The competition was close for the series lead in all four classes going into the third round of the championship and following an exciting weekend of racing, the 2009 Rotax Euro Challenge continues to remain undecided, with just one round left to go. Coming from 30 nations, 148 drivers travelled to the summer edition of the ‘Euro’, where the event was hosted for the second year by the Global Assistance Racing Arena Autodrom Ceská Lípa. RGMMC Establishment, as organisers and promoters of the event owned by Austrian Rotax engine manufacturer BRP-Powertrain, were once again grateful for the fabulous hospitality, support and professional approach the local circuit organisation provided.

Changing weather conditions during the meeting played a significant role as the week unfolded. Official timed practice Friday was lucky to be completed before an incredible storm hit the Autodrom complex, bringing strong winds and heavy rain for a brief time until the sun came out immediately after. The qualifying heats experienced a wet track in the morning, then warm and dry with occasional showers to keep it interesting – and that it did. Sunday was perfect to wrap up the round 3 racing, giving both drivers and spectators an ideal day for the finals.

Fawcett “on fire” in Senior Max

A “heated” start to the event is one way Senior Max winner Tom Fawcett (RL Race Team/Tonykart) could describe his Euro campaign in Czechia, after he rolled during free practice earlier in the week and the kart caught on fire. In fact, the Ceská Lipá track had not been one of the British driver’s best memories, after he found himself with a broken wrist in 2008. However, it all turned around and Fawcett was second fastest in qualifying, then started on the front row for the pre-final and eventually took the honours on the day to claim his first European victory…

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The Tony Kart Junior Racing Team’s season continues to gather trophies, and last weekend’s visit to Salbris in north western France saw Ben Cooper lead KF2 team-mate Matteo Beretta to a two-three finish in the latest round of the WSK Championship.

In the KF3 category, the team’s Guilherme Silva and Carlos Sainz dominated the pre-final, with Carlos again returning to the podium after a dramatic main final. The senior drivers; Ben, Matteo and Chris Lock were strong from the outset, with the Italian driver recording the 2nd-fastest time in qualifying, with his English team-mates close behind in 4th (Cooper) and 6th (Lock).

Ben then scored a perfect four wins out of four in the heats to top the intermediate classification prior to the finals, with Matteo in 3rd and Chris rounding out the top ten qualifiers. However, it was in the pre-final that Matteo gained the upper hand to take 2nd place, with Ben in 3rd, whilst Chris had powered through to 5th position.

Knowing that, at this stage of the Championship, going for strong points finishes rather than outright wins was the best policy, Ben opted to protect his Championship lead and settled for an excellent 2nd place in the final. Matteo joined him again on the rostrum after finishing 3rd, with Chris completing the image of the trio flying in formation as he shadowed his colleagues home in 4th.

Team manager Paul Spencer said, “I’m really, really happy. Ben had to keep his head under a lot of pressure from his title rivals and went for the points finish. He’s in a strong position now, and barring a disaster in the remaining two races, he’s in the box seat now.”

He added, “Matteo had a great weekend. He played a great part, as did Chris towards sealing the Euro Cup for the team. Not only that, they’ve consolidated their own positions in the driver’s table.

Not to be outdone by their KF2 counterparts, the team’s KF3 drivers; Carlos Sainz, Guilherme Silva and Gustavo Menezes performed heroically. Carlos topped the time sheets in qualifying, before winning three of his heats. The Brazilian star Silva also showed a great turn of speed to ultimately finish 5th overall in the intermediate rankings – with Carlos ranked 1st. Gustavo also delivered a solid performance to easily qualify for the two finals.

Guilherme was in scintillating form in the pre-final and promptly won it, with ‘the young Matador’, Carlos keeping him honest in 2nd. Gustavo fought hard to take the chequered flag in 18th place, the victim of some earlier robust driving.

In the final, as they tried to break away from the chasing pack, a mistake saw Guilherme collect Carlos and the pair ran off the track. Sainz was able to recover and carved his way up to an eventual 2nd whilst Silva became embroiled in the midfield and could not progress beyond 13th place. Menezes battled gamely to 21st.

With two rounds remaining, Carlos is currently in 3rd place overall, with Guilherme in 7th and Gustavo in 14th. These positions – like their KF2 counterparts’ efforts – mean that the Tony Kart Junior Team heads the Euro Cup standings.

The penultimate round of the WSK Championship will take place at Zuera in Spain on 24-27 September.

By PaddockTalk

Rally star David Higgins is aiming to contest a full year in the Super One kart championship in 2010 as he continues to develop the talents of his karting protege Luke Hughes.

Higgins has always been a firm believer in the benefits of karting to any motorsport career, and is already contesting multiple kart events this year alongside a full time attack on the Chinese Rally Championship.

“I mainly do it for fun and as a good way to keep your skills sharp between rallies, but I still like to win and be on the best kart possible,” said David. “Luke and myself have done a deal to drive the new Arrow X1 kart this year, with the help of Walker Racing. The kart is not commonly used in the UK yet, but we have direct contact with the factory for support.”

David has worked with Luke for a few years now, seeing him through multiple Cadet championships before he made the step up to MiniMax last year.

“Luke is using the new kart to good effect in the Formula Kart Stars championship this year, where he is lying fourth in the MiniMax class,” said David. “I used it for the first time at Whilton Mill recently. With very little time on it we were on the same pace as the frontrunners. We’re very impressed with both the kart’s performance and the factory input.”

David and Luke are planning to do the O Plate event at Shenington in September, and to do the full Super One championship next year if it fits around the Chinese Rally Championship calendar which David has already committed to.

The boys are sponsored by the Forest Experience Rally School, Global Tiles, Facum, Cobra and Neo Oils.

By DH

Motor racing has always had its style icons: from Steve McQueen and Paul Newman to Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. For some drivers smoothness in the paddock is just as important as behind the wheel.

And now, British Super 1 front-runner Jonathan Walker is bringing Italian flair to British karting with the UK launch of the renowned racewear and lifestyle brand, Freeminds. Visitors to this weekend’s (1/2 August) Kart Masters event at the PFi circuit in Lincolnshire will be able to see, and feel, the quality for themselves in the paddock throughout the weekend.

The 20-year old KF1 star was recently awarded exclusive rights to import Freeminds’ karting products into the UK, and is already reporting huge interest in the range. “The quality of Freeminds’ products is second to none,” Jonny says. “Their race-suits are just fantastic and we’re able to offer a bespoke service at off-the-peg prices. That means drivers can really stand out, with their own unique design without the designer prices.” All Freeminds products are made in Italy, and this Jonathan says is what separates them from other manufacturers.

“Italian fashion is known throughout the world for its quality. They have a different relationship with clothing to the one we have in Britain. Here, everything is disposable because we turn over styles so quickly, and as a resultt’s cheap and quickly falls apart. The Italians invest in their wardrobe and expect everything to last. That philosophy can be seen in everything Freeminds make. Their boots, gloves, suits, t-shirts, fleeces: everything is designed to last and in a karting environment, that’s really important.” Not only that, but the Italian flair for simple style is also evident, as Jonny explains. “The detail Freeminds put into their clothing is fantastic. Nothing is over-designed or too fancy. For example, their Spider-Touch gloves are really thin, unlike many other brands’. This gives you unrivalled feel, especially when you’re adjusting the carburettor. And they look great too.”

Jonathan will be displaying a large selection of items from the Freeminds range; racesuits, gloves, boots, underwear, t-shirts, fleeces, rib protectors, kart covers, tyre, helmet and kit bags, backpacks and neck collars. He is also offering a free design service for prospective racesuit customers.

“We’ve already produced some bespoke suits, and even though I say so myself, they look absolutely brilliant. The drivers love them and they really do stand out on a packed race track, where many drivers look the same as one another because they’re all wearing the same racesuits. You can spot a Freeminds driver easily, and that makes them more attractive to photographers and TV cameras. What’s more, your team can spot you easily. We will produce any number of designs for a customer until they’re totally happy with their design.”