Competition

Young drivers in the limelights !

The CIK-FIA Championship season will open on 17-19 April 2009 at Muro Leccese in Italy, on the La Conca track, with the first round of the CIK-FIA European Championships of the Super KF & KF1 categories on the one hand, and of KZ2 on the other. In these difficult times, which must lead to […]

International Event FIA Karting

102-Drivers-to-compete-in-the-2009-CIK-FIA-European-KZ2-Champs-_.jpg

In these difficult times, which must lead to further thought regarding appropriate means to reduce costs at the highest level of Karting, 24 entries have been recorded in the top category. While several seasoned professional Drivers have not entered this year – nor have some older ones – the field will give tomorrow’s hopefuls more than their due, which will restore the original virtues of Karting, namely the revelation of talents. Compared to 2008, the average age of participants has indeed been reduced from 20 to 18 years old. The majority of Drivers have chosen to enter the most technically free category, “Super KF”. Winner of the World Cup for KF2 in 2008, Britain’s Oliver Rowland will be in the spotlight as he is officially sponsored by McLaren-Mercedes (like a certain Lewis Hamilton some ten years ago). The Briton will again be opposed to the Czech Zdenek Groman, his runner-up in the 2008 World Cup, and the young Finn Aaro Vainio, reigning European Junior Champion. The Briton Robert Foster-Jones, the Dutchman Jack Te Braak, Belgium’s Yannick de Brabander and Rick Dreezen, as well as a few other “Flying Finns” such as Aleksi Tuukkanen, Miika Kunranta and Jarno Hamppi, belong to the up-and-coming generation. These ambitious youngsters will have to compete against safe and well established talented Competitors like the Frenchman Manuel Renaudie, the Brits Jason Parrott and Michael Ryall (who won the World Cup for KF2 in 2007) and the Finn Simo Puhakka. One Driver is entered in KF1, a technically more affordable class: the Spaniard Luis Villalba.

KZ2 (gearbox kart category) will compete at Muro Leccese in the first of its two European Championship events. There are 102 entries, i.e. 35 more than in 2007 and only 2 fewer than in 2008. With 18 nationalities represented, the field will be quite cosmopolitan and there is a similar variety as regards the entered chassis (26) and engine (10) makes. Among these participants who will approximately be one hundred, it would be risky to make any forecasts, even though in view of the results of 2008 and of the beginning of this season it can be expected to see in the forefront Drivers like Britain’s Jack Hawksworth, Italy’ Angelo Lombardo and Massimo Aceto, the Czech Patrick Hajek and the Dutch brothers Jorrit & Yard Pex, Kevin Leitjens and Frank Van der Windt.

Qualifying practice is scheduled for Friday 17 April from 14h15 to 16h45. Saturday will be dedicated to the many qualifying heats (15!). Three additional qualifying heats will be held on Sunday morning, followed by 4 final phase races in the afternoon from 13h15 onwards. As it has been customary for the last three years, the CIK-FIA publishes all the results in real time on the www.cikfia.com Website. Television coverage will be carried out by Eurosport 2 (first magazine to be broadcast on April 28 at 6:30pm).

Info CIK / © Photo KSP

Publié le 09/04/2009