In a first of many new articles, Karting1 takes a laid back view on the world of karting. This week Alan Dove discusses KZ and it’s impact worldwide

Back in the day gearbox karting was the domain of the original bandit karters. Clad in leather and more akin to mid-life crisis motorcyclists, their heads  pointing skyward under acceleration, they rode death machines into the gates of hell at 100mph. A little too ‘Mad Max’ to attract the aspirations of most aesthetically conscious karters, gearbox karting has had a limited appeal in the UK but maybe things are set to change drastically!

Jonathon Thonon – The World’s Best KZ Karter

Over the last decade gearbox karting in the UK has moved away from its older farmyard antics and it is more akin to our European parters. The karts now look good and the regulations set by the CIK have been reliable and consistent for many years. This has been crucial in harnessing the growing appeal of racing these types of karts from all corners of karting.

In the UK I can travel 20 miles down the road and join a club grid of KZ – the exact same class that the world’s best factory drivers race at an international level. Rotax MAX can not boast this, and KF  club grids are next to non-existent. While other classes remain more popular numerically no other class can boast a true club to international connection like KZ does.

The crazy thing is this – KZ, despite not being proper karts, have now become a refuge for purists.

A KZ is heavy, complex and expensive to purchase, yet it now represents the purest form of karting. In a world of electronic clutch slip detectors, power valves, starter motors, batteries and other nonsense you don’t actually need to go quick, KZ karts are becoming more and more ‘proper’. There’s nothing on a KZ that doesn’t need to be there for a gearbox kart. Something the forefathers of modern karting couldn’t have ever imagined. In a world of KF, Rotax, TaG, 4 stroke etc… the term ‘purest form of motorsport’ has lost its value in reference to karting.

KZ – For club racers and also for the world’s best!

So why the hell is KZ so goddamned attractive compared to other classes at all levels?

Firstly, they are mad quick! While a light 100cc screaming like mad is the purest and most nutritious driving experience a KZ is just pure insanity. And in a world without 100cc we are left with flat bottom end power, rev limiters and clutches! The shear madness in KZ is alluring for oldskool karters as well as the younger generation of drivers.

Secondly it’s the kart of choice for F1 drivers to train. Schumacher, Beumi, Liuzzi, Alguersuari, Alonso etc… all can be snapped lapping in KZ karts recently. If Schumacher thinks KZ is the nuts who are we to argue?

But while KZ isn’t huge at club level it does attract grids globally at all levels. Despite the karts being relatively heavy and complex you can bolt an engine on a chassis and go racing without too much hassle. There is a wide array of engines to choose from, and various tuners trying to make their engine work. It’s an art form very much lost in the deluge of single-make sealed engine racing that dominates the world.

In essence KZ is true proper racing. Different drivers, different engine manufactures, different chassis, different tuners – it has it all. And even better it makes no apologies for it! It’s honest proper motor racing and there isn’t a ‘level playing field’ slogan in sight!

It’s shocking, but 125 gearbox karting is possibly the purest form of karting out there! Not a starter motor in sight!

In terms of bang for buck for the club racer who wants to taste speed and ‘properness’ there is no competition.

You get to race the same karts as Schumacher, Fore, Ardigo, Thonon etc… without having to spend an absolute fortune. Many KZ club racers will support this. Being a purist nothing comes close to a light, non-complex 100cc of course. This is just fact! However with the constant onslaught of TaG engines, the rise of KZ is becoming more and more significant in the world and club scene. And it’s not surprising at all!

In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king! KZ has suddenly become the purest form of karting and we wouldn’t have said that 20 years ago! Absolute madness!

Please feel free to add your comments below.

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What does it say about karting when Michael Schumacher is out testing in a KZ kart at Genk one week before his big comeback to F1.  To me at least it means that a kart is the closest thing to an F1 car you can get when you need to polish up on a few skills!

Here is some video on the web taken of Schumacher testing on Sunday the 7th of March 2010, just a week before his F1 racing return, can you imagine the amount of priorities he has so close to the Bahrain Grand Prix and how important karting must be to his preparations…… It’s an incredible endorsement of the value of karting.

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Live timing can be like watching paint dry at times but not today as  Nyck De Vries put out a warning shock to the karting world by putting his Zanardi/IAME fastest at the WSK Euro Series first qualifying  session at La Conca. The recently signed McLaren driver  has certainly now proved his worth! Considering his age, size, and experience it is truly stunning to see this young man compete with the world’s best!

De Vries with possibly his future on track rivals

One thing to note is the WSK Euro Series is running a minimum weight of 155kg whereas SKF is usually 160kg leaving some struggling on the scales. You can keep up to date with the results with live timing for this weekend’s WSK Euro Series Action here

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What do you get when you cross and Formula A with a Super KF and then add some steroids to the mix? Well BRC Engineering, famous for their 250E Superkart Engines, seem to have the answer. They have been developing a special 150cc direct drive KF style engine for the North American dirt karting market, and it looks awesome! It’s a KF style 150cc engine with a power valve, however it isn’t in TaG configuration making it far less complex than a KF. Is this the route KF should have gone in the first place? The clutch chaos that plagued KF in 2007 and 2008 would have certainly been avoided.

First dyno runs suggest 45hp+, and with further developments we can only imagine how powerful this engine could be!

Check out some shots of the first development engine. In the picture the engine is using a 30mm KF carb and KF Exhaust

Second Dyno Run Video

With a possible market in the normal sprint karting scene we’ll keep you updated with further developments of this engine.

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Due to continued expansion in the UK and the Middle East, Msport karting is looking to take on a new member of staff to support both our race team activities but also to build on our growing worldwide business, this position is Full time.

The position comes with good basic pay and an effective commission based on sales along with paid holiday.
Candidates should be a capable kart mechanic (able to work alone) and preferably computer literate, with a full UK  driving license. Please send CV’s with a hand written covering letter to:

Msport Karting,
Whilton Mill Kart Circuit,
Whilton Locks,
Daventry,
Northants,
NN11 2NH

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2008 F1 WDC Lewis Hamilton and fellow F1 driver Nico Rosberg returned home as Team MBM were reunited at Lonato for a days karting. Dino Chiesa ran both Hamilton and Rosberg back in the day with CRG winning the Formula A European Championship in 2000. Chiesa said  “Meeting again on a track after almost ten years was a great experience. First of all, both Hamilton and Rosberg wanted to have fun, without trying to get first rate performances, even though they raced at full throttle. Nicholas Hamilton had lots of fun too: he didn’t want to get down of the kart. I think he completed almost 200 laps… I hope to repeat this experience in a few months.”

Lewis Hamilton also enjoyed the day “I really had lot of fun. Above all, I enjoyed the kart with gears, which I had never tried before. I’ve always raced on a 100cc without gears, and it’s been hard for me to adjust to the driving style the KZ requires. I need to get the knack of it, but I’ve already seen that it’s total fun. I obviously felt at ease with the KF, quite similar to my old 100cc. Anyway, it was wonderful to meet again with my old team, my brother”

Here’s some pics from the days action -

About Time! Lewis Hamilton back in a kart proper!

Nick, Lewis’ Brother, in his Brother’s Old Gear Enjoyed Time On Track As Well

Nico Rosberg, Nyck de Vries, Lewis Hamilton, Giancarlo Tinini, and Nicholas Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton, Dino Chiesa, and Nico Rosberg Bring Team MBM back for a Day

Nico and Lewis Chat! So lads, who was quicker?

Photo and Quotes: C.R.G. S.p.A. & Spotinphoto and Chiesa Corse

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McLaren have now officially announced that they have signed up young KF3 superstar Nyck De Vries.  He had been linked to the Ferrari young driver programme but Dino Chiesa’s close relationship with McLaren F1 was obviously the F1 link. Dino Chiesa nurtured Lewis Hamilton in his karting days, and now works with other McLaren Young Driver Oliver Rowland.

Another addition to the McLaren F1 Team

De Vries dominated the KF3 scene last year by winning the WSK and European KF3 Championships with Zanardi, and dominated the KF3 World Cup weekend until a mechanical error in the final robbed him of a chance of victory.

What is unusual is that on McLaren’s website they mention that de Vries will be joining  “Oliver Rowland, Oliver Turvey and Alex Alban” (link here) on the programme. Alex Alban, or as we presume Alex Albon, has not been in anyway connected to the program in recent days. We await further news from McLaren.

McLaren PR

McLaren has signed Dutch kart racer Nyck de Vries to its young driver development programme. The 14-year-old will be managed by Anthony Hamilton and the Hamilton Management Group, who firmly believe in Nyck’s status as an up-and-coming junior racer. 

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “McLaren has a long-held commitment to assisting young talent – we believe it’s part of the responsibility of the motor racing community to encourage and nurture junior racers, and we are committed to doing just that. 

“Nyck appears to be a very exciting prospect, and we are looking forward to assisting his junior career, providing him with the support and training he requires to succeed.” 

Anthony Hamilton said: “Nyck is an extremely promising youngster. His father Hendrik has been fantastically supportive of Nyck’s career, and has been instrumental in raising him up to not just be a great young racing driver, but also a fine young man. 

“Together, we both believe that, with the right level of support, we can take his career to the highest level. We’ll be working very closely with Dino Chiesa, who will be running Nyck in Italy this year. Dino is an old friend, who previously ran Lewis and Nico [Rosberg] in Team MBM, so he knows everything about nurturing and developing young talent. 

“We believe this is a very exciting and dynamic partnership.” 

Nyck added: “My visit to the McLaren Technology Centre has been a fantastic experience and I am very honoured and grateful for the support of McLaren in helping to develop my career. The resources they have are incredible, and I believe they’ll be able to provide me with the perfect framework for improving my skills, my fitness and my motorsport experience.” 

McLaren will issue further details on its full young driver programme next month.

On-board with Nyck De Vries:

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2010 Tony Kart Viper Elite

Paul Carr Racing has released the all new Tony Kart Viper for the new TKM 2010 regs. Considering the dominance that the Paul Carr designed Viper has shown in TKM, we expect nothing less from the 2010 incarnation. The chassis has been designed with a permanent front torsion bar and 50mm rear axle ready to take full advantage of the new TKM regs.

We look forward to testing it soon on Karting1 !

If you’ve been waiting to find out what Paul Carr and Tony Kart were going to do for the 2010 TKM regulations before you committed to your TKM kart choice then we’ve got a great offer here:-

Insane offer from EvenFlow and Karting1 on the new TonyKart Viper

The price and spec list is here

Clubman Braking system

Elite Braking System

Clubman Brake Master Cylinder

Elite Brake Master Cylinder

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