Praga Journal 19

JOURNAL Issue 2019

R1 affordable

New PRAGA LOGO

and competitive features

PRAGA

is changing

RENTAL KART business

R1 rollbar system

And much more…

Image courtesy of Galaxy Kalip

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2019

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EDITORIAL Here at Praga and IPK, we are going through a revolutionary phase.

Almost all of our divisions are in the final stages of preparing new products.

One of the most important changes is the upgrade of Praga’s logo and corporate identity. We have modified the logo to be more distinctive, while retaining the heritage and tradition of the brand.

TADEÁŠ MAREK Marketing director

In IPK, we started focusing on young racing talent and we are also unveiling groundbreaking updates to our rental products and services.

All our go-kart brands are getting technical upgrades and a new livery and we are soon due to launch a new IPK website. It will serve as a catalogue of all our customer products, as well as an ordering system for our dealers – making ordering significantly easier, and helping to get our products to customers faster.

Our car division continues its work on technical innovations. In the United Kingdom, we launched a new rollover protection system which will allow the Praga R1 to race on Britain’s racetracks. In this issue, our test driver and racer Aleš Jirásek will guide you through our Arrive and Drive program and explain the technical features that make the Praga R1 both easy to maintain and easy to handle on a racetrack.

In the rest of the magazine, we are bringing you an overview of the unique features of our Praga Alfa airplane. Then, we will look back into history and tell you the story of the legendary off-road truck, the Praga V3S. So, let’s go!

CONTENT

4 Sponsored Article - OMP racing, Xeramic, Sinter, Kart Exhibition 2019, I.T.S. Italia, SKF Kart Unite, KG 10 Short news

- A place on the podium almost achieved in the KZ2 International Super Cup,

Praga at the 27th international kart exhibition 2019 12 Praga Kart Racing team is looking for new talent 14 FORMULA K Hellas project 16 PRAGA R1 gets new rollbar system in order to race in the UK 20 Redesigning of Karting Livery 22 Affordable and Competitive

Why you should race the Praga R1T Evo? 28 OK1 Go Kart Center Thessaloniki A New Era with IPK 30 A new (type) face of a classic - Redesigning the Praga logo for the future 32 A Motorsport for Gentlemen

Race without hassles with Arrive & Drive 36 RS karts Interview with Ralf Schumacher and Petr Ptáček 40 Praga is changing the rental kart business 48 Praga Kart Greece -Our story 52 AVIATION: Praga Alfa Hard-worker of the skies 56 HISTORY PRAGA V3S: The Unstoppable Truck

Issue 2017 Issue

Praga Journal 2019 Issued on: 1.10. 2019 This issue was printed in a volume of 6.500 copies at Integraf, s.r.o.

PRAGA-Export s.r.o.

U Císařské cesty 219, Prague 10, 103 00, Czech Republic | IČ: 275 77 171 | MK ČR E 20631 Editor: Tadeáš Marek Graphic Design: Romana Šmachová, grafika.romana@gmail.com HIG -T EC HIGHH-T Photographers: Tadeáš Marek, Petr Frýba, Petr Kolmann ECHH LILIQUID T Xeramic-k

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2019

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SPONSORED ARTICLE

OMP

RACING OMP Racing is an Italian company, established in 1973 in Genoa and nowadays having its headquarters at Ronco Scrivia. It is a world leader in the field of design and manufacture of safety equipment for racecars (suits, gloves, shoes, seats, safety belts, helmets etc.). In 2008 control of the company was acquired by Genoa-based SAYE Group.

Today OMP products can be found in racing and karting championships all over the world, including Formula 1; World Rally Championship - WRC; Rally Cross World Championship - WRX; Formula E; World Endurance Championship - WEC, Indycar Series; Nascar.

OMP has been a renowned presence in the karting world for years. A new line of innovative suits was introduced by IPK group in 2015. The brand, since then, has experienced exponential growth in the karting world, becoming a real trend setter.

OMP is one of the very few companies in the world which are able to offer a complete range of items dedicated to racecars and to drivers’ safety, with over 2,000 products in its catalogue, which are almost all entirely homologated by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile – FIA.

www.ompracing.com

2019 SHORT NEWS

New IPK‘s

digital ordering system and catalog IPK will soon be introducing its new website, which will function both as a catalog of products for customers, and as an ordering system for IPK dealers. IPK sells more than 1000 unique products - from the tiniest screws to the most complex chassis. These products can fit together to form comprehensive, fully equipped racing machines, but sometimes it can be difficult to find out which products go well together. For that reason we have focused on product connections, so that the ordering system itself will guide users to find the products that they need easily. It is an important step that will make our database of products more accessible, which in turn will make our clients and dealers more comfortable.

www.ipkarting.com

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SPONSORED ARTICLE

I.T.S. ITALIA I.T.S. Italia is the ideal supplier for industrial technical articles.

Our motto „Wisdom is the daughter of experience“, aphorism of Leonardo da Vinci, summarizes our corporate mission: to put together the customer service know-how with a technical team of industry experts able to guarantee the experience, reliability and quality necessary to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the market.

We offer all types of bearings as ball bearing, tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings and bearings unit. We have introduced new products: filter elements and silencers, linear guides and recirculating ball screws.

And of course, last but not least, ends and spherical bearings (on request also stainless steel), cam rollers, cam follower, support rollers and locknuts, linear ball bearings, compensating rings, sewals rings and OR (NBR - Silicone Viton)

I.T.S. Italia offers many products for the most varied uses; self lubricating and relubricating bushings, bronze / iron sintered bushing, self lubricating dry elements with solid lubricant insert (also available in white PTFE variant), rolled bronze bushings and bimetallic bushings: everything branded with our logo DJAMOND.

IPKarting signs contract with XERAMIC Kart Lubricants This year XERAMIC® Kart Lubricants celebrates the 20 years anniversary in karting and recently signed a sponsor contract with IPKarting. CEO Ton Koebolt: “We are very happy with this 5 years sponsor agreement with IPKarting, especially because they are growing very fast in the world of karting due to their product quality, marketing strategy and performance”. “For the past 20 years XERAMIC® has been the leading company in the kart lubricants and it is a privilege for us to be related to IPKarting”.

XERAMIC® Kart Lubricants was founded in 1996 and soon became one of the leading brands in karting. It was mainly the passion for the sport that brought this company the status of number one for many years. Continuous research and development of new materials as well as long-term testing in laboratory and on the karting track ensures that the XERAMIC® brand stands for quality.

The 2 different XERAMIC® 2T Karting Oils, the

famous Castor 2T Evolution and the SynMax 2T Oil, are used by famous engine manufacturers, engine tuners and racing teams all over the world.

Recently the Dutch based company introduced the new XERAMIC® Kart Chain Lube. “We received the feedback from the market that there was a big demand for a very sticky chain lube which works under all weather conditions and circumstances”. “Unlike other brands we only introduce new products once not just us but mainly our customers are fully satisfied with the performance of the product”. “It took us almost 1 year to say that the XERAMIC® label can be placed on this product”. Successfully launched on the KartMesse Exhibition in January this year Ton Koebolt says “Proudly we can say that this is the best chain lube we have ever produced and therefore the best chain lube in the world”.

2019

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SPONSORED ARTICLE

PRAGA at the 27th international

KART EXHIBITION 2019

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2019 SPONSORED ARTICLE

KG is the world leader in the design, development and production of bodyworks, steering wheels and accessories for karting.

At KG, our products unite the resources and technology of a large, experienced company with the craftsman‘s creativity and attention to detail, making us the market leader for over thirty years.

Careful attention is given to each phase of production, from design and planning, to model creation, testing, and manufacture of a consistely high quality product. Only the finest quality materials are utilized, as well as the most technologically advanced production methods. Each and every product is subjected to demanding tests carried out by our specialists and no small detail is overlooked.

Direct management of the entire production process, all the way through to warehousing and shipping assures that every KG product is delivered to the customer with efficiency and care. We take pride in our customer service and the attention we give to both our products and our public.

www.kgkarting.it

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SHORT NEWS

A place on the podium almost achieved in the KZ2 INTERNATIONAL SUPER CUP

Photo: sportinphoto.com

Excellent results for IPK chassis in Lonato during the FIA Karting World Championship and the FIA Karting International Super Cup: Giacomo Pollini achieved fourth place with the Formula K chassis, after a weekend spent as a competitor. Marco Tormen came 7th with the Praga chassis. Francesco Celenta also entered the top ten in the KZ.

This is the most important weekend of the FIA Karting season for karts with gears on the South Garda Karting track in Lonato, counting towards the KZ World Championship and the KZ2 International Super Cup. There were many IPK chassis present which did well in both classes, used by both the Formula K and Praga brands.

They were the highest number in KZ2, with 9 IPK chassis present, including an OK1, driven by Filippo Calligaris (OK1 Racing Team).

Giacomo Pollini, a driver of the Formula K Racing Team, was very

fast in the qualifiers. He achieved the second best performance out of 122 drivers. This was the start of a series of heats raced as a protagonist, in which the Italian won twice, achieved three second and a third place, gaining a place in the second row of the starting grid. Here, he constantly competed with the best, achieving a virtual third place for a few laps and, finally, finishing fourth. An exceptional result, even if, just after the event, there remains a pinch of understandable sporting disappointment for a podium that was certainly within reach.

2019 SHORT NEWS

Another main player in the classwas Marco Tormen (F.D. Motor), who won once, came third twice and achieved 3 fourth places in the heats, achieving seventh place in the final with his Praga chassis.

A final that Natalia Balbo (NGM Motorsport) and Tom Leuillet (Praga Racing Team) reached. The former was the fastest in the heats, also coming second, with 5 positions gained, and entering the top ten 5 times out of 6. Only one less brilliant result compromised the starting position in the final, in which Natalia finished 18th. Leuillet instead entered the top ten 4 times in the Qualifying Heats, finishing in 26th place in the final.

There were 5 IPK chassis in the KZ. The fastest of these in the qualifying heats was the Praga driven by Francesco Celenta (Praga Racing Team), who achieved the 12th best time and, in the heats, was always in the top 8, also achieving a best lap. Then, in the Final, Celenta completed his excellent weekend by climbing two positions and finishing 10th. Jeremy Iglesias (Formula K Racing Team) also did well, competing in the heats with determination and continuing in the final to take 14th place.

Petr Ptacek (RS Schumacher Racing Team) made an important comeback in the final,climbing 8 positions and thereby demonstrating all the competitiveness of IPK material.

Lorenzo Lapina (Narnia Racing NRT) and Jorge Carlos Pescador (Magik Racing Team) were also present in the final with the Praga chassis, while Mauro Simoni (OK1 Racing Team) while he qualified well and finished in 25th place with the OK1 chassis.

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SHORT NEWS

PRAGA Kart Racing Team is looking for

NEW TALENT

2019 SHORT NEWS

PRAGA KART RACING TEAM is currently looking for new talent!

• Thanks to our own testing programme, Praga Kart Racing enables pilots to prepare; each racer can drive a kart almost every weekend.

• The IPK factory provides Praga Kart Racing with maximum technical assistance, giving drivers state-of-the-art equipment.

• Our professional drivers take care of the Praga Kart Racing drivers, who are also under the professional supervision of our technicians and are given a physical preparation regime as well. A physiotherapist is available at important races; drivers can have their personal coach.

• Praga Kart Racing also provides all Praga dealers and teams with maximum technical and advisory assistance via the IPK factory. It ensures a high level on all karting races our partners participate in.

The factory team Praga Kart Racing regularly starts in all of the most prestigious world series.

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KARTING DEALER NEWS

Hellas project

2019 KARTING DEALER NEWS

After 3 years of hard work and serious cooperation, IPKarting S.r.l & the Greek Formula K dealer, Speedpark Ltd have managed to proceed to the next level, the creation of Formula K Hellas.

Formula K Hellas is the racing department where new drivers from the Speedpark Kart Academy continue practice on a higher level as hobby race drivers & in the next step to be competitive in national races .

The owner and head coach is Ioannis Antoniadis with great racing accolades: 1996 Margutti winner ICA, 1997 3nd in Winter Cup Lonato category Formula A, 2003 British F3 participation with great results. Also he is an active driver coach since 2009. Some of his drivers are: Constantine Schoell 2017 European champion DD2 & GT4-LMP3 participation & Laskaratos Andreas participation in LMP3/2 Endurance races.

These are our main drivers who already have great results in karting and car racing: GEORGE KAFANTARIS Winner of the Greek Mini Championship & Micro Rotax Cup in 2018. In 2019 he won the Rotax Mini Max category & he is leading in the Greek Mini Championship. He is a dedicated athlete and all the victories came with the magnificent Formula K Monster Evo. ANDREAS LASKARATOS. Started karting and racing as young as 10 years in Greece.

With 22 years of racing under his belt, he has gone from karting in Greece and international level, to single seaters and GT cars. He currently competes in the highest form of endurance racing in the LMP2 class around the world and at the 24hrs of LeMans. To be competitive for his races Andreas is training with a Formula K EVO2 KZ. DIONISIS LIVERIS Nearly 2 years after his first race he managed to achieve things in 2019 that he could never dream of following the 2017 season.

Currently he is one of the fastest drivers in the DD2 category, had 5 podiums this season in 11 races so far. One of which includes his greatest result so far, to become vice champion in the ROTAX international trophy. Finally he is leading the BNL & hoping to win the championship. He is the fastest driver of Formula K Hellas with his Formula K EVO2 KZ & preparing him shelf for the next big step.

Formula K Hellas project is coming with speed & passion, so stay tuned for great things in the future.

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CAR NEWS

2019 CAR NEWS

PRAGA

R1

gets new rollbar system in order to race in the UK With its carbon monocoque, the Praga R1 is extremely safe on its own and doesn’t really need a traditional rollbar system. Some racing series, however, have stringent rules which do not reflect recent advances in materials and technology.

In order to race, you need a rollbar, just for the sake of the rules. Naturally, we have found a solution.

Vincent Randall from VR Motorsport will introduce you to the new rollbar system being used by Praga to successfully compete on racing circuits in Britain.

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CAR NEWS

When VR Motorsport purchased its first Praga R1T in 2016, the car arrived in July, just a month after the UK voted to leave the EU. This timing was pretty significant, as you’ll see later in this article.

In its standard form, the Praga R1 utilizes a beautifully designed and crafted structural monocoque chassis. This enables it to enter races all around Europe and, indeed, the world without any modification, but, unfortunately, the situation in the UK is different. The MSA / Motorsport UK insist on a steel ROPS (rollover protection structure) for a car of this class, size and weight.

Although we at VR Motorsport understand and respect this position, it was a major inconvenience for us.

We were left with two options: either find a race series that would allow the standard cars without any modification, or try and build our own ROPS system. Doing that required opening a dialogue with the MSA and engineering a system that would fit the R1 and comply with the MSA’s requirements.

At first, we decided to enter the Dutch GT prototype series. This allowed us to race on some legendary circuits like Spa-Francorchamps or Zandvoort. Even better, we got to meet and compete

against some great people, and there were already two Praga R1s in the competition.

Still, we wanted to race in Britain, so we started the dialogue with the MSA in 2017. Soon, it became apparent that before making any changes to the car, we would have to let the MSA decide what class to actually place us in. This would ultimately determine whether or not we would be able to meet one of our key design criteria - making the ROPS system completely and easily removable when racing outside of the UK. By early 2018, the MSA had decided that our car would be classified as a sports car, allowing us to use just a rear rollover hoop. A well-considered and safe approach, this was good news for us, as it meant we could make the ROPS removable. It also came at the right time – with Brexit negotiations dragging on, it looked less and less likely that we would find it easy to race in continental Europe in 2019. The time was tight, so we needed to go ahead and design our ROPS and a way to fit it to the carbon chassis.

We spent the summer of 2018 busy, designing the system while also competing in the GT and Prototype series. By the end of the

2019 CAR NEWS

summer, we had won our classes in both series and had the ROPS design approved by MSA. The roll bar itself is simple. We were able to re-use a lot of the existing fixing points in the car, those which were originally designed for things like the seat belts or the head restraint. We also utilized another specific feature of the R1 - its fuel tank bulkhead.

What would be just a single skin in many other cars is a 20 mm thick aluminium honeycomb - carbon structural member. This allowed us to use a relatively small rollbar, which added just 9 kg to the overall weight of the car. Even better, we could retain the option of running the car two-seated for demo laps or driving experiences.

I am delighted to say we now have this amazing car competing successfully in the UK in the Britcar endurance series - and with only 20 minutes of tinkering it can revert back to a standard car. In 2020 our turbo car will be joined by at least one normally aspirated R1 and possibly a number of customer cars for various events around the UK and Europe.

Vincent Randall VR Motorsport Ltd

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CAR NEWS

Loprais testing Praga V4S DKR for Dakar 2020 Instaforex Loprais Team will take a brand new Praga V4S DKR special to 42nd edition of Dakar Rally. The truck comes with a modern technological package including an automatic gearbox, a new engine and all the other components have been also improved to a new level.

“For us, it’s like a brand new car in many ways. We’re sticking with the tested backbone chassis with a central tube, independent suspension and drum brakes, but the new automatic gearbox and the new engine required some changes in electronics.

It also changed the truck balance and the centre of gravity. Also lowering and lightening of the body structure, modifying our cooling system and other little details have had an impact. There are so many changes that it’s basically a new truck,” said Aleš Loprais ahead of his 14th Dakar Rally.

Praga V4S DKR uses an Iveco engine, which has almost 1,000 bhp. The team had to pay close attention not just to the technical specifications, but also to serviceability.

“We have a really decent engine that’s not overpowered. That’s not our target. The only important thing is torque and how you can use it. Having a less-powerful car means having less heat, which means also better reliability and a chance that the car survives longer,” said the 39-year-old racing driver.

Advantages: Automatic Gearbox and Suspension The team had its first tests at the beginning of the November and the results were positive. Already the first drive showed how big advantage is to have the automatic gearbox and also the modified suspension.

“I was expecting the most from the automatic gearbox and yet, it was even better! And there was also a nice surprise to see what we were able to achieve with the modified suspension,” said Loprais about the work of his teammates.

2019 CAR NEWS

“The automatic gearbox works great. For the first time ever, I was really enjoying the drive in a truck and all I need to do is to adjust the ‘course‘. And the truck’s stability makes it even nicer.

I really like how the truck is handling banking. It is not so easy to put it on two wheels anymore.”

Backed by The Factory Team Nowadays, it is impossible to run a top motorsport team without a solid technical and financial backing. It comes as no surprise that Instaforex Loprais Team was also trying to secure a proper factory backing, enjoyed by the biggest Dakar teams.

“In Dakar, who wants to be in front, they must have at least partial factory backing. After Dakar 2019 I tried to contact many partners. I’m glad that it was Praga who presented the best kind of offer in the end. We’re sticking with a Czech brand that has

been around since 1907 and still has something to offer. Praga is working on many interesting projects, in the aviation industry or super sports cars. We might not have a typical assembly production line behind us, but we have certain technologies that we would not be able to have otherwise. And who knows, maybe we can work together and even make a successor to the legendary Praga V3S,” said Loprais The Dakar Rally 2020 starts on Sunday, January 5 in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The race ends on January 17 in a brand-new modern centre Al Qiddiya. The whole route is about 9,000 kilometres long.

Driving Praga V4S DKR, Aleš Loprais will be joined by a navigator Khalid Al-Kendi from the United Arab Emirates and a Czech mechanic Petr Pokora.

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CAR NEWS

Affordable

and COMPETITIVE Why you should race the Praga R1T Evo? Text: Vojtěch Dobeš and Alex Jirásek Photo: Petr Frýba, Samuel Zaťko

They say that in racing, speed is measured in cubic money. With Praga R1, we are trying to change that equation. Our car was built to make racing easier, more affordable and safer than you thought possible.

Let’s see what makes it so unique!

2019 CAR NEWS

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CAR NEWS

Motorsport, in any of its forms, is an extremely costly and time-intensive undertaking. Racecars are expensive. Parts for them cost a fortune and you need them a lot. Consumables like fuel, tyres or brake pads and rotors are vanishing in front of your eyes. And you need a whole team of people to keep the car going, especially if you’re going for an endurance race.

a car that’s almost as fast as GT3 racers of LMP3 prototypes, for roughly the same money per season as running in a Renault Clio Cup would cost you? This is exactly what Praga R1 is offering.

How is it possible?

LIGHTNESS IS THE KEY One way to save money is to buy less speed. You can go into one of the more affordable racing series, but that means you’ll probably end up behind the wheel of a small hatchback turned into a racecar. You can go into karting. Or you can settle for occasional trackday with your roadgoing sportscar.

But what if there was a way of getting yourself into the hot seat of

As anyone with experience in racing will tell you, there’s one way to get more speed for less money and effort: remove as much weight as you can. With a weight of just 592 kg in its naturally aspirated versions and 625 kg in the turbocharged R1T variant, our racecar is a prime example of this approach. While some effects of weight reduction are quite obvious, some are less so.

2019 CAR NEWS

It probably won’t surprise anyone that with a lighter car, you don’t need as much power to go really fast. That’s why you can use a smaller engine, which is not only cheaper to purchase and maintain, but also helps you to reduce weight still further - but we’ll talk about the engine later.

Maybe somewhat less apparent is how massive effect the low weight has on running costs and the need to replace consumables. Getting better fuel mileage is probably the least important, but it still counts. More important is the fact that light car is exponentially less hard on tyres, brakes and suspension components.

At around 600 kilograms (depending on the version), the Praga

R1 is about half the weight of cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. This means a lot less tyre wear, saving not only a lot of money otherwise spent on tyres, but also time spent changing them – you can do four hours at full speed on one set. With just a little bit of luck, you could also able do the whole racing weekend on one set of brake pads. The rotors can last a season. The shock absorbers require a rebuild after each season, mostly as a precaution.

All of this, of course, brings the cost of a racing weekend down drastically, but there’s more to it. With components lasting longer, you don’t need as much support at the races, reducing the need for a large team.

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CAR NEWS

KEEPING IT SIMPLE While equipment, machinery and consumables can cost a lot of money, the people and their time are always the most valuable asset. We put a lot of effort into making our car as easy to maintain and service as possible. As a result, you need just a tiny team.

In fact, it is possible for the driver to service the Praga R1 himself on trackdays. Of course, you can’t do the same on a race weekend without losing too much precious time – even with centre-lock wheels and quick refuelling system, you need some help. Still, you can make it through the weekend with just a single mechanic.

Our mission is to make your life as easy as possible, so you can fully focus on racing and winning. One example of this approach is the AIM telemetry and onboard videos. With just one cable and 15 minutes of instructions, you can download all the data yourself, in a user-friendly interface. What used to require a team of skilled technicians and expensive equipment can now be done with your laptop while having a snack after a stint.

However, there are times when you need a skilled help. In such case, our engineers are always ready to help you using remote access. From just checking the telemetry data and offering advice to adjusting the engine maps, wherever in the world you may be at the moment.

We are also able to send a service vehicle to our customer races, stocked with most of the parts that present any risk of failure or damage. Overall, we are trying to make full use of our company’s organisation to provide much better, faster and closer factory support for private teams.

AN ENGINE THAT KEEPS GOING As Praga R1 relies on well-proven, reliable technology, you mostly need just to follow the servicing intervals and don’t do much more than keep refuelling the car and changing the tyres. We are especially proud of our engine, which is notable for its long service intervals which massively contribute to the car’s low running costs – as does its affordable purchase price.

As we mentioned earlier, the magic is, once again, in the lightness. The low weight of Praga R1 allowed us to use a relatively small engine – specifically, a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Renault F4R. You may know this one from the legendary previous-generation Clio RS in its naturally aspirated form, or in the turbocharged variant, from equally admired Mégane RS. And, of course, motorsport fan will remember it as the power plant of choice from the Formula Renault 2.0.

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The engine is available in four versions. The “base” one can be found in Praga R1, where it offers 210 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 220 Nm at 4,500 rpm. The hotter Praga R1S bumps the output to 235 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 250 Nm at 5,200 rpm, still without forced induction. Then, we have two turbocharged version. The R1T offers 340 bhp at 6,900 rpm and 410 Nm at 5,750 rpm, while the latest R1T Evo offers another 40 bhp, achieving a whopping 380 bhp.

great reliability and durability. We know that for private teams, the budget is often tight and rebuilding engine after every couple of races may be prohibitively costly. That’s why we are trying to push and improve our engine’s durability as much as possible.

Currently, we managed to achieve a 75-hour servicing interval.

True to our dedication to making lives of our customers easier, we decided to implement the option of electronically adjusting the engine mapping and thus also the available power of R1T Evo. The driver can pick from three mappings – 330 bhp/370 Nm, 360 bhp/390 Nm and 380 bhp/410 Nm. This is especially beneficial for “gentleman racers” who, lacking the skills of professionals, may want to tame the beast slightly and enjoy easier driving experience. And even experienced racers may welcome the ability to reduce power output, especially in wet conditions, where it would be hard to get the full 380 bhp to the ground without breaking traction.

While the affordable servicing and maintenance is a huge draw of Praga R1 for the private teams, it’s certainly not the only way Praga works to be more budget-friendly for the small teams. Another one is the possibility of starting out with a lesser model of Praga – like the base R1 or R1S and then upgrading to the more powerful one, R1T. We are even able to retrofit the older cars to the latest specification, the R1T Evo. At a cost of 15 (from R1T) or 20 (from R1 or R1S) thousand euros, you can have the best and latest car that Praga offers.

However, the ability to produce huge amounts of power was only one of the reasons why we picked this engine. Others were the combination of light weight and compact dimensions and, of course, the low purchase and running costs, coupled with

LET YOUR RACECAR GROW

Racing on this level was never so accessible and affordable.

With Praga, maybe even you can get into the prototype racing!

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KARTING DEALER NEWS

OK1

GO KART Center Thessaloniki

A NEW ERA WITH IPK Originally built in 2003, the OK1 Go Kart Center in Greece’s second largest town of Thessaloniki is upping its game to the next level with the help of IPK. Aiming to provide more than just fun rides on go-karts, the OK1 Go Kart Center partnered with IPK and decided to get into serious karting. Besides replacing its fleet with brand new karts, the track in Thessaloniki is also launching an academy for young drivers. Using IPK’s world-class machinery, it will introduce young Greeks to the world of motorsport.

The OK1 Go Kart Center was originally built in 2003, as a leisure kart track. Located in a big shopping complex, just five minutes from the airport and ten minutes from the city centre, it was a place to enjoy some adrenaline behind the wheel. However, it didn’t last very long and closed its doors in 2007. It was another three years until its current owner and manager, Mr. Nousopoulos, took it over and reopened it in May of 2010.

Since then, he has strived to offer an ever improving service to the customers and transform the track from a purely leisure venue to something more serious. Among the improvements were laying new tarmac, getting a new fleet of karts and the new timing system with online lap records.

Now, with the new partnership with IPK, the OK1 Go Kart Center is set to offer both an even more exciting experience to hobby drivers and a door to the motorsport world to young talent.

The OK1 Go Kart Center’s track is 550 metres long, with a width varying from 6 to 8 metres, enough for safe racing and overtaking. Its 14 turns (9 right and 5 left) are illuminated by 14 light projectors, so racing can take place even at night. The visitors stand by the pits provides all the necessary comforts, with air conditioning and soft drinks or snacks available to those waiting for a drive.

2019 KARTING DEALER NEWS

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BRAND NEWS

A NEW (TYPE) FACE of a classic Redesigning the Praga logo for the future

2019 BRAND NEWS

Designing a logo for a global brand is never easy. It’s even more challenging, however, when the brand in question is one of the oldest carmakers in the world, with a history spanning more than a century, all the way back to the early 20th century.

117˚

While Praga’s current products are vastly different from those of the past, they still build on the illustrious traditions of the brand. That means that the new logo has to be not only modern, distinctive and easy-to-read, but it should also reflect the brand’s heritage. Ask any designer - this is not an easy task!

63˚

NÁKLON PÍSMA

NEON / LINIE

RGB 255/255/255

Pantone 255/255/255

RGB 229/229/229

CMYK 0/0/0/0

HEX #ffffff

CMYK 0/0/0/10

Pantone 255/255/255 HEX #e6e6e6

RGB 130/150/210

Pantone 255/255/255

RGB 190/190/190

Pantone 255/255/255

CMYK 50/35/0/0

HEX #8296d2

CMYK 0/0/0/25

HEX #bebebe

RGB 0/160/165

Pantone 255/255/255

RGB 128/128/128

Pantone 255/255/255

CMYK 100/90/0/0

HEX 0032aa

CMYK 0/0/0/50

HEX #808080

RGB 0/0/110

Pantone 255/255/255

RGB 26/26/26

Pantone 255/255/255

CMYK 100/95/20/45

HEX #00006e

CMYK 0/0/0/90

HEX #1a1a1a

RGB 0/0/75

Pantone 255/255/255

RGB 0/0/0

Pantone 255/255/255

CMYK 100/100/45/55

HEX #00004b

CMYK 0/0/0/100

HEX #000000

SYSTÉM / SPECIFIKACE BAREV

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890

→ SINCE 1907

→ PRAGA KARTS

Hrot Light / mínusky

Hrot Semibold / mínusky

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890

→ CHAMPIONSHIP

→ THE RACE IS ON!

Hrot Black / mínusky

Hrot Inline Italic / mínusky

NADPISOVÉ PÍSMO

AVIA

AUTOMOTIVE

AVIA

AUTOMOTIVE

EXPORT

CARS

EXPORT

CARS

UKÁZKA KONKRÉTNÍCH ZNAČEK

RGB 255/255/255 CMYK 0/0/0/0

RGB 130/150/210

75%

CMYK 50/35/0/0

RGB 0/160/165

75%

CMYK 100/90/0/0

RGB 0/0/110

75%

CMYK 100/95/20/45

RGB 0/0/75 CMYK 100/100/45/55

MODRÝ DUPLEX + FILTRY

75%

To learn more about the design process, we asked those who know the most - marketing manager Tadeáš Marek and de signers Alex and Jonatan from studio theloop.cz

First of all, Tadeáš, what was behind your decision to change the logo?

Tadeáš Marek: We have great plans for the Praga brand in the new century, so we wanted the logo to be more distinctive, while retaining the heritage and tradition of the brand. As it’s often placed on fast-moving things like karts or race cars, we needed it to be instantly recognizable and easy to read even from a distance.

To the untrained eye, the logo may look quite similar to the old one. Why not a more radical change?

TM: We didn’t want a revolution! Our brand has a long and storied history and we wanted to build on that, not cut our ties with it. That’s why we decided to go for a subtle evolution, taking the old logo and making it simpler, more expressive and better suited for modern use.

And it’s not just about the logo, is it?

Designers: Of course not. Many people think it’s just drawing a word in an interesting typeface and that’s it. They wonder why there’s so much fuss about it. In reality, however, it takes quite a lot of work. Coming through multiple rounds of feedback, making changes until we are satisfied. And, of course, also creating the whole brand identity. You have to think of everything, from the colours of the logo, to its placement, to the last typeface used in the catalog or on the website.

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BRAND NEWS

A Motorsport for Gentlemen Race without hassles with

Arrive & Drive

2019 BRAND NEWS

Remember the opening scenes of the legendary 1971 movie Le Mans? Steve McQueen, in his iconic role of American racer Michael Delaney, arrives to Le Mans, driving his sportscar. As always, he looks effortless and cool. Some may say that arriving to the races doesn’t look like this at all.

Instead of stylish sportscar, you arrive in a racecar transporter and rather than looking at the empty racetrack, wind blowing in your hair, you run around the pits preparing stuff.

With our Arrive & Drive programme, you can arrive in style and we will help you drive with a proper pace.

As you know from previous pages, our line of Praga R1 racecars was engineered to be cheap to run and easy to maintain, allowing even small teams with little resources to race it.

If you feel like it, you can do a racing weekend with just a driver and one mechanic, doing a lot of work yourself and keeping costs to the minimum.

Or you can go the exact opposite way and choose maximum comfort, leaving all the hard work to us. With our Arrive & Drive program, you just need to get yourself and your racing gear to the races and then do your best on the track. We will prepare the car, provide all the support including catering, and help you get the most of yourself.

You will also gain access to our works team and, most importantly, factory drivers. They will offer you advice and instructions, helping you to get the most of your potential. Especially if you’re a novice or a “gentleman racer”, going through telemetry data over and over, and having feedback from professionals, will help you improve your times really quick.

Want a taste of your future life as gentleman racer? We’ll give you a taste of what your racing weekend with Praga could look like!

Friday You arrive in the morning – just yourself and your racing gear (helmet, suit and HANS device). No need to drag yourself hundreds of kilometres in a truck or van, just pack for the weekend and drive whatever car you like. Arrive relaxed and in style!

After you had your morning coffee, it’s time for a track walk.

We’ll walk (or bike, depending on its length) around the track and one of our works drivers will show you everything you need to know. The best line around the track, braking points, where you can jump the curb and where you’d better not. You’ll be handed all the knowledge our racers worked hard to collect.

Then, it’s time to get yourself comfortable in the car, especially if you’ve never driven a Praga before. We will try and adjust the fit of your racing seat and harness, set up the mirrors and then give you a run-down of the car’s controls. With most of the controls on the steering wheel, the R1 is easy to get used to even for a novice, but it still helps to have someone explain you everything thoroughly.

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CAR NEWS

Before you return to the car and take it to the track for the first time, we’ll invite you for a team briefing. We’ll talk through the whole weekend – what happens when, who is responsible for what, what’s our strategy for the race. Only if all of us are on the same page, we can hope for the best results.

Then, it’s time for you to finally hit the track. In the first practice, there will be no timekeeping. We don’t want to distract you by chasing seconds. The first stint is for you to get comfortable with the car. If you’ve never driven a racing prototype before, it will take you a while – you sit low near the ground, like in a formula car, with the car’s carbon monocoque tight around you. No matter what kinds of sportscars or supercars you have driven in the past, this is a whole different game.

Don’t worry, though. From our experience, you’ll get used to it real quick – after ten laps, you’ll start to feel at home. Then, it’s time for you to get used to aerodynamics. Like many racecars, Praga R1 has an aero package that starts to really work at speeds over 130 km/h. You need to push the car to generate the downforce, essentially having to go faster for the car to turn better. It may sound counterintuitive now, but you’ll soon get a handle of it and start discovering the whole new world. Being able to achieve

and keep the lateral acceleration of 2.5g, the R1 is miles beyond anything you can experience on the road.

In the second and third practice, you already know what the car can do and start working to get the most of it. At this point, we start talking about times and telemetry data. Our team engineer and works driver will point out the areas for improvement, allowing you to get faster and faster with each run.

When the practice time is up, you’re probably exhausted – but also happy. If this is your first time with us, you probably did more for your driving skills than on just about any other day of your life. You deserve some rest, so after a quick debrief, we’ll head to a nice dinner and maybe a drink or two. But we should probably remind you that you are not James Hunt, so let’s be careful. There will be time for celebrations after the race and driving with a hangover is no fun!

SATURDAY/SUNDAY Now is your big day. You’re going racing, on a real circuit, in a real prototype racecar. It doesn’t matter how well you place – after today, you will be a real racer. Maybe not Steve McQueen or James Hunt, but closer to them than to rest of those who spend their

2019 CAR NEWS

lives waiting. Because, as Steve McQueen said: “Racing is life.

Everything before or after is just waiting.”

First, we need to make sure you’re primed for the best performance. Have a good breakfast with the team, and a little exercise to get your blood flowing. You will need it today. Then, it’s time for the final briefing. Once again, we will go through each person’s roles and responsibilities, making sure that everything goes smooth throughout the day, and making use of everything we learned in practice runs.

Then, you’re ready for qualifying laps. We did our best to prepare you and now, we can only help you with advice on the radio.

Hopefully, you and Praga R1 now work as one and you’ll be able to secure a good starting position for the race.

Before you start, though, we’ll have one last talk, and one last look at the data. We want you to go into the race with as much chances as possible, making the best of your abilities and of the car’s performance. We will fine-tune the last details, work out the minutiae of the race strategy and get ready for the start.

After we did everything we could to prepare you for the race, your

result is now in your hand. However, we are still there for you with everything we can offer. Two mechanics ready to change your tyres, refuel your car or do any repairs or adjustments you may need. A race engineer keeping an eye on telemetry, monitoring that everything works at its best, and giving you advice on the radio. Stocks of spare parts on hand in case anything happens.

And you, having the time of your life, finally becoming a true racecar driver. Maybe you win. Maybe you’ll end your weekend standing on the podium, splashing champagne around you. Maybe you’ll end somewhere in the middle, or even somewhere among the last. It may even happen that you don’t finish your first race, although we will do everything to prevent such outcome.

What is absolutely certain, though, is that this will be a weekend you will be telling about to your grandkids one day.

And, after the good results are celebrated, mistakes examined, telemetry data pored over and in-car videos watched, it’s time to go home. Next time with us, you will be a lot more experienced, more prepared to whatever may come your way, and certainly faster.

And you will come back, because you already know that the rest is just waiting.

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KARTING NEWS

KARTS Interview with Ralf Schumacher and Petr Ptáček

Ralf Schumacher partnered with IPK Factory and created RS Karts, that are already claiming podium results around the world.

RS karts are also known for its unique re look and they could not be missing in the CIK FIA Karting World Championship. Petr Ptáček represented RS karts at the World Championship in his KZ1 debut. We wanted to find out more about their co-operation and future plans.

How would you evaluate Petr‘s World Championship performance and results?

What do you like about the RS Karts in terms of quality and design?

Petr: I believe that my World Championship was positive, on the whole.After two years in the KZ1 class I would say I did a decent job in reaching the final. I wanted to have fun before the end of my Formula Renault Championship and get some practice too.

Petr: It looks really aggressive which is really nice. Due to Ralf‘s uncompromising insistence on quality I believe the kart is amazing - and it’s fun to drive.

Ralf: I always prefer a clear and simple design. In general every team has their own design. I wanted to have an outstanding look from the outside.

In IPK we found a partner who also has a passion for developing a high quality product, in detail, to guarantee a consistent performance for every customer in all categories in karting.

Ralf: Petr already took the next step in his motorsport career by taking part in the Formula Renault Championship. That means he’s taken part in high level kart races for long time. In the KZ1 there are factory drivers who are almost professional, racing more or less every week. Because of that he did an amazing job during the whole event with a fantastic result at the end.

Nowadays there isn‘t a professional motor-sport driver that

2019 KARTING NEWS

didn‘t start their career in karting. How important a role in a driver‘s career does karting play, and what are the most valuable things young drivers can learn in karting?

Petr: In karting you learn all the basics, and even for an experienced driver it’s good practice, since everything happens so quickly.

Ralf: Karting should be the foundation for everyone who wants to become a professional motor-sport driver. At the age of 8 you can already take part in karting races. That means you are able to get used to all of the processes around racing.

During the karting career of a young talent, which in my opinion should last until the age of 16 years, you get a very useful education which is the best preparation for taking the next step, into car racing.

What are your future plans with RS karts?

Petr: I keep one of my World Championship karts for practice.

I will definitely do some kart races next year. My manager and I will decide which races I will do and on which chassis.

My priority next year will be the Formula Renault Eurocup.

Ralf: After one year of development we’ve established a high quality product on the market. With constant improvements, and together with our partners all over the world, we would like to make the RS Kart even more successful.

Photo: Tkart and sportinphoto.com

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RENTAL KARTS

PRAGA is changing the rental kart business

In a move designed to revolutionize its karting division, Praga is introducing innovative solutions together with a brand-new line of rental karts.

The two families of karts, the competition-derived Race Line and the more traditional RTK line, will come with a complete package of services for rental kart operators.

2019 RENTAL KARTS

In the past, Praga’s activities in karting focused chiefly on racing equipment. Together with IPKarting factory, Praga produces and sells racing go-karts both under its own name and several other brand-names, such as Formula K, OK1 or Ralf Schumacher. The overall production of racing karts is around 2,000 units per year. This has allowed the company to gather considerable knowledge and experience in designing and building go-karts.

A couple of years ago, we at Praga and IPKarting decided that we want to make this expertise available to the world of leisure karting as well. As a result, we have begun development of a brand-new, complete range of leisure and rental go-karts, followed by extensive testing.

Going into the rental kart market has required Praga to adapt to a vastly different set of requirements.

Rather than outright speed, the rental karts have to be built with their mission – to bring the joy of karting to the paying customers – in mind. Unlike their racing brethren, these karts are not pampered by race mechanics; they are driven hard, crashed often and serviced only as necessary.

To make a successful rental kart line, we had to focus on making them durable, easy to adjust and maintain, and of course, with untrained customers behind the wheel, safe. Using our expertise and the latest technologies, we were able to develop two separate lines of rental go-karts. The Race Line karts are essentially the racing karts modified for rental purposes, while the RTK line is focused more towards typical leisure riders.

We wanted to do more, however, than just build a great kart. Praga and IPK are aiming to offer a full range of services to the kart operators. The business doesn’t end with the delivery of karts - quite the opposite; we see it as the beginning of a long term relationship. Besides the product itself and our comprehensive financing services, the most important thing is the continued support to our operators.

The new Rental Kart programme is specifically aimed at go-kart rental centres and provides them with everything they may need when operating the IPK go-karts. From buying and financing the fleet of karts, to their maintenance, and also to completely equipping the track itself - barriers, timing, even asphalt.

Praga’s experts are always on hand to help or provide advice, ensuring that operators of Praga go-karts are always able to provide the best services to their customers.

With the new offer of Turn-Key solutions, opening a kart centre is now something anyone can do. Just ask Praga and IPK and let the experts solve everything for you!

Ipkarting divides leisure / rental go karts into two different families - RTK and Race Line.

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RENTAL KARTS

RTK A KART THAT WILL LAST

Rental karts live a hard life. With our RTK Family, we wanted to create karts that will be durable, safe and easy to maintain and adjust, while still providing tons of fun for drivers. Using our racing experience, we were able to build a traditional rental chassis with some extraordinary features.

Safe and durable

Safe and rable

With often inexperienced clients behind the wheel, safety and durability is of the utmost importance in a rental kart. Our karts will last longer and take less effort to be kept in top shape.

SEATBELTS AND ROLLBAR SYSTEM We offer a rollbar that will protect the driver Rollbar in system caseand of car rollover, and also homologated homologated seat belt with seatbelts with a quick release lock that will a quick keep release lock protected in any crash. This clients significantly helps to reduce the risk of injury!

FRONT DUAL SHOCK

elbatsujdA cimonogre

tsujda taes tsaF zis revird lla rof

Front ABSORBING dual shock SYSTEM The dual shock absorber helps our karts to absorbing system

kciuQ ecnanetniam

the challenging nature of rental Our newwithstand front bumper system was and helps to minimize the impact officiallyoperation tested by IPK professional drivers. of any crash. Tested by IPK professional drivers.

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ENGINE PROTECTION Engine protection systemSYSTEM

The engine protection system will cut off Engine protection system throttle theabrake does notthe allow to use when brake and gas is applied, pedals at the same time. extending the engine’s lifespan.

This helps to extend the lifespan of the engine.

MODULAR BUMPER SYSTEM After extensive testing we created the modular bumper system which offers the chance to change broken parts quickly without having to dismount the entire bumper. This means saving money and time during maintenance.

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Adjustability Being used by many different drivers throughout the day, the rental karts can either be a “one size fits all”, which diminishes the experience, or they need to adjust. So we made our karts easily adjustable to fit anyone, both physically and in handling.

Tailor the driving experience!

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ADJUSTABLE POSITION OF ERGONOMIC SEAT Quickly adjust seats using only one lever.

kciuQ ecnanetniam ADJUSTABLE PEDALS Fast pedal adjustment for all driver sizes.

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CASTER CAMBER SYSTEM ADJUSTMENT The eccentric bushings allows you to easily adjust the incline of the wheels and fine tune the performance and grip of the chassis.

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KTR

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KTR

Racing Technology gnicaR ygolonhcet Racing technology for rental karts.

RACING BRAKE SYSTEM The RTK line braking system concept is the same as that of professional racing karts. Drive fast, brake faster!

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RENTAL KARTS

RACEline TRUE RACING KART EXPERIENCE Real karting fun comes with professional racing karts. With our Race Line, it’s now possible for rental car operators to offer this experience to their clients. Essentially a racing kart with added rental features like an overall protection system with crumple zones, adjustable seats or sticker personalization, the Race Line is the fastest that rental karting is able to offer.

RACE line

Main Features Safe and durable Fast and safe.

Race kart with reinforced bumpers

RACE KART WITH REINFORCED

The Praga “Race Line” BUMPERS is designed with durable shock absorption systems in a“Race way The Praga Line” is designed with that ensures the driver durable shock absorption systems in a way to have fun safely.

Adjustable seat system Fast seat adjustment useful for all driver sizes.

that ensures the driver will have fun safely.

STEEL OR PLASTIC EXTERNAL PROTECTION

Steel or plastic Designed to endure multiple collisions external protection

Racing brake system

Two bumper options for model the upmost “Race Line Evo Mini”

The Race Line braking system concept is the same as professional racing karts.

with barriers or other karts while ensuring safety for the driver.

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Adjustability Race Line can be adjusted quickly and easily to fit the needs of any client.

ADJUSTABLE SEATS Fast and easy seat adjustment.

RACE line Main Features

Racing Technology Race kart with reinforced bumpers The Praga “Race Line” is designed with durable shock absorption systems in a way that ensures the driver to have fun safely.

Adjustable seat

Racing technology for rentalsystem karts.

Fast seat adjustment useful for all driver sizes.

RACING BRAKES Steel or plastic external protection Two bumper options for model “Race Line Evo Mini”

Race Line karts retain RacingThe brake systemthe complete brake system the real racing karts, offering The Raceof Line braking system concept is the superb stopping performance. same as professional racing karts.

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RENTAL KARTS

RTK technical info

RTK EVO

RTK mini

RTK Double Seater

Weight

140 Kg (without engine)

120 Kg (without engine)

160 Kg (without engine)

Frame

Ø32

Ø32

Ø32

Brake system

Black Line - Hydraulic, Ø195 ventilated disc

Black Line - Hydraulic, Ø195 ventilated disc

Black Line - Hydraulic, Ø195 ventilated disc

Brake position

REAR

REAR

REAR

Axle

Ø40*5

Ø40*5

Ø40*5

Full covered / Plastic external protection

Reinforced rental model / Plastic external protection

Reinforced rental model/ Plastic external protection

Ø320

Ø320

Ø320

8,5 L

3,5 L

9L

Aluminium FR. 120mm - RR.180mm

Aluminium FR. 120 mm - RR.160 mm

Aluminium FR. 130mm - RR.210mm

Seat

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

2x ERGONOM. SEAT SIZE XL

Pedal

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

Ø20 mm reinforced

Ø20 mm reinforced

Ø20 mm reinforced

Honda GX200 / GX270 / GX390

Honda GX120 / GX160

Honda GX200 / GX270 / GX390

Bodyworks & Protection Steering wheel Tank capacity Wheels

Spindles Engine

Every chassis can be delivered with or without engine or various other technical

2019 RENTAL KARTS

RACEline technical info

Race line Light

Race line EVO mini

Weight

90 Kg (without engine)

65 Kg (without engine / with steel external protection)

Frame

Ø32

Ø28

Brake system

Black Line - Hydraulic, Ø195 ventilated disc

Black Line - Hydraulic, Ø195 ventilated disc

Brake position

REAR

REAR

Axle

Ø40*5

Ø40*3

Reinforced rental model / Plastic external protection

Racing model / Steel or plastic external protection

Steering wheel

Ø300

Ø300

Tank capacity

8,5 L

3,5 L

Wheels

Aluminium FR. 130 mm - RR.180 mm

Aluminium FR. 115 mm - RR.140 mm

Seat

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

Pedal

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

ADJUSTABLE SYSTEM

Ø25 mm

Ø17 mm

Tillotston Engines: T200, T350 and T500 Electric Engine coming soon!

Tillotston Engines: T200, T350 and T500

Bodyworks & Protection

Spindles Engine

and you can also specify a customized sticker kit, specifications on demand.

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KARTING DEALER NEWS

PRAGA KART GREECE

2019 KARTING DEALER NEWS

When you meet brothers Vasilis and Nikos Zahos on the track, you can see straight away that they were born with helmets on their heads and petrol in their veins. Nothing else can explain the talent and passion for motorsport they share.

They both got into motorsport in 1991, when Nikos was 15 and his brother Vasilis just 9. Back then, karting was not particularly popular in Greece, but the two brothers took part in races all around the country. When their classmates were just playing with toy cars, the two brothers were already on their way up the ranks of the motorsport world.

Their father, an amateur engineer, was always by their side. He put great effort into supporting their budding careers and was ready to help them, no matter how good or bad the situation was.

Soon, their talent started to shine. Between 1993 and 2000, they dominated the Greek karting championship. And now many,

many victories later, they have 9 championship titles between them.

With karting being a typical “gateway drug” to the world of motorsport, it was only natural for Zahos brothers to move on to its other forms. They collected numerous successes in both circuit racing and rallying, but their first love was destined to last forever.

To this day, karting plays a huge role in their lives. Their main place, however, is no longer behind the wheel. After decades of experience, they are trying to relay their skills and knowledge to the new generation as karting coaches.

This effort goes back to 2000, when they formed their racing team, called “Zahos and the art of karting”. As they say, karting is a sport that needs training for.

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KARTING DEALER NEWS

THE COLLABORATION WITH PRAGA KART In 2013, Zahos the Art of Karting team gained a new, strong ally, as it became the official partner of Praga Kart. Vasilis and Nikos Zahos, with their many years of experience in karting as both drivers and coaches, knew that they wanted the best and safest karts for their students. They found what they wanted in Praga.

The Praga kart chassis fulfills the brothers’ high demands when it comes to both quality and performance. There’s also the technical support. Being a large and renowned company, Praga was able to offer the help the Zahos brothers needed to make their dream of competitive racing team come true.

Nowadays, they coach more than 15 drivers each year, either to prepare them for races or just to improve their driving and have some good fun. The aura of the two brothers who run it brings droves of kids of all ages who want to have a go in the super stylish Praga karts -or who just want to watch.

2019 KARTING DEALER NEWS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF KARTING The core mission of Zahos the art of karting team is to help kart drivers to become better and more competitive. The team has a vast amount of knowledge and experience to share with both beginners and advanced drivers.

Karting is unique in that it’s one of the few forms of motorsport you can get into at a really young age – often as early as 5 years old. At the same time, it’s a hobby that anyone can enjoy, no matter their age. Either way, karting helps to develop faster reflexes, precision control of a vehicle and teaches you to make fast decisions. This makes it more than just a hobby – for active drivers, it’s a way to improve their road-driving skills in a safe environment.

PRAGA KART IN GREECE The headquarters of the “Zahos the art of karting” team also serves as a Greek representative of Praga Kart. It includes a central kart store and a workshop where the engineers fine-tune every Praga kart to fulfill the exacting demands of the drivers. You can learn more about what the team has to offer at www.pragakart.gr

With the colors of Praga Kart!

Wins and titles!!

The “Zahos the art of karting” racing team has a long history with many successes in its past - and, hopefully, in its future as well. The drivers in Praga Kart colours are among the stars of the National Championship in Greece, Rotax Max Challenge and the lamex30 Series, often scoring victories or claiming titles.

During the six years of collaboration between “Zahos the art of karting” and Praga Kart, the team’s drivers have repeatedly qualified for the Grand Finals, like the Rotax Grand Final 2018 in Brazil, which was a unique trip and an unforgettable experience for the whole team.

This year, “Zahos the art of karting” managed to get two drivers qualified for the Rotax Grand Final, which will take place in Sarno, Italy. Thanos Zanos, starting in the micro Max class, will be the youngest driver overall, while Emmanouil Tzamariadakis will be among the most competitive in the DD2 Master Max. Other drivers from “Zahos the art of karting”, Yiannis Ntafos and Andrew Spanos, will appear in the junior x30 class.

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AVIATION

PRAGA ALFA Hard-worker of the skies Text: Vojtěch Dobeš Photo: Petr Kolmann

When we think of flying and airplanes, we usually imagine massive, gleaming jets departing from sprawling airports. For most people, an airplane is something so technologically complicated it borders on magical. Something that needs constant attention, lots of staff to care for it and a perfectly controlled environment to operate in.

Not all planes are like that, though. Sometimes, you need a plane that can do the hard work where other planes cannot even land. A plane that will take off from a field (or a lake), carry supplies, fight fires, drop skydivers, rescue the injured, dust crops and do all kinds of other tasks, while requiring minimal maintenance. What you need for the job is the Praga Alfa.

This plane is not built to be pampered and look pretty. It was made for hard work. Originally, it was designed to replace several older models, including the legendary Antonov An-2, at the time still the most widely used airplane in the country. The idea was to replace the An-2 with two types. One larger – this role was supposed to be filled by the Let L-410 Turbolet, also from the Czech Republic – and one smaller.

The result was the SM-92 Finist, which later evolved into the Praga Alfa. Its design was fairly typical for a hard-working plane. High-mounted wings gave it stability at low speeds and made loading and manoeuvering at makeshift airstrips easier. Large flaps and slots helped to achieve low minimum speeds and STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) capabilities. High, conventional landing gear (two large wheels in front, one small at the back) allowed it to cope better with rough surfaces. Sliding doors made the loading and unloading of passengers or cargo into the cabin easy. And everything was built to be simple and durable, to last even in harsh conditions and when no hangar was available.

The original version of the aircraft was powered by a radial piston engine. Later, it was decided to go for a more effective and powerful Walter M-601 turboprop engine, and production was eventually moved to the Czech Republic. The plane received a new name, the Praga Alfa, and an application to get European EASA certification was started. Currently, one fully functional prototype with the Czech registration OK-FOX is operated by Praga from Hradec Králové airport in the Czech Republic. The choice of engines now also includes a General Electric Aviation (formerly Walter) M601 or a GE H75-200 or Pratt & Whitney PT6A engines.

2019 AVIATION

THE MAGIC OF FLYING SLOWLY When deliveries of production Alfas to customers all around the world start, the aircraft will perform various duties – but most of them will have one thing in common. However counterintuitive it may sound, one of the biggest strengths of this plane is its ability to be slow. While Praga’s automotive engineers are doing their best to make their cars as fast as possible, with this airplane it is the other way around. The ability to produce enough lift at low speeds means it is able to do a whole lot of things that other planes can’t. Like taking off from less than 200 metres of “runway” (or a field) and clear a 15 metre-high obstacle in just over 500 metres.

To land, the Praga Alfa needs even less space.

This, of course, comes in handy when flying in remote areas where you can’t hope for long runways – or, sometimes, any runways at all. The Praga Alfa is built to do the hard jobs, often in remote places where few other planes can fly, and many of those that can, like the DeHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver or the Pilatus PC-6, aren’t in production anymore. Praga aims to provide a replacement for many of those aging planes working in tough conditions around the world.

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AVIATION

of To fulfill this job, it was designed with maximum versatility in mind. If there’s no suitable dry place to land, it can be equipped with amphibious floats, allowing it to operate both from airfields and lakes, rivers or seas. This comes especially handy in heavily forested areas like many parts of Canada or Alaska – or large portions of Russia.

JACK OF ALL TRADES The versatility, of course, is not just about the ability to land or take-off almost anywhere. The Praga Alfa is also designed to carry a vast variety of loads. Its interior can be equipped to serve many different needs. In its base configuration, it is able to carry a pilot, five passengers and their luggage.Naturally, it is also possible to take out the seats (or some of them) and fly with up to 900 kilograms of cargo - or you can order your Praga Alfa in the MEDEVAC version, with two stretchers, 4 seats for patients and one for the doctor.

With the optional under-fuselage pod, the plane’s capabilities are increased even further. It can be configured for various uses, from simple cargo storage to more complex tasks like fire-fighting or photogrammetry. The Praga Alfa can be also used for cropdusting, as a tow plane for gliders or for skydiving, with space for up to 10 skydivers and the ability to climb to 4,200 metres and land again in 15 minutes.

All of this makes the Praga Alfa a perfect plane for operators in remote areas, who have to cope with all of the various jobs at hand with just one plane.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN A RUGGED PACKAGE One of the most important goals of the Alfa’s development was to offer ruggedness and robustness similar to, or even better than, that of all its classic competitors, but at the same time provide the latest technologies on board.

From the beginning, the Praga Alfa was designed to require as little care and maintenance as possible, allowing its operators to focus on more important issues than caring for the plane.

At the same time, the plane’s technology was upgraded to the latest standards. Besides the modern turboprop engine, the Praga Alfa is also outfitted with state-of-the-art avionics. The “glass display” replaces traditional gauges with a set of large displays.

Those provide all the information the pilot needs for their work, from basic stats of the airplane to things like navigation. The operators have a choice between systems made by Garmin, Avidyne or Honeywell, and they can have their cockpit set up to suit their specific needs.

With the combination of its abilities, the Praga Alfa is uniquely suited to take over from admired classics like the Pilatus PC-6, the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver or the Antonov An-2 and become the perfect tool for those who need their planes to do some really hard work. Currently, the plane is going through the process of EASA certification and it is expected to go into production soon.

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HISTORY

PRAGA V3S:

The Unstoppable Truck

Produced for almost half a century, Praga V3S is one of the greatest products in the history of Praga trucks. What made it so great that even now, almost 70 years after it was created, it’s still used in both civilian and military applications?

Find out more about Praga history at

www.pragaglobal.com/history

2019 HISTORY

dually-mounted combined with relatively low weight of just over 5 tons, helped it cope with soft surfaces where heavier trucks floundered.

To cut a long story short, the new Praga was declared the winner and recommended for mass production. Of course, the hastily-developed prototype had some minor flaws and certain modifications were required. Differential locks were added, a winch was fitted to the front of the truck and the fuel tanks were moved from under the seats into the frame. The truck was ready; all it needed was the right engine.

After the originally planned T908 was pronounced dead on arrival, Tatra promised to design and build a new engine by the mid1952. The result was called the T912. While it retained Tatra’s signature air cooling, it was quite a bit bigger than its predecessor.

Essentially one half of the massive T103 V12 engine, it gained one cylinder and almost a litre of displacement. A 7.4-litre six cylinder engine produced 98 horsepower and 353 Nm of torque.

While the V3S certainly wasn’t a fast truck even with the new engine, it was perfectly able to perform its expected duties. The army signed it off for mass production, and work also began on civilian versions. Over the course of 37 years (production ended in 1990), some 135 thousand trucks were built.

It was never known for being comfortable, fast or easy to drive.

Quite the opposite - it was slow even by the standards of the 1950s and driving it required both skill and strength. The cabin was filled with engine roar; it was cold during winter and searing hot in the summer. The V3S didn’t care about being nice to its driver. It was all about doing the hard work, taking heavy loads to places most other trucks couldn’t go. Even now, it still does that job.

The decades-long career of theV3S is even more striking when compared to the time it took to develop it. In 1951, when work on the new truck began, there wasn’t time to waste or spare.

The Czechoslovak army’s truck fleet was in shambles. It was made up of a smattering of pre-war trucks, captured German trucks, Soviet trucks and also American trucks supplied as part of the UNRRA program. Praga was also supplying the new RN and A 150 trucks, but those were adapted civilian types, not built for the tough off-road work of a military truck.

A solution was needed, and it was needed fast. Above all, the army needed a medium truck that would be able to carry 5 tons on the road and 3 tons in off-road conditions. The requirements, issued in June 1951, called for three axles – all of them powered – 550 mm of ground clearance, 65 km/h top speed, great off-road capabilities and, of course, reliability, cheap production and simple maintenance.

The first prototype was expected to be built by the end of the year.

After Praga’s engineers worked tirelessly around the clock and through weekends, they succeeded. They had yet to find a suitable engine, as the originally planned Tatra T908 air-cooled five-cylinder diesel was lacking in both power (90 hp instead of expected 100 hp) and reliability. Still, the truck was ready and after it was provisionally fitted with Praga’s own N5T engine,the tests could begin.

The army pitted it against both the Soviet ZiS 151 and the American Studebaker US6, plus its Czechoslovak competitor, the Tatra 128. From the start, the Praga V3S displayed what its greatest strength would be in the future. With the portal axles, it offered unprecedented ground clearance, and six wheels, four of them

The V3S was exported all around the world, serving both military and civilian purposes – the Czechoslovak army alone had several dozen variations. There were Pragas with beds, dumpers or box trucks that could be outfitted for any type of service, from ambulances to mobile workshops, labs or radio trucks. Others were outfitted as cranes, fire trucks or, quite commonly in Czechoslovakia, as fecal sludge trucks.

Among the more specialised variants were some military applications. There were mobile landing light versions for the air force, and the trucks specially converted to clear the runways – using jet engines from old fighter planes. The most extreme modification, though, was called vz. 53/59 “Ještěrka” (lizard). By adding armour and twin 30 mm autocannons, the V3S was transformed into a mobile piece of anti-aircraft artillery.

The V3S was well-known all over the world for its simple, durable construction and extreme off-road capabilities. In Czechoslovakia, it was much more than just “well-known”. For decades, these trucks formed not only the backbone of the army. They were massively popular and basically irreplaceable in civilian life as well. The V3S essentially built post-war Czechoslovakia and kept it moving. In some ways, it continues to do so to this day, as many of them are still actively working.

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