The new Maranello motors will be CIK-FIA approved and will be available on the market at the beginning of next year. The base of the new Maxter will be used as a base for the new engine, while the cylinder and other components will be produced by Maranello itself.

The new Maranello motors are already going around the stands with excellent results and the first test on track will take place next October.

“We have decided to produce either the chassis as the engines – said Armando Filini, Manager of Maranello Kart – because we want to offer a better service to our tradesmen and also to our drivers. Supplying chassis and engines will give us the chance to be on the market with more competitive prices and the advantage of being able to prepare a better technical development of chassis-engine with all relevant evolutions. This investment will give us a greater industrial and economic impulse and at the same time we will be able to follow at best our drivers and tradesmen, as we will directly supply the spare parts, the evolutions and updating kits. Further to the KF engine we will also produce the KZ one for gear-karts: the starter will be adapted to this engine for that part of market which is TAG oriented.”

By Maranello

The entry list for the CIK-FIA World Cup for KZ1 reserves a few major surprises worthy of the event’s status, the 125 cc gearbox kart season’s most important competition in the world. It will be held on 3-6 September 2009 at the international circuit of Sarno-Napoli (Italy), on a 1,700-metre track particularly adapted to this type of karts.

In addition to gathering 76 Drivers (i.e. 50% more than in 2007 and 2008), the CIK-FIA World Cup will be entered by two prestigious competitors: the Pole Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber Driver in F1) and the Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso Driver in F1). Despite their status of Formula One Drivers in active employment, Kubica and Alguersuari are preparing to face directly the current Karting specialists called Jonathan Thonon (Belgium, winner of the last two editions of this World Cup), Davide Fore (Italy), Marco Ardigo (Italy) and Bas Lammers (Netherlands). In the last decade, only Michael Schumacher had dared to challenge the young kartmen, when in 1996 he won the CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup and was runner-up in the last round of the 2001 CIK-FIA Karting World Championship on “his” Kerpen circuit in Germany.

The merit of Kubica and Alguersuari is that they are taking up a difficult and daring challenge. Not only do they have the courage to enter the most competitive KZ1 event in the year but, additionally, during their international Karting career they never competed in the gearbox kart category. One does not drive KZ1 karts, which are more powerful as well as heavier, the same way as the direct-drive karts with which Kubica and Alguersuari respectively raced until 2001 and 2005.

Robert Kubica’s commitment to Karting is well known: he willingly trains at the wheel of a kart and never hesitates to invite his Formula One colleagues to join him. And, quite recently, at his invitation, Schumacher, Massa, Vettel, Glock, Piquet, Liuzzi and Klien enjoyed themselves on a Karting track. Just like Alonso and Hamilton, the Pole has launched his own make of chassis, named after his initials, “RK”. At Sarno, he will obviously drive a kart of his make and will be entered by Birel Motorsport, the team of the Manufacturer whom he has entrusted with the production of RK chassis. His engines will be Maxters. Already entered in the European KZ1 Championship last June, Jaime Alguersuari had only taken part in practice as on that weekend he was called… by Toro Rosso in view of his great Formula One débuts. The Spaniard is entered by the Intrepid team with which he already raced in 2005. His engines will be TMs.

By CIK

Whilst he had originally set out to be a World Record breaker, Lloyd de Boltz-Miller can proudly claim to have set new British and European records for driving a kart for 24 hours. The 23-year old 177-class racer completed his gruelling marathon at Ellough Park Raceway, near Beccles on Wednesday 12 August - and, as is so typical of British sporting endeavours, rain affected his chances. Lloyd’s attempt had got underway in perfect conditions at the Suffolk track at midday the day before, and by 9:30 that evening he was confident that he was on course to break the 2008 record, set by South Africa’s Myk Prescott.

“After nine and a half hours, I was already full of respect for Myk’s achievement. However, my pace and consistency was such that I was sure that I would beat his record [of 1152 kms, or 716.15 miles].” His support team, composed of family and friends, urged him on for the full twenty four hours - whilst also playing the roles of mechanic, refueller, driver coach, masseur and fan club.

At 2am, his girlfriend, Keri found herself having to sing nursery rhymes to Lloyd, “anything to keep him awake” she explained. As the sun rose, so the rain began to fall. A light drizzle soon gave way to a persistent rain that only increased. This slowed Lloyd’s pace and - despite him driving at ten-tenths - he lost precious time. Richard Lock, the circuit’s owner commented, “In the rain, he was losing 4.3 laps per hour and this became the decisive factor.” With friend, Toni Senireau holding out increasingly-sodden pieces of paper with his lap times on to keep him focused, the drama and tension began to take its toll. With 23 hours completed, Lloyd came into the pits for fuel and looked shattered. “There’s so much water,” he said his voice weak with the effort and tiredness. “I’ve aquaplaned so many times. No way could you race [in these conditions]. At one point, the water picked up my front end and chucked me sideways.”  But with his massage and refuelling complete, he said “Get me out there!” slammed his visor shut and headed back out onto the circuit. As he edged towards the finish line, there were anxious moments in the pits. How close was he? How many laps had he done? Was it enough? With just three minutes remaining, his battery failed and he coasted to a halt in the pits. Furious activity got him back out to take the chequered flag but it wasn’t quite enough to bring the record to England. After twenty four hours of incredible drama, super-human endurance and sheer will-power, the weather had deprived Lloyd of his goal – by just 51 miles.

Despite his obvious disappointment, de Boltz-Miller was pleased to have established British and European records and raise much needed funds and publicity for the Spinal Injuries Association, “I’m really annoyed I didn’t get the record. We were on par to take it but the rain put the kibosh on any real chance of doing it, but hopefully I’ve put the fantastic work of the SIA in the spotlight”. Lloyd, who is studying for a motorsport degree at Staffordshire University is already planning next year’s assault on the record, saying “I really want the record in the kart. I’m going to have another go next year but with the added incentive of going for the 24 Hours distance record in a car a month after that.” He added, “I’d like to thank Tim Gillard (Gillard Racing Karts) for lending me a chassis, Steve Ogden (Steve Ogden Motorsport) for generously giving me three of his engines to use, Luke Hines at Grand Prix Racewear, Jason Fowler at JLF, Toby Warrington and Luke Brackenbury at Arai UK, Sunoco’s Anders Hilliband for the fuel, Richard Palmer of Autotel, Ben de Zille-Butler at Carrefour for letting me use the gym facilities, Richard Lock, Matt Stell (Science in Sport) and my personal trainer, Darren Stones for all their help. Without which, this would not have been possible.”

Lloyd is raising money for the Spinal Injuries Association and there’s still time to donate.