It is the Pista Salentina at Ugento (I), located in the heel of the boot of Italy, which has the honour of opening the ball of the CIK-FIA European Championships of the KF1, KZ1 and KZ2 categories on 5 and 6 May 2007. It will not only be the launch of the 2007 edition of the European tour but also the inauguration of the new regulations governing the «long life» KF engines in the top category of Karting, KF1, the former Formula A.
In total, some 160 competitors have entered the European Championships, divided as follows: 53 in KF1, 30 in KZ1 and 77 in KZ2.
KF1 brings together the upper crust of drivers and teams. Because of the introduction of the new engine types and of the relatively unknown factor which they involve in terms of performance, it is harder than ever to forecast the results.
As often, one of the main appeals of the category will lie in the rivalry between the recognised top kartmen, the likes of Davide Fore, Marco Ardigo, Sauro Cesetti, Gary Catt, Armand Convers or Arnaud Kozlinski, against the young Dane Michael Christensen and the up-and-coming generation led by Matias Laine, Benjamin Bailly, Nicola Nole, Kazeem Manzur, Mike Courquin or Arno Santamato. All eyes will inevitably be turned towards the reigning World Champion, Davide Fore, who will don the red garment of the Maranello team after fifteen years’ faithful service with the Tony-Kart team.
KZ1 (the former Super-ICC), the elite category of 125cc gearbox karts, is usually the exclusive domain of Italian drivers but competitors such as Roberto Toninelli, Alessandro Manetti, Alessandro Piccini, Francesco Laudato and Manuel Cozzaglio may have to reckon with stronger than usual foreign opponents, in particular the Belgian Jonathan Thonon, Germany’s Ernst Behrens or the Swiss Ken Allemann.
The class which has by far the greatest number of entrants - and is reputed to be the most economical one -, the KZ2 category of 125cc gearbox karts, will bring together 77 drivers of 17 different nationalities. |
