DKM kicks off second half of the season at iconic track
Kerpen welcomes the German Kart Championship. 199 competitors line up at the Erftlandring. Second half of season gets underway in North Rhine-Westphalia.
After a brief summer break, the action now comes thick and fast in the German Kart Championship, with two events in the next four weeks. First up is the Erftlandring in Kerpen. The motorsport birthplace of the most recent German Formula 1 world champions, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, welcomes full fields for the start of the second half of the season. The races in Kerpen will be streamed live at adac.de/motorsport and on the ADAC Motorsport YouTube channel, with coverage beginning at 12:45 on Saturday and the earlier time of 09:30 on Sunday.
The first half of this season’s German Kart Championship drew to a close with a record field in Wackersdorf, and the series now returns in similar fashion as it travels to the only venue in the west of Germany. The world-famous Erftlandring in Kerpen hosts the next round of races. The 1,107-kilometre racetrack became recognised around the world thanks to seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher. It was in Kerpen that he cut his teeth on the motorsport scene. He was followed by his brother Ralf and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who also began their careers in Kerpen.
The six classes in the German Kart Championship once again feature full fields. A total of 199 drivers will start and can expect a hot weekend of racing. Temperatures around 30 degrees are forecast for Friday and Saturday. Sunday could be a mixed bag. Like the field, the schedule is also chock full. On Saturday morning, the participants will battle for the 32five Pole Position Award in qualifying. The midday break is followed by 14 heats, which will be streamed live from 12:45. On Sunday, the Super Heats and finals will determine the event winners. Fans can watch the thrilling action unfold via a Livestream from 09:30.
Stan Pex (SP Motorsport) from the Netherlands travels to Kerpen as championship leader in the DKM. With a lead of 46 points over Wackersdorf winner Markus Kajak (Maranello SRP Factory Team), he has already established a small but healthy cushion. The situation is much closer in the second international class, the German Junior Kart Championship. Moritz Groneck (CRG Holland) moved to the top of the table after victories in Ampfing and Wackersdorf, but has two fierce rivals breathing down his neck in the form of Amin Kara Osman (SIM-ON) and reigning champion Luke Kornder (SIM-ON).
Milan Rossi (Lanari Racing Team) arrives in Kerpen with a full quota of points. Only in Wackersdorf did the driver from Saarland taste defeat, and that was to a guest starter. As such, he is now among the big favourites to win the first title in the German Mini Kart Championship. In the DMSB Shift Kart Cup, Maximilian Schleimer (Maranello SRP Factory Team) is the man to catch. However, Dutch driver Dion van Werven is hot on his heels, having claimed his first win of the season last time out in Wackersdorf.
One of the local favourites is Lars Ramaer (SIM-ON). The youngster only lives a few kilometres from the kart track in Kerpen and is very familiar with the venue. His record is virtually flawless so far: Ramaer has won all three finals in the X30 Junior class in the IAME X30 Series Germany. Sitting pretty at the top of the table in the X30 Senior class is Elia Weiss (SIM-ON), who receives support from ADAC Stiftung Sport. The young driver from Munich has won two races so far. 39 points separate him from his closest rival Torben Gröhndahl (CV Performance Group). There is great strength in depth among the seniors, with many drivers capable of taking their opportunity when it comes. The field in this class is also the strongest again, with no fewer than 52 competitors.