World Championship fever rises in Britain

Before its start, the next worldwide Competition for OK and OK-Junior offers all the aspects of a great sporting spectacle. The 185 Driver field is of course one of the major elements with the presence of the greatest talents in today’s Karting. But the peculiarities of PF International’s track and the in-depth knowledge of the British participants are likely to make the 2017 CIK-FIA World Championship and the CIK-FIA World Junior Championship two memorable events from 22th to 24th September in Lincolnshire.

The CIK-FIA races that have taken place on the biggest circuit in the UK have been particularly intense. This was especially the case in 2015, at the CIK-FIA European KF and KF-Junior Championship. Britain has often proved itself in the training of young Champions and the excellent teams from the United Kingdom are not lacking. Relaunched in 2016 with the new OK generation of engines, the MSA British Kart Championship has been a great success in Junior and Senior.

With the CIK-FIA World KZ Championship and the CIK-FIA International Super Cup in KZ2 Wackersdorf demonstrated once again the sporting and popular appeal of the World Championships in a single Competition. Thanks to an identical racing format, PF International should not be left behind.

With its 91 entries, the OK category has reached the highest attendance of its young history at the CIK-FIA World Championship. In England, the top specialists will of course be in the game. 2017 CIK-FIA European Champion Sami Taoufik (FA Kart / Vortex / LeCont) will face his usual rivals, Pavel Bulantsev (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont) and Lorenzo Travisanutto (Zanardi / Parilla / LeCont), against rookies like Finlay Jack Kenneally (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont), Dennis Hauger (CRG / Parilla / LeCont), Theo Pourchaire (Kosmic / Vortex / LeCont) and David Vidales Ajenjo (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont). There are a lot of experienced drivers who are former World Champion, including Flavio Camponeschi (CRG / Parilla) the winner in 2012, Thomas Joyner (Zanardi / Parilla / LeCont) in 2013, Karol Basz (Kosmic / Vortex / LeCont) in 2015 and Pedro Hiltbrand Aguilar (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont) in 2016.

It will also be an opportunity to see Drivers change categories. Felice Tiene (Birel ART / TM / LeCont) and Jorge Carlos Pescador (Praga / TM / LeCont) raced in the CIK-FIA World KZ Championship at Wackersdorf, or Sebastian Persson (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont) who finished 2nd and Martijn Van Leeuwen (Energy / Parilla) 6th in the CIK-FIA International Super Cup for KZ2.

Ben Barnicoat (Birel ART / TM) is back in Karting, as is his compatriot Laura Tillett (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont). This is also the case for the Japanese driver Daiki Sasaki, the 2011 CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF1 Champion and Japanese Champion in F3 National. On the other hand, several Drivers of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy will meet in OK: Oliver Clarke (Tony Kart / Parilla / LeCont), 7th in 2017, Gabriel Nord (Tony Kart / Vortex / LeCont), 11th in 2017, 2016 winner Callum Bradshaw (CRG / Parilla / LeCont) or Alejandro Lahoz Lopez (FA Kart / Parilla / LeCont), 2nd in 2015.

The 2017 CIK-FIA World Junior Championship has a substantial list of 94 entries. Jonny Edgar (Exprit / TM Racing / Vega) will be undeniably the favourite of the Competition along with the best performers of the season: Harry Thompson (FA Kart / Vortex / Vega), Jack Doohan (FA Kart / Vortex / Vega), Hadrien David (Zanardi / Parilla / Vega) or Christopher Lulham (Exprit / TM Racing / Vega). Some drivers have changed their equipment for the occasion to try to boost their chances, like Leonardo Marseglia (Tony Kart / Vortex / Vega) or Luigi Coluccio (BirelART / TM Racing / Vega).

Serious contenders are however numerous enough for the conquest of the world title to be totally open before the first Races. Five young Drivers of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy will be at the start, including its winner, Xavier Handsaeme, rewarded for his victory with a participation offered by OTK Kart Group within the Kosmic Racing Department. Sami Meguetounif (Tony Kart / Vortex / Vega) in 5th, Joseph Taylor (BirelART / Parilla / Vega) in 6th and Jamie Day (Energy / TM Racing / Vega) in 10th will make their debut on the world stage.

Meet on Friday 22nd September for the start of Qualifying Phase and Sunday 24th for the Finals starting at 14:15 (GMT + 1). Results and live-timing will be available on www.cikfia.com while the live broadcast will start on Sunday 24th at 10:30 (GMT + 1) on www.cikfia.tv.