TonyKart has announced their 2012 racing team, and dubbed Micheal Schumacher the “Godfather of the Tony Kart Racing Team.” Michael Schumacher joined the first official test of the year. Five Asian drivers are part of the prestigious team. Ling Kang, Ryota Kiyohara, and Andy Chang will compete in KF2 events. Japanese driver Kiyohara won his seat through the ROK Talent Award program.
Indonesian driver Philopaz Armand will compete in KF1 and run all the CIK-FIA World Championship events and of the WSK Euro Series. Alongside Philo will be Japanses driver Takashi Kasai.
Full press release:
Michael Schumacher could not miss the official going out of Tony Kart Racing Team’s drivers of the year 2012. The very Champion took part, thrilled as usual, in the two-day test session held at the Lonato karting track (26th and 27th January) together with all the drivers who during the current season will defend Tony Kart-Vortex colours. To the already confirmed Marco Ardigò, Flavio Camponeschi, Rick Dreezen, Damiano Fioravanti and Armand Philo Paz new young and very interesting drivers coming from Europe, Asia and America are joining.
KZ1 – Marco Ardigò and Rick Dreezen will be representing our team in the KZ1 category and will compete in all the CIK-FIA competitions as well as in the WSK, Euro and Master Series events.
Moreover in the Master Series our team will be enriched with two more drivers, Alessandro Piccini, already driving in our Racing Team since two seasons now, and the American Nick Neri, young driver who showed off on the occasion of several American competitions, but at his first European experience.
KF1 – In KF1 category too, we have confirmed the attendance of both Flavio Camponeschi and Armand Philo Paz, whose will go directly to the highest KF category, running all competitions of the CIK-FIA World Championship and of the WSK Euro Series. In the World Championship next to Camponeschi and Philo is the Spanish Carlos Gil, 2011 CIK vice-European Championship in KF2 category.
Known already by our Racing Team is also Takashi Kasai, the Japanese driver who had a great début on the occasion of the recent Macao Grand Prix in KF1 category, coming from KF3 category where he raced with Tony Kart-Vortex chassis, too.
A great news amongst KF1 drivers is the Finnish Teemu Petjoi. He already owns good experience at International level and thanks to this the opportunity to be part of our Racing Team and to run the whole World Championship as well as the WSK Euro Series in KF1 category was largely deserved, as for the Japanese Kasai.
The drivers’ list is completed with the Spanish Carlos Gil, already vice CIK European Champion in 2011 in KF2 category, thus making a valid fivesome of drivers in the World Championship.
KF2 – In KF2 category the young promise Damiano Fioravanti has been confirmed with great satisfaction; the driver will have the opportunity to fulfill the work made with the Racing Team in 2011, when he had his début in KF2.
Sam Mac Leod is one of the new entries of the drivers of the Racing Team. The British driver got a very positive season in KF3 category, showing off on the occasion of the WSK Series events and gaining the top-driver title in the World Championship, with the support of our partner-team Ricky Flynn Motorsport.
A group of three Asian drivers will run side by side with Fioravanti, the Chinese Ling Kang, Ryota Kiyohara and Andy Chang. Chang already experienced with us and he’s considered to be the flagship amongst the new emerging Macao drivers. Ling Kang and Ryota Kiyohara will be at their first complete season in Europe and the Japanese driver is the first winner of the great Rok Talent Award project launched by Vortex through the Rok Cup. The prize for Kiyohara is his engagement in the whole European Championship and the CIK-FIA World Cup.
Other drivers lining up in KF2 category are the British Sam Mac Leod, known already in 2011 on the occasion of the KF3 international competitions with. The Argentine Federico Damian Panetta is last but not least in the list of KF2 category’s drivers. Panetta arrives in Europe to gain experience during the season in his category.
Our drivers will have at their disposition the best Tony Kart technical material, Racer EVRR chassis, powered by Vortex engines, RVXX (for KZ category) and RAD (for KF category) particularly.
PROTAGONISTS’ OPINIONS
Giacomo Aliprandi – Team Manager of the Tony Kart Racing Team
“We have lined up good drivers and very well assorted, moreover some between them, such as Marco (Ardigò), Rick (Dreezen), Alessandro (Piccini) and Flavio (Camponeschi) are drivers of great experience and know already the team. They will be able to focus on obtaining very good results and to win important titles during the season.
The team is glad to welcome the new drivers and wishes to be soon ready to work with dedication in order to make them give their best.”
TONY KART RACING TEAM 2012 OFFICIAL LINE UP
Ardigò Marco KZ1 Italy
Dreezen Rick KZ1 Belgium
Nick Neri KZ1 USA
Piccini Alessandro KZ1 Italy
Camponeschi Flavio KF1 Italy
Gil Carlos KF1 Spain
Petjoi Teemu KF1 Finland
Phlio Paz Armand KF1 Indonesia
Kasai Takashi KF1 Japan
Chang Andy KF2 Macao
Fioravanti Damiano KF2 Italy
MacLeod Sam KF2 Great Britain
Panetta Federico Damian KF2 Argentina
Ling Kang KF2 China
Kiyohara Ryota KF2 Japan
More pictures on TonyKart’s site HERE.
Pictures by TonyKart.