[mlange]

The entry list for the CIK-FIA KZ1 World Cup held a few surprises worthy of the event’s status as the season’s most important gearbox competition in the world. It will be held on 3-6 September 2009 at the international circuit of Sarno-Napoli (Italy), on a 1,700-metre track particularly adapted to this type of karts.

In addition to the entry of 76 Drivers (50% more than in 2007 and 2008), the CIK-FIA World Cup will have the participation of two prestigious competitors: Robert Kubica (BMW-Sauber Driver in F1) and Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso Driver in F1). Despite their status of Formula One Drivers in active employment, Kubica and Alguersuari are preparing to face current karting specialists such as Jonathan Thonon (Belgium, winner of the last two editions of this World Cup), Davide Fore (Italy), Marco Ardigo (Italy) and Bas Lammers (Netherlands). In the last decade, only Michael Schumacher had dared to challenge the young kartmen, when in 1996 he won the CIK-FIA Monaco Kart Cup and was runner-up in the last round of the 2001 CIK-FIA Karting World Championship on “his” Kerpen circuit in Germany.

The merit of Kubica and Alguersuari is that they are taking up a difficult and daring challenge. Not only do they have the courage to enter the most competitive KZ1 event in the year but, additionally, during their international karting career they never competed in the gearbox kart category. One does not drive KZ1 karts, which are more powerful as well as heavier, in the same way as the direct-drive karts with which Kubica and Alguersuari respectively raced until 2001 and 2005.

Robert Kubica’s commitment to Karting is well known: he enjoys training at the wheel of a kart and never hesitates to invite his Formula One colleagues to join him. Quite recently, at his invitation, Schumacher, Massa, Vettel, Glock, Piquet, Liuzzi and Klien enjoyed themselves on a Karting track. Just like Alonso and Hamilton, the Pole has launched his own make of chassis, named after his initials, “RK”. At Sarno, he will obviously drive a kart of his make and will be entered by Birel Motorsport, the team of the Manufacturer whom he has entrusted with the production of RK chassis. He will be using Maxter engines.

Already entered in the European KZ1 Championship last June, Jaime Alguersuari had only taken part in practice as on that weekend he was called up by Toro Rosso to make his Formula One debut. The Spaniard is entered by the Intrepid team with which he already raced in 2005. He will be using TM engines

The entry list are available at http://www.cikfia.com/News2009/sarno.htm

[DMmotorsport]

Hii!

Thursday and friday, we where at Sarno, A few very fast drivers at this moment.
but Robert, is a bit to slow at this point. Maybe it's not for real with him, but it seems like he was pushing. He was .540 slower than our driver.
And now last week he changed from TM engines to Maxter... and now i think it's even worse...

so.. They are out of karting for a while, and the level in Karting hnow is TERRIBLY high!!!


ciao, Kristof
www.DMmotorsport.be

[JohnKing6]

Hii!

Thursday and friday, we where at Sarno, A few very fast drivers at this moment.
but Robert, is a bit to slow at this point. Maybe it's not for real with him, but it seems like he was pushing. He was .540 slower than our driver.
And now last week he changed from TM engines to Maxter... and now i think it's even worse...

so.. They are out of karting for a while, and the level in Karting hnow is TERRIBLY high!!!


ciao, Kristof
http://www.DMmotorsport.be

That's always been the case - F1 drivers going back to karting have seldom made an impression - Schumacher was the one exception (but he was exceptional).

Who's your driver? I can't see an entry for DM Motorsport or anyone using Jesolo?

[DMmotorsport]

Our Driver is Arjan K. Still singned for CRG/TM becaude he switched over only 2 weeks ago after a test... the second driver(Ben H.) is not o the list yet, cause he inscripe to late... and probably wont be accepted now... so..

But on motorized spec's we will not be able to do something VERY good... but top 10 is a goal to reach.. the fastest drivers (factory Birel, Engine tuned in Belgium), (factory CRG, engine tuned in France) All reach about 52HP on the wheels... we are now reaching 51.80hp on the bench... and can reach 52.xx but then we have no garrentee to finish with the full power... so
it wil a 'bet and win, or bet and lose' game.So, it can be very good result... especiallt because the driver is ok... or it can be a very bad result...

And the problem for me was, we did not start early enough with the engine prep. because we did not have a driver for this season in KZ1...
And also , Homologations changing after World Cup... so nobody will invest anymore till the new engines arrive..