FIA EUROPEAN KARTING CHAMPIONSHIPS OPEN THIS WEEKEND IN ITALY!
The best kart racers in Europe are gearing up for the start of the 2017 FIA Commission Internationale de Karting European Championship series, with the first race of the season taking place this weekend! The first stop on this year’s tour takes place at the Circuit Napoli, located in Sarno, Italy. The action has already begun with drivers taking practice sessions on the 1.5 kilometer track for the entirety of today.
Drivers from a whopping 31 countries will be competing in three different classes: KZ, OK, and OK Junior. The Academy Trophy and KZ2 classes will not begin until future events, and the year’s schedule features five races for the OK and OK Junior classes, four for the KZ class, and three for the KZ2 drivers.
In total, 165 drivers enter the weekend, giving the series one of its best starts in history. Amongst the pack is last season’s KZ class champion Marco Ardigo, as well as other top contenders Bas Lammers of The Netherlands, Anthony Abbasse of France, and Patrik Hajek of the Czech Republic. The reigning OK class champion Pedro Hiltbrand of Spain has also returned to defend his crown. He will be challenged this season by top-contending Englishmen Clement Novalak and Tom Joyner as well as Karol Basz of Poland.
The OK Junior class is perhaps the most enigmatic and exciting class to watch this weekend, as the youth of the tour have a number of up-and-coming talents. To add to the excitement, the throne has also been vacated as the reigning champion Finlay Kenneally of England has graduated to the senior OK division.
Qualifying heats for the race will begin tomorrow morning and continue into Sunday, where teams will put their speed to the test in time-attack style races with the fastest drivers claiming positions in Sunday’s main events. On Sunday afternoon local time, those who qualify will take to the track one final time for a head-to-head shootout to determine the winner for this first stop on the tour.
This year’s races will be broadcasted live online thanks to WSK Promotion! If you want to tune in and watch any of the races in this year’s European Championship or even the World Championship series, you can find the stream online at cikfia.tv and cikfiachampionship.com. Italy is nine hours ahead of Pacific Time, so the stream will begin at 1:00am (3:00am for our friends in Des Moines and Minneapolis) on Sunday, April 23rd.
Want to race for your own championship? Grab your friends and head to your local MB2 Raceway for high-speed fully-electric go-kart action! Our European-style karts are similar to those driven in the European Championship, only powered by electricity to ensure a safe and exhilarating experience. We offer arrive-and-drive style races to the general public every day, as well as several great party packages for all your celebration needs. Whether you’re looking to host a birthday party, corporate event, company picnic, bachelor party, or business fair, MB2 Raceway will help you make your event one that will be remembered for a long time to come. We can even help customize your event with great food and facility packages, including party and VIP rooms as well as multiple race sessions for each of your guests.
For more information on our events or kart racing experiences, call MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE.
