Vintage Karting Festival: karting in nostalgia mode

By organising the Karting Vintage Festival on 9 October 2022, at the Karting de Francorchamps track, KP Event intends to bring together historic karting enthusiasts… and to awaken many memories among those who feel nostalgic about karting!

Nostalgia is… in fashion! What a pleasure it is to go back to a period which we like to cherish in our memories. Karting first appeared in the second half of the 1950s and has grown tremendously thanks to its simplicity and the sensations it can provide. Over the years, karting has become an almost compulsory starting point for young people who dream of becoming professional racing drivers. At the same time, it has never been neglected by the countless amateur drivers who come to seek maximum pleasure in this basic form of motor sport.

Human evolution is inevitable. Karting is no exception to the rule and it has evolved a great deal, both in terms of technique and the budgets required. But if high level karting has never stopped becoming more professional, there are more and more people who are nostalgic for the “old days”, and in particular for those famous 100cc two-stroke engines which can rev to an incredible 20,000 rpm.

The characteristic shrill noise, the smell of castor oil, the lightness of the chassis without the current protections and even the return of gestures which have disappeared today, such as “greasing” (a way of lubricating the engine by bringing an extra mixture of petrol/oil into the cylinder) or starting with a push from the mechanic… There are so many stimuli which cannot fail to awaken memories in enthusiasts as soon as a historic kart takes to the track!

“It is in this spirit that KP Event will organise its first Vintage Karting Festival on Sunday 9 October 2022 at the Karting de Francorchamps track,” explains Valérie Duchateau, who for more than 20 years was in charge of the organisation of the World and European Championship events in Mariembourg and Francorchamps. “We want above all to set up a meeting of old-style karting enthusiasts; a festival which we hope will interest Belgians, but also foreign drivers who are happy to be able to revive their karts and engines homologated before 2003.”

The Vintage Karting Festival will offer a mix of races and regularity sessions, rather like demonstrations, for those who prefer not to do battle in a pack.

On the competition side, the Formula 20,000 category will include karts with a maximum 40 mm or 50 mm diameter rear axle and powered by a 100cc air-cooled engine (valve or flap). Both chassis and engine must have been homologated between 1986 and 2002.
Going further back in time, the Formula Sport will welcome chassis (with or without side protection) and 100cc air-cooled engines (valve or flap) homologated between 1978 and 1985. Here too, participants will be able to compete in real races.

Finally, the Vintage Formula will be a regularity event where each driver will try to set personal best times within the narrowest possible range. Different categories will be available with the possibility of racing with a kart built between 1956 (the year karting was created in the United States) and 1977. For those who absolutely do not want to enter their equipment in direct competition, karts built between 1978 and 1989 could also find a place in this regularity formula. In any case, it is the history of karting which will pass before the eyes of spectators ready to go back in time… or to discover what the discipline was like at the time.

It should be noted that, in addition to the competition aspect on Sunday 9 October 2022, the Karting de Francorchamps track will be reserved for historic karts on Saturday 8 October 2022, for a track fee. To participate in this Karting Vintage Festival, all information can be obtained from Valérie Duchateau by e-mail at info@kpevent.net.

So, will you be enjoying a good dose of nostalgia on 9 October 2022 at Francorchamps?

Info KP Event / Photos DR