Junior Max finals of the season.

Following a successful pre-season test and race programme, the RL Racing drivers were able to recreate the form they'd shown over the winter and both won their finals at Kimbolton (7/8 April 2012) comfortably.

Norris's Mini Max team-mates Flashman Finneran and Gaby Weyer got their campaigns underway with 9th and 12th respectively.

Marsh's fellow Junior Max protagonists Josh White and Oli Norris finished inside the top ten (5th and 8th) to give themselves a solid platform on which to build their own title bids.

This would prove to be vital for Sunday's second round, when the heavens opened. Heavy rain created trying conditions for all the drivers and inspired a series of crashes throughout the day. As team principal Steve Armstrong observed, "Sunday's conditions made it difficult for the whole field, including the front-runners, so consequently threw up quite a few surprises."

In Mini Max, Lando again fared well and after qualifying and the first heat, was very much the man to beat. For the final, tyre choice proved to be a crucial factor. With the rain easing, the soaking track had begun to dry leaving the drivers, mechanics and team bosses wondering whether to gamble on slicks and hope to have the advantage in the race's latter stages, or go for wets and capitalise at the beginning.

A combination of a bold gamble on slicks and some great driving from the Glastonbury-based youngster produced an eventual 3rd place and the early championship lead. Flashman rounded out the top ten, whilst Gaby crossed the finishing line in 12th as she continues to adjust to life in the Mini Max class.
For their older counterparts, the second round proved to be a frustrating experience.

Neither Josh, Sam, Oli or their mechanics could quite found the sweet spot in their karts' set-up and found themselves in a battle for each and every position. A somewhat controversial final, marred by more collisions, saw Marsh and White take the chequered flag in 11th and 12th with Norris a little further back in 16th.

In terms of the championship positions, Sam currently lies 2nd overall, with Josh 9th and Oli 11th.

"From domination on Saturday to not quite on it on Sunday," Armstrong rued. "If I'm honest, I think we perhaps suffered from a lack of detailed local knowledge of Kimbolton. The key thing is, we've got points on the board and with two rounds completed but a further ten to go, everything is still very much to play for."

This weekend (14/15 April) sees RL Racing Department up in Cumbria, contesting a club race at Rowrah in readiness for the Super One championships third round there on 16/17 June.

For more information about RL Racing Department visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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KPUK Support W Plate   (12/04)

KPUK would like to support SYKC's famous W Plate meeting in memory of Bryan Wilson. The meeting is to be held on the 12th and 13th May.  Additional prizes for each class including the winner to receive the W Plate honour.  Also each Rotax driver who is a member of the club to be entered into a free prize draw for a set of Mojo tyres.

This meeting is the last chance for LGM competitors to practice prior to the LGM round to be held at SYKC in June.
 
Entries to Donna by 7th May, all details available on the SYKC web site www.southyorkshirekartclub.co.uk. Come and try this left handed circuit and join the family friendly club.
 
KPUK has an ever growing web site of spares ready for dispatch. Why not take a look at the new site www.kartpartsuk.com or give them a call on 01775 712633. Telephone lines are open 7am to 7pm.

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Mectech On FKS Podium   (12/04)

Mectech Motorsport would like to congratulate Yukinori Ishii on his podium at Formula Kart Stars at Kimbolton, in a weekend full of trying conditions.
 
The ENEOS backed driver was consistently up the front with a heat win on Saturday by 4 seconds and setting a lap time 8 tenths faster than the rest of the field in the wet conditions. Yuki qualified 2nd for the final but was caught up in a first lap crash setting him back to 5th, but he showed great determination and race craft to gain back 3rd place.
 
Sunday showed the similar wet/dry changing conditions but the team was able to secure Pole in timed qualifying on Sunday, and just missing out on winning the second heat by just 1/100th of a second.
 
Bethany Abbott also showed great improvement in her first major meeting consistently reducing her times throughout the weekend and showing some great overtaking and was fast in the wet conditions.
 
The teams focus now is on Donington Park for the Round 2 of the Radical Clubman's Cup where team manager Bradley Smith will be hoping to have another successful weekend after securing two podium finishes at Round 1 of the championship at Snetterton.
 
The Team will be competing at all FKS rounds and still have one space available for Honda Cadet, For More information on the team email Mectechmotorsport@live.co.uk or call us on 01277 372848.

Photographs of Yuki courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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April Temptation   (11/04)

Campfield Racing - Marc Campfield
Coles Racing - Adrian Coles
Clay Kart Shop - Mike Kellard
Evolution Racing - Ash Whitcroft
Flipflop Technical - Richard Amos
Global Karting - Rob Hanscombe
Henderson Racing - Daryl Henderson
Intrepid Driver Programme - Bengy Russell
Jade Karts - Scott Allen
P1 Racing - Sam Smith
Protech Racing - Darren Stubbs
Sam Pollitt Racing - Sam Pollitt
RL Racing Dept - Steve Armstrong
Chris Rogers Motorsport - Chris Rogers
SSR - Pat Smith
Vital Motorsport - Gaz Rolfe
 
All of these premier teams cannot be wrong in choosing Grice power as their engine builder.
 
For a dedicated team of engine builders, our 4-man workforce can deal with any problem you may have.
 
As usual, our special offer keeps running to tempt you in April - a full internal rebuild excluding con rod, balance shaft for just...
Rotax - £340
TKM - £180
Comer S60 - £180

Dyno Power Test - £80
Carb Clean/Prep - £60
 
For further information or if you have any questions, please call our workshop on 01268 727847, email Ricky.grice@virgin.net or visit our website at www.griceracingengines.com.

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FKS Opens Season In Style   (11/04)

The 2012 Formula Kart Stars MSA British Cadet Championship exploded into life at a revamped and improved Kimbolton circuit on Easter weekend with 35 drivers beginning their bid for season-long glory in rounds one and two of the Formula One Management backed Championship.
 
Looking to follow in the footsteps of former FKS Cadet Champions and current Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Paul Di Resta, the existing crop of young talent were left chilled and slightly damp after a weekend of decidedly mixed weather but were warmed by the welcome they received by the host club, who had completely re-laid the paddock since the last FKS event at Kimbolton and even provided a free Hog Roast for everyone on Saturday evening.
 
MSA British Cadet Championship:
Living up to its reputation as one of the most competitive championships in the world the combined winning margins of the two finals was three hundredths of a second as both races left everyone in the paddock guessing right up until the final  metres.
 
Round one saw a maiden FKS victory for Enaam Ahmed, who enjoyed a perfect day as he set overall pole position in timed qualifying, won both his heat races and then held off a determined challenge from Lewis Taylor to win the final by one hundredth of a second.
 
Josh Smith completed the podium, having fought back from 19th on the opening lap following a first corner crash. B Final winner Zak Fulk forged his way through the field from 27th on the grid to 5th while the only other driver to win a race all day, heat two winner Alex McRoberts, was 20th.
 
Sunday's final was run on a damp but drying track but the tricky conditions didn't stop Dean Macdonald from making an inspired last corner move to snatch the win away from Smith by two hundredths of a second.
 
Macdonald's win was especially sweet following a controversial black flag in Saturday's race that left him 25th while for Smith; the best result of his career was tempered by the fact that he had been so close to a first win. Earlier Smith had won both his heats and led the 15-lap final virtually from the start until Macdonald made his decisive move.
 
Round one winner Ahmed was fastest in qualifying and won the third heat but fell back to 11th in the final as Fulk completed a career best weekend in third spot. After problems in the heats McRoberts won the B Final and rose to 9th in the main event.
 
Results:
MSA British Cadet Championship Round 1
1. Enaam Ahmed
2. Lewis Taylor
3. Josh Smith
4. Oliver York
5. Zak Fulk
 
MSA British Cadet Championship Round 2
1. Dean Macdonald
2. Josh Smith
3. Zak Fulk
4. Oliver York
5. Ross Martin
 
For more information on Formula Kart Stars please visit the new FKS website www.formulakartstars.com, which has links to the official FKS Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and Youtube feeds, or contact Championship Coordinator Debbie Sellers on debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com  mobile 07759 758636.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Barlow Prepares...   (11/04)

Jack Barlow is poised to make his racing debut with one of international karting's leading teams at Sarno in Italy this weekend (12-15 April).
 
The reigning Super One, Kartmasters and Rotax Cup champion is putting the final touches to his preparations before appearing in the opening round of the WSK Euro Series at Sarno, near Naples.
 
After his hugely successful 2011 campaign Barlow was invited to join the Italian Intrepid factory squad and contest the KF2 category.
 
"I watched my new team-mate Max Verstappen win the Winter Cup at Lonato (near Lake Garda) in February. He was the class act in the field and his victory demonstrated that I was joining one of the best outfits in the sport. The day after his win, the team put me out in a KF2 for the very first time - and in the pouring rain - but I quickly got to grips with it and was able to deliver some respectable lap times," Barlow explained.
 
Indeed, one of the Intrepid mechanics described his performance as "one of the very best drives I've seen from someone sitting in a KF2 kart for the first time."
 
Located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, the Sarno circuit is one of the most popular tracks on the international calendar and Jack has been on the pace during testing there, especially in the wet: "I was very, very quick when it rained," he said. "In the dry it took me a little longer to go faster, but I wasn't 100%. I was making little mistakes and on top of that, I had flu and didn't eat for two days."
 
Now fully recovered, he is clearly looking forward to the challenge ahead - "I'm aiming for a top ten result and to be on the same pace as Max. He's the man of the moment and I'm trying to be realistic, so I'm not going to say I am expecting just to turn up and win."
 
Having previously spent his entire career racing with English teams, Jack is enjoying his new role with Intrepid and is gradually getting to grips with the language, food and culture: "It's really good and is all going well. I have to explain with a lot of hand gestures, but thankfully my mechanic speaks a fair bit of English - especially the rude words. He's taught me a few Italian swear words, which I learned before the polite ones. I know what I like to eat - zuppa minestrone, penne al ragu and dolci - but what I'd most like to be able to say on Sunday afternoon is 'grazie mille, la mia Intrepid e stato fantastico!' after getting a great result."

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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Wylie Graduates From Karts   (11/04)

Ross Wylie might well be the new hero of Scottish motorsport after delivering a sensational performance to claim 2nd place in the opening round of the Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Cup.

After calling time on his successful karting career, the 20-year old from Thornhill has chosen the highly competitive single-make series as the perfect platform from which to launch his bid to become a professional racing driver.

Following successful pre-season testing Ross was confident that he could make an impression at Knockhill (7/8 April) - despite being a rookie. However, even he was surprised by the impact he made: "I was really taken aback by the reaction from the crowd and my fellow competitors after the chequered flag," he said. "Everyone was cheering and as I came back into the pit lane there were people everywhere applauding me, giving me the thumbs up and generally a lot of praise. It was very special."

Before that moment, he had already indicated his potential by delivering a string of competent performances. In timed qualifying he recorded the 9th-fastest lap amongst the 30-strong field. Although buoyed by his pace, Ross was anxious about his first ever racing start in a car: "In karts we have rolling starts, so I was chatting with Stefan Di Resta (brother of Force India Formula One star, Paul) who was alongside me on the grid. He had the same worries about not stalling the car as me, so we chatted about what we were going to do."

As it was, a crash involving Di Resta put paid to his further participation in the racing, but a cautious getaway from the start line saw Ross survive the melee and he went on to cross the line in a respectable 7th place.

For the second of his three encounters, Ross's grid slot was determined by his finishing position in the previous race, giving him the inside line on the run down to the first corner. Moments before the lights flicked to green, heavy rain fell and it was at this point that he discovered that his car's heaters didn't work - "The team had had to sacrifice something in order to fit the engine control unit (ECU) and that left me driving with a heavily misted-up windscreen and side windows. I could barely see a thing and so just followed the tail-lights of the cars ahead." Remarkably, he finished 8th.

With some frantic adjustments successfully made by his Mini Max team to cure the problem for the third and final race of the day, Ross was confident that he could see clearly to negotiate his way round the circuit's demanding twists and turns. However starting on the outside of row four of the grid was another new experience he had to deal with -"I didn't get the best of starts but managed to hold my place and once the race had settled down, started picking the cars ahead off, one by one. I felt comfortable enough to push, despite the wet conditions and before long could see the front four. They'd broken away from the rest of the field, but I caught them at the rate of one second per lap. As the race neared the end, they started defending but wherever and whenever I saw a gap I just went for it and stuffed my car down the inside."

His bravery and skill rewarded him with a sensational 2nd place, but Ross later admitted he was a little disappointed: "It would be nice to think I could have won it if the race had been a little longer, but I'm thrilled to have finished 2nd. Mum was in floods of tears, she was ecstatic and my dad was the same!"

He added: "My team boss, Craig Noble was also thrilled. He told me 'I knew you'd fight for podiums in your first year but not in your first race meeting!' My next race is in May (5th at Knockhill) and I'm absolutely desperate to get back out there. We've a few things to iron out before then, so I'll be testing and smoothing a few details out."

Photographs courtesy of Derek Fett/Fett Images.

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Exclusive Zip Customer Day   (10/04)

Exclusive Zip Kart Customer day at Whilton Mill on Thursday April 12th.
 
Zip kart will be holding an exclusive test day on 12th April at Whilton Mill kart circuit in Northamptonshire, the day will run from 9.00am - 5.00pm and is open to any Cadet driver from either Comer Cadet class or Honda Cadet class who is racing on a Zip Chassis or is looking to start cadet racing.
 
We shall have a factory chassis for both classes on-hand for drivers to test drive if they are thinking of upgrading to a newer kart for this season (you must pre-book a slot), also the Zip Kart team will be on-hand to offer free advice and tips that will help you to improve both your driving skills and kart preparation/setup.
 
If you would like attend please call Matt Kelly on 01327 855585 to book your place on this exclusive Zip Kart day.

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Praga UK   (10/04)

Praga takes 2 wins in 2 weeks with 2 drivers and a lap record! Ollie Varney drove the Praga kart for the first time at the March Bayford meadows meeting. Under the Evolution Racing awning in Snr Max Varney dominated the day with pole, 3 lights to flag victories and a new lap record. Jack Mayle also teamed up with Evolution at the Forest Edge club meeting and instantly found an advantage with the Praga kart setting the pace in testing and then going on to dominate Sunda'ys race with a fine win. Both drivers used the Praga Dragon chassis in standard form as it comes out of the box.
 
Praga UK agents will be attending all Forest Edge club meetings and will be fully stocked with spares and a demo kart which is available to test any day of the month. Praga UK are also pleased to announce their new agents, the kart shop at Lydd kart circuit. The owners have big plans to put Lydd back on the map as one of karting's finest race circuits. Entries for their club meetings are growing every month. The shop at Lydd is now stocked with Praga karts and spares. Agents will be on hand at Forest Edge, Kimbolton, Lydd, Buckmore and Bayford offering friendly advice for all of our customers.
 
For more info on the range of Praga products or to arrange a test please contact; Ashley Whitcroft on 07789 932134, Piers Redsell on 07730 259504, or email pragauk@hotmail.co.uk.

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DHR Winning Ways Continue   (10/04)

Following on from victory with Barrie Pullinger the week before at the BMC the DHR team were further strengthened with the arrival of their full Euro Max squad of drivers ready for the weeks racing. Sean Babington made it double success for the DHR team in Genk by claiming victory at this week's Euro Max and thus storming into the championship lead.
 
The teams Junior drivers of Kaan Onder and Dave Wooder didn't enjoy the same luck as the Seniors, as Onder was plagued by technical problems all week eventually suffering incidents in both finals. Wooder however progressed well and a promising top 5 finish was on the cards until he also was involved in an unavoidable incident dropping him down the order. Both drivers will be back and the team is sure their luck will surely change!
 
It was a fantastic display from the teams Alonso Kart Senior drivers. With a 90 strong grid of senior competitors the DHR drivers went onto dominate proceedings. Timed qualifying was the first time to show drivers real pace and it was Sean Babington claiming pole position with team mates Pullinger 5th overall, Philip Morin 6th and Antoine Barthon 14th overall. Newcomer to team, class and championship Sam Brabham made significant improvements over the week and claimed a creditable 61st.
 
Babington was in a ruthless mood and went onto take 4 wins from 4 in the heats with Barthon also claiming a win, Pullinger and Morin claimed consistent top 3 finishes on the way to giving the team their second 1,2,3 finish in a heat in the second Euro Max event in a row.
 
Brabham endured tough heats and after several accidents he was bound for the consolation race. Despite this his desire for success was as strong as ever and he drove an excellent race to come from grid 25 to lead with a lap to go. Sam's lack of experience showed and he left the door open and his competitors took advantage leaving Sam to claim 3rd position. A missed opportunity but some excellent experience for the young driver.
 
The Ogden powered drivers endured differing final results with Morin and Barthon both suffering incidents leaving them short of the results they much deserved. DHR drivers were 1st and 2nd fastest in the final with Morin setting fastest lap ahead of winner Babington giving him much encouragement. Meanwhile Pullinger ran in the podium positions in the main final until a small mistake saw him pushed wide and out of contention. He later recovered to take 12th but his strong performances leave him 8th in the championship.
 
Babington ended a thrilling race in front and took victory to cap off an excellent weekend. He now leads the Euro Max championship and looks forward to the next round. Team manager Dan talks, "It's been a very good couple of weeks for us, all our drivers have been excellent and to take back to back wins is great. It's a nice reward for the hard work we've put in testing and a big thanks to Steve at Ogden Engines for his help also".
 
DHR are the UK distributors for the FA Alonso chassis and use Ogden prepared engines. For more information on the products or team please contact Dan directly on +447960047810 or email dan@danhollandracing.co.uk or see the website www.danhollandracing.co.uk
 
Photographs courtesy of Carpy.nl.

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Evolution Racing   (10/04)

Evolution Racing held their first and very successful Bambino time trial event on April 3rd at Bayford Meadows kart circuit.

The team held a training session in the morning offering professional tuition and set up advice. The afternoon consisted of a practise run and two timed trials where Evolution provided two 2-stroke Bambino karts and to make sure the event was as fair as possible the engine, wheels and tyres were changed between the 2 time trials.

The event winner was Luke Clifford followed closely by Owen Tooley and Joshua Taylor. The lucky raffle winner Rashan received a Scalextrics set.
 
Evolution will be holding their next Bambino time trial event on June 5th with plans of holding a 3 round summer series during the school holidays with some amazing prizes up for grabs.

Booking is on a first come first served basis, so to avoid disappointment please contact Ashley Whitcroft on 07789 932134 or ashevolution@hotmail.co.uk.

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FKS's £8000 Prize Fund   (10/04)

iZone Driver Performance and Formula Kart Stars are pleased to announce an £8000 prize fund for the winners of the 2012 iZone 'In the Zone' award.
 
Entering their second year as a partner with the Formula One Management backed Championship, Silverstone based iZone formerly announced the 'In the Zone' prize at the Autosport International Show in January and the most recent announcement confirms that no less than 60 drivers from across all five classes competing in the 2012 Formula Kart Stars championship will be winners during the upcoming campaign.
 
One driver from every class at every round of the 2012 FKS season will be named as the 'In the Zone' prize winner and will be awarded a £125 prize voucher with iZone. These vouchers may be used to pay for a full hour at iZone or as part payment for a longer session.
 
Since the start of the 2011 season iZone have offered numerous Formula Kart Stars drivers an insight into their world leading methods of driver training both in the classroom and on their simulators and FKS Championship Director Carolynn Hoy believes that all 'In the Zone' winners will reap huge benefits from iZone's training methods.
 
"iZone have been extremely generous with their prize fund," says Hoy. "But what I'm really pleased about is that this prize can benefit all our drivers, from the youngest Cadet to the oldest Senior Max pilot. Anyone can be 'In the Zone' no matter what type of kart they are driving and this prize reflects that.
 
"Formula Kart Stars drivers have been extremely fortunate to have benefitted from iZone's superb training facilities over the last twelve months and the feedback we have had from all those who have worked with iZone has been fantastic. iZone really do help our young drivers become potential champions of the future."
 
Formula Kart Stars 'In the Zone' winners will be announced as the season progresses and iZone will be in contact with each award winner to arrange convenient appointments.
 
To learn more about iZone Driver Performance and its full range of facilities please visit www.izoneperformance.com. For more information on Formula Kart Stars please visit the new FKS website www.formulakartstars.com, which has links to the official FKS Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and Youtube feeds, or contact Championship Coordinator Debbie Sellers on debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com or mobile 07759 758636.

Photograph courtesy of iZone.

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DHR Claim BMC Opener   (05/04)

Some of the DHR team drivers used the Belgian Max Challenge race as a shakedown ahead of the Euro Max round 1 also at Genk the week later. With over 60 entries for Senior and 36 drivers in Junior racing was close. Not content with using the BMC as just testing DHR team drivers Philip Morin and Barrie Pullinger went onto dominate the Senior Max category with Morin starting the event with qualifying pole in timed practice with a stunning series of laps. After mixed but close heats the duo were both in contention at the front of the final but it was Pullinger who emerged victorious. After several stints in the lead of the final Pullinger timed his final charge to perfection leaving him to claim a tight but well deserved win against some top quality field. Morin who dropped back at the start of the final following a small incident climbed back up to 5th by the flag.
 
The Junior duo of Kaan Onder and Dave Wooder also did their bit to make it a good weekends testing for the DHR team with differing but equally impressive performances. Onder suffered mechanic issues in final 1 and started final 2 from grid 36 climbing as high as 7th in just 10 laps but his run was ended when he crashed off with another driver ending his excellent efforts. Wooder in his first Junior Max outing made a sterling drive in the main final from grid 20 to reach 3rd at one point having to eventually settle for 4th. Team manager Dan spoke of the weekends results "This BMC weekend was intended as a test for some of our drivers ahead of Euro Max, I didn't expect all the drivers to do so well against tough local competition. It should give these guys some good confidence going into Euro Max".

For more information on DHR contact Dan Holland on 07960 047810, email dan@danhollandracing.co.uk or visit our website at www.danhollandracing.co.uk.
 
Photograph courtesy of Carpy.nl.

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Panther Motorsports   (05/04)

Panther Motorsports would like to congratulate their Mini Max driver Jordan Brown-Nutley on his fantastic win at PFI and smashing the lap record. Jordan did not put a foot wrong all weekend and it showed with a very hard fought final.
 
Jordan joined the team late last year form Honda Cadets and moved up to Mini Max class on the Tony kart chassis. In the New Year the team then made the change over to the fantastic Formula K chassis and with this win it has shown it was the right choice.
 
The team are now looking forward to the start of the S1 championship and would like to thank everyone for their help and support this year.
 
If you would like further information on Panther Motorsports visit their website at www.panthermotorsports.co.uk.

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Formula K and Protrain   (05/04)

The Formula K once again showed its pedigree last weekend in a world class field in Genk with some truly impressive times and results.
 
In the Protrain team Charlie Eastwood set a consistently high standard and quickly showed superb skill and pace. He achieved very impressive timed practice results which he then exceeded in the heats securing three firsts and a second place.  This positioned him second on the grid for the pre-final which he finished fourth. Disappointingly in the final he was knocked off on lap three in a black flag incident which although Charlie recovered from meant that race success was never a realistic option.
 
Jack Aitken moved to Formula K during the event after being 6ths off the pace in Wednesday testing on his Tony Kart.  Over night the team transferred his equipment onto a Formula K and immediately he was matching the superb pace being set by Charlie Eastwood.  He continued to impress in timed practice and heats where he achieved several fastest lap times. It appeared for a while that events were conspiring against him when he weighed in 100gms under, was disqualified and given a 10s penalty effectively ruining two heats, but in a demonstration of professionalism and karting excellence Jack went into the B final in eighth place determined to show his class. Having won the B final, setting a brilliant fastest lap time he then traded fastest laps with Ed Brand in the pre-final eventually losing out to Ed Brand for the fastest lap by 0.002s. He went into the final in 29th place against a world class field. Undeterred Jack put in an incredible performance in the final trading fastest laps with other drivers and finished an impressive seventh place.
Max Aitken also had a difficult early start to the weekend competing in the first and much slower timed practice session but finished his heats strongly also securing a fastest lap and a heat win in the process. A crash at the start of the pre-final saw Max almost last but driving with great passion he drove through the field to finish 12th. The final was equally nail biting and Max showed great determination to finish an impressive fifth, another great result in his FK.
 
Sabedin Berat Turker seemed to have bad luck following him over the weekend with results less than he and the team deserved including a crash in his final but his times were very positive including a second fastest lap time.
 
Gary Chapman said, "It might seem odd that we are still happy although we are coming away without a win but the performance of our drivers and the Formula K was truly superb. We had a bit of bad luck but Jack Aitken and Charlie Eastwood were dominant all weekend and knowing we have such great drivers in this fabulous kart means that we move on feeling very positive. Ed Brand has set a new lap record at Whilton Mill in his Formula K and I have just heard that another driver on a Formula K has set the new Mini Max lap record this weekend at PFI. The FK really is the kart to be on; it is a true driver's kart."
 
Formula K had a great deal to be happy about, in Seniors they had four of the top nine in the pre-final, three in the top eight in the final with fast laps going to FK drivers.  In Juniors the final saw two Formula K drivers secure top five places. In DD2 FK dominated timed practice, the heats and the pre-final but crashed out in the final. Their dominance is growing at every meeting.
 
If any drivers are in any doubt about the quality of the Formula K Protrain are bringing you a fantastic offer; until 30th April 2012 we are offering you the chance to join us on a no commitment demo day at Whilton Mill to test a Formula K for only £150 which is fully refundable when your purchase of your FK through Protrain is completed. Plus, when your kart arrives you will be invited to a free set up and testing day at Whilton Mill free of charge! With these results and at only £150 can you afford not to give it a try?
 
The results speak for themselves; the top drivers making the move to this remarkable kart are delivering superb results. As UK distributors you could say we are biased but the results speak for themselves, we've put our faith in Formula K and it's well placed, when will you take a look?
 
To arrange your test drive or to find out more about Formula K karts call Gary Chapman now on (01280) 814774 or 07802 966064 - it could be the best phone call you ever made.
 
For more information please see www.formula-k.it or www.protrainracing.co.uk.
 
To support national demand for Formula K products Protrain Racing are looking for UK agents, if you are interested in working alongside us with this impressive marque please contact Gary Chapman on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Great White   (05/04)

A solid performance from Josh White has given his European championship ambitions a boost as he starts his domestic campaign this weekend (7/8 April).

The opening round of the Rotax Max Euro Challenge got underway at Genk in Belgium last week (28 March/1 April) and RL Racing Department's Josh White immediately marked himself out as a title contender. Competing against 65 other youngsters White signalled his intent with a fine 6th-fastest lap during timed qualifying.

This gave him a starting position near the front of the field for each of his four preliminary heats. Crashes became a feature of the whole event, and Josh fell victim to some of the more robust tactics of his rivals. Nonetheless, a series of characteristically cool, gritty drives saw him make the cut for Sunday's all-important points-scoring finals.

In the first race he picked his way through the traffic from 13th on the grid to 6th at the finish. A bold tyre gamble ahead of the main final saw him again able to move up the order and ultimately challenge for a podium place. At the chequered flag he was denied 3rd place by mere fractions of a second, but 4th was an encouraging start to his international campaign.

Josh's RL Racing Department team manager, Steve Armstrong said: "You can't win the title at the opening race. What's more important is to get some good, solid points on the board and build your campaign from there and Josh did exactly that. It was a solid, mature drive."

Josh was similarly philosophical and upbeat: "With three more races to go, there is still everything to play for. I'm 4th overall in the points and now we've got that first round out of the way, I'm feeling confident that I'll be competitive in Germany, Sweden and France."

Now the Welcome to Yorkshire ambassador turns his attentions to this weekend's first meeting on the Formula Kart Stars calendar, at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire.

"Kimbolton is a fast, flowing circuit. Your equipment has to be spot on and you can't relax as there are lots of straights to slipstream on and corners where you can pop out of the tow and dive down the inside of the kart ahead. After Genk, I'm really up for it."

The Formula Kart Stars series organisers recently nominated Josh to GQ magazine for a feature in the May edition (out now). In the article headlined 'Watch out, Lewis!' Josh reveals his ultimate ambition - to be a touring car ace. It also quotes the McLaren F1 superstar, Lewis Hamilton saying: "I wouldn't be in Formula One if I hadn't come through this series."

British Touring Car Championship fans, team owners and driver managers, you saw Josh's name here first...

Photograph courtesy of Bas Kaligis.

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Brian Wilson Memorial Meeting   (05/04)

The SYKC Annual W Plate meeting held in memory of Brian Wilson.
 
Brian was an active member of SYKC from 1970 until his untimely death in 1992. His involvement with karting started when his 11 year old son, Mike Wilson, took up karting at Wombwell. Mike had great success in karting and at 18 years old moved to Italy to work as a team driver for Birel and eventually won the World Championship 6 times.
 
Whilst Mike raced for Birel, Brian continued his involvement at SYKC and started a kart business producing the Premier Karts and providing track side support at all meetings, along with working on the club committee; maintaining the track and trying to improve the club.
 
Following his Death in 1992 the club decided to recognise his contribution by holding an annual memorial meeting, which is always supported by his wife Eileen and members of the Wilson family.
 
Mike Wilson donated one of his World Championship trophies to be awarded to the Driver of the Day chosen by Eileen and her family.
 
If you would like to compete in this very special event please ensure your entry reaches the SYKC Competition Secretary before the 7th May 2012.  Entry forms available on www.sykc.co.uk.

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Ed Brand In Contention   (05/04)

Ed Brand raced into immediate contention for the Rotax Max Euro Challenge Crown with a brace of podiums at Genk last weekend (31 March/1 April).

Against a large and quality-packed field of nearly ninety competitors, Brand gave notice of his intent with a respectable 8th-fastest lap in timed qualifying. He followed this with two 3rd-place finishes in the preliminary heats, plus a 2nd and 1st, putting him 4th overall in the interim ranking to put him on the second row of the starting grid for the first of Sunday's two points-scoring finals.
 
However his preparations for this event were somewhat hampered by agonizing pains in his ribs. With no time for a thorough medical check-up, Ed simply had to get on with the job of racing.
 
Remarkably, he went on to take 3rd place and set the fastest lap of the hard-fought 14-lapper. Encouraged by his ability to drive through his discomfort and still deliver a great performance, the 17-year British Super One champion then produced what he later regarded as "probably the best race I've ever had."
 
After another fourteen laps, the top six finishers were separated by just half a second. "It was so close," said Ed. "It was one of those races where any one of us could have won. If you made a mistake, five karts could go past in the blink of an eye. Every mistake was punished, but the racing remained hard but fair."
 
"People were telling me afterwards it was a classic and that they were saying mid-way through whoever won fully deserved to. On this occasion it wasn't me, but I'm 2nd overall in the points table and with three rounds to go, I'm in a great position."
 
Although his ribs were later x-rayed in a local Belgian hospital and nothing more serious than bruising was found, Ed has just three weeks to return to full fitness before the start of his national, Super One title defence at the notoriously bumpy Whilton Mill circuit, near Daventry on 28/29 April.
 
"Whilton's not ideal when you've got bruised ribs, but it's pretty much my home circuit so naturally I want to put on a good show. Also, I switched teams, chassis manufacturer and engine tuners in the closed season and I'd dearly like to give Protrain, Formula K and HRS Racing Engines a first big win of the season. What's more, I'd like to make history by winning back-to-back titles with two entirely different set-ups. That would be very special."        
 
Keep up to speed with Ed and his racing career by visiting www.edbrandracing.net.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis.

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Race At Lydd This Weekend   (04/04)

This weekend will see Lydd bracing itself for what is expected to be the biggest meeting yet!

Make sure you're there on the 7th for open practice, and the 8th for the first round of our non-MSA Summer Championship. All classes will be catered for as usual.

We'll also be welcoming rotary engined Avro karts from all over Europe - a spectacle not to be missed.

So come and experience racing on one of the fastest tracks in the UK, whilst also enjoying the continual improvements we're making to ensure Lydd is one of UK's premier circuits.

For more information and to secure your place on the grid call us now on 01797 321895. For further information on Lydd Kart Circuit visit our website at www.lyddkarting.com.

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Buckmore Park KC: Round 1   (04/04)

The first round of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Championship kicks off on Sunday the 15th April.

All ABkC non gearbox classes are welcome including Bambino and Subaru. Open Practice is available on both Friday 13th and Saturday 14th April.

Please contact Phil Ling on 01634 661604 for more details. Online booking is available.

Full details are available at www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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RL Racing Department   (04/04)

"A strong return to the Euro Max Challenge," was how RL Racing Department boss Steve Armstrong summed up his team's performance after Genk.

He had just seen Josh White narrowly pipped to a podium in Junior Max, but remained optimistic. "You can't win the title at the opening race. What's more important is to get some good, solid points on the board and build your campaign from there."

White had been competitive from the outset, posting the 6th-fastest time in qualifying ahead of team-mates Josh Price in 22nd and Gaby Weyer  a respectable 38th overall, despite a recent lack of seat-time.

The opening round of the four race series was marred by a series of crashes throughout the heats Gaby fell victim to such incidents, leaving her unable to progress to the finals. Lifting the team's spirits, Josh Price took a 4th and an 8th but he too was involved in a collision, denying him a possible front-row start in the pre-final.

Josh White's combined finishes ranked him 13th overall after the heats but a characteristically cool, gritty drive saw him take the chequered flag in 6th place, with his team-mate Price carving his way from 20th to 9th.

At the start of the main final, Price was pushed wide at the first corner and onto the marbles. His pace fell off a cliff as he worked to keep in touch with the front-runners and clean his tyres.

For White, a bold tyre gamble - also employed on Price's kart - paid off and he was able to run with the leaders. At the finish he was denied a podium by mere fractions of a second.

"Josh (Price) was never really able to gather momentum after the start and was left battling in the midfield and eventually came home 19th."

As both lads had started the race a little further back on the grid, we made the decision to use two of the four available new tyres for the first final, to give them a speed advantage against the front-runners who would surely use the original set that had done fifty-plus laps. This worked to good effect and enabled both to earn top ten finishes. We then bolted on remaining two slicks to pair them with the 14-lap old rubber and Josh (White) used that to great effect to drive to a creditable 4th place. Overall, it was a solid if unspectacular platform to build on. We're all very happy."

This weekend (7/8 April) sees RL Racing Department kickstart its bid to add the Formula Kart Stars Junior Rotax crown to the Mini Max title it won with Josh White won last season at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire.

For more information about RL Racing Department, 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). You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com  for more information.

Photographs courtesy of Bas Kaligis.

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Big In Belgium   (04/04)

Harry Webb scored twin wins as the Rotax Max Euro Challenge got underway at Genk last weekend (31 March/1 April). His team-mate Jay Goodwin claimed pole position for the pre-final whilst Senior star Harrison Scott claimed 1st and 3rd place finishes.
 
Webb signaled his intentions from the outset by setting the fastest time in qualifying, with Goodwin also confident after going 7th quickest. Making his Euro Challenge debut, Guan Yu Zhou also impressed by posting the 11th best lap with Jessica Backman completing the top twenty.
 
The heats produced mixed fortunes for the drivers, and in turn, very different emotions. Goodwin claimed a career-best pole position for the pre-final with Webb joining him on the front row. Jessica battled her way onto the 12th row of the grid, but Zhou found himself in the Second Chance Heat after a series of tough encounters put paid to his chances of a fairy-tale opening to the season.
 
Harry won the pre-final, with Jessica crossing the line in 21st place. A rash response to being hit on the previous lap resulted in a black flag for Jay.
 
"It was a rush of blood to the head," observed team manager Warwick Ringham. "If he hadn't done it he'd have finished in the top four and been fighting for the win in the main final. He knows that and won't make the same mistake twice again."
 
He added: "Zhou had a DNF in one of his heats and that put him in the Second Chance race almost immediately. He showed great character to come through the field and learned a lot. Jessica was bullied around in her heats, but showed that she's made a massive improvement. Harry was really, really good and thoroughly deserved his victories. He's looking very strong."
 
Rotax Winter Cup champion Harrison Scott started brightly in the Senior category with 3rd overall in timed qualifying. Just behind in 4th was Ash Hand with Andy King unusually down in 23rd. Andreas Backman had arrived in Belgium feeling very much 'under the weather' but rallied to qualify 30th-fastest. In the heats he suffered and found himself contesting the Second Chance Heat. A fine 9th place showed what might have been.
 
"Andreas struggled with illness throughout and it was only on Sunday that he felt better but by then it was too late," Warwick reflected.
 
Scott endured no such dramas to win the pre-final. King made up ground to finish 11th after starting 23rd but Hand's good work was undone by another driver taking him off and he eventually finished 12th.
 
An exciting main final saw Harrison score his second podium of the day with 3rd. Ash recovered from another on-track clash to cross the line in 9th with Andy battling to 13th. "They all did really well," said an upbeat Ringham. "Perhaps they're not quite the results they all deserved, but I can't fault any of them. They gave it their all and Harrison is up and running now. He looks good and Ash and Andy are far from out of the running at this early stage. It's all to play for!"           
 
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 Bas Kaligis.

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MSA Nominates George Russell   (04/04)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has selected reigning CIK-FIA European KF3 Champion George Russell to represent the UK in the 2012 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.

The CIK invited the MSA to nominate a single driver to contest the Trophy, a world championship for 13 to 15-year-olds, over three events: Braga, Portugal (8 July); Angerville, France (26 August); and Bahrain (10 November).

Russell, aged 14 from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, began karting in 2006. He won the MSA British Cadet Kart Championship in 2009 and took the 2010 Super One and Formula Kart Stars Rotax Mini Max titles, before being crowned the 2011 European Champion at Zuera in Spain. He is the first driver to win the Kartmasters Grand Prix in three different classes in consecutive years, and also won the TaG Junior crown at the SKUSA SuperNationals XV in Las Vegas last year.

Russell said: "It's a massive privilege to have been chosen by the MSA because the Karting Academy Trophy is a very prestigious championship. My aim is to add another title to my CV and Britain's karting record, and hopefully the international karting experience I've had recently will help me to achieve that goal."

MSA Performance Director Robert Reid, who headed the Performance Panel that made the selection, said: "We received several strong applications from some very promising young karters, which made choosing just one very difficult indeed. However, George's national and international record speaks for itself, and consultation among some of the leading figures in UK karting confirmed that he is best placed right now to make the most of this great opportunity. We will do some preparation work with him before the events to make sure he has the best possible chance of success."

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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RS Racing On Form   (03/04)

Wildkart Success: After recently gaining sole importer rights for Wildkart in the UK, RS Racing driver Jamie Drabble took the new Wildkart to a debut win at Forest Edge in the Rotax 177 class. 

Jamie still had a lot to do in the final, only qualifying 6th on the grid after being run over in the 2nd heat, but worked his way through the pack to 1st place within the first half of the final, posting the fastest lap on his way to victory.
 
Gillard's going strong: 177 Rotax Masters driver Mark Redding had a strong drive in the final to gain victory. Mark only qualified 13th after bad luck in the heats, but setting fast laps in the final and making some brave moves paid off with a win in the class.
 
Senior Max driver Jonathan Drabble showed the fastest pace all weekend in the Gillard TG14. After driving through from 5th to 2nd place in the final Jonathan was held up whilst battling for the lead and lost out and was pushed back to fourth place.
 
Junior Driver Matt Ward showed some good pace this weekend on the Gillard Daytona, but unfortunately in the final he was caught up in a first corner incident putting him back to last place (31st). However, after a brilliant drive through traffic he managed to recover to a respectable 10th.
 
RS Racing is now the official UK importer for Wildkart and main agents for Gillard and Lotus Racing Karts. Our race team provides a full range of services from awning space right up to full arrive & drive packages that can be tailored to suit your requirements. Alongside this we offer full workshop and retail shop facilities providing a full range of spares to support our range of karts chassis and Rotax spares. Our website is currently being updated to include an online store which is still under development but will be completed shortly at www.rsracing.org.
 
If you are interested in joining a successful team please contact us on 01256 760633 to discuss your requirements.

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Llandow Kart Club R3   (03/04)

It's not too late to enter this weekends Llandow Kart Club meeting held at the South Wales Karting Centre, just 15 minutes from junction 35 of the M4. We offer racing for all major classes on what is regarded by many as the finest 'drivers' circuit in the country!
 
Also don't forget that this is the 2nd round of the Dragon Challenge mini series run in conjunction with Dunkeswell Kart Club. If you've already missed the first round don't despair as the highest scoring 3 of 4 rounds count, and best of all, Dunkeswell members will be able to race this weekend at Llandow Kart Club member's rates of just £50.
 
We will be accepting entries up to the 5th of April online and via post.

For full details and online entry please visit www.llandowkartclub.co.uk or call Colin on 07817 449617.

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Fantastic Prizes For FKS   (02/04)

It really is "Bahamas here we come", for at least the first 15 drivers in each of the Senior Rotax Max and Cadet classes at the FKS 2012 series.
 
FKS have secured these places at the Bahamas Speed Week which is to run from 28th November to the 2nd December 2012.
 
Entries for FKS 2012 are still open so get in quickly with a very good chance of winning an expenses paid trip to Nassau for you and your mechanic.
 
More details are available on www.formulakartstars.com or contact the series coordinator Debbie Sellers on Debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com.
 
Bahamas Speed Week Revival information is availabel at www.bahamasspeedweekrevival.com.

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Long Circuit Kart Champs   (02/04)

Reigning champion Paul Platt made the best possible start to his title defence with two nail-biting wins in Round 1 of the championship at Oulton Park on 31st March.
 
Platt spent the opening laps of race one back in fifth place while Ben Davis led from pole-sitter Jason Dredge. Platt slowly picked off the drivers ahead until passing Davis for lead and then hanging on for victory. Davis's older brother Toby secured the final podium spot when Dredge retired with a broken clutch.
 
Ben Davis led the way in race two until being passed once again by Platt, who proceeded to dominate. Ben gave chase but soon retired with a broken piston, elevating Toby into second place, which became third when he was passed by Louis Wall on the last lap.
 
Results - Race One:
1 Paul Platt (PVP Honda)
2 Ben Davis (Anderson Honda)
3 Toby Davis (Anderson Honda)
 
Results - Race Two:
1 Paul Platt (PVP Honda)
2 Louis Wall (Anderson Honda)
3 Toby Davis (Anderson Honda)

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Precision Racing...   (30/03)

We would like to congratulate the four drivers that we took to 3 Sisters last weekend...

Adam Tomkins took his maiden victory in Snr TKM along with the fastest lap.

Dom Allmark took yet another novice award with the team also in Snr TKM.

Liam Campbell posted the second fastest lap in the Jnr Max final amongst top class competition, which was an incredible achievement given that he isn't long off novice plates. 

Joey Cooper, in only his third ever meeting and first visit to 3 Sisters, posted times in the heats just a tenth off the fastest in Snr TKM!

All of our drivers, of varying levels of experience. have used our driver coaching and setup advice to great effect, evidenced by Joey's rapid progression throughout the weekend at a circuit he had never visited! 

We offer various services such as storage and preparation, awning space, mechanic services, driver coaching, carb rebuild and setup for TKM and other classes at the best prices.

For more information please visit www.precisionracing.co.uk, or email us at precisionracing@hotmail.co.uk.

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Super One Series Sponsor   (29/03)

The Super One Series is proud to welcome Edgar's Hyundai as its headline sponsor and new partner for the 2012 season. Edgar's Hyundai are a well known and highly respected motor vehicle dealer chain in the Cumbria north-west region of England and the family firm has a long association with kart racing. Iredale Edgar started racing in 1961 when he purchased a Trokart/Clinton in 1961. His son Terry Edgar won the Little Green Man Championship, the precursor to the Super One, in 1977 and his sons Justin and Jason share six Super One titles between them. In 2012 Jason Edgar will compete in Formula KGP and the newest generation in the shape of 8 year old Jonny Edgar (Justin's son) will be having his first taste of national competition in Comer Cadet.
 
Edgar's Hyundai are offering discount packages on Hyundai cars to Super One competitors, so please search out the family in the paddock, view the cars, see their advert in this programme or visit www.edgars.co.uk. Hyundai believe it is good to be different, it's what keeps them ahead of the rest and has helped them on their way to be the fifth largest automotive manufacturer.
 
Justin Edgar said that Edgar's Hyundai are delighted to be associated with the 2012 series and added: "I believe that John Hoyle and his team have done a superb job in promoting Super One, maintaining the fine tradition established by Neil Hann. It's a proven competition that has encouraged more than 360 competitors to register this year, creating an all time record despite economic uncertainty elsewhere".

"Many of today's top motor racing stars have made their names by first winning at Super One level. I'm quite confident that one or two competitors racing in 2012 will be turning heads at future F1 races, too. Whether F1 is the ultimate goal or your expectations are simply to enjoy a good weekend competing against Britain's top karting talent, this Series has something to offer everyone. Have a great year!"
 
Super One has attracted 160 drivers in the MSA Series which incorporates the senior and junior MSA British Championship (KF2/KF3), the ABkC National Championships for TKM classes and Comer Cadet, Super Cadet and Formula KGP and commences at PF International on 21/22 April.  200 drivers have signed up for the Rotax / Honda Cadet series which commences at Whilton Mill, Northants on 28/29 April. A superb season lies ahead. For more information on the Super One Series, Britain's premier kart racing championship, visit http://superoneseries.com.

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The Formula KGP V Plate   (28/03)

After battling snow and racing in artic conditions in January's PFI race and the flooded conditions in February's meeting, Formula KGP is hoping for sunshine ahead of the third KGP race of the season - this weekend-s Formula KGP "V" plate at PF International.

Defending "V" plate Champion Tom Healy is hoping to repeat his 2011 success but with a fantastic spread of talent throughout the Formula KGP field it's difficult to predict a winner. On the other hand in KGP you can always predict and be sure of a close and exciting race.

Former S1 Champions Bobby Game, Jason Edgar and James Gornall will all be trying to add another title to their CV-s along with top 2011 Formula KGP S1 rookie Jake Hughes and the very experienced Denis Gorman who has reverted back to KGP from KF2.

Pre-season testing has seen Formula KGP's lap the new PF International circuit in the mid to low 56 sec bracket as the class is now using the new Vega XM KGP slick tyre (aka Vega Whites).

Formula KGP also has a revised lower weight of 162kgs for 2012. The weight of most brands of kart used in Formula KGP karts with 3 litres of fuel is just 76kg. All Formula KGP engine owners have benefitted from some free warranty upgrades carried out on the BMB engine during the winter break. All BMB engines now come with a warranty for a 12 month period (terms and conditions apply).

The winner of this weekend-s "V" plate will be able to carry the plate through the remainder of the 2012 season, With the start of the Formula KGP S1 just a couple weeks away it will be a good opportunity for the drivers to size each other-s form up ahead of the opening S1 round at PFI on April 21st and 22nd.

There are some great prizes on offer this weekend:
1st place: Track day experience in a Lamborghini, Ferrari and Audi R8.
2nd place: 1 set of Vega XM KGP slicks.
3rd place: BMB sports top.

For more information on Formula KGP visit www.kartgrandprix.co.uk, follow us on Facebook or call our office on 01527 889595 (select option 2).

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Sleek Driver Development...   (27/03)

After two years out of the racing due to financial backing issues Spencer Barrow is back with a bang and has now launched Sleek Racing Driver Development, a company that has been set up to coach up and coming racing drivers of any age from all karting classes with 12 years of high level national and international karting experience.

During his career Spencer had huge success in various classes and now the aim is to pass his extensive knowledge on to drivers striving for perfection helping them be the best that they can be. Some of Spencer's career highlights include: Cadet Midland Champion, Cadet ABKC 0 Plate Vice Champion, Mini Max Winter Sort-Out Challenge Vice Champion, Mini Max Welsh Champion, Jnr Rotax Winter Shakedown Champion, Jnr Rotax Whilton Mill Super One Winner, Top 10 British Seeded Driver 5 years in a row.

Spencer also has an MSA Racing Driver Coaching Qualification under his belt so this really is racing driver development at it's best. This enables him to explain to driver's how to improve their performance more efficiently.

A service is also provided whereby if you have an on-board camera you can send the footage to Spencer and he will analyse it, showing and explaining to you how could reduce your lap time with a very detailed response via email. The charge for this service is just £40.

All UK circuits and series are covered and very reasonable rates vary depending on the circuit location. For more information or a no obligation quotation please contact Spencer on 07590 912003 or email him at sleek_racingdriverdevelopment@live.co.uk.

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Easter Weekend   (27/03)

SYKC are still running our race meeting as usual over the Easter weekend, so please send your entries in a.s.a.p.
                                         
Honda Cadet Drivers are invited to race at our annual 'W' Plate meeting on the 13th May 2012.

And you can enter the April meeting for £70. This price includes practice and race.
 
For further details contact Donna on 07946299818 or email dbaines20@hotmail.co.uk.

For more information on SYKC visit our website at www.sykc.co.uk.

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Connor's Winning Ways   (26/03)

After his return from European glory at the Rotax Winter Cup in Campillos Spain Connor Hall has showed bags of confidence by taking wins in the Minimax class at Clay pigeon and now the Whilton Mill club meetings.

With coaching and set up by one of the best in the game Adrian Coles of Coles Racing, Dad Craig has taken on full time mechanic Daryl "Fully Litt" Burgess on the spanners and power is provided by Ricky Grice of Grice Racing.

Connor is also put through his paces 3 times a week by personal trainer Simon Stone at Clevedon based Body Management to improve his all-round body conditioning.

He has also recently been sponsored by Mercedes Benz City West Commercial Group and now makes the trip to Genk in Belgium for round 1 of the Euromax series where he is hoping to improve on his current 3rd place European ranking.

You can keep up to date on Connor's progress at www.connorhall.co.uk.

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Elite Karting League   (26/03)

Teams from across the country are signing up to a new national Elite Karting League which will provide the chance for members of the public to pursue a driving career in one of the most exciting forms of motorsport. If you've always dreamed of getting behind the wheel then this is your chance to be selected to join your local Elite Karting League squad.
 
Organised and promoted by Teesside Karting in association with the National Karting Association (NKA), many of the 120 NKA kart circuits nationwide are supporting the fantastic new Elite Karting League, which will kick off at Bayford Meadows, Kent on 20 May.
 
Successful team members will be selected on merit alone by the respective circuit operators and team owners based on driver skill and determination. Each regional circuit is able to enter multiple teams comprising four members, so there's every opportunity to prove your driving skills.
 
The 2012 League will boast up to 40 teams each representing UK circuits and regions, competing head-to-head aboard identical Biz Kart Evo chassis featuring twin GX160 Honda engines.
 
Six one-day rounds will be hosted at some of the country's top karting circuits. Drivers will compete across practice, qualifying, and heats followed by two 90-minute races. One driver from each team will also battle it out in a 'Race of Champions' with the chance to win up to £1,000 in team prize money.
 
The inaugural Elite Karting League weekend will be held at Bayford Meadows (Kent) on 20 May, with subsequent rounds taking place at Ellough Park (Norfolk), Clay Pigeon (Dorset), Llandow (South Wales), Whilton Mill (Northamptonshire) and Teesside (Middlesbrough).
 
Elite Karting League Co-ordinator Kat Pope explains "Although karting is well known for crafting the careers of many of today's top racing drivers, it is an extremely rewarding sport in its own right. There are thousands of kart enthusiasts out there who simply want to go racing and don't have the necessary budgets or indeed desire to do anything other than race karts, so the Elite Karting League will allow them to go racing in a cost-effective way."
 
Operators of the longest and fastest outdoor kart track in Europe, Teesside Karting is based at an Autodrome on the edge of Middlesbrough. It shares the facility with speedway team the Redcar Bears and it was that association which was the inspiration behind pitting regional karting teams one-on-one in a national league.
 
Kat continues: "Like Karting, speedway started on an individual basis but the formation of leagues rather than championships took it to a different level. Our aim for the Elite Karting League is to not only provide fantastic racing and competition for the drivers, but to offer the opportunity for circuits to become involved at a level that suits them.
 
"Like speedway, each team will represent the locality of its home track, which will not only create local media interest, but will also help develop a larger fan base and help karting to be better recognised as a sport in its own right."
 
In addition to manufacturer backing from Biz Kart, with the supply of 45 new karts at the start of every season, the Elite Karting League has confirmed media partner support from Karting Magazine who will produce an exclusive publication each round, making it the only karting series with its own magazine.
 
The Elite Karting League will unify the competitive elements for the top drivers in karting but will also offer the opportunity for thousands of karting enthusiasts nationwide to have their talents acknowledged and their sport recognised.
 
Aspiring karting stars wanting to know more about the regional heats, scholarships and club nights at their local track can visit the website at www.TheKartingLeague.co.uk or simply join the team owners on the Facebook EKL Teams Association page to find your nearest team. A representative of the Elite Karting League will then contact you.

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KartMania On The Move   (26/03)

KartMania, the UK's leading kart show, is delighted to announce a partnership which will see KartMania 2012, in association with Karting Magazine, move to Silverstone.

KartMania 2012 will take place on the 17th & 18th November in the prestigious Silverstone Wing exhibition complex, which promises not only a great new venue but new ideas and a new layout as the coveted show celebrates its 6th anniversary in 2012!

Last year's KartMania event attracted more than 3,500 visitors and this exciting move will see KartMania become a regular fixture at the Home of British Motor Racing. The move will also see a number of exciting developments, including the launch of four distinct zones for the 2012 event;

The KartMania main Exhibition Hall, celebrating karting - providing existing and want-to-be karters with the chance to meet championship organisers, suppliers and other key people as they look to finalise their 2013 plans.

The Rotax LIVE Karting experience - the new Silverstone venue will allow karters to experience the action first hand, with two LIVE experience opportunities. One will allow attendees the opportunity to race against friends and other attendees in a series of rounds, with a selection of prizes on offer. The second will provide an opportunity to test new karts and new parts that are on offer from the leading manufacturers and series organisers.

In addition to the main exhibition and live karting experience, there will be the KartBoot section - for drivers and enthusiasts to purchase second hand components, parts and memorabilia and a learning zone which will run workshops from universities and industry experts.

Silverstone which is recognised as the home of British Motor Racing, has made significant investment over the last few years, which has seen the venue transformed into a world class exhibition and conference facility.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said, "We are very pleased to be welcoming KartMania to Silverstone in November. The show will add to the diverse range of events being held in the building this year and we hope that it remains on our calendar for many years to come".

Martin Capenhurst, organiser of KartMania, added: "We are delighted to have secured Silverstone as the new venue for KartMania. This move provides us with an opportunity to substantially increase the size of the show, have four specific areas, which includes a live area for visitors to try and test karts, and of course the opportunity to take part in in the inaugural Rotax Kart Mania kart challenge"

Adult tickets are available at £15.00, which includes free parking and free event programme. Under 16's and concessions are just £7.50 and MSA license holders are £10.00 if tickets are purchased in advance. For more information on KartMania visit www.kartmania.co.uk.

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Shenny Winter Success   (23/03)

Jensen Kart Team drivers Ollie Chadwick and Will Maslin concluded the Shenington winter series last weekend. Ollie wrapped up the Jnr Rotax title and Will took second in Snr Rotax. Ollies win came as a result of consistent point scoring over the three rounds and a great achievment in only his second year in Juniors. Although Ollie will contest the summer championship it will not be on a regular basis as his commitment to car racing will take priority. This year will be his second in the Ginetta Junior Championship. All at Jensen Kart Team wish Ollie success in Ginetta!
 
Team mate Will Maslin in his first season in seniors took second place in the winter championship. Missing the top slot by just one point he was speechless at the end of the race. Speechless literally as he was suffering from a bad cold and had lost his voice! Matt Ryder, racing for the first time since breaking his thumb at the last meeting showed that he had lost none of the speed which made him Jnr Rotax champion last year. Jnr Max drivers Lewis Malin and Jamie Chadwick continue to progress within the team with Lewis making up places in the final and Jamie finishing the final with a severely bent steering column and track rod. All were driving the fantastic Exprit Kart from the OTK stable for which Jensen Kart Team are agents for.

Jensen Kart Team still have vacancies so, if you are interested in joining a winning team contact Tony on 07920 772096.

Jensen Kart Team also stock all OTK and Rotax spare parts, plus the full range of MOJO tyres. Please visit our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk.

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Formula Kart Stars   (23/03)

Since its inception in 1996 Formula Kart Stars (formerly McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future and BRDC Stars of Tomorrow) has been committed to offering unique opportunities and experiences to their drivers and in 2012 the Formula One Management backed Championship will go one step further thanks to the Bahamas Speed Week Revival.
 
The Bahamas Speed Week a revival of the famous Nassau Speed Week, returned in 2011 following an absence of more than 40 years and to celebrate the first ever World Karting Championships, ironically held in Nassau, organisers of the Festival have invited up to 40 Formula Kart Stars drivers from Cadet Comer and Senior Max to this year's event.
 
Up to 30 drivers in Cadet Comer and Senior Rotax (15 from each class) will be given the opportunity to take part in the Festival following a successful guest appearance by a dozen Florida based karters last year.
 
The 2012 Bahamas Speed Week Revival will be held between November 28th and December 2nd and the lucky drivers (and their mechanics) who are invited will have their flights, freight and hotel (sharing with mechanic) provided. Final travel arrangements remain strictly provisional until after the Bahamian General Elections in May, after which a formal invitation will be extended to the Championship.
 
Senior Rotax drivers will be asked to provide a second Senior Max chassis, which will be used in the celebrity race and the Senior Rotax mechanics will be asked to maintain that kart for its celebrity driver.
 
"This is one of the most ambitious events Formula Kart Stars has ever been asked to be part of," says FKS Championship Director Carolynn Hoy. "I am massively grateful to the organisers of the Bahamas Speed Week Revival for giving so many Formula Kart Stars drivers the opportunity to show of their skills to such an international audience.
 
"The original Nassau Speed Week and it was a huge part of the motorsport calendar, much the same as the Goodwood Revival is here in the UK and when the new organisers wanted to showcase some of the best kart racing in the world they approached Formula Kart Stars."
 
Bahamas Speed Week Revival Event Director David McLaughlin shares Hoy's enthusiasm and recognises how the sight of some of Britain's finest young kart racers could provide inspiration for Bahamas own karting future.
 
"This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase British karting talent," states McLaughlin. "But it is also a chance to show many locally based youngsters grass roots motorsport and karting for the first time. Bahamas Speed Week attracts some extremely glamorous and expensive cars, the kind of luxury that most people dream of but karting is something that a lot of the local children can aspire to and I hope that this trip could kick-start long term participation in karting across the whole country.
 
"I'm extremely excited and with the continued support of the Ministry of Tourism I am sure that we can make Formula Kart Stars' visit to the Bahamas Speed Week a memorable one for everyone involved."
 
As he did in 2011 Stirling Moss will act as the patron of the 2012 Festival while an array of classic sports and GT cars as well as plenty of modern day Supercars will do battle on the same 1.1-mile harbourside circuit used last year.
 
The original Nassau Speed Week was held during the first week of December between 1954 and 1966 and hosted many of the top drivers of the era from across the world. Taking the chance to escape the European winter, the week long event, primarily for sports and GT cars soon became one of the highlights of the traditional off-season with drivers such as Stirling Moss, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren and Roger Penske competing.
 
In 1959 the first ever World Karting Championship formed part of that year's Nassau Speedweek and to help spectators identify the different drivers each kart had a triangular shaped panel fitted to the front of the chassis below the steering wheel complete with the competitors number on it. The idea caught on and the Nassau Panel was born.
 
Potential competitors can learn more about Bahamas Speed Week Revival by visiting www.bahamasspeedweekrevival.com. For more information on Formula Kart Stars please visit the new FKS website www.formulakartstars.com, which has links to the official FKS Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and Youtube feeds, or contact Championship Coordinator Debbie Sellers on debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com mobile 07759 758636.

Photographs courtesy of Bahamas Speed Week Revival Ltd.

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Helen's Ocean Swim   (23/03)

Just over 1 month ago on Sunday 19th February, 20 year old Rotax Max racer Jake Dawson was involved in a racing incident at the Shenington Kart Racing circuit, suffering severe injuries that required him to be quickly airlifted to the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford.
 
We are pleased to report that Jake has made good progress and is now continuing his recovery at home, although still having to attend hospital as an outpatient, but the story could have been a very different one if it wasn't for the swift actions of all involved at the circuit and particularly the crew of the County Air Ambulance.
 
Family friend Helen Fletcher-Williams wants to thank the Air Ambulance by raising much needed funds for them and is preparing to attempt a 1 hour charity swim in the chilly sea off the coast of Cornwall.
 
Fellow competitors, teams and spectators can show their support for the County Air Ambulance, as they receive no funding from either the government or the lottery, by sponsoring Helen at http://www.justgiving.com/HelenFletcher-WilliamsBigDunk.
 
Or people can donate via text by using the following information; just text YBGC72 followed by the amount you want to donate £1, £2, £5 to 70070.
 
Please also consider signing the e-petition to exempt the Air Ambulance Service from paying VAT on ever increasing fuel costs, in the same way that the Lifeboat Service is exempt, at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29349.

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New Kart Scaling Service   (22/03)

Iztech Kart Seats are pleased to offer you a brand new service!

This weekend at Whilton Mill we are bringing along our portable kart scaling equipment, and so for just £5.00 you can pop your kart onto our scales and see in an instant how well balanced (or not!) your kart is.

You can't get a lot for a fiver these days but we don't think it's a lot to pay to potentially maximise the handling, and therefore the performance, of your kart.

It can also highlight any chassis alignment irregularities.

For more information on our full kart scaling service please telephone Kevin on 01908 511000 and to see our full range of products please visit www.iztechkartseats.com.

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Kartal Motorsport Success   (21/03)

The last two weekends have seen Kartal Motosport's customers enjoying the spoils of success as they continue to haul in the trophies.

At Hooton Park Cadet rookie Joe Redford gained his first trophy, whilst novice driver Joe Bleackley in the Junior Blue category was a very creditable 4th overall in a good turnout for the class, taking the 1st novice trophy home with him.

At Glan-y-Gors this weekend, Kartal's customers continued to fare well with Junior TKM driver Daniel Baybutt taking all 3 heat wins as well as the win in the final - great work Dan!

In a quality field of Cadet drivers Adam Smalley drove a superb race and finished strongly to take 2nd place, whilst Sam Gerrard continued to develop as a strong contender in the Cadet grid and gained a well-deserved 4th place.

Well done to all of you and we look forward to even greater success throughout the season.

If you have a driver who has the desire to win then why not give us a call and discuss your engine requirements. We have a fully equipped workshop and Dyno facility to assist you get the best for your money. Call Alan on 07801 379880 for more information.

For team support at Hooton, GYG or Wigan you can also call Dave on 07748 756174.

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Kartwear.com Sponsorship   (19/03)

Kartwear.com, online and retail store, are proud to announce we have become the sponsor to William Tregurtha, a karting talent.

After watching several karting Stars throughout 2011 we have noticed an incredible talent and drive in the young William Tregurtha. Aged only 11 William has been doing the sport since the tender age of 8 years old and progressed up to the Minimax Class at the beginning of 2012. It is very clear that he has taken to the additional power with ease and confidence.

Kartwear.com supports him at every one of his race weekends at either Whilton Mill or HKRC where we have seen some amazing skill and progression aver the past few months.

William Tregurtha is also an associate Driver for Cranfield University Motorsport and Engineering programme who spotted something in William and will be there every step to help him achieve his dream of becoming a professional racer.

From the photos you will see Kartwear.com not only supports him at the races but also makes sure he can be seen by fully kitting him out in chosen Kartwear approved karting kit and a smart Kart sticker set.

You can also look like this on the track by following our link www.kartwear.com for all the latest Kartwear Kit.

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AMV Kart Parts & Accessories   (19/03)

Kartcart are very pleased to announce that we have been appointed as UK distributors for AMV kart parts and accessories.

Designed, manufactured and finished in Italy to an extremely high standard all AMV parts will compliment your kart and give years of use.

Coming soon - AMV are due to release their 2012 range of magnesium components and Tiger wheels - click here for a full test report from Vroom Magazine.

At Kartcart we like to offer the latest innovations in kart parts and equipment - see our Stone steering lock and axle spacers and the new Tillotson Quick Jet - take all the guesswork out of your Tillotson/Tryton carb set up.

Kartcart and LP Tent motorsport are looking forward to the new S1 season in KGP competing on the Maranello RS12LS with team drivers Fraser Wallace and Stephen Philip and using our new ZP480 4x8mtr team tent.

Feel free to contact us for details on any of our products and services and we will be happy to help.

Remember all karters receive a 15% discount from any of our LP Tent Awnings.

Keep up to date with everything that is new at Kartcart on our Facebook page.

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Attention All Bambinos   (16/03)

On the 3rd April 2012, Evolution Racing will be holding their own Bambino Time Trail event on the main race circuit at Bayford Meadows Kart Circuit (Sittingbourne, Kent). Evolution will supply the 2 stroke Bambino race karts and the day will consist of safety briefing, kart and race wear fitting, circuit walk, practice session and tuition. Followed by 2 times trials. The winner will receive a free race weekend with Evolution Racing at a Bayford Meadows MSA meeting. Also a raffle prize.
 
Drivers must be between the age of 6 - 8 years old and have completed the 3 training modules. No license is required.
 
Evolution also run their Bambino Academy on the 1st, 2nd and 4th sunday of every month, offering professional tuition at affordable prices. We can cater for drivers who are complete novices to drivers with more experience looking to pass their 3 modules. We use a range of 2 and 4 stroke karts depending on the experience of the driver. All safety wear is provided including the Koden CMR approved helmets and prices start from £60. So why not come along for some Bambino tuition from proven race winners Evolution!
 
The race team now run Bambino drivers at the following circuits: Buckmore Park, Bayford Meadows and Lydd with testing at Forest Edge on the first saturday of every month. At these meetings we can offer the following: Awning Space and Advice, Tuition , Mechanics, Kart Preparation and storage, and Kart and Engine hire.
 
The team have already seen great results with new comers Kristian Brooks and Luke Clifford both now front runners since moving through the Bambino Academy and into the Evolution Race Team. The team are also offering these services to Honda Cadet and all Rotax classes and will be attending the following meetings: Forest Edge, Kimbolton, Lydd, Buckmore, Bayford, Super 1 and BNL series.
 
For more information on the Bambino Academy, Bambino Time Trial event, Team Evolution or the Praga products please contact Team Manager Ashley Whitcroft on 07789 932134 or email at ashevolution@hotmail.co.uk.

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Karting Cameras   (16/03)

Kart Cameras available from Kartcam.co.uk now for only £16.99 with free P+P!
 
Our Cameras are small, lightweight & easy to use, ideal for recording onboard footage from your days racing. The camera produces `AVI' format files at a frame rate of 30fps to create a smooth transitional video & at a resolution of 720x480. See our samples via our youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/kartcamera to be blown away with the quality of the unit. The camera is easy to use with plug & play, technology meaning that you can record your heats or final & then plug directly into your laptop/pc & transfer the files across in minutes giving you access to play the videos straight from your pc.
 
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.
 
Kartcam has proved it's one of the most versatile & cost effective products on the market having sold units Worldwide to many Karters & Racing teams.

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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Llandow Joins MotorsportEntries   (16/03)

Llandow Kart Club and MotorsportEntries are pleased to announce that online race entry will now be provided by MotorsportEntries.com.

Replacing the current system used by the club, the new system is easier to use by automatically calculate event prices, as well as saving important details, making it quicker for you to enter events.

Entries are now open for the April meeting, where you can still take advantage of a full weekends racing for just £75! http://motorsportentries.com/index.php/llandow/llandow-race-entry.html.

If you'd like more information on how MotorsportEntries can help your organization with online entries please get in touch, after tremendous success we are still offer our free one month trial, get in touch today to find out more - hello@motorsportentries.com.

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Junior/Minimax Special Offer   (16/03)

Grice Racing Engines have a March Junior/Minimax special offer due to large stock...
 
A full top end service, including piston, small end assembly and 2009, 2010 or 2011 barrel.
 
All parts and labour - just £360 + vat.
 
All parts are brand new.
 
For more information contact Ricky Grice at Grice Racing 01268 727847 or email ricky.grice@virgin.net.

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Radio Silverstone Introduce...   (15/03)

On the 18th April 2011 Radio Silverstone launched the online service RS24/7, a unique music radio station dedicated to motorsport and it was a great season, covering everything from Formula 1 to touring cars, bikes, rallying, plus all the club meetings and race days.

2012 will see the start of a brand new show dedicated to karting and we are aptly launching it on Wednesday the 18th of April.

Matt Kelly and Kerry Cobb will host the show that gives a broad overview of the karting industry: interviews with drivers and key karting figures, latest news, kart club round ups, reviews and previews of race meetings, the history and future of karting, letting the karter have their say, insider information into beginning a career in karting, technical information, paddock gossip, championship updates and news and round ups from all the kart clubs around the country.

We want you to get involved - listen to the show online at www.silverstone.co.uk or download the iphone/android app. You can also email the studio at studio@rs247.net or follow us on Twitter - let us know what songs you want to hear too!

If you love karting, then there's a new meeting with no travelling involved! Wednesdays, 7-8pm on RS24/7.

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Zip Kart Customer Day   (15/03)

Exclusive Zip Kart Customer Day at Whilton Mill April 12th:
Zip Kart are pleased to offer an exclusive test day on 12th April at Whilton Mill Kart Circuit, near Daventry, Northamptonshire, for any cadet driver, from either the Comer Cadet or Honda Cadet Classes, who is currently racing on a Zip chassis or is looking to start cadet racing. The day will run from 9.00am - 5.00pm.
 
A factory chassis for both classes will be available for test drives for any driver looking to upgrade for this season. In addition the Zip Kart Team will be on-hand to offer complimentary advice and tips that will help improve both driving and kart preparation/setup skills.
 
Attendance at this event is on a pre-book basis only.  If you would like to attend please call Matt Kelly on 01327 855585 to book your place on this exclusive Zip Kart day.
 
Ziemelis Motorsport & Robb Dodds join forces with Zip Kart:
Zip Kart are happy to announce two new Zip Kart dealers that have come on board for 2012.  Robb Dodds will be joining the team and looking after the South of England, primarily Clay Pigeon and Forest Edge and Ziemelis Motorsport will be looking after Kimbolton and Shenington, both carrying Zip Kart spares and offering help and advice.
 
Contact Ziemelis Motorsport on 01295 760091 or speak to Stuart Ziemelis on 07860 742386 or Rob Dodds on 07889 793035.

Dan Parker Joins Zip Kart as Business Development Manager:
Zip Kart is pleased to announce that they have a new member of staff joining the team from early April. Dan Parker, who has been instrumental for the last 10 years at Whilton Mill Circuit has joined the Zip Kart Team as Business Development Manager to assist our existing team of Matt Kelly, Grant Munro and Jim Paffett.

For more information on Zip Kart, and to browse our extensive range of karts, components and accessories available to order securely online, visit www.zipkart.com.

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TVKC Gets Into Bed...   (14/03)

TVKC are delighted to announce we will be showcasing a brand new concept for on-circuit accommodation at the CIK-FIA World & European Championships.  They have joined forces with 'Snoozebox' who will be providing accommodation for race teams and spectators with their unique and innovative portable hotel.

Situated right inside the circuit and close to the action, the 80 room Snoozebox hotel offers guests luxury accommodation, with impressive facilities including en-suite wet room, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and flat screen TV.
 
Rooms will accommodate 1-3 people (2 adults or 2 adults + 1 child under 12yrs) and are available at a rate of £129 per room per night on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
 
The hotel will be erected in readiness for the Official Pre-Event Test Days on 11th-13th July and will stay in place for both the CIK World & European Championships and the MSA Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix event which takes place 2nd-5th August 2012.
 
For more information about this and the rest of the CIK World Championship event at PFi, visit the newly launched dedicated website www.tvkc.co.uk/cik.
 
Alternatively, go to www.snoozebox.com for more details.

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Win A Beta Toolbox!   (14/03)

To celebrate the launch of their new website, Kart Parts UK, the online retailer, have kindly put up a brand new Beta tool chest worth £299 as a competition prize for Karting magazine readers!
 
Founded in 2005, Kart Parts UK has quickly grown into one of the sports leading retailers, and their new website at www.kartpartsuk.com features an expanded product range and is user-friendly.
 
The fabulous prize up for grabs is a Beta portable tool chest, model C22S, delivered free within UK zone 2.

The C22S has a top tray and three drawers with ball bearing slides, retractable side handles are fitted for ease of handling and there is a lock to keep your tools safe.
 
Visit www.kartingmagazine.com/competition to stand a chance of winning this great prize.

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RL Racing Marches On   (14/03)

Prior to the opening round of the Formula Kart Stars series at Kimbolton in three weeks' time (7/9 April), RL Racing Department took the opportunity to give its drivers a test run at the Cambridgeshire circuit and again saw some excellent performances.

Sam Marsh won the Junior Max final with his team-mates, reigning FKS Mini Max champion Josh White and Oli Norris, both inside the top ten. Marsh stormed through from 9th place on the grid to take a comfortable victory. "Sam did a fantastic job and once in the lead controlled the race from the front. Around a circuit where slipstreaming is very important, to achieve what he did was fantastic, he was unstoppable!" said team owner Steve Armstrong.

Lando Norris was arguably the fastest competitor in a large Mini Max field and demonstrated his superior pace by carving through the pack to hit the front. On this occasion however, the slipstreaming made it virtually impossible for the RL driver to pull away. "It all got a bit 'involved' on the last lap and when Lando was going back for the lead, the 3rd-placed man was able to dive past and snatch the win. It was an exciting finale and shows that when it matters, we have what it takes to fight for podiums."

On her racing return to the team, Gaby Weyer also impressed. "It was her first race in five months and her debut in Mini Max, she acquitted herself very well," observed Armstrong. "Gaby was lapping within a few tenths of the fastest drivers, but just lacked a little race sharpness - especially in the second heat and the final. She took a fine 7th place in her first heat and that shows me her potential."

Flashman Finneran's progress showed when he snatched 4th place at the start of the final. Sadly a mechanical problem put paid to his chances of further progression and he dropped back. Taking comfort from the positives, the RL boss said: "His pace was clear to see this weekend and he continues to make great strides forward."

Senior Max front-runner Lewis Plato was both fast and furious after the final, as Steve explains "Lewis was knocked off twice. These things happen from time to time but I'm satisfied that he again showed great heart and speed. We're all in good shape now and really looking forward to the start of the Formula Kart Stars season."

For more information about opportunities to race with RL Racing Department, please contact Steve Armstrong via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416. Or register your interest with Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm Monday - Wednesday).

You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com  for more information.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Fantasy Formula 1   (14/03)

It's almost time for another Formula 1 season and FSPORTS are again running their Fantasy Racers competition.
 
One of the easiest free to play fantasy competitions to get involved with, you have two options when choosing your 2012 line-up. Either spend £45 million (if only) and stick with your drivers throughout the season, or spend a mere £40 million on your line-up and you get the option of changing your poor performing drivers!
 
For more information go to www.fantasyracers.com, sign up or log on and pick your team of drivers that will win you another pot for the mantelpiece. There are also a number of leagues you can join (some with prizes), or start your own.

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Promising Winter Testing   (13/03)

One of the leading Rotax teams, Tooley Motorsport, have been very pleased so far with their preparations going into the 2012 season. With 3 new drivers joining the team for this year, relationships have been built over the last few months and progress is being made.

In Mini Max Ben Thompson, the 2011 number 2 Honda seeded driver has progressed massively over the last few meetings, having only done 5 race meetings in mini max he has recorded numerous fastest laps and 3 podium finishes. The second Mini in the line-up is Daniel Mcauley, having recently joined and is enjoying his time in the team. Mcauley says "In the past 2 meetings I have learned a year's worth of information on how I should be driving", which is great to hear. Team principal Andrew Tooley commented "Dan has proven a very intelligent driver so far, no matter what changes are made he always gives the correct feedback and has a good understanding of the kart." Last but not least in the mini max category is Dan Zelos, Dan is now getting to grips with the mini max racing after having many fastest laps, 1 win a numerous podium finishes. All 3 of the mini max drivers have fit into their new surroundings well and they are looking forward to the Super one series this year.

The Junior max drivers for this year are Adam Mackay, Ross Gunn, Hamish Baxter, Oliver Skingley and Chad little, with both Gunn and Little progressing from mini max. Mackay hasn't done much testing due to work commitments and has only raced in 3 events since Wigan S1 last year, each race Adam was fighting for the top 3 positions at each race showing he was determined to set the standard for the fourth coming season. Gunn has now completed a good bunch of race meetings in the Junior category, finding it hard but having extraordinary pace at every outing. Suffering numerous misfortunes has resulted in Ross not having the results he wanted, but throughout the testing the pace is there which was the aim for the winter testing. Baxter and Little have been competing at Rowrah over the winter and have been achieving podiums at each race, both drivers plan to do the NKF this year and are aiming for a top 3. Skingley will be competing in club meetings.

The most recent outing was Rowrah club meeting on the 11th of March, where the team was almost dominant with all drivers. Winning both mini max and junior max, taking 2nd and 4th in each class to, Zelos winning mini, followed by Thompson and Mcauley performing a stunning drive back to 4th after being knocked off at the start. Chad took his first of many wins in Junior max after battling all the way through with his team mates, he was closely followed by Mackay setting the joint fastest lap and Hamish brought it home in 4th.

The team will be competing in the Rotax super one series, Rotax O plate, TVKC Kartmasters, most of the NKF rounds and many club meetings. There are still spaces left for the S1 Series so don't hesitate to contact us as numbers are limited.

Visit www.TooleyMotorsport.com, email Andrew on drewtooley16@yahoo.co.uk, or call 07851 228619.

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Rotax Engine Rental   (13/03)

Jensen Kart Team have Mini, Junior and Senior Rotax Engines for rent.

These are top engines with pedigree with wins and fastest laps at circuits across the country, and are offered at competitive prices. For more information regarding this please contact Tony on 07920 772096.

Jensen Kart Team also have vacancies at Rissington, Dunkeswell and Clay Pigeon in all Rotax classes.

Please visit our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk for more information.

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World Motorsport Council   (13/03)

At its meeting on 9 March 2012 in Milano (ITA) 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:
The World Council has validated the Appendix to the Sporting Regulations of the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship, setting the modalities for the engine distribution by drawing lots, the minimum number of engines which must be stored in the Parc Fermé by the engine Manufacturers before they are allocated to Drivers and the conditions allowing Competitors to change their engine brand during the Championship.

The weighing procedure and the sanctions further to cases of breaches of the minimum weight rule provided by the regulations have been revised. Exclusion for failure to comply ascertained during qualifying practice and heats is maintained, but exclusion is replaced as a minimum by the driver being classified last in a race of the final phase. This change aims at avoiding any effect of double penalty as exclusion from a race of the final phase used to be accompanied by the interdiction for the Driver concerned to discount this null result from the general classification of Championships held over several events.
In the start procedure, the speed control (50 km/h maximum) when karts approach the start line has been totally removed.

To align with the automobile regulations, stopping a race (required in case of immediate danger) is replaced by the principle of suspending the race. Gaps between Drivers before the suspension will thus no longer be taken into account. To restart the race, the new start will be carried out according to the "SLOW" procedure (all karts in one single file, behind the leader).
 
The final classification of the race will be the one corresponding to the order of the karts when they cross the finish line instead of the one resulting from the addition of the two consecutive parts of the race.

Technical and Homologation Regulations:
For safety reasons and immediate application, only batteries with "EC" and "RoHS" markings will be authorised in Karting. Additionally, batteries shall be placed on the chassis in an area located to the left of the seat behind the central strut or behind the seat.

As from 2013, the following controls will be deleted regarding KF engines: transfer duct volume, exhaust duct length, internal profile of the exhaust duct outlet, chord widths of the ports and of the lower gasket plane of the cylinder. The maximum value of the exhaust angle in KF2 will be set at 194°, irrespective of what appears on the Homologation Forms of the engines.

New technical prescriptions have been validated for ignitions to be homologated as from 1/1/2013 for KF engines, which consist in particular in standardising the principle sketch and the connectors.

In view of the next tyre homologation session (for implementation as of 1/1/2014), it has been decided to delete the "Soft" classification, and for "Medium" and "Hard" tyres to differentiate them by their carcass for direct-drive karts and for gearbox karts. The KZ2 category will be fitted with "Hard" tyres, and KZ1 with "Medium" ones.

Calendar of the 2012 CIK-FIA Championships, Cup and Trophies:
In order to avoid any clashes of dates with the Formula One Grand Prix of Italy and that of Abu Dhabi, the dates of the following events have been modified:
- date of the fourth round of the CIK-FIA World KF1 Championship and of the CIK-FIA World Cups for KZ1 and KZ2, scheduled for Sarno-Napoli (ITA), brought forward from 6-9 September 2012 to 30 August-2 September 2012;
- date of the third and last round of the CIK-FIA "U18" World Championship and Academy Trophy, scheduled for Bahrain, postponed from 1-3 November 2012 to 8-10 November 2012.

Article 18 of the FIA International Sporting Code:
The WMSC has confirmed the provision of Article 18 of the International Sporting Code according to which any kart Driver must be holder of an International licence to participate in any event (national and international) outside the territory of his ASN.

In addition, the CIK-FIA has been mandated by the WMSC to provide specific solutions whereby an ASN can establish to the satisfaction of the CIK-FIA the absence of any Karting facilities in its country. Therefore, following a proposal by the CIK-FIA, the WMSC has decided to enable national licence holders from the Luxembourg (ACL) and Monaco (ACM) ASNs to compete at national French Karting events (in the Alsace-Lorraine region only for Luxembourg Drivers) sanctioned by the French ASN (FFSA).

Furthermore, the CIK-FIA has been mandated to develop guidelines for a more global implementation of this system from 2013.

International Karting Series:
The following international Series have been approved: Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final (1 event), X30 Challenge Europe (3 events) and International Superkart Series (4 events).

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Additional Instructors Required   (13/03)

Due to a recent expansion of our Kart Academy program we are looking for additional instructors from the Southampton, Brighton/Lancing and Cardiff areas.
 
Successful applicants must have:
- Very good communication skills.
- Very good people skills.
- Proven history of competing successfully at national level Karting or higher.
- Live within a sensible commuting distance of any of the listed locations.
- Available to work on Sunday mornings once a month.
 
To apply please send your CV and covering letter to racingperfection@yahoo.com or via post to Racing Perfection Ltd, Little Croft, Jermyns Lane, Ampfield, Romsey, Hants. SO51 0QA.
 
For further information on the Academy or other services we provide please visit us at www.racingperfection.co.uk.

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Cadet Rear Protection System   (12/03)

The Freeline 60cc Cadet RPS (Rear Protection System) has now been registered for use in any Cadet category by the MSA.
 
The Freeline RPS has gone through a complex and detailed crash test programme in order to gain final registration from the MSA and has now been issued and passed with the registration number MSA/DMSB-001-RPS.
 
The Freeline RPS assembly weighs just 1.65kgs including support brackets and will fit any make of Cadet chassis.
 
The complete Freeline 60cc RPS complete with mounting brackets costs £129.95 + VAT and is available in black colour only. 
 
For the month of March 2012 ACR is offering free delivery on each (retail) Freeline 60cc Cadet RPS ordered.
 
To order yours contact ACR on 01527 889595 or visit www.acrbirel.com for more information.

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Mixed Emotions For Fusion   (12/03)

Fusion Motorsport's awning was slashed between the hours of 7.00pm and 7.30am on Saturday 10th/Sunday 11th March. The mindless vandals cut 3 half meter strips into the front sheets of the Linea Tende awning, which was only 2 race meetings old.  The police were called and a crime investigation is in progress with a number of lines of enquiry being followed up.  Anyone with any information regarding this incident is requested to contact Cambridgeshire Police Constabulary (by dialing 101) quoting crime reference CF0098440312, or Fusion Motorsport on 07733 011221. A reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the criminal(s).
 
Despite this difficult start to the day, Fusion drivers won 2 out of the 3 heats at the packed Kimbolton meeting (the warm up for FKS Round 1 in April). Josh Smith set fastest lap of the day during the second heat which he won, giving him pole position for the Final, with team mate and heat 1 winner Oliver York 3rd and Enaam Ahmed 4th on the grid. Josh and Oliver were quickly joined by Enaam who set fastest lap of the race during his comeback from a difficult start.  Josh led the first half of the race but was taken out following contact by another driver, dropping him down to an eventual 9th place finish. Meanwhile Enaam took control at the front, and survived contact on the final lap for a great win.  Oliver stormed from 4th on the final lap to cross the line 2nd for a Fusion 1-2. 8 year old Lewis Thompson had a great drive to 6th in only his second visit to the track.
 
Speaking after the race, Fusion boss, Dan Hazlewood commented, "Its been a day of mixed emotions, to turn up and see how low people are prepare to stoop due to what can only be jealousy is saddening for not just us, but the whole sport.  But I'm pleased that we showed that this kind of thing just makes us pull together as a team and get the result. The team morale is now higher than ever, so pathetic attempts to deter us only makes us stronger."

For more information on Fusion visit www.fusionmotorsport.co.uk.

Racing photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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BPKC Winter Championship   (12/03)

The third round (and final) of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Winter Championship takes place on Sunday the 18 March.

All ABkC non gearbox classes are welcome including Bambino and Subaru. Open Practice is available on both Friday 16th and Saturday 17th March.

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

Full details are available at www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.

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New Racewear Shop   (09/03)

Mode Racewear are pleased to announce the opening of our new Race / Kartwear showroom at the home of British Motorsports Silverstone Circuit.

We are UK Stockists of Sabelt Racewear, Stand 21 Hans Devices, and Bell and Suomy Helmets.

All our Racewear is FIA/CIK approved with Level 2 Kart suits starting from £95.00, and we also stock a range of Boots, Gloves and Underwear, not to mention Bell SNELL and CMR approved Race Helmets.

Come and see for yourself at Unit 6, Silverstone Circuit, NN12 8TN.

Please visit our website www.moderacewear.com or contact us today on 01327 858349 to discuss your needs.

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Incredible Formula K Offer   (09/03)

Formula K is a marque that anyone in karting knows about and everyone in karting is talking about. Now is your chance to test one with Protrain's unbelievable spring offer.
 
Protrain Racing has teamed up with Formula K to bring you a fantastic opportunity to test out a fantastic Formula K kart at Whilton Mill circuit in a demo day for only £150,  if that wasn't enough you can reclaim that £150 when your order for your Formula K is fulfilled by Protrain.
 
Plus, when you receive your Formula K kart you will be entitled to a free set up and tuition day at Whilton Mill with Protrain, worth over £300. As leaders in the field of driver coaching and tuition you know it will be an incredible day.
 
The Formula K is rapidly becoming the choice of Champions, including Ed Brand, and its performance is proving to be formidable. If you are looking to buy a new kart or just want to see what you could achieve in a Formula K give us a call but don't leave it too long, this offer must end 30th April and Demo days are filling up fast.
 
Since creation Formula K's record is impressive holding the current Formula K Rotax International and European Championships. At the recent SKUSA Supernationals in Las Vegas, with over 500 drivers, Formula K was dominant. Protrain drivers Charlie Eastwood and Ed Brand both raced on Formula K at the Campillos circuit and set very impressive times as well as a podium finish.
 
Can you afford not to see what you could achieve in a Formula K? To arrange your demo day or to find out more about Formula K karts call Gary Chapman now on (01280) 814774 or 07802 966064 - it could be the best phone call you have ever made.
 
Agents are required across the country; Formula K karts have an amazing pedigree and are destined for great success, if you are interested in becoming an agent for Formula K contact Gary Chapman at Protrain, and be a part of the success story.
 
Protrain has some great news for a couple of Super One drivers. Rarely available, Protrain have space for one Junior Rotax and one Mini Max driver to join them at Super One. Any interested drivers should contact Gary directly on 07802 966064 as soon as possible.
 
For more information please see www.formula-k.it or www.protrainracing.co.uk.

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TVKC Launch CIK Website   (09/03)

Trent Valley Kart Club and PF International kart circuit are set to host the CIK-FIA World KF1 and European KF2 & KF3 Championships on 19th-22nd July.
 
Preparations are well under way for this landmark event.  The latest development is the dedicated website which TVKC have just launched specifically to cover the World Championships. 
 
The website includes all the information about the event - for both competitors and spectators alike.  Whether it be how to find the circuit, the cost of admission tickets, what's happening during the course of the weekend or to find accommodation - it's all on there.  The site will be constantly updated with the latest news and information as we move closer to the date.
 
Visit this brand new site at www.tvkc.co.uk/cik.

It'll be the first time in almost 50 years that the UK has hosted a World Karting Championships so TVKC are pulling out all the stops to make this event a huge success to help showcase exactly what UK Karting has to offer. Why not come along to the event and help celebrate this fantastic spectacle and support UK Karting.

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Brothers On Bikes   (09/03)

In November 2011 we made the sad announcement that karting hero Malcolm Turner had lost his brave battle with Cancer.
 
After finishing a successful karting career Malcolm replaced karting with cycling, riding almost every day and living life to the full despite fighting Cancer.  When he learnt that his Cancer was terminal, he gifted one of his prized road bikes to nephew Ollie Turner.  During the handover of the bike Malcolm told the boys he had always wanted to ride from John O'Groats to Lands' End.  He knew at that time that he would never be able to.
 
The two sons of Malcolm's uncle, Sam and Ollie, decided that they would ride the ride for him, using his bike.  At the same time raising money for the charities that directly helped Malcolm.  The boys from Sidmouth, Devon are aiming to raise as much money as they can for the people who helped Malcolm. In just a week they have raised a £1000, they are showing the same drive and determination as their uncle.
 
Click here to read an article that recently appeared in the Sidmouth Herald newspaper.
 
Ollie and Sam have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/BrothersOnBikes/159524207489717.
 
Also a Twitter account; @brothersonbike
 
And a Just Giving page - www.justgiving.com/teams/brothersonbikes.

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Grice Racing Engines   (08/03)

Minimax:
Grice power continued to provide the speed in Mini max, when Connor Hall took 2nd place at Campillos in Spain, when in only his second junior race, he took part in the Rotax Winter Cup. 
 
Initially planned to provide Connor with international race experience in the Junior Rotax, he shocked everyone with his speed.  "It was mainly to be an experience for him," Hall Snr said, "but to our surprise, after having a reasonable qualifying, he won the Pre-final and then finished 2nd in the main final, in what was a close race to the flag!"  Not to mention that Connor was also five seconds clear of 3rd place as well.

To mark his excellent start to 2012, Connor also finished joint 3rd in the Super 1 Winter Cup in Minimax, particularly since the drivers' who finished in front of him having a lot more experience being well into their second year in the class.
 
Further strong Minimax results came from Will Taylforth, with a first ever major win at Wigan, and Lando Norris, with a solid first ever major win at PF International.

Junior Max:
Josh White was another winner at PF International. "I thought that the engines were strong all weekend and we were able to set the kart up well, because we knew where we were with the power. Thanks to Grice and RL for a good first race back."
 
Not to be outdone Ben Hingeley took his first win at Wigan, and then produced another good result a week later. "It was a good weekend. Moving up to a new class is always going to be difficult, so I was pleased with 4th place. Ricky's engines were very fast as usual! We set the lap record, but then just gotp piped by 3/100ths later on in the day. We are now really looking forward to the Super 1 with Grice engines." 

Round 2 Super 1 Winter Series:
Sam Marsh dominated the junior race, with Oli Myers chasing him in a very strong second, whilst Connor Mills, as stated earlier, continuing with his excellent 2012 form with 3rd place in Minimax. Jai Nijjar and Connor Hall recorded the joint fastest lap in the class.

Florida Winter Tour:
Across the Atlantic Ocean at the Florida Winter Tour, Pierre Luc Omelette came home in a very strong 4th in Senior Max, but the expectation was he would have surely been better placed had his race engines not been delayed in Customs for 10 days!  They did not arrive until the last day of testing, with his subsequent pace demonstrating proof of the prospect of a continuing and strong 2012 Senior campaign.
 
Grice on Offer:
The latest Grice special offer continues to run for a full engine rebuild, including all parts and labour, (but excluding con-rod and balance) for highly competitive rates (see below).  Try asking your local engine tuner/builder for their prices and then compare the quote with the following:

Rotax - £340
Comer Cadet - £180
TKM - £180
Dyno Power Test - £80
Carb Strip/Prepare - £60

For further information please call Ricky Grice on 01268 727847, 07768 047253, or visit www.griceracingengines.com.

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Elite Karting League   (08/03)

The new Elite Karting League is growing everyday with teams from all over the country snapping up team slots.
 
"With the launch of the official Facebook page, we really started to gather momentum with the league" says Kat Pope, League Co-ordinator. "In a couple of days the team owners had started a team's association, who are having their first meeting at Daytona Milton Keynes on the 15th March".
 
"It's great to see so much enthusiasm from the team owners and new teams" says Bob Pope League Founder.
 
If you would like more information on the league and would like to join or start your own team there are opportunities across the UK.
 
Visit us at our website www.thekartingleague.co.uk and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thekartingleague.

If you would like to join us for the team association meeting we will be welcoming new members at 12:30 on the 15th March 2012 at Daytona Milton Keynes.

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Boss Hails "Brilliant" Drivers   (08/03)

RL Racing Department owner Steve Armstrong praised the performances of his young stars after clinching a Junior Max 1, 2, 3 in the new Winter Cup Series organised by Shenington Kart Racing Club.

"It's fantastic to start the new season with a title - and not only that, lock out the top three places in the Junior Max championship. That's down to brilliant individual displays from Sam Marsh, Josh White and Oli Norris."

Regular Mini Max front-runner Lando Norris also gave Armstrong much to be pleased about: "Lando showed he is making big strides forward with his driving and was rewarded with 5th overall in a tough and competitive class."

New signings, Josh Price and Jack Leese have also made their mark in the RL awning.

"Jack knuckled down straight away on his first weekend back with us and took a great 5th place against a full and quality-packed field. It is especially satisfying and gratifying that he has chosen us - after trying three teams out before committing to RL - and that faith has been rewarded with a positive result straightaway."

KF3 driver Josh Price has made the rare decision to compete in two separate classes - KF3 and Junior Max - and at PFi last weekend (3/4 March), was on the pace straight away.

"There were a total of fifty four drivers in his class and he put up a great fight in the main final to come from the seventh row of the grid to eventually finish 8th. I was impressed with his character, passing and hunger to get forward."

He added, "These results augur well for the coming season. For Sam Marsh to get a title under his belt early doors will really spur him on. However, he will be pressed extremely hard by his fast and talented team-mates Josh White, Oli Norris and now Josh Price. For me, it is a great headache to have - they have all been superb. So long as they don't knock each other off, we could be in for our best season yet."

For more information about opportunities to race with RL Racing Department, please contact Steve Armstrong via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416.

Or register your interest with Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm Monday- Wednesday).

You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com for more information.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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KLS Karting Benches   (07/03)

KLS introduce two portable karting pit benches...

Large Bench (pictured):
- 1800mm x 495mm x 800mm, with a central tyre rack.
- Light but strong, it weighs just 35kg.
- Strengthened top and bottom shelf, plus a durable zinc coated frame and galvanized shelves meaning it's non-rust.
- Takes less than 2 minutes to pack away!
- Adjustable feet.
- Rubber top and storage straps available upon request

Just £229 + VAT (with good discounts available for multiple orders and trade purchases).
 
Standard 'Quick Fold' Bench:
- 1200mm x 495mm x 800mm featuring an 'All in one' design for quick assembly - it also folds down in seconds!
- Light but strong, weighting less than 25kg with a strengthened top shelf, durable zinc coated frame and galvanized top meaning it's non-rust.
- Central tyre rack.
- Adjustable feet
- Rubber top and storage straps available upon request

Just £199 + VAT (with good discounts available for multiple orders and trade purchases).
 
To place an order please call Mark on 07714 153007, or Sam on 07787 413331.
 
Both benches are available with 48 hour delivery from stock (a delivery charge may be made for 48hr service). All sold subject to KLS Packaging Ltd terms and conditions of purchase, available upon request.

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Easykart UK Championship   (07/03)

Last month's E Plate (19 February) saw four drivers give advanced notice of their title intentions with well taken victories in the first Easykart race of the season. The championship proper kicks off this Sunday, and it will be fascinating to see if Sam Faulkner, Ronan McKenzie, Jake Hughes and Will Smith can maintain their early advantage.
 
The thrilling Teesside Autodrome hosts the opening round and it can be reasonably expected to create excitement, drama and terrific racing in each of the four categories.
 
Sam Faulkner won both finals at Whilton Mill to claim the Cadet E Plate, but was chased from first to last by the ever-improving Jenson Murchison. Arguably, they will be the key protagonists slugging it out for overall supremacy this year, but don't discount a raft of hard-charging youngsters, including; Ethan Hawkey, Adam Sparrow and Andrew Dutton.
 
In spite of these straitened times in the national economy, another strong Junior grid highlights the continued value-for-money appeal of Easykart. Unable to take up Birel's offer of a factory KF3 berth due to a lack of funds, Ronan McKenzie showed his mettle by winning the E Plate at Whilton. On that occasion Zack Nickson and James Lay were left scrapping to see who would be crowned runner-up. The new aggregate scoring system for the two finals and a sliding scale of extra points for the fastest laps saw Zack ultimately pip James.
 
Thanassi Barnicoat's debut season in Easykart enjoyed an excellent first experience as he too narrowly beat Will Stowell after tussles in both finals.
 
The largest field of the day should also be the most exciting. The reigning national, world and E Plate Light champions will all go head to head on Sunday. If that wasn't enough, Barnaby Pittingale - the 2011 UK and World Heavy Champion - was also a contender for the E crown.
 
Look out for Ian Williams, a revitalized Steve Youle and former Junior front-runner Alexander 'AJ' Morris. Sam Dimelow had a shocker at Whilton and will be fired-up for Middlesbrough. World Finals vice-champion Patrick Lay returns to action, making the prospect of Sunday as mouthwatering as smearing Christina Hendricks in Bovril and then pretending you're a werewolf.
 
Nobody could match Will Smith's blistering pace and consistency in Heavy last month and he has to be considered the favourite this Sunday. However, if they can find the two to three tenths Smith had over them, then his rivals will believe they can carry the fight to him. Michael Roots, Mark Lawrence, Joe Paterson and Carl Churchill will almost certainly figure strongly.
 
Other series regulars, Tim Hill, Neil Fisher, Andrew Gould and Jack Bruce weren't quite on the boil at Whilton, but can be expected to show their bouncebackability when they get down to the serious business of the finals on Sunday.
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday 11 March at Teesside Autodrome, South Tees Motorsport Park, Middlebrough. For more information, please visit www.easykart.co.uk.

Photographs courtesy of Enver Meyer.

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Lydd Kart Circuit   (06/03)

After another successful meeting last month, Lydd Kart Circuit hosts the final round of their non-MSA winter championships this weekend, 10th & 11th March.
 
With the weather warming up a rush of late entries is expected to boost grids further in many classes, from Bambino to Cadet and Prokart to Rotax, almost all classes are catered for.
 
If you have not been along to Lydd for a while make it this weekend and you will see the huge improvements already made to areas around the circuit, not forgetting the Wi-Fi hotspot that is The Café where you can surf (and eat) until your heart is content.
 
For lots of friendly competitive racing get down to Lydd kart circuit this coming weekend and onto one of the fastest tracks in the UK. There's Open Practice on Saturday 10th March with racing for all classes on Sunday 11th March.
 
Call now for more information on 01797 321895 and to ensure your place on the grid. Further information on Lydd Kart Circuit can be found on the website at www.lyddkarting.com.

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Honda Cadet Drivers...   (06/03)

South Yorkshire Kart Club would like to invite all Honda Cadet drivers to race at our annual W Plate meeting on 13th May 2012 at Wombwell.
 
To help you prepare for this prestigious event, you can enter the April meeting for £70, which price includes practice and race.
 
For further details contact Donna on 07946 299818 or email dbaines20@hotmail.co.uk.

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

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Kartal 1-2-3   (05/03)

Kartal Motorsport would like to congratulate the following drivers on a superb achievement at 3 Sister's Wigan last weekend in a well supported Cadet class. Adam Smalley was 1st with Sam Gerrard 2nd and Jack Fabby 3rd. All were using Kartal dyno prepared W60 Comer engines and carbs.

Team Principal Alan Crankshaw commented "The lap times were unbelievably close as was the race. Smalley and Gerrard both recorded identical lap times of 51.47 whilst Fabby recorded a 51.48 lap. It was a fantastic weekend with our customers enjoying great success."

Kartal will be present at all Wigan, Hooton and Glan y Gors meetings this year and will be offering support to new and existing customers in not only the Cadet but TKM, Rotax and Formula Blue classes. We will have Team motors available for hire along with the facility to provide a rebuild service on all Tryton and Tillotson carburettors.

To discuss your engine requirements or to enquire about racing with Team Kartal please speak to either Alan on 07801 379880 or Dave on 07748 756174. 

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Missing Racing This Weekend?   (05/03)

Are you missing your weekends racing due to the weather? Have you had your plans disrupted through unfortunate cancellations? The solution could be at hand. Come and race at Llandow Kart Club this coming weekend. A very technical track with great people, good competition and wall to wall sunshine (well, perhaps not always) can only lead to a great weekend's racing at realistic prices.

Held at South Wales Karting Centre located just 15 minutes from junction 35 of the M4 we offer racing for all major classes on what is regarded by many as the finest 'drivers circuit' in the country. Our race entry and practice fees remain some of the cheapest around with a full days practice and race entry costing just £80 for members and £90 for non members. Plus our special online entry deal for members consisting of a full days practice and race entry for just £75 has been continued for 2012.

We will be accepting entries by post and online up to the 8th March so why not come and try racing at what is probably the best value for money club in the country!

We are closer than many think and can be reached from Bristol within 75 minutes. For full details and online entry please visit www.llandowkartclub.co.uk or call Colin on 07817 449617.

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Llandow Kart Club 2012   (02/03)

Following on from a successful first meeting of 2012 the second round of the Llandow Kart Club 2012 championship takes place this coming weekend of the 10/11th March.  At the drivers request the start line will remain in its new position ensuring a fairer starting procedure and unlike many other clubs at the moment we can guarantee full length heats and finals.

Held at South Wales Karting Centre located just 15 minutes from junction 35 of the M4 we offer racing for all major classes on what is regarded by many as the finest 'drivers circuit' in the country. Our race entry and practice fees remain some of the cheapest around with a full days practice and race entry costing just £80 for members and £90 for non members. Plus our special online entry deal for members consisting of a full days practice and race entry for just £75 has been continued for 2012.

We will be accepting entries by post and online up to the 8th March so why not come and try racing at what is probably the best value for money club in the country!

We are closer than many think and can be reached from Bristol within 75 minutes. For full details and online entry please visit www.llandowkartclub.co.uk or call Colin on 07817 449617.

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Race In England Or Wales?   (01/03)

After a successful part exchange offer run with its Birel agents LM Motorsport in Scotland, Sole UK Birel Importer ACR has decided to extend the Part exchange offer nationwide on the 2012 Birel 2012 RY30 S4 chassis.
 
You can now part exchange your current kart (irrespective of make) as a rolling chassis against a Brand New 2012  Birel RY30 S4 rolling chassis for just £2000 + VAT . The Birel RY30 S4 is suitable for all Rotax max classes,Formula KGP,Formula TKM or Formula Blue classes.
 
The Birel RY30 S4 features a new self adjusting brake system, engine mount, Freeline magniesium rims, Freeline HQ heel bar, Birel Motorsport HQ graphic set, UK rear steel bumper all as standard.
 
To order yours or for more information on this offer call the ACR office on 01527 889595 or visit www.acrbirel.com.

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RL Racing Dept's KF3 Return   (01/03)

European Championship podium winners RL Racing Department will return to the KF3 arena in 2012, with Gaby Weyer and Josh Price.

The Ellough Park Raceway-based outfit last competed in the class in 2010 and enjoyed a successful season with Harrison Scott, with whom they claimed 3rd overall in the European finals at Genk.

Speaking from the team's headquarters, RL Racing Department owner Steve Armstrong said: "Josh proved his ability in the KF3 category with a win in last weekend's latest round of the Winter Series at PFi. This bodes well for his Super One campaign and we're aiming for podiums, although Josh himself has said that his main focus will be on Junior Max and going for a top six finish in the Championship."

He added: "Gaby has come full circle, having started her karting career with us, so it is great to welcome her back. In contrast to Josh, she will concentrate on KF3 but race in selected Junior Max events. After winning the WTP Kartmasters crown in such fine style last summer, her confidence is strong and I think she can reasonably aim for a single number by the end of the year."

RL's new signings will join their RL Rotax team-mates at the opening round of the Euro Challenge held at Genk in Belgium (28 March - 1 April).

As they build towards the opening tests of the national and international calendar, the team's Rotax stars were in action last Sunday (26 February). Sam Marsh provided the highlight with a fine win in Junior ahead of Oli Norris (4th) and Josh White (5th).

"It was another one of those events where we learned a great deal and drew a lot of positives. We had to battle hard to resolve some technical gremlins surrounding Josh White's kart but once we'd sorted them he positively flew. Oli's brother, Lando, finished 6th in Mini, as did Lewis Plato in Senior. So we're all there or thereabouts. Flashman Finneran is continuing on his learning journey and doing everything he can to get up the finishing order."

For more information about opportunities to race with RL Racing Department, please contact Steve Armstrong via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416. Or register your interest with Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm Monday- Wednesday).

You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com for more information.

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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HTR Have Drives Available   (29/02)

HTR Racing Team, one of the best known and respected kart teams in the paddock, have 2 available spaces for Super 1, PFi, NKF, Rowrah, Rotax or Honda Cadet.

If you would like to become part of one of the most professional teams, with driver coaching, set up advice and, mechanics if required, one of the best working spaces available including, light, power, air, then get in touch now.

For more information call Team Principal Derrick Hardy on 0191 528 9005 or 0783 624 8459, or call in and see us at PFi this weekend.

Check out the new HTR website at www.HTRracing.com.

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Easthope Lands Sodi Drive   (28/02)

Taylor International Motorsports' lead driver Henry Easthope last week inked a deal that sees him drive for the Official Sodi Factory Race Team in 2012, a huge achievement for Henry as the first British driver in the French Sodi Factory Team. Gildas Merrian, President of Sodikart was so impressed by his performances at the 2011 U18 World Championships that he offered him a deal last November, the details of which were finalised at the Sodi HQ in Nantes on Friday.

It will be a full calendar of racing for Henry:  as well as Euromax rounds in Genk, Wackersdorf, Kristianstad and Salbris, it will include the 2012 U18 World Championships with rounds to be held at Braga, Angerville and in Bahrain, the Rotax International Open (venue to be announced) and the Supernationals in Vegas whilst also continuing to honour his UK Team racing commitments.

For the past two years, Sodi have supplied the chassis for the Rotax World Finals in two categories so it was a logical progression for the company to move away from KF and concentrate their efforts on Rotax and the Euromax Series. Henry who will be partnered by another, as yet to be announced, driver will race in the Senior Max category under the auspices of Sodi Race Team Manager Nicola de Cola and Consultant Anthony Abbasse.

The teenager from Weybridge is delighted to be offered a place in the Official Sodi Factory Race Team and, keen to prove his worth, hit the ground running with a win at Whilton Mill at the weekend against many of his forthcoming Euromax opponents using the new 2012 Sodi Celesta chassis.

For more information on Taylor International Motorsports visit www.tim-sodiracing.com or call +44 (0)7973 911148.

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TVKC Supports Marie Curie   (28/02)

Trent Valley Kart Club will be helping to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care this weekend by supporting Matt Rooley (of 4G Racing) and his unique idea to sell kart sticker kits in memory of his late wife, Gemma.
 
Matt lost his wife to stomach cancer three years ago on the 28th February - aged just 28. The charity is obviously close to his heart; "The work Marie Curie did to support me and my two young children was phenomenal. I would really like to give something back to this fantastic organisation".
 
Matt had the idea to have a dedicated set of kart stickers produced in memory of Gemma.  He then contacted TVKC to see if the Club could help him to support this fantastic cause.  TVKC & Matt then joined forces to raise money for this well deserved charity at the March club race meeting this weekend (3rd & 4th March).
 
The sticker kits will be available to purchase in race control at a cost of £5 per set with all proceeds going to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
 
During the course of the weekend, all drivers displaying these decals will be considered for a special 'Driver of the Day' award which will consist of a complimentary TVKC Club race entry (worth £55), a set of slick tyres (courtesy of Matt Rooley-4G Racing) and a commemorative trophy!  The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday during the trophy presentation.
 
So please show your support and help to raise some money for this worthy cause!

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

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TKM Inter-Club Championship   (28/02)

Formula TKM drivers are giving enthusiastic support to the new Midlands based Inter-Club Championship which gets under way at Kimbolton on May 13, provisional regulations for which are now available at the Tal-Ko website.
 
Around 40 drivers are already registered in the Junior and Senior categories with more expected to complete registration before the closing date of March 16.
 
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 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
July 1 - Rissington
Sept 23 - Whilton Mill
 
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 at £36 for the year closes on March 16, though will be held open after that date at the increased fee of £54 subject to availability.
 
Administration for the series is being 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: "The enthusiastic support for the series is good to see and confirms our feeling for what was needed. We hope it will be a great success and maybe spur on others regions to do the same thing next year.
 
Provisional regulations are now available on the www.tal-ko.com website as well as registration forms. Registrations must be received by March 16 to guarantee acceptance. All questions to interclub@tkmdriversclub.com.

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FKS Honda & Snr Rotax   (27/02)

Drivers in the new Formula Kart Stars Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax classes this year will face a new Challenge; or rather 12 separate Challenges as they join the Formula One Management backed Championship for the first time.
 
Prize-filled Challenge events at Kimbolton (April 6-8), Ellough Park (May 18-20), Larkhall (June 8-10), Glan Y Gors (July 13-15) and Nutts Corner (August 10-12) will culminate in a winner-takes-all weekend at Whilton Mill on the weekend of September 7th-9th. Each challenge format mirrors that of the other Formula Kart Stars classes as drivers compete in a ten minute timed qualifying session, two twelve minute heats and a fifteen minute final on both days of each Challenge. Individual Challenge points will be accrued over each day of each race weekend with the top three in each daily Challenge receiving bespoke trophies.
 
In Cadet Honda all drivers will receive three tyre bags courtesy of Dunlop and will be eligible for a new class prize set-up by class patron Alex Albon and Red Bull. Drivers will also be eligible for the new Frank Wrathall prize and the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day award.
 
In Senior Rotax the overall winner of each daily Challenge gets an invite to the Lohen MINI Adventure scholarship assessment at the end of the year with the next eligible driver also qualifying if the winner has already qualified. All drivers will also be eligible for the celebrity class patron prize, the new Daniel Lloyd prize and the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day award.
 
In an effort to keep costs for competitors at a minimum Formula Kart Stars have devised a number of different options for those wishing to compete in three, four or all five of the Challenges and providing drivers compete in at least three of the Challenge events, entry to the series finale at Whilton Mill where the champions will be crowned is free!
 
Drivers in both classes can choose to pay for all five Challenges in advance for a total of £1300, that's just £130 per race day or can choose to enter each Challenge separately at a cost of £320 per weekend, which equates to £160 per race day. Even if a driver wishes to enter three Challenges separately, he or she still qualifies for a free invitation to Whilton Mill and will only have spent £960 in entry fees for a total of eight race days.
 
All drivers will have use of Formula Kart Stars TAG Heuer timing system and the Senior Rotax drivers have to use the Alfano Alspy data logging system.
 
As an extra incentive to save on costs, Cadet Honda will be able to seal both slick and wet tyres and roll them over to the next challenge. Senior Rotax will buy only one set of slicks for both days and roll their wets over to the next challenge.
 
The Series finale called 'The Golden Helmet' at Whilton Mill promises to be one of the most spectacular and high profile events of the year. Battling for points throughout each day, the top point's scorers on Sunday evening will receive a glut of prizes. More prizes to, be announced, are lined up for this special event
 
In Cadet Honda the winner on Sunday gets the coveted FKS jewelled steering wheel trophy and second and third places both receive bespoke trophies. The top three all win the much sought-after TAG Heuer watches and a Honda engine while the winner gets an invite to the Autosport Awards in London.
 
The prize situation is similar in Senior Rotax with the winner taking the steering wheel trophy and an invite to the Autosport Awards in London. Provided he or she has not already qualified for the Lohen MINI Adventure scholarship assessment the winner also gets an invite to that and in the event that he or she has already earned a place the prize goes to the best placed non qualified driver.
 
As in Cadet Honda the top three in Senior Rotax will receive TAG Heuer watches with bespoke trophies for second and third and further prizes still to be announced.
 
Formula Kart Stars Championship Director Carolynn Hoy feels that the Challenge format is the best way to introduce the new classes into the Championship.
 
"I've been overwhelmed by the support the championship has had from the drivers to this new format," said Hoy. "We are adding Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax to our roster due to popular demand and our 'Buy Three Get One Free' offer has been extremely well received by those who have already entered for 2012.
 
"By offering free invites to Whilton Mill for all those drivers who enter at least three Challenge events I feel that we are taking some of the pressure off the new competitors, some of whom will be very young in Cadet Honda and some of whom will be studying for A Levels and College courses in Senior Rotax.
 
"Likewise for those who want to enter all five Challenge events, and lots of drivers have indicated that they intend to complete the full FKS season, I believe we have offered them an extremely competitive package that offers lots of track time, some excellent prizes, great value for money and all the other unique aspects that make up a normal Formula Kart Stars race weekend.
 
For more information on Formula Kart Stars please visit the brand new FKS website www.formulakartstars.com, which has links to the official FKS Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and Youtube feeds, or contact Championship Coordinator Debbie Sellers on debbie.sellers@formulakartstars.com / 07759 758636.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Russell Races To Victory   (24/02)

14 year old George Russell from Wisbech celebrated his birthday week by winning the opening KF3 Kart race of the season on Sunday at Lonato, Italy. Racing for the Italian Intrepid Driver Program for the second consecutive year, Russell started as he finished 2011 on the top spot of the podium.
 
Qualifying 6th overall from a field of 108 European and world drivers, meant Russell started 2nd on the grid for all of his 5 heats. His first and only heat on Friday saw him claim the victory. He won his next heat on Saturday, however was given a 10 second penalty for going over the start line in front of the pole man. Two 3rds and a 2nd followed in the remaining heats. These results gave Russell 5th spot on the grid for the pre-final on Sunday watched by a crowded grandstand, including F1 driver Paul Di Resta.
 
Tricky conditions with light rain during practice on Sunday morning made the track difficult for getting the set up right for the kart. Russell adapted well and came through from 5th to take the lead. With two laps to go his carburettor failed momentarily going down the straight, causing him to lose 1.8 seconds. This allowed Swedish driver Robin Hanson, who came 2nd to Russell in the European Finals at Zuera to take advantage and potentially a win. Russell kept cool and after adjusting the carburetion settings on the last lap he made a bold manoeuvre to take the win.
 
Starting on pole for the final it was vital Russell had a good start. Russell took control of the field and tactically hung back on the rolling up lap. He took the lead in front of a strong field of experienced drivers knowing that one error could be the difference between success and failure. His focus and sheer determination for victory meant that Russell led from start to finish, winning by 5.5 seconds. A brilliant and well deserved win for Russell who is still one of the youngest in the junior category.
 
Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net and Kartcom.

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Ollie Chadwick Sets Record   (24/02)

Jensen Kart Team driver Ollie Chadwick has set a new record, but this time not in karts, but helicopters! Junior Max driver Ollie turned 16 on 19th January and on that day flew solo in both jet and piston powered helicopters. Ollie's achievement is believed to be a UK and European record for the youngest person to fly solo in both types of helicopter.
 
The past weekend saw Ollie put in a great performance at Shenington, where he showed great maturity to qualify 3rd and finish 4th against a highly experienced and competitive grid.
 
This weekend also saw success for team driver, Will Maslin, who took a hard fought third place in Senior Rotax despite struggling for power.
 
Current Shenington and Rissington Junior Max Club Champion, Matt Ryder suffered a heavy crash during Saturday's testing, resulting in a damaged kart and a painful hand. However, the team worked hard to get Matt back out on track. Unfortunately Sunday's racing did not to go plan for Ryder, and further examinations of his hand revealed a broken thumb! All at Jensen Kart Team wish Matt a speedy recovery, and hope to see him back to his winning ways soon.
 
Jensen Kart Team have vacancies for Minimax and Junior Max and Senior Max drivers at Rissington, Clay Pigeon and Dunkeswell. Want to realise your driver's potential with driver coaching and chassis set up from multiple champion driver Jacques Jensen? Then call Jacques on 07543 638542, or Tony on 07920 772096 to find out what we can do for you.

Jensen Kart Team are agents for Exprit karts, as well as Rotax and Mojo Products. Visit our website at www.jensenkartteam.co.uk.

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Kartcam Only £16.99   (24/02)

Get your 2012 season of to the best start & order the essential Karting Gadget now for only £16.99.

Our Cameras are small, lightweight & easy to use, ideal for recording onboard footage from your days racing.

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.

Kartcam has proved it's one of the most versatile & cost effective products on the market having Sold units Worldwide to many Karters & Racing teams.

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.

Also all our cameras come with 30 day money back guarantee.

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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KartMania Show 2012   (23/02)

KartMania are pleased to announce that for 2012, and the foreseeable future, they are moving to the prestigious "Wing" exhibition complex at Silverstone Circuit - new venue, new ideas and a new layout!

This is a great move for Kartmania to go to the home of British Motorsport, "The Wing" is not yet a year old and is situated above the pits, garages and paddock with a great view of the main circuit and also Stowe loop, this will allow us to have the KartBoot in the garage and pit area and have a kart arena in the paddock area for competitions and demonstrations.  The show is scheduled to take place on 17th and 18th November 2012.

Silverstone said "We are very pleased to be welcoming Kartmania to Silverstone in November. The show will add to the diverse range of events being held in the building this year and we hope that it remains on our calendar for many years to come".
 
Along with the KartMania exhibition this year both the Honda Seniors and the TKM 4 stroke seniors will be racing in the KartMania 4 Stroke Challenge, this is great news for 4 stroke fans to have almost 35 drivers competing in the 2 classes over 8 National rounds, we hope next year to build on this success and would like to introduce a junior 4 stroke class in the 2013 championship.

Keep up to date with developments at www.kartmania.co.uk.

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Formula Cadet Engine   (23/02)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) will announce the Formula Cadet engine by the end of March 2012.

Since May 2011 the MSA has been engaged in a tender process for the new engine, which will be introduced on 1 January 2013.

The MSA originally intended to announce the successful tenderer by 1 March 2012. However, further technical evaluation of the engines currently shortlisted is required and so the announcement has been delayed until 30 March 2012 at the latest.

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RL Racing Department   (22/02)

The potential of RL Racing's 2012 line-up was again demonstrated by a successful outing in tough conditions.

At Kimbolton last Sunday (12 February) Steve Armstrong's team added to its already packed trophy cabinet.

Preparing for the forthcoming Formula Kart Stars opening round at Dan Wheldon's former home circuit in April, the RL team had to cope with extreme cold and changing conditions.

Lewis Plato continued his excellent start to the 2012 season with a superbly taken victory in the senior class. A blistering start saw him go from 6th place on the grid to lead the 32-strong field by the end of the first lap. From there he was never headed and did enough to make sure his nearest rivals found no opportunity to pass.

Junior stars Sam Marsh and Josh White battled hard to ultimately cross the line in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Marsh had started from pole position, but was made to work hard throughout the 13-lap final. However, the team's gamble to put the pair on a wet set-up - and capitalise on the increasingly slippery conditions - paid off brilliantly. Sam was able to chip his way into the runner-up spot, whilst Josh carved his way up the order to complete RL's domination of the podium.

Lando Norris dropped from 3rd to 7th in a tough Mini Max encounter, but held his nerve to claw his way back to an eventual 3rd place finish.

"In many respects, right now, we're exactly where we need to be," said Team Principal Steve Armstrong. "We're taking trophies and podiums in each of the categories and that bodes well for when things get really serious. We're not getting cocky or complacent, quite the opposite. Each success proves we can do it and is inspiring the lads to push harder, go one better or keep winning. The awning is a very happy place to be right now and we've got a great vibe going on. The team spirit is just fantastic."

RL Racing Department has just two drives available in the 2012 line-up. For more information, please contact Steve Armstrong via accounts.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 07843 586 416 or register your interest with Cherelle Tooley at cherelle.rlracingdept@live.co.uk / 01502 716 200 (9am-5pm Monday- Wednesday).

You can also visit www.rlracingdepartmentltd.com for more information.

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Protrain And Formula K   (21/02)

The Rotax Winter Cup at the Spanish circuit Karting Campillos took place over 11th and 12th February; this event is often used by top european karters to test and get in shape for the upcoming season. Among them this year was Protrain Racing and Formula K Europe ready to assert their place at the head of the field, they were not to be disappointed.
 
In Juniors Turkish Championship winning driver Kaan Onder, racing with Protrain Racing for Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, looked set for success with excellent heats placing him 2nd, 3rd and 6th then claiming another 3rd in timed qualifying. Impressively in Onders first run out in Europe driving his new Formula K kart he was immediately on the pace with the Formula K's taking 2nd and 3rd place. The pre final looked just as promising with Onder coming in third and the other Formula K driver fourth. Although a great final was in prospect we were to be denied as Onder fought with a brake issue costing him dearly leaving him in fifth place. It was a very impressive start for Onder and Formula K and it is a partnership destined for success.
 
In Seniors the story of the day was the superb pace of the drivers new to Formula K karts. Over the entire weekend the battle in the Seniors was dominated by British and Irish drivers including Protrain and Formula K driver Charlie Eastwood and Ed Brand,(Formula K) with only Dave Blom in another Formula K Kart threatening their dominance. Timed practice was incredibly close with only one second separating the first and twenty sixth driver. Eventually the top four places were separated by less than 2/10ths with Eastwood second, and the other Formula K karts coming in fourth and fifth. The pre-final ended with Charlie Eastwood taking the win and the Formula K's securing first, second and fourth places. The  final saw a repeat of the same and after an exciting battle Protrain Driver Charlie Eastwood took a very well deserved second place.
 
It was a very impressive weekend for Onder, Eastwood, and Formula K. The drivers produced impressive times and results with all the drivers enjoying their maiden European race in their new chassis.
 
Gary Chapman of Protrain racing said "I really feel for Kaan, that he held on to finish fifth is a testimony to his superb driving after suffering brake failure. Charlie put in a fantastic performance all weekend and delivered a nail biting finish. I am really pleased with the excellent data we have secured over the weekend and am even more confident that our Formula K drivers will continue to dominate as the season progresses".
 
The UK team moves on to Shenington and the European team to Genk in Belgium.
 
Protrain Racing are UK distributors for Formula K, if you are interested in testing one or becoming an agent for this impressive marque please contact Gary Chapman on 07802 966064 or email him at protrain@karttraining.co.uk.

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Pre-Super One Testing   (20/02)

Ambition Motorsport have opened up their track hire days at Rowrah (Cumbria) for Teams/Drivers wishing to take part in some pre-Super 1 testing.
 
The dates are:
Thursday 12th April & Friday 13th April 2012 (which fall between the Rowrah double-header club meeting).
Tuesday 3rd July & Wednesday 4th July 2012 (which fall between the Super 1 rounds at Larkhall for MSA & Rotax).
 
There are still places available but all drivers will need to book in advance to secure a spot.
 
A maximum of 20 places only are available in each category - Cadet/Juniors/Seniors.
 
Please call Paul Janes on 07951 831236 or email info@ambitionmotorsport.com.

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MSA Seeks Applications...   (20/02)

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is inviting young British karters to put themselves forward for a chance to represent the UK in the 2012 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy.

The CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy is a world championship for 13- to 15-year-old karters, run in support of the "U18" Karting World Championship. The MSA is permitted to nominate a single driver to contest the Trophy's three events: Braga, Portugal (6-8 July); Angerville, France (24-26 August); and Bahrain (1-3 November).

Candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Be aged 13 to 15 (specific dates apply - please see full regulations)
Hold a CIK-FIA Grade C Junior International Karting Licence issued by the MSA, subject to having participated in either a minimum of six national karting events or three events entered on the International Sporting Calendar.

Robert Reid, MSA Performance Director, said: "The CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy presents a fantastic opportunity for a young British karter to make their mark on the international stage. Both Roy Johnson and Ben Barnicoat have represented the UK with aplomb for the last two years, with Ben only narrowly missing out on the 2011 title. We look forward to receiving applications for this year's championship, although I know it will be incredibly tough to pick just one to go forward."

Application forms and full regulations are available on request from greg.symes@msauk.org, and completed forms must be submitted by close of business on Monday 19 March 2012. An MSA Performance Panel will then select a single applicant to contest the Trophy as the sole UK representative.

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Win An Easykart Senior   (17/02)

Introducing 'The Coward Plant Win An Easykart Senior Grand Prix 2012'.

WinAKart.co.uk is offering you a chance to win your very own Easykart Senior, for keeps!

Take your place on the grid alongside your fellow competitors where you'll race against the clock in a bid to secure pole position. If you're up there with the fastest in your session, you could go on to win your heat.

The winners of the heats go through to the final race, the winner of this will win the Grand Prix and the Easykart Senior, plus the MSA 'Go Karting' starter pack.

It's going to be an epic Grand Prix, where every minute is full of excitement and every second counts.

Venue : Wessex Raceway, Salisbury
Price : £155 (in advance only)
Date : Sunday April 1 2012
Time : 3:15 pm

For more details and to enter visit www.winakart.co.uk.

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Strawberry Yields Forever   (17/02)

Strawberry Racing's latest signing Harrison Scott and Euro Max debutant Harry Webb were the cream of the crop in last weekend's (11/12 February) Rotax Winter Cup at Campillos, Andalucia.
 
In the Junior class, Webb dominated the event's early stages; topping the time sheets in qualifying before leading the field home in all three heats. He was made to settle for second in the pre-final before re-asserting his authority in the main final.
 
His team-mate, Jessica Backman made excellent progress up the order after a frustrating timed qualifying. In race trim, Jessica improved her finishing position in each of the heats and stunned her rivals with a terrific drive - from 17th to 7th - in the pre-final.
 
Tenth position in the main final concluded a satisfactory weekend for the ever-improving Swede.
 
Summing up their performances, Team Manager Warwick Ringham couldn't hide his delight: "Harry had a difficult season in 2011, so to see him come through his first European event and win was great for him and his family. He's hit strong form early on and walked away with one of the most prestigious titles in the international Rotax calendar. That's fantastic for him, and us. I'm really pleased for Jessica too. She showed great heart throughout and kept on pushing, she never stopped trying. When a driver does that, you can't ask for much more."  
 
Timed practice was something of a mixed bag for Strawberry's Senior stars. Andy King emerged as the fastest of the quartet, whilst - on his return to the Rotax arena and debut at senior level - Harrison Scott recorded the 7th-fastest time, with Ash Hand 17th and Andreas Backman completing the top twenty.
 
Ahead of the pre-final Scott had won all three heats, putting him on pole. King claimed 4th spot in the intermediate rankings with good finishes in his heats, as Hand increasingly got to grips with the different driving style required for international racing and finished the heats 10th overall. Backman suffered a torrid time and claimed 25th on the grid.
 
A collision at the start of the pre-final put Andy out of the running, but Harrison went on to cross the line in 3rd, ahead of Ash (5th). King was able to recover to 18th with luck evading Andreas again and he placed 30th.
 
Scott hit his stride in the feature race and went on to complete a dream debut victory with the reigning British Champions. Hand brought his Racer EVRR home in 3rd to add to Strawberry's trophy haul.
 
"It's great to see Harrison come back to racing and deliver a result like that," beamed Ringham. "Harrison signed for us late in the day and we were just going to do the Winter Cup as an extended test. What a test drive that was! Ash deserves praise too. He struggled in practice and qualifying but stuck at it and showed real grit by taking a richly-deserved podium. If I'm honest, Andy was the most consistent of the four throughout the week, but was really unlucky. When you're coming from the back you tend to get mixed up in other people's accidents. Andreas did really well all week and is getting better all the time."
 
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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Motivated By Motorsports   (16/02)

If you would like to be part of the newest innovation in kart racing.
If you would like to own your own team.
Would you like to supplement your income?
Looking for a way to pay for your own racing?

Partners required by well known karting operator. Strictly no capital investment, just hard work and enthusiasm.

Like to know more? Contact us on 01642 231117 or email admin@thekartingleague.co.uk.

Visit www.thekartingleague.co.uk.

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Easykart Curtain-Rasier   (16/02)

An unprecedented number of family connections will contest this weekend's curtain-raiser to the Easykart season.
 
World and national champions Luca and Ayrton Hirst recommence their battle for sibling supremacy in the Light class, but face a stern test from a quality field that includes Sam Dimelow, Barnaby Pittingale and race-winner Jake Hughes. World Finals Vice-Champion Patrick Lay has opted to sit the E Plate out, but his fellow finalists Brad Fairhurst, Jamie Summerhayes and Grant Hunter will be racing and are quick.
 
Dimelow will be joined by his younger brother Ben, who is an unknown quantity in Easykart terms, but will be well worth keeping an eye out for.
 
With reigning UK and World Finals Champion Pittingale moving to the Light brigade, his perennial shadow Will Smith is arguably the man to beat. That said, if they can throw off their usual early-season bad luck, then 'Sir' Tim Hill and Mark Lawrence will fancy their chances. In a reverse swap with Pittingale, former Light star Joe Paterson has moved into the Heavy class and will almost certainly impose himself at the front of the field.
 
Last year's most-improved driver, Andy Gould, is fired-up for his best season ever - the E-Plate's winner-takes-all format could play into his hands.
 
One of the most popular and feisty members of the Easykart fraternity, Jack Bruce, will provide excitement, drama and quite possibly, not a little controversy. And that's before he's got in the kart!
 
Expect series regulars Roland Bredner, Michael Roots, Simon Mace, Jim Rainbird, Neil Fisher and Ken Churchill also to be scrapping hard for the overall victory. A Carl Churchill has also entered this weekend's race, could he be yet another brother in this most family-friendly series?
 
Having graduated from the Easykart Driver Program to join Birel's works KF3 team, Will Stowell is making a welcome return to his roots and will renew his on-track rivalry with Ronan McKenzie. First they will have to deal with the blistering pace of current E-Plate holder James Lay. In turn, the stylish Oxfordshire pilot will have his hands full fending off Fulbeck-winner Zack Nickson and the emerging talents of Jack New and Michael Iacovou.
 
Esmee Hawkey, who featured strongly at Castelletto in her Cadet swansong, makes her Junior bow this weekend and making his debut at Whilton will be Thanassi Barnicoat. A warm reception awaits him and it will be great to see how he settles in to Easykart.  
 
In Cadet, Jordan Sanders' E-Plate crown is up for grabs after his move to Junior. As in the other classes, discussions with seasoned Easykart watchers invariably produces one or two names that repeatedly crop up as possible winners. In this case, Sam Faulkner and Jenson Murchison have the 'dubious' honour of being dubbed the clear favourites. This should not serve to downplay the abilities or chances of their fellow competitors. Ethan Hawkey - younger brother of Esmee - edged his way forward last year and will make his experience count.
 
Easykart UK is delighted to welcome seven new faces onto the Cadet grid; Adam Sparrow, Spencer Unsworth, Benjamin Harby, Charlotte Fox, George Watkins, Harry Barlow and Shayne Harrison.
 
The action starts from 10:00am on Sunday 19 February at Whilton Mill, near Daventry.
 
For more information, please visit www.easykart.co.uk.

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Super Cadet Opportunity   (16/02)

Permission has been given to run a support race at the ABkC KF O Plate & Winter Cup on 25th & 26th February 2012 for Super Cadet!

TVKC is proud to announce that it'll be running a support race for Super Cadet next weekend.
 
The Entry Fee is as per normal TVKC race meetings (£45 Saturday Practice + £55 Race Entry) with an optional Friday practice aswell.
 
The race format will be as per the Winter Cup event (ie TQ/Heats/Final) - over the two day period.
 
Tyres will be supplied by the competitor but will be marked/parc fermed.
 
If you are interested and want to take up this opportunity to race this class - enter now!

Download your entry form here.

Please note that entries close on Saturday 18th February 2012
 
For further information, please contact Lesley Richardson (Competition Secretary) at compsec@tvkc.co.uk or M: 07545 131099.

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Kent Kart Championship 2012   (15/02)

New for 2012 is the Kent Kart Championship, a joint venture between Buckmore Park Kart Club and Bayford Meadows Kart Racing. The six round two circuit series will be open to all ABkC classes, including Junior Subaru and will begin in April at the Bayford Meadows meeting on the 22nd.
 
There will be no championship registration fee just the usual race entry fees. Drivers will score points in each meeting towards the usual club championship and also towards the Kent Championships (points are scored in the finals only).
 
This championship is a welcome opportunity for drivers to compete at more than one circuit avoiding the costs associated with racing in a National Championship.
 
The following sponsors have already offered support for the championship... Anderson CSK, Bayford Meadow Kart Circuit, Buckmore Kart Circuit, Chris Hawes, Dartford Karting, DG Racing, Evolution, JAG, Kart David, NJR, Project 1, ProKart Engineering, Strawberry, The Kart Shop at Buckmore Tillett Racing, Trackdata and Wavertree, with more to follow.

The championship calendar is as follows:

Round 1 - 22nd April - Bayford Meadow
Round 2 - 20th May - Buckmore Park
Round 3 - 24th June - Bayford Meadow
Round 4 - 15th July - Buckmore Park
Round 5 - 26th August - Bayford Meadow
Round 6 - 16th September - Buckmore Park
 
For full details contact 01634 661604 or email sheila@buckmore.co.uk.

Buckmore Park Kart Club Ltd. Tel: 01634 661604. Website: www.buckmoreparkkartclub.co.uk.
BMKR. Tel: 07907 490476. Website: www.bmkr.co.uk.

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Connor Hall Shows Class   (14/02)

Connor Hall made his first trip outside of the UK to take part in the Rotax Winter Cup at the Campillos circuit in southern Spain. This was also only his second time competing in the Junior rotax class, with Connor only having just moved from the Comer cadet class in October 2011 into the bigger Minimax class.
 
For some time Connor was part of the Eclipse Cadet Team and guidance from James Bean and one of the best is the business - driver coach David Bellchambers - made him the driver he is today.
 
In Septeber 2011 a decision was made to finish in the Cadet class to get an early start in Rotax, and in October 2011 Connor started a new chapter and joined the Coles Racing team. Team pricipal Adrian Coles lives for sucess and has already developed drivers into champions, making this an exciting move.
 
After some initial testing, Connor was thrown in at the deep end and was entered into the last two rounds of the Rotax Super 1 series. This was a major ask, but Connor held his own and put in some solid drives.

From then on he has never looked back, and to this point is one of the most sucessfull newcomers to the Minimax Class notching up countless wins at club level including a double entry at the Shennington club meeting where he not only took victory in the minimax class but finished 6th and set the joint fastest lap time in the Junior Class along with a podium finish at the Super 1 Winter Series.

And now European success to add to Connor's domestic achievements with a 2nd place finish at the Rotax Winter Cup in Spain. Having won the pre-final from 6th on the grid, Connor led the main final for 11 of the 14 laps at which point it was to be decided between Connor and his fellow countryman Harry Webb. It went all the way to the flag with Webb desperate to keep Connor behind him. This was a great result for both of the English drivers who despite scrapping for the last few laps were still well clear of the field.
 
You can keep an eye on Connor at www.connorhall.co.uk - watch this space!

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Biz Karts Online Store   (14/02)

Biz Karts are pleased to announce the launch of their new online Karts Parts store.

Aimed at the retail market, customers are able to easily browse, buy and securely pay for a large range of parts and accessories including racewear, clutches, Honda engines and spare parts.

Being the largest kart manufacturer in the UK enables Biz Karts to carry in excess of £300,000 worth of karting stock so current items lines are going to be constantly added, as well as the addition of new ranges specifically for our online store.
 
Visit www.bizkartsparts.com to check it out now, or email sales@bizkartsparts.com with any enquiries.

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Formula K Dominate   (13/02)

Following on from a great team debut in Senior Rotax at Forest Edge last weekend, R&S Motorsport went one better and came away with a team 1, 2, 3 and fastest lap. With Jamie Rush pulling clear after a great start, Josh Harvey and Clay Kart Shop's James Glenister dug deep and managed to come through the field to produce the amazing end result! Proving that both the chassis and team are the ones to be with this season if you want to be at the front!

Jamie and James were both using engines and carbs supplied by Clay Kart Shop and were superb all weekend.

The weekend prior at Forest Edge also had great success, with the return of International driver Dane Smith driving a Tecno SS30 Chassis, to produce a great 1, 2, 3 line-up for the final, with Jamie Rush and Josh Harvey 2nd and 3rd, Dane put in some great heats to secure pole in his first race in 18 months and finished 2nd.

Team boss Brian Rush said "I am very impressed so far with the new chassis, the drivers have expressed how balanced the chassis was, and they were able to achieve greater mid corner speeds and still have excellent release. I'm very excited about this year, and the chassis has been very easy to setup and quick in standard form. I'd like to thank all at Formula K Europe for all their efforts of developing such a superb product."

Clay Kart Shop have been appointed as an agent for both the chassis and spares. We are looking forward to a great partnership in the coming years, especially following the success from this weekend!

We are still looking for more agents across the country, and if you're interested in this great product then Contact Brian on 07824324255 or email info@fkuk.co.uk.

Also we still have great packages in our fully equipped awning from technical support to full arrive and drive at selected club meetings and MSA Super One Series from as little as £50 a day.

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Grice Racing Update   (13/02)

2012 has started strongly for Ben Hingeley after he dominated the proceedings in the Junior Max class at Three Sisters.

Connor Hall has also made a strong start to the New Year with a strong first win at Shenington in Minimax, as Tom Harvey walked away from Danny Kierle and Ash England, to head a 1-2-3 finish also at Shenington in Junior Max.

Over at PF International, Junior Max racer Josh White was another to take opening New Year honours, when he beat Gus Greensmith and Bob Thompson.  Another youngster to top the podium was Lando Norris, who took victory in his first Minimax race, with Connor Mills coming home in 4th place.

And yet another win came at Whilton Mill when Oli Myers took his first win using Grice Power, with Danny Kierle just behind him in 2nd place. In the meantime Jai Nijjar dominated Minimax with a stunning flag to flag victory, as Connor Hall fought well to take 4th place with a great drive.

The latest Grice special offer continues to run for a full engine rebuild, including all parts and labour, (but excluding conrod and balance) for just (see below)... ask your local builder for their prices to compare with the following:
Rotax - £340
Comer Cadet - £180
TKM - £180
Dyno Power Test - £80
Carb Strip/Prepare - £60

In addition to the above competitive pricing our now famous Max annual hire package continues into the new season. The costs for 2012 will be:
Minimax - £3,500
Senior/Junior Max - £3,700

These costs include all servicing and dyno costs for the whole of the 2012 season of racing in the UK.

For further information please call Ricky Grice on 01268 727847, 07768 047253, or visit www.griceracingengines.com.

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BPKC Winter Champs   (10/02)

The second round (of three) of the Buckmore Park Kart Club Winter Championship takes place on Sunday the 19th February.

All ABkC non gear box classes are welcome including Bambino and Suburu. Open Practice is available on both Friday 17th and Saturday 18th February.

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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Success Doesn't Have...   (10/02)

Four years running and still an unbeatable price of £179 with no hidden extras at Shenington and Whilton Mill.

Whatever age, ability or class the Kart Coach Team will provide the support you need to achieve your goals.

Our relaxed, friendly and spacious awning is the perfect setting in which to learn the practical and physiological skills you'll need to succeed in this exciting, demanding and ultra-competitive sport.

Driver: Detailed track walks and one to one coaching. We show you how to get the most from yourself and find the consistency you need to deliver that perfect lap. We closely monitor your on track performance and a comprehensive debrief follows each session/heat.  We will then suggest how you can improve your technique and reduce your lap times. We'll help to build up your mental strength and give you the confidence to make better starts and maximise your overtaking opportunities.

Dads: We'll teach you how to do prep your Kart, from chain adjustment to carb strip down and tuning, axle changes and steering geometry. Plus, we'll show you how to get the most out your kart in all track conditions. It's not just wet/dry hot/cold; there are an awful lot of subtle changes that will enhance the performance of your kart. We'll even do the mechanical stuff for you until have the confidence to do it yourself!

Make every weekend a productive weekend and move forward with Kart Coach.

Still at an unbeatable £179 per weekend, inclusive of one to one coaching, awning space, air and specialist tools.

Visit www.kartcoach.com or phone Michael for a chat on 07881 908291.

Kart Coach congratulates Connor Gibbs, Junior Max 3rd in Shenington 4th in the Whilton Mill Club Championship, and Daniel O'Beirne 2nd in Shenington. Archie Strong goes from strength to strength at Shenington, a fabulous 4th in the final cadet race of the year!

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Elite Karting League   (09/02)

As interest in the Elite Karting League - an exciting new race format - builds, Jeff Brigham recounts his journey from arrive & drive racer to team manager in two years...

"My career in karting started only a couple of years ago. As a child, I always held a fascination for pretty much anything with wheels. Coming from a desperately poor family, however, there was no way we could go racing. So me and my crazy friend used to strip down old mopeds, get them running (just) and ride round a track we fashioned ourselves in the woods whilst most kids our age were happy playing conkers. When I left college I became a dispatch rider for an elite courier company in the West End,  and found I was at home racing (yes ,racing) round the tightly packed streets of London. Eight years later I married and was forced to find a job less dangerous. That seemed to call time on me and racing for a living".

"Twenty years later a few friends and I were looking for something different to do at the weekend. We decided to go karting at one of the local tracks - it was thrilling and I rediscovered my love of racing. Karting soon became our regular choice on a weekend; we raced at circuits all over our local area.
The more I drove the more I loved it and I was winning by a mile. I wanted to go faster. We looked around and heard about the EPEC, run by Bob Pope of Teesside Autodrome, I loved the sound of it - but we didn't have our own kart! That was it. I had to buy one."
 
We found a second-hand MS Kart online and bought it. I had nowhere to store it of course, or a van to transport it (mad?), but we owned our own kart - European Championships here we come! Of course, when we got to the first round at Whilton Mill, we realised how thoroughly out of our depth we were. We were diabolical! But we did race, and we finished when many others didn't, and I was hooked! From then on each round became easier and we improved race by race, we recruited a new team member more familiar with the mechanics and we did well - finishing 12th in the Clubmans in the end. But we'd spent an awful lot of money doing it."

Surely there must be a better way?

"Then we heard about the new Elite Karting League, and were given the opportunity to run the team for the Cambridge, I had a great feeling about it immediately, and I jumped at the chance. I began organising a team and promoting the League. We decided on a team name, the Cambridge Cobras. Next we started spreading the word, using social networking. We had great response and started running practice days, our first one in late November."

"Our club has now swelled to over 30 members, our practice days are packed, and we have a great team spirit. We have taken the team to Whilton Mill and Teesside ahead of the league fixtures this year, and have made a great alliance with Caxton Kartsport, our local track. We have no doubt that with the enthusiasm shown by Bob and Kat Pope, and many others, the Elite League will soon become the most successful and popular form of kart racing yet."

There are many opportunities for team owners and drivers in the Elite Karting League, combined with a real opportunity to earn money in karting for the first time!

If you live in the Cambridge area and would like to find out more about joining the Cambridge Cobras, or if you would like to know more about the other 40 teams taking part in the EKL, visit www.thekartingleague.co.uk.

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Extra Rissy Practice Date   (09/02)

With extra days available, Rissy will be running a practice day on Saturday 25th February in advance of the opening round of the Championships which is the 3rd and 4th March! So why not take advantage and get in some testing and valuable seat time. For other extra dates see website.
 
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.
 
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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Barlow Moves To Intrepid   (09/02)

Reigning Super One, Kartmasters and Rotax Cup champion Jack Barlow has joined the Intrepid works team to bolster their attack on this year's WSK Euro Series, plus the CIK/FIA European Championship and World Cup.

The Englishman will form part of the acclaimed Intrepid Driver Program and has been promised outings in selected UK-based events - such as Kartmasters and the British KF2 Championship - during the forthcoming campaign.

Speaking about the move, he said: "I'm very excited to join Intrepid and have the opportunity to test myself in a completely new arena. This is an important step for me and it is a chance that I'm going to grasp with both hands.

"In just nine years (since the company was founded), Intrepid has enjoyed an incredible history of success. I am very honoured to have been chosen to become part of the Driver Program and I intend to pay back the faith put in me by Mirko Sguerzoni and Benjy Russell"

Explaining how the deal came about, Intrepid's British importer Benjy Russell said: "During a meeting at the factory (at Salizzole, near Verona) the owner, Mirko, explained that he wanted to put a really strong driver line-up together for KF2 and asked if I had any recommendations. I'd been watching Jack's progress at home and was impressed with his speed, consistency and racecraft. The fact that he's a proven winner and possesses a great personality made putting his name forward very easy. He has a lot to learn but we all think he'll successfully adapt to the class and the team."

The opening round of the WSK Euro Series will be held at Sarno, near Naples on 12-15 April.
 
In the interim, keep up to speed with Jack and his racing career by visiting www.jackbarlowracing.co.uk.

Photograph courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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Harrison Scott Returns   (09/02)

Harrison Scott has signed with reigning Super One, Kartmasters and Rotax Cup champions Strawberry Racing to contest the forthcoming (8-12 February) Rotax Winter Cup at Campillos, Spain.
 
The event marks the highly-rated Essex teenager's return to competition after budget constraints forced him onto the sidelines towards the end of last season.
 
Scott will compete in the senior class for the first time, but despite a lack of seat time, Strawberry team manager Warwick Ringham expects him to shine.
 
"There's no pressure on Harrison to win it first time out, but at the same time I don't think he's just going to make up the numbers. This is really a test event to see how he gets on in the racing and settles in with the team. His time in KF3 will have taught him a lot, but he has to re-adjust to Rotax and its different tyres, power delivery and style of racing."
 
Ringham added: "It's exciting for all of us because when he last drove in the Max classes, Harrison was one of the drivers that every team wanted to have with them. We both have the opportunity to demonstrate just how good we are in Spain. I can't wait!"
 
Scott will partner Andy King, Ash Hand and Andreas Backman.
 
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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Start The New Year   (08/02)

To start the new year, now is the ideal time to get everything ready. If you need to check your chassis, BRT are here to help - we are the market leaders in realignment and any make of chassis can be checked on our state of the art rig. We also offer an excellent straightening service for all your other equipment such as axles 25mm-50mm, columns, stubs, track rods, bumpers, etc.

In addition we still offer a superb engine building service for WTP, TKM, Rotax, etc.

Contact Adrian on 01384 75664, email adrian@brtkarting.co.uk, or visit our website at www.brtkarting.co.uk.

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King Prepares For 2012   (08/02)

While many of Britain's top-flight Kart racers enjoyed a well earned break during the traditional off-season in January there was no such opportunity for Littleborough's Andy King to relax as his preparations for the 2012 season continued apace on and off the track.
 
The 17 year-old Senior Rotax driver, currently based in Conwy and studying for a National Diploma in Motorsport at Myerscough College, is coming off a career-best year in 2011 in which he finished third in the British Super One Senior Rotax Championship and tenth in the Rotax World Finals.
 
Entering his first full season with multiple British and European Championship winning team Strawberry Racing Andy is preparing for a duel assault on the British Super One and Rotax Euro Challenge championships and his potential has been realised by leading British Motorsport weekly paper Motorsport News, who put him second on their annual list of 50 young racing drivers to look out for in 2012.
 
"I'm really looking forward to the new year," beamed Andy, who is aiming to emulate outgoing Super One Champion Ed Brand, who sealed the title with Strawberry in 2011. "I'm one hundred per cent confident in my team and equipment and I know that we have the package to achieve what we all expect. It won't be easy but preparations have started really well. This time last year I was testing and trying to beat the Strawberry team, now I'm with them!"
 
Andy began the month of January with the official Super One presentation at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, where he was also invited to compete alongside the likes of Le Mans 24 Hour winner David Brabham in the annual Autosport charity kart race to help raise money for Race 2 Recovery.
 
"It was nice to be able to unwind with the whole team and to see everyone rewarded for their efforts last year. Strawberry Racing had a great year in 2011 in Mini Max, Junior Max and Senior Max and it sets a high standard for this year's drivers to match."
 
Although the result of the charity kart race did go the way of Andy and his co-drivers in the Racing for Charity team Andy knew that the result was one thing that wasn't important on this occasion.
 
"It was for a great cause and it was a lot of fun. Some people took it a bit too seriously but the whole event was a lot of fun and it was an honour to be asked to drive for the defending champions and help raise a lot of money."
 
No sooner had the fun ended it was time to get back to business as Andy and his mechanic David 'Dodge' Gregory began testing for the first major event of the new season, the annual Rotax Winter Cup at Campillos near Malaga. Although the frigid surroundings of Paul Fletcher International in Lincolnshire and Whilton Mill in Daventry are somewhat different to what Andy can expect later this month in Southern Spain Andy had to familiarise himself with the front braking system used in Europe but not in the UK.
 
"I've only driven with front brakes once before so it was a great help to get back in the kart and have a couple of days to get used to them," continued King, who enters the Spanish event with confidence having experienced the rigours of international competition in last years World Finals. "I'm hungry for victory. I'm going to be able to hit the ground running. I was able to get comfortable with Strawberry last year and now I'm settled in the new environment and I'm setting out to bring home a trophy."
 
"The Winter Cup is a good race to set the season in motion," added Gregory. "It will be a strong field and it's a great way to see what you're up against for the rest of the year. I'm confident that Andy will stay relaxed and do very well."

Photographs courtesy of Chris Walker/Kartpix.net.

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DND Motorsport Website   (08/02)

DND Motorsport have a brand new website.  Included is our new online shop, where we sell everything from sprockets and chains, to Rotax engine parts and much, much more.

Also online you will find our full range of Intrepid parts.

So to see what we have to offer check out www.DNDMotorsport.com.

In other news DND Motorsport now accept all major credit and debit cards, including American Express.

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adidas miCoach & Super1   (08/02)

Super1 are delighted to join with adidas and Porsche in presenting this exclusive opportunity to their competitors to test your fitness against your friends and rivals.

The dates have now been confirmed as Tuesday 6th March and Tuesday 18th September, places are limited but there are still a few available so get your registration in quickly.

Fitness Challenge at Porsche Silverstone Experience Centre is held over two half-days, Tues 6th March and Tues 18th September. There will be a series of 5 fitness tests, covering stamina, speed, strength and reaction times, with adidas prizes for best and also most improved performances.

The £119.99 entry fee includes:

- miCoach Pacer interactive training system with heart rate monitor & stride sensor (miCoach Pacer website)
- Participation for both days fitness tests
- Prizegiving buffet lunch on final day
- Hot lap in latest Porsche road car for parent/guardian
- Motorsport fitness and nutrition talk from experts
- Introduction to Porsche Scholarship program

After the first test, use your miCoach interactive training system and the online training programs to improve your fitness and increase your chances of winning at the final test.

Each winner will receive a pair of adidas Kart XLT shoes, a pair of Nomex adiStar gloves, a pair of adidas training shoes and training apparel.
Each runner-up will receive a pair of adidas training shoes and training apparel.

A chance not to be missed, so for further information please contact Toby Warrington at adidas///motorsport. Email: toby@fyshe.com or telephone 07775 713081.

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Winter Cup Series   (07/02)

With the second round of the Winter Cup & ABkC KF O Plate meeting coming up at PF International on 24-26 February there is plenty time for Cadet, Rotax and KF drivers to register and enter. And there are the prestigious ABkC O Plate trophies and plates up for grabs in the KF2 and KF3 classes. With 2 out of 3 rounds to count, PF International and the third round due at Shenington on 9-11 March, the championships are completely open. Only one grid of 30 per class can be accepted.
 
There are lots of reasons to enter the series, including:
 
- Friday Testing (optional).
- Much 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.
- Unfettered practice and racing prior to Super One.
- 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, Senior Max.
 
This is a great opportunity to race against the best, 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, entry forms, fuel (KF only) and tyre order forms please visit www.sheningtonkrc.co.uk. For convenience the forms are duplicated on the Super One website superoneseries.com  on the Contact Us / Downloads section.

For any queries please contact the co-ordinator Sonja Game on 01869 320157 or by email on sonja_super1@msn.com.

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Racing At Lydd   (07/02)

This weekend sees Lydd hosting Round 4 of their Winter Series, with classes available for almost any kart!

Last month saw another bumper entry and we look forward to welcoming as many competitors as possible this month.

Did your racing get snowed off last weekend, or were you unable to get to a circuit due to the weather? Well, why not try Lydd this weekend - Open Practice is on Saturday 11th, followed by our non-MSA race meeting on Sunday 12th. Come along and get your adrenalin fix at Kent's fastest Kart Circuit!

Race day consists of practice, timed qualifying, two heats and a final for each class. Bambinos are also very welcome, with 3 timed runs following their practice.
 
For more information call us on 01797 321895 or visit our website at www.lyddkarting.com.

See you there!

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Llandow Kart Club 2012   (06/02)

Llandow Kart Club are pleased to announce some significant changes for 2012. Firstly we have moved our race weekend to the second weekend of the month and secondly in response to the requests of many drivers we have moved the location of the start line to a new position on the Hanger Straight. This should ensure a fairer starting procedure for all.
 
Held at South Wales Karting Centre located just 15 minutes from junction 35 of the M4 and within an hours drive of Bristol. We offer racing for all major classes on what is regarded by many as the finest 'drivers circuit' in the country. 
 
Our race entry and practice fees remain some of the cheapest around with a full days practice and race entry costing just £80 for members and £90 for non members. Plus our special online entry deal for members consisting of a full days practice and race entry for just £75 has been continued for 2012!
 
Our first meeting is taking place this coming weekend on the 12th of February and we will be accepting entries up to the 9th of February and due to our coastal location we rarely suffer from the adverse weather that seems to afflict many other circuits at this time of year! For full details and online entry. please visit www.llandowkartclub.co.uk or call Colin on 07817 449617.