2015 CIK-FIA Best-Of: Kristianstad Karting Klubb

Justifiably respected Swedish organisation

Rebuilt in 2012 after a fire destroyed the building, the Swedish Asum Ring circuit is run by the small team of enthusiasts at Kristianstad Karting Klubb, well supported by the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation and Karting Commission and by the officials of the Skåne Region. At the CIK-FIA European Championship in 2014 and 2015, the hospitality, passion and responsiveness of the Swedes quickly persuaded the karting community. Qualities that have undoubtedly influenced the award of the 2016 World KZ Championship to the Kristianstad circuit.

Tobias Groth, the club president, and Jesper Håkansson, are among the key links in the Asum Ring. They are the main subjects of the interview.

Can you tell us about the functioning of the track and the club?

– The current team consists of five people. We manage the club and the track as well as our personal business activities. After the fire that destroyed the clubhouse, we decided to rebuild a larger building in order to accommodate big races. At the same time, we proceeded in upgrading the track. We have good relations with our ASN, Svenska Bilsportförbundet, who encouraged us in this process. We had to forge more partnerships with local companies, and also the Skåne Region to complete the project. From 2012 we took over the organisation of races, first regional, then national and international. We run an average of 4 to 5 races per year. The rest of the time the track hosts leisure karts.

– How did the last two CIK-FIA Competitions go?

It is a big job, a lot of pressure, especially for the first in 2014. We started to relax when the Final ended! Apparently the karting community was satisfied, because we have received many testimonies of satisfaction and gratitude. The balance was also positive for our partners who are willing to follow us in the adventure of the World Championship in 2016. The Swedish Drivers were delighted to participate in these international events thanks to wildcards. We expect even stronger national participation next year.

– What is your vision for the future?

We are not quite able to develop the activity of the circuit as we would like. Applications abound to host more Competitions. The next step is to hire a full time person for the organisation, and also to maintain and enhance our partnerships. Kristianstad is very well located, not too far north, with a relatively mild climate, and close to major cities such as Malmö and especially Copenhagen. We have one of the only CIK homologated tracks in Scandinavia. When we see the potential drivers in Sweden, as well as in Finland, Norway and Denmark, it is certain that our system can meet a real need.

(Extract from CIK-FIA 2015 Best-of)

Info CIK-FIA / © Photo KSP