Jack Marshall, Henry Hunter, Tom Fawcett and Mats Ven Den Brand sign for Euro Champions. Strawberry Racing has announced its Rotax squad for next year - an exciting line-up composed of up-and-coming talent and championship-winning experience.

In the senior ranks, the team is delighted to retain the services of reigning Euro Max, Kart Masters champion and ABKC vice-champion, Luke Varley. Also staying with the team is James Greenway and junior graduate, Barrie Pullinger. Joining them for the first time is the impressive Tom Fawcett and Dutch rising star, Mats Van Den Brand.

Team Manager Warwick Ringham says, “We’ve had a terrific year with Luke (in ’09) and I’m really pleased that he’s chosen Strawberry for another tilt at the major domestic and international trophies next season”. He adds, “After a very promising season in 2008 and a great start to this year at Zuera, James unfortunately suffered a serious blood infection at the second round and this put a big dent in his championship chances. He bounced back towards the end of the season and regained his form and speed to finish fifth overall in the Euro Max challenge. Had he not become ill, I’m sure he would’ve been much further up the order”.

“Having stepped up from juniors, Barrie is already showing great pace in testing. His first race as a senior will be at PFi on 1 November, so we’ll see how he gets on with the big boys. It’ll be a big learning curve for him, but he’s up for the challenge so we’ll just have to see what happens”.

Turning his attention to the team’s new additions, Warwick comments “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Tom and Mats. Tom’s maturing into a cracking driver and I’ve been really impressed with his performances at home and abroad. His arrival is very exciting. Mats came over from Holland for a two-day test at PFi and it quickly became evident that he has the right combination of speed, attitude and determination, which made signing him an easy decision.” Warwick is also clearly looking forward to working with the highly promising Jack Marshall and Henry Hunter. “Jack had a torrid first season in the junior class but in testing with us, he’s shown some great speed. He’ll make his Strawberry debut at PFi this weekend (31 Oct/1 Nov) which will be a good opportunity for us to see how his development is coming along. As for Henry, I’m excited about his prospects too. In practice he’s been fast and has taken to the Tony Kart chassis very well. I think he’s really good and a nice kid too. He’s proper.”

George Russell is also working with the team, as he makes the transition into Mini Max. The younger brother of former Strawberry ace Benjy, won this year’s Formula Kart Stars Cadet championship and was vice-champion in the Super 1 series and is another high-profile addition to the team. “We won the World and British Senior Max titles with Benjy two years ago, so it’s really nice to have George join us in the awning and hopefully, follow in his brother’s wheeltracks. At the moment, we’re just helping him adjust to the bigger, faster machinery and we’ll see from there.”

On occasion of the meetings of 21 and 23 October 2009 in Paris, the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA and/or the General Assembly of the FIA took in particular the following decisions for Karting.

On proposal of the World Motor Sport Council the General Assembly of the FIA has designated the President and the Members of the CIK for the year to come. Mr Nicolas Deschaux (F) has been appointed President of the CIK and the following countries will be represented within the Commission: Argentina, Bahrein, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America.

Further to the creation of a new CIK-FIA World Karting Championship for 15 to 18 years old Drivers and of a CIK-FIA Karting Academy for 13 to 15 years old Drivers, it has been decided that the first season will comprise three events, to be held in Europe on the following dates: 25 July, 29 August and 3 October 2010. Each event will be organised over three days. Friday will be dedicated to the sporting and technical checks, the education programme and the first non-qualifying practice. Saturday will comprise further non-qualifying practice, qualifying practice and the first qualifying heats. And the warm-ups, the last qualifying heats and the final phase will take place on Sunday.

For the World Championship for Drivers under 18, a new final phase format will be implemented, with two prefinals (one with a reversed grid) the combined results of which will determine the starting grid of the final. A CIK-FIA World Champion of Makes title will be awarded to the chassis make used by the Driver winner of the World Championship.

The single-engine which will be used in this World Championship when it is desigated further to a tender procedure for a 3-year period will be in KF4 technical configuration, with the following specifications: KF2 ignition box (max rev: 15,000 rpm), removal of the power-valve, adoption of an additional exhaust silencer and feeding with «ecological» fuel of the E10 type. This engine can also be adopted by ASNs wishing to use it within the framework of a national category with a promotional character.

All the homologated chassis makes can enter the World Championship on condition that they supply strictly identical chassis (homologated models, without front brakes and with limited optional accessories; sets of chassis and accessories marked by the CIK-FIA before the opening of the Championship). The choice of chassis among the entered makes will be left up to Drivers, and the chassis will be allocated by drawing lots.

For the Academy, a single-kart (chassis-engine) will be designated further to a tender procedire for a 3-year period, in KF3 technical configuration, with the following technical specifications: feeding by means of a float-chamber carburettor and with «ecological» fuel of the E10 type. The number of karts will be limited to 34 in 2010, then to 51 in 2011 and 2012.

The 2009 International ROK Final concluded with a series of fireworks worthy of the title of the greatest annual event for ROK Racing. The Eastern European countries confirmed their enormous and growing potential with Yan Midrla taking the Senior ROK title back to the Czech Republic with the podium completed by Polish drivers Hubert Cebulski and Daniel Fuchs.

In the Super ROK class the Italian Alessandro Vantini was simply uncatchable in taking the title after winning this race last year. Right behind him was countryman Lorenzo Caponi with the Argentinian driver Martin Acosta taking a surprising but very positive third place.

The Junior ROK final was a nailbiter decided on the line with a photofinish in which the young South African driver Roman De Beer bravely held out the Italian Damiano Fioravanti with third place going to the Swiss driver Levin Amweg.

The Mini ROK title went to the Italian Luca Corberi followed Sweden’s Robin Hansson and Italian Tommaso Mosca. There were consolation finals for drivers who did not among the final 34 drivers for the four ROK categories in which the racing was as spectacular as ever. Mika Laiho took home the Dell’Orto Trophy to Finland, the South African Lourens Dunn won the Super ROK Sparco Cup, Italian Gabrielle Volpato won the Junior Bridgestone Cup and Thailand’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol won the TKart Magazine Mini ROK Title.

The ROK International Final was held in grand style with driver numbers that broke all records (more than 300 in total), from more than nations than ever (35 countries in total) and spectacular racing that will be remembered for years to come.

By ROK

The newly formed Stargate Dubai sponsored Karting Team, managed by XSPORT Motorsports, had a successful performance at the ROK World Championship, held in Lonato, Italy over the weekend.

Twenty two countries qualified to participate this year, where each country sends pre-qualified drivers to compete amongst the very best drivers in the world, all competitors race with the same make of Vortex ROK engines and are allowed to use their own choice of professional racing chassis.

Fabienne Lanz, the Stargate Dubaismost successful karting star, impressed spectators and fellow competitors alike as she lit up the track on the damp Friday practice sessions, topping the time sheets with a fastest lap time amongst 60 fellow competitors in the Super ROK 125cc category.

During Friday and Saturday, more practice and qualifying heats allowed Fabienne to fine tune her kart placing her consistently in the top three places. An unfortunate engine failure on the second qualifying heat, two laps from the end, knocked Fabienne back in the overall average rankings that dictate the final race start positions and she had to settle for starting in a disappointing twentieth place out of thirty four on the grid.

On race day all the hard work and preparation throughout the week seamed to be in vain as Fabienne would now have a mountainous task to pick her way through the rest of the grid to gain as many places as possible in the 20 lap race. My main aim was to keep clear of any incidents to have the best chance of overtaking the slower drivers, commented a frustrated Fabienne. Finally after an exhausting race, Fabienne managed to steer clear of incidents and picked her way through the grid to claim 14th place with a fastest time of 44:28 seconds, which was 4th fastest lap time overall. Fabienne was still placed ahead of all other fellow South African nationals from her country. I’m satisfied that I managed to show the full speed in the kart although I could never prepare for such an engine failure, I am disappointed but that’s racing as they say – I’m happy that I had a safe race and I’m looking forward to next year, continued Fabienne.

We are extremely happy that Fabienne once again proved her skill and determination by topping the timesheets against all her rivals. We are looking forward to welcoming her to Dubai where we will start a programme to coach future young karting stars at Stargate Dubai, where UAE will soon to have its own UAE ROK Championship, placing us firmly on the motorsports map in karting, commented Lex Akehurst, Managing Director, XSPORT Motorsports.

By EyeOfDubai

The Motor Sports Association, in conjunction with the Super 1 Series, has announced that it will adopt the CIK-FIA Super KF class for the MSA British Kart Championship with effect from 2010.

As a result, the MSA British Kart Championship will now follow CIK-FIA regulations, including the use of CIK-FIA specifications for fuels. The only exceptions will be the permitted use of a rear bumper to MSA regulations and tyres.

Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Executive, said: "This is a decision made in association with the Super 1 organisers after full consultation with their current competitors and brings the championship in line with its equivalent series across Europe. We hope that this early announcement of next year’s plans will encourage competitors to sign up to the highest level within the British karting scene."

By RE