KARTCOM News #29 ( english version ) by KARTCOM News

WSK CHAMPIONS CUP STARTS IN COLD WEATHER IN ADRIA NO SLICKS AT ADRIA FOR THE OPENING OF THE WSK SUPER MASTER SERIES

TAKES THE WINTER CUP IN KZ2

22 WINTER CUPÂ ND

IGLESIAS

GREAT SHOW UNDER THE SUN AT LONATO

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Vega to equip DKM again in 2017 Antoine le Pilote # 8 cartoon strip in preparation The Handisport Guide 2016-2017 ADAC Kart Academy Rules 2017 Sodi World Finals, May 25th - 27th at the RKC CBA launches the Brazilian Karting School Kartcom Gift - 2017 Calendars for Mac and iOS Vega wins the ACI Sport tender for 2017-2019 Birel ART starts 2017 with many changes CIK front spoiler now in France Inauguration of the rue Jules Bianchi in Nice Kozlinski & Keyaert at the CRG Racing Team

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KSP GRAND INTERVIEW

ITW - Felice Tiene

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NEWS BIREL ART STARTS 2017 WITH MANY CHANGES

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Tribute to Patrick Caron CIK-FIA - Entries for the 2017 Competitions FFSA Karting 2017, a season of changes Opening of entries for the Margutti 2017 Trophy CEDINAP becomes IAME France Morocco increasingly involved in motorsport Alpha Karting, more international than ever for its 40 years FFSA French Junior Karting championship 2017 Calendar

EDITORIAL NEWS

KARTCOM NEWS #29

NEWS CIK-FIA - ENTRIES FOR THE 2017 COMPETITIONS

INTERVI FELICE T

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INTERNATIONAL

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Homestead - FWT Adria - WSK Champions Cup Adria - WSK Super Master Series Lonato - Winter Cup

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More than 20 drivers involved in the 2017 Formula Renault Eurocup Renault Sport Racing moves to Le Castellet with Winfield The 2017 season looks bright for the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC

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PRODUCTS

VIDEO

The new Kartland track by onboard camera Highlights of 2016 CIK-FIA European Championships Räikkönen vs Grönholm in go-karting on the ice 16th International Kart Grand Prix Hong Kong 1982

Wings Sprint Shoes IMAF seat mounting kit

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CARS

CIRCUIT La Conca Le Mans Genk

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IEW TIENE

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INTERNATIONAL LONATO - WINTER CUP

INTERNATIONAL HOMESTEAD - FWT

KARTCOM NEWS #29

EDITORIAL

KARTCOM NEWS #29 STILL EARLIER IN 2017!

his statement can be applied both to the launch of the international season and to the age of the OK-Junior and OK drivers. The 2017 calendar started at the end of January with the WSK Champions Cup on the Adria circuit, followed by a week later by the first WSK Super Master Series event on the same track. Although the numbers were up to par with the presence of most of the drivers and teams, the weather proved to be too extreme for kart racing. The cold of the Champions Cup was succeeded by the constant and very cool humidity of the Super Master Series. In the memory of a specialist, there had not been a competition run entirely in rain tyres for several decades. This was probably not the best debut for young drivers learning about OK-Junior aged under 12 years or OK at under 14 years ... Fortunately, the pleasant weather that prevailed on Lonato after mid-February gave everyone a smile, or almost everyone. The favourable conditions of the 22nd Winter Cup made it the true opening of the season and those involved were able to express themselves signi-

ficantly. Although it is still too early to draw a definitive balance sheet, it was found that the one-year lowering of the access age to the OK and OK-Junior international categories was not a particular problem. As expected, the OK entry has already registered a significant increase. The ex-juniors moving up in numbers to OK soon proved themselves up to the standard of their elders who were much more experienced, to the point of challenging for victory without any hesitation. The OK-Junior standard is no longer as high as in the past and the hierarchy is far from fixed. The category appears as a good entry to high level competition and it may well be no longer necessary to complete several seasons in Junior. Its attractiveness has been widened and there are hopes for greater democratisation at the international level. The European series for Rotax and X30 have also started, but the number of drivers is not yet up to the reputation of these two generally appreciated brand trophies.

+ KARTCOM NEWS #29

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NEWS Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

VEGA TO EQUIP THE DKM AGAIN IN 2017 The Italian tyre manufacturer Vega will once again be the only supplier to the four categories in the German Championship for the 2017 season. Vega's proposal won over the DMSB officials in a wide-ranging tender process.

KARTCOM NEWS #29

efore the start of the season, however, the DMSB had launched for the first time a tender for only one year, separately for each category. Ultimately, the DMSB chose the Italian manufacturer Vega for each category, as was the case in previous years. After a thorough investigation of the different offers, Vega distinguished itself with an attractive package and will remain a strong partner of the German Championship in 2017. The composition of the tyres remains identical to the CIK-FIA specifications. The DKM (OK) will be equipped with Vega XP Prime, the DSKM (KZ2) and the DSKC (KZ2) with Vega XM Prime, and the Juniors in the DJKM (OK Junior) will use Vega XH2 Option. The four categories will use the Vega W5 rain tyres.

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

ANTOINE LE PILOTE COMIC #8 IN PRÉPARATION Yvon Amiel, the dad of Antoine le Pilote, has not been idle during the offseason.

he 8th album of the adventures of his kart champion is in the course of realisation in the designer's workshop. On the programme: karting, "Vrooaaarr", stars, guests and a rising star from Morocco ... Find the Antoine Le Pilote shop here and the iOS application here, while awaiting the release of the latest opus.

ANTOINE LE PILOTE SHOP APPLICATION IOS

Info KARTCOM - Frédérique Billet

THE HANDISPORT GUIDE 2016-2017 Consult the Handisport 2016-2017 Guide by clicking on the image. Find all of the information on www.handisport.org.

WWW.HANDISPORT.ORG

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

ADAC KART ACADEMY REGULATIONS The publication of the 2017 ADAC Kart Academy regulations provides important details on the progress of this new promotional formula launched in Germany by ADAC with technical support from KSM Schumacher.

he OTK equipment, the Exprit Noesis chassis and Vortex DDJ engine, conforms to the OKJunior formula, except for the 24 mm Dell'Orto VHST float bowl carburettor. The rear axle will be type N. The Vega XH2 tyres will be used, with two sets per weekend: free practice and qualifying on Saturday, two races on Sunday. Rain tyres are Vega W5. Open to drivers from 12 to 14 years old. Engines will be drawn at each event. Two test days are scheduled before the first race. The budget includes the rental of the chassis / engine for € 3950 excluding text for the five events, with a preliminary registration fee of €1340, for a total of € 5290 excluding tax for the season. All consumables (oil, petrol, etc.), breakages, maintenance, pitches, official combination and tyres (12 slicks + rain sets) are the responsibility of the competitors. A paid technical service (mechanic) can be offered by OTK Germany. The nature and amount of the prizes will be announced at a later date. See the full regulations (in German) below.

RÉGLEMENT COMPLET

KARTCOM NEWS #29

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

2017 SODI WORLD FINALS MAY 25TH/27TH AT THE RKC The 2017 edition of the most prestigious leisure karting event will take place on the French circuit of Racing Kart Cormeilles, near Paris. The SWS organisation will therefore benefit from the optimal location of the Parisian circuit, very popular with the 280 drivers from all over the world who are expected at this unique event (35 different nationalities).

Located close to the most beautiful city in the world and its international airports, the Racing Kart Cormeilles circuit is an undisputed world benchmark for recreational karting. The quality of the complex, the technicality of its two tracks of 1,000 and 1,200 m as well as the expertise of its staff make it a logical choice to host this world-class event. In order to delight all the qualified drivers at this superb event, the SWS organisers will implement an innovative racing format and entertainment that will captivate the world of leisure karting during these three exceptional days. Details of the event will be announced soon on the SWS website. Finally, the list of qualified drivers for the 2017 Sodi World Finals will be announced initially to the relevant SWS partner circuits and then directly to the drivers and teams by email (mid-January 2017).

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SODI WORLD FINALS: Since 2009, the SODIKART group has organised the Sodi World Series, the world championship of leisure karting, which enables more than 40,000 drivers from all over the world to compete with each other throughout the year on each of the partner circuits in more than 50 countries. Based on the SWS World Ranking at the end of the season (December 31st, 2016), the best drivers in each category qualify for the SODI WORLD FINALS, whose objective is to award: The 2017 World Champion JUNIOR CUP category (11-14 years old) The 2017 World Champion SPRINT CUP category (15 years old and up) The 2017 world champion ENDURANCE CUP category (team race)

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédé

CBA LAUNCHES THE BRA Under the impetus of its president, Cleyton Pinteiro and the Brazilian CIK-FIA delegate Giovanni Guerra, the Brazilian Automotive Confederation has launched the Brazilian Karting School at three tracks with a plan for rapid expansion in 2017. This pro-

gramme, supported by the FIA, is inspired by the model of the French Karting Schools set up by the FFSA. The aim is to encourage the emergence of a new generation of young drivers who can start karting without having to acquire their own equipment.

WWW.CBA-EBK

KARTCOM NEWS #29

éric Billet © Photo CBA

AZILIAN KARTING SCHOOL T

his initiative will be coordinated by former Indy Car driver Felipe Giaffone and former National Karting Commission President Pedro Sereno. The first stage of the project will take place on the circuit of Granja Viana, close to São Paulo, while the RBS circuit will launch the concept in the state of Minas Gerais. Catarina will soon follow in the first group of schools, without the track still being determined.

K.ORG.BR

In these schools, the apprentice drivers will have all the necessary equipment and will follow a theoretical and practical curriculum including the basics of the discipline before turning to the skills required for competition. They will operate on Minikart chassis equipped with Honda 4 stroke engines and MG tyres. Special race suits and helmets will be provided to the young drivers from 6 to 11 years old.

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

GIFT FROM KARTCOM Like last year, Kartcom offers you the 2017 karting calendars in both Mac OS and iOS format, which can be inserted with a single click into the iCal calendar of your iPhone, iPad, MacBook or iMac. Any updates will be managed by us and will automatically integrate with your device. {CHARTE GRAPHIQUE LOGO KARTCOM}

THANKS AGAIN TO...? ;-) Impression 2 couleurs Couleur Pantone Rouge :

new color swatch 1

Noir :

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Noir :

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KARTCOM NEWS #29

2017 CALENDARS FOR MAC AND IOS

CIK-FIA

WSK PROMOTION

FFSA KARTING

3MK EVENTS

BELGIQUE

ROTAX INTERNATIONAL

IAME INTERNATIONAL

AUTRES ÉVÈNEMENTS

Get the calendars that interest you separately by clicking on the links below:

Winter Cup, DKM, etc...

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

VEGA WINS THE ACI SPORT TENDER FOR 2017-2019 All Italian national categories managed by ACI Sport will be equipped with Vega tyres for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. This was decided by the Italian federation following the tender procedure.

Category OK-Junior: Vega slick "XH 2 CIK F / Z option" Category OK: Vega slick "XP CIK F Prime" Category KZ2: Vega slick "XM CIK Z Prime" The rain tyres will of course be Vega "W5 CIK Rain".

DÉTAIL DES CATÉGORIES

KARTCOM NEWS #29

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

BIREL ART MAKES CHANGES FOR 2017

Birel ART has displayed strong ambitions for its Racing Team in 2017 with new TM Racing engines, a restructuring of the technical team, a renewal of drivers and changes to the chassis.

KARTCOM NEWS #29

onni Sala, President of Birel ART: "This year we have decided to intensify our efforts in KZ, while continuing in the new categories OK and OKJunior on the start of the 2016 season. We worked hard on chassis development last year and the 2017 versions take advantage of several important developments that will allow us to aim for high targets. After two seasons of fruitful collaboration with the IAME, whose engines have brought us much satisfaction, we have decided to equip the Racing Team with TM Racing engines for 2017. It was not easy to make this decision because the IAME has always been a loyal partner, but our desire to win in KZ has oriented us towards TM Racing. The technical management of the two Racing Teams, Birel ART and Ricciardo Kart, is now entrusted to the loyal Rickard Kaell Franchini, backed up by Francesco Binda Beschi. We are thrilled to have recruited such a talented and experienced driver as Felice Tiene. He is one of the greatest current performers and at the same time an outstanding debutant. We are very hopeful about this new collaboration. As the leader of the team, Felice will initially dedicate himself to KZ, but will also race in OK, notably at the World OK Championship at PFI. His first outings at Lonato have been very positive regarding the quality of our chassis for 2017. The young Dutchman Marijn Kremers will accompany Tiene in KZ where his great potential should be revealed quickly, while the Swede Alexander Dahlberg will progress in KZ2. For the OK category, we will rely on the Brazilian Caio Collet and the American Michael D'Or-

lando (Birel ART) and the Swedes Rasmus Lindh and Simon Ohlin (Ricciardo Kart) We chose to trust four very promising young drivers to defend the colours of Birel ART in OK-Junior, with the Italian Pietro Delli Guanti, the Briton Dexter Patterson, as well as the Venezuelans Alessandro Famularo and Anthony Famularo. Our line-up is not entirely complete, and there are contracts still to be finalised. Rick Dreezen will explore a different path by driving a Vortex-powered Birel ART in the Austrian semi-official KSW team." The 2017 programme of the Birel ART Racing Team will start at the WSK Champions Cup before continuing with the WSK Super Master Series and the Winter Cup. The CIK-FIA events of the European Championships, World Championships and International Super Cup will be the most important objective of the season, while some DKM races are also planned. Birel ART will use the new CRY30 S8-B and CRY32 S8-B chassis in KZ and KZ2, and the RY29 S8-B and RY30 S8-B models in OK and OK-Junior, while Ricciardo Kart will use the new DR01-B. The TM Racing KZ engines will be prepared directly by the factory under the responsibility of Franco Drudi. The KZ2 engines will be entrusted to Bruno Daldosso, MachĂĄÄ? Motors will ensure the preparation of the OK engines and GFR Engines that of OK-Junior.

WWW.BIRELART.COM

We pre

All these new features will soon be available online when the www.alfano.com website is announced at the very beginning of 2017.

We will be at IKA-Kart2000 in Offenbach on 28th and 29th January for the presentation of the PROIIIevo "2017" on Stand 4 Hall 3 "Alfano Germany Âť

NEWS Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

CIK FRONT SPOILER NOW IN FRANCE

After a year of observation, the CNK of the FFSA has finally decided to impose CIKFIA type spoilers in France from 2017.

t may be useful to specify the current state of International regulation that serves as a basis for our own. Last July, the CIK-FIA put in place new rules to limit cheating.

KARTCOM NEWS #29

ARTICLE TO BE FOUND HERE

Most of the texts and technical drawings of reference can be found in the technical bulletin CIK-FIA n ° 42 published in July 2016 and available by following this link.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN N°42

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

INAUGURATION OF THE RUE JULES BIANCHI IN NICE A street bearing his name was inaugurated on Monday January 23rd in Nice in homage to Jules Bianchi, in the presence of his family, the Mayor of Nice, the President of the Regional Council and many friends.

FOR EVER JULES #JB17

Organization

WWW.JULESBIANCHISOCIETY.ORG

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

KOZLINSKI & KEYAERT AT THE CRG RACING TEAM As Dino Chiesa has decided to take full-time care of his team Chiesa Corse, the organisation of the CRG Racing Team was revised to start the 2017 season on a good foundation.

iancarlo Tinini visibly appreciated the work of Arnaud Kozlinski last year, as he has offered him a major promotion: the technical and sporting leadership of the team alongside Glenn Keyaert. A Frenchman and a Belgian, both still young, roughly of the same age, former drivers, who have been part of the CRG family for a long time and knowing their respective personalities well, the choice seems quite judicious. Although Glenn hung up

KARTCOM NEWS #29

his helmet a long time ago, Arnaud wanted to compete in a World Championship for the last time, in KZ in Kristianstad in 2016, before turning the page. "I wanted to do this race, the only one of the season, and I think I did pretty well, did I not?" "Mr Tinini gave me this chance and I thank him for it. I still had the opportunity to take part in some events this year, but I made the decision to take advantage of the chance with Team CRG. I am proud of the confidence in me and also delighted to be working with Glenn, and I am sure we will be a great team. In view of the achievements of the CRG factory, it is a great challenge to be in charge of the continuation of the adventure. What is certain is that I will give my best, as always!"

ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE DE KARTING

Crédit photos : KSP.fr - Création : E. Pander

Les Écoles Françaises de Karting vous garantissent un accueil et une prestation de qualité pour apprendre à piloter un kart de compétition en toute sécurité dès l'âge de 6 ans. ans

D ès 6 a ns , l e K a r t ç a s 'a p p r e n d a l 'é c ol e ! Renseignements : www.ffsa-efk.com

NEWS

KARTCOM NEWS #29

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

TRIBUTE TO

PATRICK CARON The sudden death of Patrick Caron last Monday aroused strong emotion in the French karting world, as well as in the KSP-Kartcom team. We would like to pay special tribute to an important and engaging personality whose company we have enjoyed for many years on the circuits and in the offices of the FFSA.

e have memories of a warm man, faithful to his friends and a man of his word. A man of conviction and commitment, Patrick Caron carried out the projects he was undertaking for the development of karting with unflinching energy. Among his numerous activities, he also lived his passion as a driver's father and it was in this capacity that he was among the first customers of the KSP agency where he appreciated the photos of Morgan in the 90s. The KSP-Kartcom team expresses its condolences to his wife Geneviève and his son Morgan, and to their families in these difficult times.

NEWS

KARTCOM NEWS #29

Info CIK-FIA ÂŠ Photo KSP - Philippe KalmĂ¨s

CIK-FIA

ENTRIES FOR THE 2017 COMPETITIONS Registration for the 2017 CIK-FIA Competitions will be online from 6th February on the CIK-FIA website by following the CIK-FIA Registration Form link. Entry to the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship will only be possible after 13th March 2017, after validation of the calendar by the CMSA, with the choice of selecting one event, two events or the entire Championship. ENTRIES

or the CIK-FIA KZ, KZ2, OK and OK-Junior European Championships, it is possible to enter a single Competition instead of the full Championship by selecting one of the Wild Card entry forms.

Entries close on Wednesday five weeks before the Competition. An additional period, at a higher price, is possible until Wednesday four weeks before the Competition, except for the Karting Academy Trophy and the European Superkart Championship. A table summarising the 2017 closing dates and prices is available at the link: Entry closures.

TABLE OF CLOSING DATES AND PRICES

Payment by cheque is no longer authorised in 2017. Only payments by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or by bank transfer are now accepted. The new registration form set up from this year offers the possibility for the user to save his registration in draft form in order to be able to check it or to complete it before validating it. It is now possible to view the progress of the validation status of the registration online.

NEWS

Info FFSA

A SEASON OF CHANGES After the launch of the international categories OK and OK-Junior in 2016, changes are continuing on several fronts in 2017. New age groups for the youngsters, the creation of a one-make French Junior Championship, and adoption of the CIK-FIA front spoiler are the main innovations, while reflection continues about the young categories for 2018. However the French Championships and Cups retain the general outline which has made their success in recent years.

KARTCOM NEWS #29

he other major development in 2017 concerns the change of age in the youth categories caused by the progression of international regulations. For this year, the Minime class will use the Minikart homologation equipment for drivers from 7 years to 11 years of age reached in the year (minimum weight of 105 kg). The Cadet category will be for drivers aged 10 to 15, on Cadet type homologated equipment (minimum weight 130 kg). The National category will be accessible from 12 years old (minimum weight 145 kg). A "Rookie" classification will be put in place in the French Championship and Cup in order to enhance the results of drivers under 15 years of age entered in the category. The OK-Junior category will be open to drivers between 12 and 14 years old. The KFS category will also be available from 12 years. The OK, Rotax Max and X30 Senior categories will be accessible from 14 years, while the minimum age to race in KZ2 will remain at 15 years. A KZ2 Gentleman category has been created in the French Championship and Cup for drivers over 45 years of age.

It will be possible to change licenses once in the year as in the past, but at any time of the season, without having to wait for 15th September. The French Junior Karting Championship is the great novelty of FFSA Karting for 2017. It is a one-off turnkey competition largely inspired by the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy. Young French hopefuls from 12 to 15 years old will compete in Exprit / Vortex karts close to OK-Junior in five events. The logistics will be entrusted to the teams of the FFSA Academy. The French Junior Karting Championship will replace the 10-15 Programme in the FFSA's Excellence course, aiming at both training and the detection of tomorrow's talent. The best drivers will be part of the French FFSA Junior Karting Team and will be able to compete in the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy or participate in the CIK-FIA World Championship. The use of detachable CIK-FIA front spoilers with a 5-point or 5-place penalty according to the race phase in the event of movement at the finish is now applicable to all categories (except Minime / Cadet and Long Circuit) in order to discourage bad behaviour on the track and avoid unsportsmanlike contact.

The tender procedure to deliver the types of FFSA tyres for 2017, 2018 and 2019: • Minime: VEGA Cadetti (slick) • Cadet: Bridgestone YDS (slick) • National: Bridgestone YNC (slick) - WT (rain) • KZ2: LeCont LO Z (slick) - LW (rain) • Endurance: LeCont ESS LH 03 (slick) - EES WLH 06 (rain)

Tyres for brand trophies for 2017: • Rotax Max: Mojo D3 / 2017 - W2 (rain) • X30: Komet K1H (slick) - K1W (rain) • KFS: Vega KFM (sprint) - Vega KFH (endurance) In 2017, 19 French Championships and 10 French Cup winners will be awarded at the end of the 23 meetings organised over 16 weekends on 16 different circuits, from north to south and from east to west of France, within 15 categories.

2017 FFSA KARTING CALENDRAR

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NEWS 18-19 March 8-9 April 22 April 22-23 April 20-21 May 20-21 May 20-21 May 27-28 May 27-28 May 17-18 June 17-18 June 17-18 June 24 June 24-25 June 8-9 July 15-16 JulY 15-16 JulY 15-16 JulY 15-16 JulY 29-30 July 29-30 July 29-30 July 26-27 August 26-27 August 26-27 August 7-8 Oct 7-8 Oct 28-29 Oct 4-5 Nov 4-5 Nov

French Junior Karting Championship 1/5

Le Mans (72)

French Junior Karting Championship 2/5

Aunay les Bois (61)

French Endurance Championship 1/4

Le Mans (72)

French Superkart Championship 1/5

Magny-Cours (58) *

French Long Circuit Championship 1/3

Lédenon (31)

French Superkart Championship 2/5

Lédenon (31)

French Endurance Championship 2/4

Soucy (89)

French Handikart Championship

Le Mans (72)

French League Cup, Final Round KZ2, KZ2 Master, KZ2 Gentleman

Le Mans (72)

French Junior Karting championship 3/5

Septfontaine (25)

French OK Championship 1/3, Women

Septfontaine (25)

French Cup for Cadet

Septfontaine (25)

French Endurance Championship 3/4

Anneville (76)

French Superkart Championship 3/5

Nogaro (32)

French Championship for X30 Senior, X30 Master

Aunay les Bois (61)

French Junior Karting Championship 4/5

Muret (31)

French Rotax Max Championship, Rotax Master

Muret (31)

French Cup for National

Muret (31)

French Cup for KFS - Varennes sur Allier (03)

Varennes sur Allier (03)

French Junior Karting Championship 5/5

Saint-Amand (18)

French Cadet Championship

Saint-Amand (18)

French Cup for Minime

Saint-Amand (18)

French OK Championship 2/3, Minime, National

Lohéac (35)

French Long Circuit Championship 2/3

Croix en Ternois (62)

French Cup for Superkart

Croix en Ternois (62)

French OK Championship 3/3, KZ2, KZ2 M, KZ2 G

Val d'Argenton (79)

French Superkart Championship 4/5

Le Vigeant (86) *

French Superkart Championship 5/5

Le Mans (72)

French Long Circuit Championship 3/3

Pau Arnos (64)

French Endurance Championship 4/4

Angerville (91)

KARTCOM NEWS #29

* Subject to availability

2017 FFSA KARTING CALENDRAR

SAISON 2017 29-30 Juillet : SAINT-AMAND

20-21 Mai : LÉDENON

Championnat de France Cadet Coupe de France Minime

Championnat de France Long Circuit KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman

26-27 Août : LOHEAC

27-28 Mai : LE MANS

Championnat de France Handikart Coupe de France OK / OK-J Coupe de France KZ2 - KZ2 Master- KZ2 Gentleman

01-02 Juillet : LE MANS Championnat d’Europe CIK-FIA OK / OK-J / KZ2

26-27 Août : CROIX EN TERNOIS

17-18 Juin : SEPTFONTAINES Championnat de France Féminin Championnat de France OK (1/3) Coupe de France Cadet

Championnat de France OK (2/3) Championnat de France Minime Championnat de France Nationale

Championnat de France Long Circuit KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman

07-08 Octobre : VAL D’ARGENTON

08-09 Juillet : AUNAY LES BOIS Championnat de France X30 - Senior X30 Master

Championnat de France OK (3/3) Championnat de France KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman

04-05 Novembre : PAU Championnat de France Long Circuit KZ2 - KZ2 Master - KZ2 Gentleman

15-16 Juillet : MURET

Crédit photo & Création : Emmanuel Pander - Crédit photo : KSP.fr

Championnat de France Rotax Max - Rotax Master Coupe de France Nationale

{CHARTE GRAPHIQUE LOGO KARTCOM} Impression 2 couleurs Couleur Pantone Rouge :

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Noir :

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Noir :

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Impression 2 couleurs > Fond Noir

Web ou Impression Quadri > Fond blanc

Web ou Impression Quadri > Fond Noir

Suivez-nous sur www.ﬀsakarting.org

NEWS

KARTCOM NEWS #29

Info KARTCOM - FrĂŠdĂŠric Billet

OPENING OF ENTRIES FOR THE 2017 MARGUTTI TROPHY TROFEOMARGUTTI.COM

Entries for the 28th Andrea Margutti Trophy will open on 8th February. The event will take place from 24th to 26th March 2017 on the South Garda Karting circuit at Lonato (ITA). It will be open to 60 Mini, KZ2, OK, OK-Junior and X30 Senior categories as part of the new X30 Trophy.

his new X30 Trophy will feature two rounds in 2017. After the Margutti Trophy the competitors will compete for the 46th Trofeo delle Industrie on 29th October. Registration for the 28th Andrea Margutti Trophy will be done online at www.trofeomargutti.com and payment must be by credit card. The first entrants will be the first

to be admitted. The OK-Junior category will accommodate 54 drivers, 34 in OK, 54 in KZ2, 72 in 60 Mini and 34 in IAME X30. 60 Mini, KZ2 and OK-Junior will use Vega tyres, while the OK will use the CIK-FIA-approved LeCont tyres for the first time this season. The X30 Seniors will race with Komet. The competition will include Qualifying, Qualifying heats, Repechages if necessary, Prefinal and Final in each category. The regulations are available on www.trofeomargutti.com. The schedule for the 28th Andrea Margutti Trophy will start with free practice on Thursday 23rd March and Friday 24th March. Timed practice and Qualifying heats will take place on Saturday, March 25th, while the Repechage, Prefinal, Finals and awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 26th.

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet

CEDINAP BECOMES IAME FRANCE New season, new championships, new ambitions, new name, new logo ... In order to better serve its customers, Cedinap, an IAME subsidiary and importer of Komet Racing Tyres, becomes IAME France.

or the record, Cedinap was founded in 1991 by Bruno Grana - the illustrious founder of the IAME factory. Over the years, the influence of Cedinap has continued to grow on French territory. Its history started with the creation of the NAP, a machine that revolutionised karting with its clutch. The NAP was also used at the Paris-Bercy Masters for nearly a decade and saw the first edition in 1993, marked by the last confrontation between the two exceptional champions Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost . As manager of CEDINAP, Thierry Seminger has spared no effort to ensure the importation of IAME engines in France and the organisation of the X30 Challenge in collaboration with Action Karting. With the development over recent years, Cedinap moved in 2010 to new modern and functional premises in Dammartin en Goële, 10 km northeast of Roissy in Ile de France.

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Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

MORE AND MORE INVOLVEMENT IN MOTORSPORT FOR MOROCCO This year, no fewer than six Moroccan drivers will be involved in international competition, three in cars and three in karting.

lthough Mehdi Bennani (WTCC) is the best known to date, the next generation is with Michael Benyahia in Formula Renault 2.0 and Mehdi Alaoui in Formula 4, while Sami Taoufik will be in the category of the elite of karting in OK and the youngest Suleiman Zanfari (OK-Junior) and Sofia Zanfari (60 Mini) are already pushing to take over. This representation would not be as significant without a clear will from the country's authorities to support hopefuls in their ascent to the heights.

NEWS

Info Alpha Karting ÂŠ Photo DR

ALPHA KARTING, MORE INTERNATIONAL THAN EVER FOR ITS 40 YEARS The French brand Alpha Karting this year celebrates 40 years of experience at all levels of the sport. A pioneer at its creation in 1977, Alpha Karting has constantly evolved to serve all enthusiasts. In both competition and leisure karting, but also very well placed in distribution and online sales, Alpha exhibited its first CIKFIA homologated model under number 01 in 1982 at Offenbach.

uring the recent Offenbach Show in Germany, visitors flocked to the stand of the oldest French brand in operation. Presented in its original fully restored version, the Alpha 01 chassis of 1982 attracted a lot of interest from a wide audience and not only from fans of vintage karts. The link between the origins and the current production materialised with the presentation of the new competition chassis, Tiger Black. With a new livery and new accessories, the Alpha Karting spearhead has strong arguments for continuing to offer its drivers the best chance of victory. The leisure range was represented by the famous Carbon.K, an original product with many followers. In order to represent its activity in distribution of parts and accessories from the biggest brands, Alpha Karting also exhibited a selection at Offenbach of products representative of the stock available in large quantity on the site www.akparts.fr, to satisfy the customers looking for quality at the best price.

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Benoit Bremond, President of Alpha Karting, returns to the major aspects of an important year for the French company: "The 40 year anniversary of Alpha Karting is a major event for us. This exceptional longevity among renowned professionals reflects our strength and our adaptation to the evolutions of the kart market. It is certain that our experience is as irreplaceable in racing as it is in leisure. Alpha has always managed to renew itself. Today we have a very popular online sales site that we renamed Alpha Karts & Parts last year to make our activities easier to understand. "Our international sales breakthrough continues in 2017. At Offenbach, we had the opportunity to measure the excellent work of our importer Kart Service Walter on the ground. This fruitful collaboration has encouraged us to intensify our presence in other countries. The competition brought us great satisfaction last year and we look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary with more successes."

NEWS

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo FFSA Academy

FFSA FRENCH JUNIOR KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP

FIRST SUCCESSFUL STAGE AT LE MANS The 20 drivers of the 2017 FFSA French Junior Karting Championship met at Le Mans at the FFSA Academy for the first training course scheduled for their training programme.

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We had the pleasure of two very interesting days with a very motivated group of young people," commented Marc Berteaux, head of the training organisation. "The entire coaching team, from the mechanics to the coaches, were also looking forward to starting the season. The first day was de-

voted to sporting activities and indoor races before taking the track for the first runs the following day. The atmosphere was excellent among all the people involved." Variable at will, Le Mans offered a wide range of track conditions to young recruits who used slicks and rain tyres: dry in the morning, then gradually wet and again drying to finish. The drivers were divided into four groups of five supervised by experienced instructors such as Malo Olivier, Didier Blot, Alban Varutti and Anthony Abbasse. The presence of the World KZ Vice-Champion of 2016 impressed the French hopefuls.

ly well and that my remarks allowed them to be more effective." After this first very positive contact, the training will continue from next week, Thursday, February 23rd. Christophe Lollier and his team must already make a selection for the French participation in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy while preparing the first meeting of the FFSA French Junior Karting Championship in a month at Le Mans.

"I guess a little bit was about what it meant for young enthusiasts, but I was there first and foremost as a DE JEPS instructor," said Anthony. "We were able to work effectively on a changing terrain. The drivers I was in charge of were talented and attentive to my advice. It must be said that I know the Le Mans track particular-

CALENDAR

» MARCH 05/03 Castelletto - WSK - Super Master Series 12/03 Mariembourg - Championnat de Belgique 19/03 Le Mans - Championnat de France 19/03 La Conca - WSK - Super Master Series 26/03 Lonato - Trofeo Andrea Margutti 26/03 Genk - X30 European Series

60 Mini / OK-Junior / OK / KZ2 X30 Academy 60 Mini / OK-Junior / OK / KZ2 60 Mini / OK-Junior / OK / KZ2 X30

» APRIL 02/04 Genk - Rotax Euro Challenge 09/04 Aunay-les-Bois - Championnat de France 09/04 Sarno - WSK - Super Master Series 16/04 Castelletto - IAME International Open 23/04 Le Mans - Championnat de France 23/04 Sarno - European Championship 23/04 Magny-Cours (Auto) - Championnat de France 30/04 Francorchamps - Championnat de Belgique

DD2 / Rotax Senior / Mini Max / DD2 Master / Rotax Junior Academy 60 Mini / OK-Junior / OK / KZ2 X30 Endurance KZ / OK / OK-Junior Superkart X30

» maY 07/05 Ampfing - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft 14/05 Salbris - National Series Karting 14/05 Genk - Academy Trophy 14/05 Genk - European Championship 21/05 Ledenon - Championnat de France 21/05 Pau Ville - Championnat de France 21/05 Salbris - X30 European Series 21/05 Mer - Championnat de France 27/05 Cormeilles - Sodi World Finals 28/05 Le Mans - Championnat de France 28/05 Kerpen - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft 28/05 Le Mans - Coupe de France 28/05 Salbris - Rotax Euro Challenge

OK / OK-Junior / KZ2 DD2 / Rotax Max / KZ2 Master / DD2 Master / KZ2 / Rotax Master / Nationale / Cadet / Minime Academy KZ / KZ2 KZ2 Master (Long circuit) / KZ2 (Long circuit) / Superkart F4 X30 Endurance Handikart OK / OK-Junior / KZ2 OK / KZ2 Gentleman / OK-Junior / KZ2 Master / KZ2 Rotax Senior / Mini Max / DD2 / DD2 Master / Rotax Junior

» juNE 11/06 Ancenis - Challenge Rotax Max France 11/06 Oviedo - European Championship 18/06 Septfontaine - Championnat de France 18/06 Septfontaine - Coupe de France 25/06 Anneville - Championnat de France 25/06 Nogaro - Championnat de France

DD2 / Rotax Max / DD2 Master / Rotax Master / Nationale / Cadet / Minime OK / OK-Junior / KZ OK / Academy / Feminine Cadet Endurance Superkart

» juLY 02/07 Varennes / Allier - National Series Karting 02/07 LE MANS - Academy Trophy 02/07 Le Mans - European Championship

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DD2 / KZ2 Master / Rotax Max / DD2 Master / KZ2 / Rotax Master / Nationale / Cadet Academy OK / OK-Junior / KZ2

» juLY 09/07 Aunay-les-Bois - Championnat de France 09/07 Hahn - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft 16/07 Muret - Coupe de France 16/07 Muret - Championnat de France 23/07 Alaharma - Academy Trophy 23/07 Wackersdorf - X30 European Series 23/07 Alaharma - European Championship 30/07 Wackersdorf - Rotax Euro Challenge 30/07 Saint Amand - Coupe de France 30/07 Saint Amand - Championnat de France 30/07 Kristianstad - European Championship

X30 Senior / X30 Master OK-Junior / OK Nationale Rotax Max / Academy / Rotax Master Academy X30 OK-Junior / OK Rotax Senior / Mini Max / DD2 / DD2 Master / Rotax Junior Minime Academy / Cadet OK-Junior / OK / KZ / KZ2

» aUGUST 20/08 Genk - Championnat de Belgique 27/08 Loheac - Championnat de France 27/08 Croix en Ternois - Coupe de France 27/08 Croix en Ternois - Championnat de France 27/08 Wackersdorf - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft

X30 OK / Nationale / Minime Superkart KZ2 Master (Long circuit) / KZ2 (Long circuit) OK / OK-Junior / KZ2

» septemBER 10/09 Wackersdorf - International Super Cup 10/09 Wackersdorf - World Karting Championship 17/09 Castelletto - X30 European Series 17/09 Val d'Argenton - National Series Karting 24/09 Castelletto - Rotax Euro Challenge 24/09 PF International - World Karting Championship

KZ2 KZ X30 DD2 / Rotax Max / KZ2 Master / DD2 Master / KZ2 / Rotax Master / Nationale / Cadet / Minime Rotax Senior / Mini Max / DD2 / DD2 Master / Rotax Junior OK-Junior / OK

» octobER 01/10 Le Mans - Endurance Championship 08/10 Val d'Argenton - Championnat de France 08/10 Le Vigeant - Championnat de France 15/10 Le Mans - IAME International Final 22/10 Lonato - Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft 29/10 Le Mans - Championnat de France 29/10 Lonato - Trofeo delle Industrie

OK KZ2 Master / OK / KZ2 Gentleman / KZ2 Superkart X30 OK-Junior / OK / KZ2 Superkart OK-Junior / Mini Rok / OK / KZ2

» novembER 05/11 Pau Arnos - Championnat de France 05/11 Angerville - Championnat de France 05/11 Adria - WSK - Final Cup 11/11 Portimao - Rotax Challenge Grand Finals 12/11 Adria - WSK - Final Cup

KZ2 Master (Long circuit) / KZ2 (Long circuit) Endurance OK-Junior / OK / 60 Mini / KZ2 Micro Max / Mini Max / Rotax Max / DD2 / DD2 Master / Rotax Junior OK-Junior / OK / 60 Mini / KZ2

2017 CALENDAR

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HISOCIETY.ORG

INTERVIEW

Big changes in 2017 for

Felice Tiene Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

At just 25 years old, Felice Tiene has given a new direction to his professional career by joining the Birel ART Racing Team with long-term objectives. A very experienced driver, known for his seriousness, speed and sense of attack, Felice also has development skills that are very useful for a factory. At Adria, for the first race of the season, there was an ideal opportunity to take stock of the career of the Neapolitan driver.

KARTCOM NEWS #29

INTERVIEW

How did your karting adventure start?

What teams did you race with?

- My family was not specifically involved in this discipline. Like many, my parents were passionate about motorsport in general and Formula 1 in particular. It happens that one of my neighbours owned a kart that he did not use anymore and my father bought it for me. I started at 7 years old and participated in my first 8-year-old's race in Baby Kart on the Pista d'Oro in Rome for the Trofeo dei Campioni. I won the championship the following year! I was already fast, but there were not as many races as now to get noticed. I still earned titles in Minikart in Italy, as well as the Trofeo delle Industrie.

I started racing with Top Kart and then I went to CRG from 2006 to 2008. I then won the Qualifier for the European KF2 Championship at Sosnova (CZE) in 2009 with Kosmic, as well as the Asia-Pacific Championship. Back in the CRG colours, I won the KF2 World Cup at Zuera in 2012 ahead of Max Verstappen. It was a good season as I also won the Trofeo Andrea Margutti and finished 3rd in the European KF2 Championship and the World KF1 Championship. On my debut in KZ2, I also finished 3rd in the European Championship in 2013

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I've been with CRG since I was 14, I grew up with them, it's kind of my family! I was not unhappy with CRG when I joined Birel ART. I needed a new challenge in a new team, that's all. I still maintain very good relations with Giancarlo Tinini and the whole CRG team.

Did the 2016 season leave you some regrets?

and I adjusted my goal very early to become a professional karting driver. I think the current system is pushing young people to want to go to cars too quickly. The speeds that can be reached by 14-15 year olds in single-seaters are unreasonable. It is a fashion, but it is not good. It can even be dangerous. It is not surprising to see a lot of accidents. It's not really the fault of the drivers, they're too young, that's all.

I know that it is always very difficult to win because of the many parameters that must be perfectly aligned to achieve victory. It is true that I was able to fight for the KZ2 International Super Cup and for the OK World Championship last year but I could not make it happen. At Kristianstad, I won my Prefinal and I went to the front of the Final before a contact with a team-mate delayed me and I finished at the foot of the podium. In Bahrain, it was a penalty that I didn't deserve which deprived me of 1st place in the Prefinal. I managed to climb 17 positions in the Final to reach the 3rd step of the podium. This causes some regrets ... In racing, the important thing is to show ones level of performance and that this is recognised by important people.

Talk about this new page that opens with Birel ART.

Have you been tempted by car racing? I was invited to do some tests, but I never looked for a car career myself. Of course, when I was very young, I dreamed of becoming a F1 driver like everyone else. But as I grew up, I quickly realised that it was necessary to have unusual means or financial support to achieve this

I am in charge of development for Birel ART and my main category is KZ. The objective is to be competitive enough to participate actively in the conquest of European and world titles. So far I've been driving in KF or OK, although I have had the opportunity to compete occasionally in KZ races. It was not really enough for my taste and I am delighted that the trend is reversed this season. I have a full programme with many races, but also a lot of testing to develop the equipment. I am delighted that my collaboration with Birel ART is ongoing and that we have several projects together. For the engine, I have always maintained good relations with TM Racing, a major player in karting, and especially with Franco Drudi. I am therefore very pleased with my current situation where I will be able to face exciting new challenges.

INTERNATIONAL

FWT 2017 attracts more drivers 55

KARTCOM NEWS #29

FLORIDA WINTER TOUR 2017

1/6 & 2/6, HOMESTEAD

KEY POINTS DATE 1/6 January 13th to 15th, 2017

ENTRIES 1/6 190 drivers - 7 categories

DATE 2/6 January 20th to 23rd, 2017

ENTRIES 2/6 114 drivers - 7 categories

LOCATION Homestead Miami Speedway - 1125 m • VCI Powered by AM Engines Florida Winter Tour presented by FIKSE Wheels • 18th season of the Florida Winter Tour, the 3rd of the Maxspeed era • Rok Cup entries up, Rotax Challenge down • Successful competitions despite difficult weather conditions • A lot of wind, sun alternating with clouds

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo Cody Schindel

INTERNATIONAL

FWT Rok Cup USA #1

Carlton wins Rok Shifter

KARTCOM NEWS #29

onathan Thonon (GP Racing), poleman and winner of two heats, was strangely downgraded in the last one. The Belgian climbed from 8th to 2nd in the Prefinal, but Gary Carlton (Formula K) won without any opposition in the Final against a very aggressive Rubens Barichello (Tony Kart). AJ Meyers (TB Kart) was on the 3rd step of the podium. Danny Formal (DR) moved up from 28th to 4th, then dropping to 8th. Thonon, holder of the fastest lap, yielded ground at the end of the race and finished 4th.

Austin Garrison finally took the lead on Ryan Norberg, long dominant in Senior Rok, with Arthur Leist in 2nd place. Eduardo Barrichello won in Rok Junior, with Sebastian Montoya finishing in the top 10. Luca Mars won in Mini Rok against Ashton Chilton and Carson Morgan, while Felipe Barrichello slipped into the Final. Miguel Costa won in Micro Rok ahead of Ian Aguilera Ituart and Brandon Carr, while Emmo Fittipaldi finished 6th.

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KARTCOM NEWS #29

FWT Rotax Max Challenge #2

Norberg, Aboissa and Kingsley dominators in Rotax at Homestead

ehind the winner in Senior Max Ryan Norberg, Arthur Leist and Austin Garrison monopolised the top three in that order until the end, while Trenton Estep and Dante Yu fought for 4th place. Luis Schiavo pressured Michel Aboissa for the Masters victory, but Christophe Adams managed a magnificent final climb from 7th position on the grid to the second step of the podium ahead of Schiavo. In DD2, the battle was rough behind the leader Jeff Kingsley. After Robert Wickens and Michael McCarthy in the heats, it was Juan Correa who took 2nd place in the Finals. Jeremy Fairbairn won Junior Max in front of Tyler Gonzalez and Arias Deukmedjian. Dale Curran beat Luca Mars and Reece Gold in Mini Max, while James Egozi won Micro Max in front of Miguel Costa and Emerson Fittipaldi.

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WSK CHAMPIONS CUP ADRIA

Cold opening race

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

WSK Promotion

DATE January 27th to 29th, 2017

LIEU

Adria Karting Raceway, Italie - 1302 m

ENTRIES 243 drivers - 4 categories • More than a hundred 60 Mini • OK entries up • Low participation in KZ2 • Bridgestone tyres in OK and KZ2 • Vega tyres in 60 Mini and OK-Junior • Cold weather

Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

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100% CRG TM Podium

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érémy Iglesias (Formula K / TM) had led the start of the weekend in KZ2 before losing a wheel in the Prefinal and climbing 5th in the Final. Stan and Jorrit Pex (CRG / TM) started in the lead, but Flavio Camponeschi (CRG / TM) managed to get in between the two brothers after Matteo Vigano (Tony Kart / Vortex) had a brake problem. Rick Dreezen (BirelART / Vortex) was 4th.

KZ2

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Hiltbrand the first winner of the year K

arol Basz (Kosmic / Vortex) dominated the first part of the meeting, but one incident delayed him at the start of the Final. Noah Milell (Kosmic / Vortex) took the lead before being caught by Pedro Hiltbrand (Tony Kart / Vortex). Sami Taoufik (FA Kart / Vortex) briefly took 1st place, but was demoted and eventually retired. Hiltbrand won in front of Lorenzo Travisanutto (Zanardi / Parilla) and Ulysse De Pauw (Kosmic / Parilla).

OK 69

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victory for Morozov N

either Poleman Andrea Rosso (Tony Kart / Vortex), 2nd Evann Mallet (CRG / Parilla), nor Genis Civico (Croc Promotions / TM) excluded for a bad manoeuvre, could defend their chances in the Final. Ilya Morozov (Tony Kart / Vortex) took the lead early on Sunday morning, but Gillian Henrio (CRG / Parilla) fought to take 2nd place from Pavel Bulantsev (Tony Kart / Vortex) while Marius Zug (CRG / TM) confirmed in 4th place.

OK-junior 72

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Spina wins in the final stages M

ichael Barbaro Paparo (IPK / TM) led the qualifying stages with Francesco Pulito (Evokart / TM), but Alfio Spina (CRG / TM) won his Prefinal and the Final in front of Gabriele Mini (Parolin / TM ) and Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart / Vortex).

60 mini 73

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J Very good performances Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

from Iglesias

in KZ2 at the Champions Cup 75

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érémy Iglesias made a strong impression from his first race with Formula K at the WSK Champions Cup on the Adria circuit. Very motivated, the French driver had prepared well for his debut with his new team. In spite of the winter temperatures, he started with 3rd in Qualifying and won two of the three Qualifying heats after

fighting hard with Flavio Camponeschi as a benchmark. JĂŠrĂŠmy was able to take advantage of a very high-performance Formula K / TM combination. The fight was even more intense during the Prefinal. Jeremy was not impressed by his rivals and retook control of the race within two laps of the goal. Unfortunately, as a result of a touch on his last lap, his left rear wheel fixings gave way on the last lap and he retired a few hundred yards from the finish.

finish, being credited with the second fastest time of the race. 20 places gaine in 20 laps is a beautiful performance and we can not help imagining what it would have been with a more advantageous position on the starting grid ... "I am very satisfied with this first race," explained the driver from Brignoles. "The equipment is already in the game and I enjoyed it all weekend. It's a good sign for this season, especially as our development program is just beginning."

Undaunted, Jeremy started a crazy climb during the Final. Starting from 25th position, he was already back in the top 10 after six laps and was in 4th with a view to the

INTERNATIONAL

Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

Birel ART Very encouraging first competition

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irel ART demonstrated remarkable competitiveness in the first race of the 2017 season on the Adria Karting Raceway. The new organisation of the Birel ART and Ricciardo Kart Racing Teams made its debut at the WSK Champions Cup and there was already a very promising level of performance to validate the choices which will govern this new season. The excellent understanding between the various players as well as the quality of their performances point to very good things ahead for Birel ART in 2017. The WSK Champions Cup took place in winter conditions which were complex to manage for everyone. The end result was the first objective of the team. Rickard Kaell Franchini explains the aims of Birel ART's entry in this competition: "A lot of things have changed in the Birel ART Racing Team for 2017. First of all, I want to make it clear that a new technical staff has been put in place around seasoned and experienced technicians. For this first race, it was a question of moulding the new team in line with our ambitions. We are entering into a new exclusive collaboration with TM Racing for engines, but we have decided to call on a specific engineer for each of the four international categories. The TM Racing factory focuses on the KZ engines under the responsibility of Franco Drudi, Bruno Daldosso is in charge of the KZ2, MachĂĄÄ? Motors is in charge of OK and GFR Engines OK-Junior. Each of them can therefore work under the best conditions in their reserved area. Finally, our driver lineup has been largely renewed, with experienced

drivers like Felice Tiene and also new recruits from a very young age as required by the current regulations for Juniors. "All these new features have made the WSK Champions Cup an excellent training event for us. The assessment we can draw is very positive. Frankly, I did not anticipate that we were capable of such performances already. Anthony Famularo was able to achieve the fastest lap in an OK-Junior qualifying heat, Felice Tiene was the fastest in the KZ2 Prefinal, Rick Dreezen - Team KSW's Birel ART driver - came close to the KZ2 final podium and Rasmus Lindh finished 3rd in the Prefinal in OK. In fact, most of our drivers had the opportunity to shine during this weekend. "This race was also important to build a base to work on for the season. We know what we need to do to make progress and we will work to do so in the next event that will take place on the same circuit of Adria at the end of this week." Birel ART will line up from February 2nd to 5th 2017 in the first event of the WSK Super Master Series with three additional drivers, Marijn Kremers and Alexander Dahlberg in KZ2 under the colours of Birel ART, and Simon Ohlin in OK for Ricciardo Kart.

BIRELART.COM

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KARTCOM NEWS #29

Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

Hadrien David A great debut at the Champions Cup

he opening race of the international season, the WSK Champions Cup, which took place on the Adria circuit was also the first competition at this level for Hadrien David in OK-Junior. The new Chiesa Corse driver made remarkable progress in the coldness of Northern Italy throughout the event.

Zanardi / Parilla, Hadrien played the big game in the Prefinal B by moving up no less than 10 positions. He still raised the tone in the Final with five places gained and the fifth fastest time of the race at less than one tenth off the fastest, which allowed him to return to the top 10 in 9th place.

Two complicated heats (a retirement and a penalty for a dropped spoiler) prevented him from improving his 34th position from Qualifying, despite promising 6th and 8th places. Increasingly comfortable at the wheel of his

A driver with 3.2.1. Performance, Hadrien will be starting the WSK Super Master Series this weekend on the same circuit of Adria with stronger motivation still given the very convincing results of the Champions Cup.

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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

KOSMIC achieves good performances at the opening of the WSK

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he Kosmic team competed in the first competition of the 2017 season at the WSK Champions Cup on the Adria Karting Raceway. The overall performance was very satisfying, although the Kosmic Racing Department's debut in 2017 wasn't especially lucky. In the OK category, the factory drivers Karol Basz, Noah Milell, Theo Pourchaire and Daniel Vebster did an excellent job during the Qualifying heats. Basz scored the perfect score of three out of three victories, while Milell and Pourchaire finished in 5th and 10th respectively. In both Prefinals, the Mercury S chassis powered by Vortex engines shone, allowing Milell to win Prefinal A, with the best lap in the race, while Basz and Pourchaire ranked 4th in their respective Prefinals and Vebster finished 6th. The Final somewhat disappointed expectations, with Milell's 5th place as the best result. Nevertheless, a Kosmic chassis returned to the top three, that driven

by De Pauw (VDK Racing). However, the overall balance has clearly shown that the Kosmic chassis are already competitive and capable of winning throughout the season. Axel Bengtsson and Oliver Rasmussen made their debut in KZ2 under the Kosmic colours and were able to establish a constructive synergy with the race department during the Champions Cup. Next weekend, Patrik Hajek will enter the scene for the start of the WSK Super Master Series. For his debut in OK-Junior, Roman Stanek showed strong determination. He unfortunately missed his qualification for the Final due to a penalty due to a crash during his Prefinal. Stanek had been able to perform very well. This first successful approach with the Kosmic team in a new category will be valuable for him in the next event organiser this weekend on the Adria Karting Raceway.

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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

Henrion

already in the rhythm with CRG for the opener at Adria F

rom his first appearance in the CRG Racing Team, Gillian Henrion acquitted himself brilliantly on the podium in OK-Junior. Despite the cold weather on the Adria circuit at the WSK Champions Cup, the young French driver showed a competitive and firstclass fighting spirit at the front of the field in 2nd place in the Final. Gillian had started the Italian meeting with a 7th in Qualifying before raising the tone in the Qualifying heats where he ranked successively 4th, 2nd, 2nd and ended with a victory. Still very fast, he climbed from 7th to 2nd position in a very agitated Prefinal A, having long been credited with the fastest time. Leading the Final, Gillian dropped to 4th in the intense battle for victory before returning to his rivals. He followed the winner on the last three laps but did not take any unnecessary risks and secured his first OK-Junior podium by finishing 2nd by less than a tenth of a second.

"I was not very fit because of a cold on Friday and Saturday," Gillian confided. "My good performances in the Qualifying heats made me forget this small health concern and I concentrated on driving. The races were very competitive, I always had to fight to the end to impose myself. I would like to thank the CRG team, my new family, for the excellent work done. I am very happy to have been able to bring them back a 2nd place in the first race of the season. It is very stimulating for progress and especially for the WSK Super Master Series which will begin this weekend at Adria. I would also like to thank my loyal partners: Paintings Maestria, Boulangerie Blondot, Toyota Vaiani, Brasserie K, Est Républicain, and Ets Saguet."

GILLIAN-HENRION.COM

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW ENERGY YEAR.

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KARTCOM NEWS #29

WSK SUPER MASTER SERIES 1/4, ADRIA

KEY POINTS ORGANISER

WSK Promotion

DATE February 3rd to 5th, 2017

LOCATION

Adria Karting Raceway, Italy - 1302 m

ENTRIES 243 drivers - 4 categories

Adria drowned in cold rain

• Slippery track and rain tyres throughout the weekend • Races disturbed by rain from Saturday afternoon • Series of crashes in the KZ2 Finals • Many spoilers dropped in these difficult conditions • KZ2 entries up • Bridgestone tyres in OK and KZ2 • Vega tyres in 60 Mini and OK-Junior

Info KARTCOM - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve & Philippe Kalmès

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Abbasse and Lammers give Sodi a double

he Sodi / TMs were particularly effective in the varied levels of grip at this event. After Simo Puhakka (CRG / TM) took pole position, Anthony Abbasse (Sodi / TM) won almost everything else to finish as a great winner in front of his teammate Bas Lammers (Sodi / TM). Still very incisive, Stan Pex (CRG / TM) had to settle for the 3rd position. Many talented drivers were delayed by incidents on the track.

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De Pauw starts OK with a win

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orenzo Travisanutto (Zanardi / Parilla) dominated the start of the meeting, but Ulysse De Pauw (Kosmic / Parilla) overcame him in the Final, while David Vidales (Tony Kart / Vortex) was very successful in finishing 3rd. Victor Martins (Kosmic / Parilla) finished 2nd before being penalised for a dropped spoiler from contact with a kerb. Many favourites could not shine. Pedro Hiltbrand (Tony Kart / Vortex) didn't qualify following a confusing Prefinal.

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Rosso surprises ok-junior in the Final 93

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avel Bulantsev (Tony Kart / Vortex) was probably the best performer of the weekend, but the start of the Final was fatal. Leonardo Marseglia (Zanardi / Parilla) was eliminated after the first four laps under the yellow flag and Andrea Rosso (Tony Kart / Vortex) recovered the victory in front of Jack Doohan (FA Kart / Vortex) and Ilya Morozov (Tony Kart / Vortex ). The ranking showed a lot of poor performances.

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Another 60 mini Spina win

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rand dominator on Friday and Saturday, Gabriele Mini (Parolin / TM) gave way to Alfio Spina (CRG / TM) Sunday in the Prefinal and Final. Luca Giardelli (CRG / TM) and Adam Putera (CRG / TM) were on the podium in a semi-cautious race under the Slow procedure.

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Â© Photo KSP - Guillaume Veuve

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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

BIREL ART

Three weeks rich in learning at Adria

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ith the end of the first event of the WSK Super Master Series, three weeks of intense work at the Adria Karting Raceway are coming to an end. The Birel ART Racing Team will be able to return to its base in Lissone to use all the data collected and prepare for the rest of the season. The last race weekend was particularly challenging for both men and machines due to persistent rain and very low temperatures. Good performances have been achieved in all categories despite particularly difficult conditions, and the team is very motivated to continue in the same way. It was far from the ideal weather for karting this weekend at Adria. It is extremely rare not to use slick tyres throughout an event as was the case here. More than the rain itself, the continual changes of grip and the cold of the beginning of February complicated the work for the technicians and drivers at the beginning of the season.

"I want to congratulate our drivers who braved these extreme conditions," continued Rickard Kaell Franchini. "All of us would have preferred to have a dry run from time to time to put on the slicks, but each one courageously fulfilled his role. In these extreme conditions, it is truly regrettable that the numerous penalties for dropped spoilers too often affected the results, unrelated to bad behaviour on the track. We will line up a team of seven drivers in less than two weeks at Lonato for the Winter Cup with Pietro Delli Guanti and Dexter Patterson in OK-Junior, Caio Collet, Rasmus Lindh and Australian newcomer Jace Matthews in OK and Felice Tiene and Riccardo Longhi in KZ2."

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"We had the satisfaction of being competitive in both OK-Junior, OK and KZ2," declared Rickard Kaell Franchini, the head of the competition team. "In an important phase of structuring and development like we are in now, these first good performances are important. Of course, a renowned brand like Birel ART aims above all for victory, but at this stage of the season we already have confirmation that we are working in the right direction. Thanks to the very productive last few weeks, we will be able to have new developments as of the Winter Cup." In this first meeting of the WSK Super Master Series of 2017, the young Briton Dexter Patterson showed excellent potential while he was racing in only his second race in OK-Junior. After setting the 4th fastest time during qualifying practice, he then won one of his four heats before crossing the finish line in the 4th place. Pietro Delli Guanti's 9th place also confirmed the competitiveness of the equipment. Caio Collet has made a good start of the season in OK with an interesting 6th place under the chequered flag of the Final, while Rasmus Lindh had a good run with 13 places gained after a complicated start. Alexander Dahlberg and Marijn Kremers were also convincing in KZ2.

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Info Kartcom - Frédéric Billet © Photo KSP - Philippe Kalmès

SODI Double win at

the opening of the 2017 season

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n very difficult weather conditions and in the presence of the elite of the world karting, Sodi has taken the top two places in the first competition of the 2017 WSK Super Master Series at Adria in KZ2. With the Team CPB Sport, four Sodi drivers finished in the top 10, the best result of all the manufacturers officially entered in this top level championship. Thanks to the work carried out by the entire team since Julien Dexmier's arrival at the helm, and the increased involvement of the factory members, Sodi now ranks among the top teams in the world. The values â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;of effort, will and cooperation that drive the French brand bear fruit in the Sodi Racing Team as well as in the Team CPB Sport. Rarely have race conditions have been as difficult. The grip of the Adria track continued to change while always remaining precarious. From greasy or wet to heavy rain, the first meeting of the WSK Super Master Series posed constant challenges to every competitor. Only the Sodi chassis were able to occupy the front of the field with impressive consistency. In qualifying, three Sodis were among the top five. Five of the six qualifying heats were then won by Sodi drivers, twice each by Anthony Abbasse and Bas Lammers and once by Douglas Lundberg. During the Prefinals, Lammers and Abbasse won with the fastest times and a comfortable lead by taking the option to fit only two new tyres - in order to keep a complete new set for the Final - unlike most of their rivals. The two drivers of the Sodi Racing Team then scored a superb double victory in the Final, almost 10'' ahead of their rivals. Abbasse was once again the fastest on track, while Lammers was credited with the absolute fastest time of the weekend. The supremacy of the drivers and the Sodi chassis was complemented by Lundberg's 6th place and the young Leuillet's 9th, coming back well in the Finals. These four drivers are also in the top 10 of the Championship with Abbasse and Lammers in the top two places, far ahead of the competition.

Team CPB Sport also completed an excellent performance this weekend, notably with the excellent performance of Douglas Lundberg and the beautiful rise of Tom Leuillet. The good understanding and the effective collaboration between the Official Team and CPB Sport make it possible for all Sodi drivers to benefit from an exceptional level of performance, as evidenced by the results. As for the engine, TM Racing has confirmed its current status as a leader with its top-level engines from the beginning to the end of the competition. Sodikart does not want to rest on the first laurels of the season. The preparation of the Winter Cup, which will take place in Lonato from 17th to 19th February, is already underway. Team members remain focused on their goals and ambitions to have the best equipment and the best team possible to reach the heights.

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KOSMIC Victory at Adria D

uring a weekend where the track conditions were particularly critical due to heavy rainfall, the Kosmic Racing Department missed the podium in categories KZ2 and OK due to adverse circumstances. However, Ulysse De Pauw's win (VDK Racing) proved the quality of the Kosmic Kart chassis. Karol Basz nevertheless completed leading performances in OK from Qualifying Practice. 5th in Qualifying, Basz was able to avoid most of the traps of the track to finish 7th at the end of the Qualifying heats. The very slippery asphalt penalised the other young drivers of the official team, Milell, Pourchaire, Vebster and Mazou. They all lost ground in the heats due to collisions due mainly to lack of grip and low visibility. In the Final, Basz started from the third row after a good Prefinal and started with a lively battle with Travisanutto, Martins and Vidales. In battle for the podium, Basz came into contact with one of his rivals, which caused his front bumper to move. The penalty of 10'' inflicted

in this case unfortunately relegated him to 6th position. Meanwhile, Ulysses De Pauw had taken the victory with his Kosmic Kart, clearly in front of his opponents. The weekend was positive for the Kosmic colours in KZ2, with Patrik Hajek increasingly performing well to reach the podium in the Final. Only 23rd in Qualifying, then 17th after the heats, Hajek brilliantly returned to 4th position in the Final, only a few lengths from Jorrit Pex's 3rd position, while being one of the fastest in the race. The next rendezvous with the podium for the Kosmic Racing Department will take place on the South Garda Karting track at Lonato, on the occasion of the famous Winter Cup, from 16th to 19th February 2017.

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Parolin Racing Kart 2017 an ambitious racing season

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orenzo Camplese's performance in the major KZ international events last year confirmed the quality of the Parolin Racing Kart chassis and prompted the Italian factory to reinforce the competitive presence of its Racing Team in 2017. The exceptionally difficult conditions of the first round of the WSK Super Master Series at Adria did not achieve the expected results, but the level of competitiveness of Parolin / TM suggests considerably better results at their next racing appearance. To start the 2017 season, the Parolin Racing Team is relying on a more extensive programme consisting of four drivers. Lorenzo Camplese and Michelangelo Amendola defend the colours of the Venetian brand in KZ / KZ2, Gabriele Mini is the spearhead in the category 60 Mini, while the Omani driver Shihab Al Habsi is in OK-Junior. According to the categories available, the competition programme for Parolin Racing Kart includes the events of the WSK Super Master Series, then those of the CIK-FIA European Championship and

the World Championship, a few races of the DKM and the Supernationals of Las Vegas at the end of the year. The arrival of an additional driver in KZ / KZ2 will allow the intensification of the development work on the chassis of the queen category. The deplorable weather conditions of the first event of the WSK Super Master Series made it very difficult to find good results. Constantly wet throughout the weekend, the track often changed grip and complicated the objectives of the technicians and drivers. The frequent clashes and the numerous penalties for dropped spoilers clearly disrupted the course of the competition. In spite of this unfavourable context, the team nevertheless managed to collect a lot of data needed to follow its plan of equipment development, and the balance of the meeting of Adria is far from negative. For his first race at the wheel of a Parolin with an IAME engine, the young Omani Shihab Al Habsi posted very promising performances. He returned to the top 10 of his second heat after setting the 20th time of qualifying practice. A penalty of 10'' for an unhooked spoiler unfortunately cost him his place in the Final. It was in 60 Mini that the very beginning of the season was the most convincing for Parolin Racing Kart. The Italian hopeful Gabriele Mini was able to use his new chassis straight away. At the WSK Champions Cup, he finished 2nd, on the podium with more than 100 participants, and for a long time held the first place in the WSK Super Master Series the following week. In the Final, four laps under the yellow flag and one incident after the restart prevented him from fighting as he knows how to do for victory, and he finished in 7th place. All the resources of the Parolin Racing Kart team have been mobilised to approach the next race with the best chances of success, at the beginning of March on the 7 Laghi circuit at Castelletto di Branduzzo.

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The season starts at South Garda

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WINTER CUP LONATO

KEY POINTS DATE February 16th to 19th, 2017

LOCATION South Garda Karting, Italie - 1200 m

ENTRIES 276 drivers - 4 categories • 22nd edition of the great classic of the start of the season • Increasing entries • Beautiful field and thrilling races in KZ2 • Super Heats replace Prefinals • Four new podiums • Youngsters already on the pace in OK • Beautiful weather at Lonato • First race of the season in good weather conditions • Plenty of spectators • 100% Bridgestone meeting

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Iglesias at the top with Formula K KZ2 T

he professionals of KZ produced a magnificent spectacle at the wheel of karts with very close performance. JĂŠrĂŠmy Iglesias (Formula K / TM) confirmed his promising start to the season by winning almost everything. Threatened by the very fast Fabian Federer (CRG / TM) of the SRP team, then by the World KZ Champion Paolo De Conto (CRG / TM), the Frenchman managed to impose himself with brilliance. Unfairly penalised in the Super Heat, Bas Lammers (Sodi / TM) used his big game to step on the third step of the podium in front of the excellent Riccardo Longhi (BirelART / TM) and Anthony Abbasse (Sodi / TM). Before being ejected in the Final, the young Tom Leuillet (Sodi / TM) of Team CPB Sport had the opportunity to shine among the best.

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Thompson's surprise victory with RFM ok-junior F

or the second consecutive year, the British team RFM won the Winter Cup in Junior. But it was the Baby Race driver Andrea Rosso (Tony Kart / Vortex) who had won everything until the Final. Constantly in the top three since the beginning, Harry Thompson (FA Kart / Vortex) was fighting for the win at the start of the race, but Chris Lulham (Tony Kart / Parilla) of the Piers Sexton team came back strongly enough to challenge Rosso's 1st place. The latter did not react appropriately and the two drivers went out. The wise Thompson had only to secure the Final victory ahead of Franco Colapinto (Tony Kart / Vortex) and Leonardo Marseglia (Zanardi / Parilla).

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Travisanutto resists in OK

f the three drivers capable of fighting for victory, it was the most experienced who won, but the two young recruits made a strong impression. Lorenzo Travisanutto (Zanardi / Parilla) of the Chiesa Corse team had a lot to do to contain the pressure from the factory CRG of Dennis Hauger (CRG / Parilla) and factory Kosmic of Theo Pourchaire. Very fast, Pourchaire took pole and led in the heats, while Hauger fought like a lion in the Final. 2nd last year, Travisanutto did not let the victory escape him in 2017. Posting the fastest lap, Adam Eteki (Zanardi / Parilla) managed a superb weekend at the front before giving up after a crash.

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Another win for Spina

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lfio Spina (CRG / Vortex) won an epic fight against Nikita Bedrin (Tony Kart / Vortex) for 10 thousandths of a second. The race was first led by Bray Kenneally (Energy / Vortex) before Bedrin took over. Spina led the way while Dmitry Ignatov (Energy / Vortex) took 3rd place ahead of Andrey Zhivnov (Energy / Vortex) and Igor Cepil (Tony Kart / Vortex), 17th. Brando Badoer (Tony Kart / Vortex) gave up early in the race, while Enzo Trulli (Tony Kart / Vortex) finished 23rd after good progress over the weekend.

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Very exciting performance at the Winter Cup F

track. However the Birel ART Racing Team was eager to battle it out at this karting temple to test the fruits of the work done since the beginning of the season in a famous competition.

The Winter Cup is never an easy-to-manage event because of the large number of seasoned and enthusiastic drivers who participate and the specificity of the Lonato

Morgan Caron, of Birel ART, takes stock of the weekend: "It was very important for our team to be able to validate the options used under real racing conditions, the first two meetings of the year 2017 being held under in unusual weather. We can be satisfied with the work that has been done in a short time. First of all, our chassis

or the first competition of the 2017 season under normal conditions, the Birel ART Racing Team was able to demonstrate the quality of the work carried out during the winter. The Birel ART drivers and chassis showed very strong competitiveness in all the international categories during the Winter Cup thanks to the very efficient engines provided by TM Racing.

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shed the meeting on a positive note thanks to his significant recovery of 19 places in the Final. In the OK category, Caio Collet and Rasmus Lindh (Ricciardo Kart) also showed good speed with a good time in Qualifying for the Brazilian and a fastest lap in his Super Heat for the Swede. Lindh finished the Final in the top 10. The young OK-Junior drivers also performed well during the event, as demonstrated by the fastest time in the Super Heat by Dexter Patterson. demonstrated a very interesting level of performance at Lonato. I would like to congratulate all the staff of Birel ART and the technical staff of the racing team led by Rickard who have devoted themselves completely to reach this first stage.

All of the Birel ART Racing drivers are now well positioned to negotiate the next races with greater ambitions. The next event will take place on the first weekend of March at the 7 Laghi Circuit at Castelletto di Branduzzo for the second round of the WSK Super Master Series.

"The collaboration recently started with TM Racing, whether directly with the factory or through the intermediary of Daldosso in KZ2, Machac in OK and GFR in OK-Junior, gives us all satisfaction. "We performed well in the three international categories with several fastest laps in the OK and OK-Junior races, as well as regularly occupying the front of the KZ2 field with a Final 4th place finish. We now have a solid technical and human foundation to continue our work in this direction with confidence, in view of the important deadlines that will soon appear on the horizon." On the 1200m Lonato track, it was in the highest category, the KZ2, that the Birel ART drivers achieved the best results of the weekend. It was a great satisfaction for the whole team to give a KZ2 driver the chance to show off against the most experienced professionals of KZ throughout the weekend. Although he has not raced since October, Riccardo Longhi has found his mark at the wheel of his Birel ART - TM. He was always in the top four of the event in addition to a victory in the qualifying heats and one in his Super Heat. The KSW Birel ART Austria team took an active part in this development with Rick Dreezen, powered by Vortex, constantly fighting for victory in the lead group. Felice Tiene fini-

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Podium and confirmation for Sodi at the Winter Cup W

hile sun and warmer temperatures have returned to international competition, the Sodi chassis has again demonstrated excellent competitiveness at Lonato. A major event of the season, the 2017 Winter Cup brought together an incredible set of nearly 90 drivers in KZ2 on the South Garda Karting track. Sodi was on the podium with Bas Lammers, while placing two of its drivers in the top five.

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KZ2 has broken records during the 22nd Winter Cup, the grand opening of the international season. Sodi also exceeded its previous levels of participation with no fewer than 10 drivers at all levels trusting the French chassis. The growing reputation of the Sodikart factory production, linked to its excellent results since 2015, is beginning to translate into market share.

Sodikart would like to congratulate the brilliant winner of the Winter Cup, JĂŠrĂŠmy Iglesias, a former driver of the French brand. Sodikart, the 2016 World Champion with Anthony Abbasse, has made a remarkable start to the 2017 season with a victory and two podium finishes in only two races, as well as a number of high places of honour that confirm it's position among the world's best manufacturers in international competition. The next meeting is at the beginning of March at Castelletto for the second event of the WSK Super Masters Series where the Sodi Racing Team will defend the leading position of its two drivers.

Although the Sodi chassis had shone in the rain by achieving a victorious double at the WSK Super Master Series in Adria, the performance was there on a completely dry track. Delayed by an inappropriate sanction in his Super Heat, Bas Lammers made a legendary comeback during the Final to go from 12th to 3rd position. At this level of competition, it is a real achievement. Anthony Abbasse completed the Sodi chase by finishing in 5th position. Other Sodi drivers, such as Alex Irlando and Douglas Lundberg, were delayed by incidents and penalties, but still very quick. The young Tom Leuillet made an exemplary journey in the top 10 in front of experienced champions before being ousted in a crash in the Final.

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ALREADY MORE THAN 20 DRIVE FOR THE 2017 FORMULA RENAU

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ERS ENTERED ULT EUROCUP!

he nine teams involved in the Formula Renault Eurocup are actively preparing their campaign and the first announcements announce a good vintage in 2017. 23 drivers have reached an agreement with the various teams three months from the kick-off at Monza on 22nd April. Established in 1971, Formula Renault will bring together the most promising talents of their generation on ten of the most beautiful European circuits, including Monaco and Pau. At the end of the season, two competitors, including the winner of the series, will join the Renault Sport Academy and will benefit from Renault Sport Formula One Team's support for their future career. With three months to go to the first start at Monza, a resolutely international grid is under construction with already nine nationalities and three continents listed. Among the well-known faces, Sacha Fenestraz will join the two-time defending champion Josef Kaufmann Racing. He will face other repeaters relying on continuity, including Gabriel Aubry (Tech 1 Racing), Will Palmer (R-ace GP), and Henrique Chaves (AVF by Adrián Vallés). Very active during the winter, SMP Racing will return by placing Robert Shwartzman at R-ace GP and Alexey Korneev with Fortec Motorsports. Alexander Vartanyan will run his first full season with JD Motorsport. Three members of the Red Bull Junior Team will be in action for the grand return of the Austrian programme to Formula Renault. MP Motorsport will line up two drivers in 2016: Richard Verschoor, crowned in SMP F4 NEZ and F4 Spain, and Neil Verhagen, titled in F1600 Formula F. Dan Ticktum will race with Arden Motorsport after his promising appearances in 2015. On the rookie side, there will be the Chinese Yifei Ye (Josef Kaufmann Racing), the French Champion in F4, and Briton Max Fewtrell (Tech 1 Racing), crowned in British F4. The Australian Maxwell (Tech 1 Racing), Frenchman Thomas Neubauer (Tech 1 Racing) and Mexican Raúl Guzmán (R-ace GP), 3rd in F4 Italy and member of Escudería Telmex, will also debut, which should bring together at least 23 Formula Renaults at Monza.

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CARS

Info & ÂŠ Photo Renault Sport

RENAULT SPORT RACING SETS UP HOME AT LE CASTELLET IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WINFIELD

enault Sport Racing this year returns to the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet - the venue which will host the 2018 Formula 1 French Grand Prix - in a partnership with Winfield Racing School to offer driving programmes to motorsport enthusiasts and professional drivers alike. With the dual aims of making Formula 1 more accessible to recreational drivers and helping professional drivers with their development, the partnership will enable the following Renault cars to be driven at a first-class venue: a V8 Formula 1 car, a Formula Renault 2.0, an R.S.01, a Clio RS and a Megane RS Trophy.

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Combining technical expertise with excellent educational supervision and outstanding facilities, Renault and Winfield will enable enthusiasts to realise a previously unattainable dream regardless of their racing skills levels; to drive a Formula 1 car. This unique driving programme will enable the participants to be immersed for the day like a professional driver. A dedicated technical crew of 14 experienced Formula 1 engineers and mechanics from the team will oversee the programme ensuring the reliability, performance and safety of the Formula 1 and R.S.01 cars. Renault Sport Racing's base will be situated at the heart of the Circuit de Paul Ricard and set within Winfield's infrastructure. Renault Sport Racing will offer this unique driving programme within a setting full of history for Renault.

Cyril Abiteboul, Renault Sport Racing Managing Director:

"The launch of this partnership with Winfield marks an important step in Renault's determination to share its passion for its racing activities. Enthusiasts will discover Renault racing cars up to the ultimate level of motorsport, Formula 1 at one of the most beautiful circuits in the world. This ties in with our ambition to make the return of the Formula 1 French Grand Prix in 2018 more than just a one-off event. Professional drivers will have the opportunity to drive modern racing cars with tailor-made programmes developed and run by our F1 engineers. The stateof-the-art installation will also give us the opportunity to run events for our team partners."

FrĂŠdĂŠric Garcia, Winfield Group President:

"Winfield's promise is experience, emotion, engagement and exclusivity. The driving programme developed with Renault clearly adheres to these promises. Spectating at a Formula 1 Grand Prix is a very nice experience, however to be behind the wheel of a modern F1 car enhances greatly these emotions and offers the most exclusive of experiences. Participants will get a unique taste of the complexity of this fabulous sport as they experience the extreme physical and mental demands of the high tech environment of Formula 1. Thanks to Renault and Winfield, anyone participating in this programme will never again watch a Grand Prix in the same way as before."

About the historic partnership between Renault and Winfield

partnership that started in the 70s, Renault and Winfield Racing School have together discovered a host of Formula 1 and other top level drivers, including RenĂŠ Arnoux, Olivier Panis, Eric Bernard, Yvan Muller or Pierre d'Imbleval. Alain Prost and Damon Hill are former Renault-Winfield School drivers and went on to become Formula One World Champions with Renault engines. The historic partnership has been rewarded by five Formula 1 World Championship titles, more than 90 wins and over 30 drivers that went on to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.

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he 2017 FR 2.0 Northern European Cup season – the 12th in its history – is ready to be one of its best ever, with seven rounds at prestige tracks. The series, backed by Renault Sport, will once again be one of the top junior single seater formulae on the continent. One of the calendar’s highlights is a maiden visit to Circuit Paul Ricard, new home of the French Formula One Grand Prix in 2018 The series will also return to the immensely popular Zandvoort, where a special family themed event in May will guarantee a huge crowd. With grids peaking at 30 cars in 2016, the competition is high

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– any driver graduating at the top of the Northern European Cup can be counted among the best of their generation. Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Antonio Felix da Costa are all graduates of the NEC, while one of the top British prospects in racing, Lando Norris, claimed the crown last season. Identical machinery, in the shape of the Tatuus FR2.0/13 chassis and 210BHP two-litre Renault Sport engine, makes for intense, close competition. The weekend format, successful in recent years remains largely unchanged and stands as follows: 2 free practice sessions, two qualifying sessions and two races per weekend, will give the drivers plenty of track time.

NEC

ULT 2.0 NEC SET G 2017 SEASON Jurgen Evers, Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Series Co-ordinator:

“We’re very excited about the 2017 season. Formula Renault 2.0 NEC had a wonderful 2016, and I believe this year can be as good, if not better. The calendar is a point of pride for us – great tracks, and big crowds in Europe. Each location presents a different challenge, including vital career experience on grand prix tracks. There is hardly a better place for young drivers to develop their craft at an early stage in their career, with identical machinery and on a very reasonable budget.”

Tarik Ait Said, Renault Sport Racing Sporting Manager:

“We are very happy to support in 2017 a very interesting Formula Renault 2.0 NEC season. For many years this series has been a stepping-stone in single seater racing, and this year we believe it will prove to be very effective in supporting Renault Sport Racing’s single seater and driver detection strategy. It will no doubt be a must-do competition for all young drivers willing to step up to the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup the next season, potentially paving their path all the way to Formula 1 racing. “

Formula Renault 2.0 NEC 2017 Calendar 21-23 aPril 19-21 maY 23-25 jUNE 4-6 aUGUST 17-19 AUGUST 15-17 septembER 22-24 septembER

Spa-Francorchamps (TCR Benelux, Belcar) Zandvoort (Family Days) Monza (Clio Cup Italia, Boss GP) Assen (Gamma Racing Days) Circuit Paul Ricard (Creventic 24H Proto Series) Nürburgring (SRO GT Sprint) Hockenheim (ADAC GT Masters)

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HIGHLIGHTS OF 2016 CIK-FIA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

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RÄIKKÖNEN VS GRÖNHOLM IN GO-KARTING ON THE ICE

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16TH INTERNATIONAL KART GRAND PRIX HONG KONG 1982

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