[Mikko Nassi]

This looks like a great concept. It's a karting challenge that goes all around India with qualifying rounds and then a final which will determine the overall champion. The prize for the champion is a drive with the Amaron Karting team in 2008 in the JK Tyre Rotax Max Challenge and the Indian National Rotax Max Championship.

The challenge is FREE to enter for all competitors. Drivers have to be between 13 and 17 years old.

They'll be using KnK karts with 9hp Subaru 4-stroke engines - I've never seen the engines but I remember reading about them when Subaru was planning to make them. I imagine they are similar to World Formula engines? Are they built to World Formula specs?

The first qualification round was held in Chennai yesterday with 107 entries! Was anyone there? got any pictures or details to share about the event?

This is a sponsor really getting behind the sport - most other "driver searches" I've seen have the drivers pay an entry fee which covers the cost for the "sponsor."

[CRG Asia]

Hey Mikko,

A 107 Entries?!? Are you serious? Is the source reliable? Thats amazing!

[Mikko Nassi]

The number is from the organisers - they were actually expecting a large number of drivers, they stop accepting entries at 250!

The news section of kartingasia.com has the press release from the first round.

[Robin]

remember guys, this is what you may call rental racing. Karts are provided by the organisers and drivers get a few laps to put in a time to see if they make the cut. That;s how most karting runs in India. Mikko is well aware as we had him down here competing in the National Championship 2 years ago.

Entries at all such events are large, averaging 100 or so. In the larger cities, they can touch 150.

But out of those, only a handful remain serious and are willing to put their money on the line.

But, events like these are great to get a newcomer involved with the sport, and the prizes go a long way to help the drivers progress through the levels of racing.

I don't know why the other countries in asia don't conduct more of these sort of events. They benefit the circuit owner, who get people practicing on their tracks and the driver-who get a chance to race for cheap.

[CRG Asia]

But then again whose going to supply the karts?

[Micki]

Robin is right, this is the sort of thing that the countries in the region ought to be doing. It keeps karting bubbling and in focus and draws a lot of interest from beginners. Eventually the higher and more serious classes will draw from this bank of new drivers.

Along the way it is good business for the tracks.

In 2003 KnK Karts provided the karts and technical support for a similar concept of arrive and race for a JK Tyres sponsored championship. The total number of entries in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state of India had over 500 entries. It took us 15 hours to complete the free practice and qualifying. It was 4 in the morning when we wound up.

KnK Karts will be happy to be involved in similar events with karts and support.

Micki - KnK

[Mikko Nassi]

There has been similar things in Malaysia - but they all cost something to enter so the participation level isn't very big. Oddly enough though the prize has been something like a Formula BMW test drive rather than a proper karting season for example.

[kamlesh patel]

The second round of the Amaron event is on in Bangalore today.Again over 120 entries .

[kamlesh patel]

The second round of the Amaron Challenge at Bangalore had 300+qualifiers on Saturday. Sixty of these qualified for the heats.Will send results and nmore info as soon as we get them.

[Mikko Nassi]

300+qualifiers on Saturday.

I hope they find a good driver from the 1,000 drivers they'll have had in the challenge over all the rounds!

[prakyath]

hi,

i took part in bangalore amaron karting challenge.leading till the end,in finals my kart skidded & i came 6th.i didnt give up.i took part in Kolhapur & came 2nd.

[Mikko Nassi]

Hey Prakyath! Good stuff that means you'll be in the finals at Goa right? Win that and you'll really be racing next year!

[Pramod]

Even Abha my daughter skidded at Chennai and slipped from 1st to 4th but went on to Banglore to stand 2nd. earning a test drive from Micky in a KNK Kart. Keenly awaiting the grand finale at Goa on the 28th oct. She helped Akshay in kolhapur to come in 3rd after Prakyath. There was a lot of spirited action in kolhapur very exiting round I bet Bombay will be even more agressive.

[SRUTHIK]

hi,
i took part in the amaron karting challenge in chennai & kolapur. i came upto the semi finals in chennai & kolapur.in chennai a kart came and crashed my exhaust and my kart was very slow but i came fifth . in kolaphur i spinned 2 times and came seventh. i even took part in mrf cochin airport round in the cadet class and came second .my timing was 6:56 in the race (10 laps).single lap= 0:34. in the qualifying i came third with the lap time of 0:37. in the race my kart had spun twice and smoke came from the engine at the starting grid .at the first turn i bumped into the tyres and went to sixth position but i still came second.
how much does a kart cost for the rotax mini max?