The following footage was taken from the KF3 class during the 2009 World Cup held at the the Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno, Italy.
Cameras were mounted on all the karts so officials could observe driver conduct throughout the event. The idea behind the camera mounting was that the camera itself would be a deterrent for rough/unsportsmanlike driving.
The following footage was released to the general public about two weeks ago and highlights a few of the penalties handed out by the CIK-FIA. I will say a few of the penalties looked to be incidental contact or light “bump drafting“…. while other penalties were spot-on.
You be the judge…. Good Calls or Bad Calls? Use the comment section to participate.
I meant to have this posted early this morning, but due to the current time— I’ve titled this post ‘Saturday Afternoon Reading’.
American shifter kart stand-out Gary Carlton put together a Driver Diary for Ekartingnews. The diary recaps his week in Italy where he was competing in the KZ1 class of the CIK-FIA World Cup. It’s a very interesting read that gives you a look at the life of a KZ1 pilot during the week of a huge event. Enjoy.
In sad news, I just received word that Thomas Knopper was killed in the KZ2 race at Liedolsheim earlier today. Knopper was 19-years-old. The full details of the incident have not yet been released.
Thomas Knopper was a tremendous talent. He won the European KZ2 Championship in 2007. This season he made the move to KZ1 for the European Championship, where he finished an impressive 6th. He also spent some time in the car ranks driving a Formula Renault 2.0 car in 2008. His best finish was 6th at Hockenheim after starting 13th.
Our sincere condolences go out to Thomas’s family and friends during this tragic time. Feel free to leave comments in the appropriate section below. (photo: www.thomasknopper.com)
This weekend will see the CIK-FIA European Championships run on the Prokart Raceland circuit in Wackersdorf, Germany. You might recognize a few names on the KZ1 entry list.
Notable single-seater drivers on the list include former GP2 driver Ben Hanley and current World Series by Renault driver Jaime Alguersuari.
Kartlink has a nice preview for the KZ1 and KZ2 classes.
Mike Vincec, who won the 2008 Stars of Karting ICC (Intercontinental C) national championship, has left Cameron Motorsports and signed with Pserra Racing/Birel to run some overseas karting events. Vincec is also competing in the Skip Barber National championship.
Gustavo Menezes spent last weekend in Genk, Belgium–preparing for the upcoming CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship qualifier–by running in the Belgium Karting Championships. The trip turned out to be a success as the 14-year-old American took his first overseas victory.
A couple news items surfaced today in the North American karting world. Both are worthy of mention…
Dan Wheldon, IndyCar driver, will pilot a Kartel Motorsports entry at this weekend’s Stars of Karting: Eastern Division opener at Ocala, Florida. Kartel Motorsports is owned and operated by two fellow race drivers: Joey Hand and Erik Bartolero. Wheldon ran with the team at the 2008 SKUSA SuperNationals and also competed in this year’s PRI All-Stars Karting Classic. He finished 26th at the SKUSA SuperNats and 13th in the PRI All-Stars Classic – (Masters Division). It’s refreshing to see all of these IndyCar drivers returning to their roots, …perhaps, dare I say it, they even find the karting ranks as much if not more competitive?
Also of note, 14-year-old American karter Gustavo Menezes placed 10th in the ultra competitive KF3 class at this year’s Winter Cup in Lonato, Italy. He finished third in the 2008 Stars of Karting JICA Championship, while also running races across the pond for experience. His ultimate goal is to race in Formula One.
Tony Kart announced today that two time World Champion (2007, 2008) Marco Ardigo will return to the United States this November to defend his SKUSA SuperNationals title from 2007. Ardigo has also won four European championships. The 25 year old Italian star has been driving for Tony Kart since 2005. His resume is well balanced between the direct drive Formula A class and the 125 ICC shifter kart class.
SKUSA announced their CIK approval for the event just last month. Watch for more European drivers to follow suit.
Superkarts!USA announced today that they have obtained the CIK stamp of approval for their 12th annual SuperNationals. The race will be held at the Rio Hotel parking lot in Las Vegas, spanning 7/10ths of a mile with 16 turns. SKUSA promoters hope to draw a large international field to this years race, which is arguably the largest shifter kart event in North America.
Gary Carlton and Mike Vincec made another trip overseas this weekend to compete in the CIK-FIA European Championship event at Mariembourg, Belgium. Carlton is once again running in the headline KZ1 gearbox class while Vincec will be running in the highly competitive KZ2 gearbox class.
Carlton KZ1: Mariembourg Race 1: 12th Race 2: 9th
Vincec KZ2: Mariembourg Race 1: 11th Race 2: 9th
If you missed their first event of the CIK-FIA European Championship; click here.
A special thank you to everyone who has donated. I plan to use my 2010 donations as a travel fund to provide more live coverage. Every little bit helps.
