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KARTING, EMOTION & PASSION
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NATIONAL RACING
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WE GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MAJOR SERIES, BREAKING DOWN THE COSTS
W E I V MOTHER OF ALL SHOWS
CIK-FIA HOMOLOGATION 2015/2020 LATEST FRAMES, BRAKES AND BODYWORK - PART 2
ONE ON ONE
MSA CHIEF EXECUTIVE ROB JONES
SPORTSWEAR THE BEST AND COOLEST GEAR BY THE TOP BRANDS
PHOTO © CHRIS WALKER (KARTPIX.NET)
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VROOM POINTS
Here’s were you find your copy of Vroom UK
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DARTFORD KARTING – OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR
www.kartstore.co.uk contact Maria at sales@kartstore.co.uk BAYFORD MEADOWS KC www.bmkr.co.uk contact Ian at info@bmkr.co.uk
SHENINGTON KC www.sheningtonkrc.co.uk contact Graham at Graham@sheningtonkrc.co.uk
BUCKMORE PARK – DARTFORD KARTING www.kartstore.co.uk contact Maria at sales@kartstore.co.uk
TRENT VALLEY KC www.tvkc.co.uk contact Clare at clare@tvkc.co.uk
CUMBRIA KC www.cumbriakrc.co.uk contact Malcolm at malcolmfell@yahoo.com
WHILTON MILL KC www.whiltonmill.co.uk contact Debbie at debbie@whiltonmill.co.uk
FOREST EDGE KC www.fekc.co.uk contact Colin at carolyne.wright@btconnect.com
ZIP KART www.zipkart.com contact Dan at dan@zipkart.com
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LLANDOW KC www.llandowkartclub.co.uk contact Colin at llandowcompsec@hotmail.co.uk 6
AND IF YOU ATTEND THE SUPER ONE SERIES, FIND IT AT THE S1 INFO CENTRE
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CONTENTS
www.vroomkart.com
FEBRUARY 2015 - N. 14
info@vroom.it www.facebook.com/vroomkart twitter.com/vroomkart CIK-FIA HOMOLOGATION
60 2015/2020 - PT2
news
12 MONDOKART - News & Previews 18 YOUR TKM GUIDE Single piston ring for all 20 ROTAX MAX BEGINNERS TIPS EVO Engines – Setting the record straight FOCUS 22 MSA RACE ‘N’ RESPECT CAMPAIGN 44 GUIDE TO NATIONAL-LEVEL RACING COSTS 24 ONE ON ONE Rob Jones 30 CELEBRITY OF THE MONTH Anthony Davidson SPECIAL
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36 AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL SHOW 50 SPORTSWEAR 76 VINTAGE BHKC plans for 2015 78 2015 NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CALENDARS
race
70 BUCKMORE PARK KC WINTER SERIES RD.1 72 SHENINGTON KRC WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP RD.1 74 TRENT VALLEY KC WINTER SERIES RD.2
technical side 60 CIK-FIA CHASSIS HOMOLOGATION 2015/2020 Latest frames, brakes and bodywork Part 2
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ONE ON ONE ROB JONES
ON-GOING
AFFAIR
Rob Jones, a keen motorsport fan with hands-on experience in Karting – he used to be a Karting dad for a number of years – does not hide behind the glass doors of the MSA headquarters in Colnbrook, in the outskirts of London. Instead, after a warm welcome, joined by Technical Executive John Ryan and Race, Speed & Kart Executive Cheryl Lynch, we enjoy a relaxed conversation about all things Karting. Rob opened the discussion:
ROB JONES, MSA Chief Executive, gave us the opportunity of an informal, relaxed interview to trace a balance of the 2014 Karting season, and unveil a series of initiatives aimed at
“Karting is important to me. It’s something that I remember bringing a huge amount of pleasure along with my son improving the sport. - we used to spend over 30 weekends a year at circuits across the country. Particularly at Cadet level, the sight of 28 drivers going into that first bend together is one of the finest in motorsport. Racing in its purest form. The level of commitment, the amount of things they’re learning… Karting can be such an important REPORT S.MURTAS / PHOTOS C.WALKER (KARTPIX.NET) part of the general education. Travelling, staying away from home, having to get the driver’s routines like going to the drivers briefing and such, it’s all part of a learning process that teaches respect, self control and self discipline which in other aspects of life, including school life, is not always apparent.”
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CELEBRITY OF THE MONTH ANTHONY DAVIDSON
NO PLACE LIKE HOME AFTER MORE THAN 15 YEARS, AND HAVING RACED IN THE MOST COMPETITIVE SERIES IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING 6 YEARS IN F1, 2014 FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPION ANTHONY DAVIDSON RECALLS THE TIMES IN KARTING WITH FOND MEMORIES, AS HIS REAL MOTORSPORT HOME. REPORT S.MURTAS / PHOTOS C.WALKER, TOYOTA RACING PO, VROOM ARCHIVE
One of the most talented British drivers of his generation, Anthony Davidson is at last World Champion. A honour that escaped him back in his karting days, and for which he never got a real chance in F1 hindered by blatantly inferior cars. After many years, Anthony looks up to Karting as his true home, to which is bound to return in future. “My motorsport career really started by chance, as I wasn’t really into racing. Helped by my father - who’s always been a motorsport fan - my older brother Andrew used to race go-karts and I guess it all went from there. I got to race a kart for the first time as my eighth birthday present, and we spent the day at Rye House, our local track. I guess my dad was really
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instrumental in me carrying on racing after that first experience, as I used to play football back then and I don’t think I would have necessarily asked to race. In the beginning I did enjoyed it, but the crave to race karts really grew in me with time, as I discovered I was good at it. Karting offered me the opportunity to be and feel competitive despite my petite physique.” Do you recall the moment you realized that racing, from being a simple hobby, became a priority, and indeed entailed career prospects? When did you say ‘this is what I want to do with my life’? “I do, very clearly in fact. I just turned 14, racing had just started to become more serious, by that time I had dropped all the other activities like football and so on, and
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S P E C I A L E X H I B I T I O N S H O W 2 5 th A U T O S P
INTERNATIONAL 36
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SPORT INTERNATIONAL
NOW IN ITS 25TH EDITION, WITH THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORT - FROM KARTING TO FORMULA 1 - ON
HOTSPOT
DISPLAY AT THE NEC, THE AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL SHOW NEVER FAILS TO SURPRISE.
REPORT S.MURTAS / PHOTOS C.WALKER (KARTPIX.NET)
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f
ocus
GUIDE TO NATIONAL-LEVEL RACING COSTS
ENDING THE
COST MYTH We thought it might be a good time to peer through the fog surrounding the costs of racing in the various championships. What is the truth? Is it the £100k or more that some reputedly spend, or the £10k or so that some privateers claim to manage on in Super One? We found out for you. REPORT VROOM / PHOTOS C.WALKER (KARTPIX.NET)
Calculating the costs
Before starting at the top Raising the bar
T op-notch championships
Arrive-and-drive and team charges Not only for Cadets 44
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What’s the cost of racing national-level Karting? Is national-level Kart racing really more expensive than single-seaters? And which figures are we talking about?
Before breaking down the costs of each national championship, let’s spend a few words on the much-publicized myth that wants car racing cheaper than Karting. Taking in consideration that the time spent in a kart is almost tenfold compared to car racing – with many kart drivers piling up as many as 100 days per season, testing excluded – comparing the two doesn’t seem quite fair. Also, in general terms, a karting season is composed of multiple championships, whereas a season in Formula usually consists of one championship (between 6 and 8 events, two rounds each) limiting track time to the essence. And even with such disparity of actual time spent on the track, a season in Karting is hardly more expensive than one in cars, unless one really wants to overspend. But let’s see a breakdown of the costs involved in national-level karting.
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SPECIAL SPORTSWEAR
Looking
cool
by M. Voltini
Racing gear is a very important, “visible” element for any kart driver. Besides aesthetics, which is always becoming more and more elaborated, protection and comfort are at the top of the list when it comes to suits, boots and gloves. Particular care should be paid to these last two ‘accessories’, that will help us to have better control of the steering wheel and pedals - and a bit of colour and personality won’t hurt either. As the new season approaches, we take a look at the coolest models available in the market. 50
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We all know that the right gear is important on every occasion, and in Karting even more so - even more than in car racing. While single-seater or GT drivers are almost “hidden” in the cockpit, kart drivers are out in the open. They are a bit like motorbike riders, very sensible about aesthetics. We are talking about colours that hit the eye, details such as logos, and the right chromatic combinations that don’t contrast with the kart brand. However, it’s not all about aesthetics: don’t forget that suits, gloves and boots must protect drivers from changing weather conditions, but most importantly in case of accidents. Here again, there are different safety requirements for kart drivers compared to car drivers. It is pointless to explain the various reasons - for example, no need for fire proof gear, as the risk of fire is practically inexistent in karting. A suit for karting should be tear and abrasion proof, and highly resistant to protect a driver from bruises and crashes. Requirements for suits are stringent. The standard parameters of the latest CIK-FIA homologation, ref. Number “N 2013-1”, have been improved. The material is stronger, more resistant and it has to undergo new tests (chemical tests and heat tests), with smaller open areas to help transpiration. Manufacturers have worked hard to respect the new rules, but they have also worked to guarantee comfort in movement. If the current homologation is valid for 5 years, the previous will expire at the end of 2016. Gloves are no less important; we hold the steering wheel with our gloves on, and correct grip when steering helps us to follow the line round turns properly. So, it is very important to have a firm hold on steering wheel, but without added strain on our hands. Comfort and transpiration are important too; in fact external seams, inserts and air passages that allow for air flow are more commonly used. Looking at the boots, it’s crucial to be able to push down the pedals properly. So, on one hand we must be able to move our ankle freely so that we can press down on the accelerator progressively and accurately. On the other hand, the sole must provide good grip on the pedals.
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CIK-FIA HOMOLOGATIONS 2015/2020 - PART 2
NOT JUST 60
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T FRAMES CONTINUING OUR PANORAMA OF NEW HOMOLOGATIONS FOR KARTING NOT ONLY CONCERNING CHASSIS, BUT ALSO BRAKES AND FAIRINGS THAT ARE BEING REGISTERED DURING THE SAME SESSION. REPORT: M.VOLTINI
We already saw in the last issue of Vroom a wide range of chassis presented for this new homologation, here we are going to complete the panorama, well as well as we can, taking a look at some brands that we may not see racing in Italy, but is however homologated on an international level, is only natural. Don’t forget though that every three years, with the frames, there are homologations also for the components of a kart: braking systems and fairings. We’ll be looking at these too, without forgetting that as far as the braking system is concerned, it has been a case of adapting the offer put forward by some manufacturers since the so-called ceramic discs have been somewhat mocked. Instead, one or two explanations more have been given for what concerns the “plastic parts”. New homologations in the field for fairings are many, 17, however, just the number could be deceiving: in fact, first of all we must consider homologation for the lateral pods and the nose cone is separate. Besides, in several cases concerning nose cones, it was a re-homologation of those made up to the end of last year, with the aim of adapting them to the new “crash-proof” joints imposed by Cik/Fia. In any case, there are some new kits which are very interesting, made by the main manufacturers, when the common trait seems to have privileged the aero dynamic aspect: not just improver penetration into the air though, but also improved air flow towards the brakes and radiator, to guarantee cooling. At this point, as usual in such cases, all we have to do is guide you through the following pages to show you and tell you about the latest innovations in this field.
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