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Is EasyKart
coming to the UK? Looks like it is!
EasyKart test
on video
OldSkoolKarter gets his first scoop!
I was wondering about at Whilton
Mill playing about with a 100 Nat (sorry about the brakes Will!),
minding my own business, then suddenly something catches my eye!
I see the Andy Cox Racing
truck. I expect to see a works FA driver ready getting for some
testing, not unusual! But no! I see this cool looking kart being
wheeled out of the awning.
I had to 'leg it' to find my camera when I spotted this!
It was a new kart, with an air-cooled motor attached
to it JICA style. I thought, ‘what's
that about’! Then I realised! Andy Cox Racing are bringing
EasyKart over to the UK!
So I found out what was going on!
Easykart is a joint venture between Birel and
IAME to provide an economical Touch and Go class that focuses on
driver’s skill, rather than wallet size.
The Concept – EasyKart
is a one-make class. And that means a one-make chassis and a one-make
engine. You can only buy the kart with engine and chassis as one.
It looks as if it will retail at about £2000.
The rules of the class include fixed gearing,
and minimal set up changes.
The Kart – The EasyKart
is a specially designed Birel chassis, with an IAME 125cc air-cooled
TAG motor (basically an air-cooled Parilla Leopard). The advantage
of having an air-cooled motor is that offers greater simplicity
than a water-cooled motor, as you do not have to worry about water
temperature, and setting up your water kit.
Performance wise the EasyKart is as quick, if
not quicker than a Rotax MAX.
And for £2000 that’s a lot of kart for your money!
After speaking to Andy Cox the news is that easyKart
will be running along side Club 100. Easykart will have its own
separate championship! The winners of this championship will get
an invitation to race at the EasyKart World Finals in Italy!
I have kept a close eye on the EasyKart project
over the past few years, and I think it would offer something new
to the UK karting scene. Andy Cox Racing are not promising to revolutionise
the UK karting scene, but they do see a gap in the market that could
possibly be filled by Easy Kart!
Another interesting fact is that Juan Pablo Montoya
is involved with the development of the concept. Recently Montoya
staged an event in Colombia. Drivers such as Luizi, Wheldon, and
Pedro De La Rosa all competed against each other in EasyKarts. I
wonder if this kind of publicity could bare some fruit in the UK.
And maybe will be seeing an event like that in the UK!
The kart itself is remarkably cheap, and everyone
I spoke to who drove it loved it. One Rotax MAX owner mentioned
how much he liked the EasyKart, and described it as ‘quicker
than his MAX, and it offered great low, and middle range power’.
The UK EasyKart project
is an interesting concept, and I look forward to seeing how the
class is implemented in the UK karting scene!
Alan Dove
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