After its recent successes in KZ and KZ2, the French factory is also winning in the non-gearbox formulae. Sodikart's technology is making its way to the top of the podium in international events. The weather was fine and warm in Zuera at the time of the Final and the CIK-FIA-homologated equipment clearly made the difference on a track combining all the difficulties that can be encountered on a kart circuit.

"Nathan's joy and the emotion he felt when he came back to his team after the podium was completed made us really happy", said Mansel Smith, Sodi Racing Team Manager. "Winning an FIA Karting event is always a special moment. You have to achieve perfection in all areas and I truly believe that was the case in Zuera at the time of the Final. Two weeks earlier at the same circuit, Nathan Tye finished 2nd in the Champions of the Future series, but still came close to winning. This time, everything that could be improved to take victory has been improved again. Nathan's confidence is growing all the time and I'm sure this win will make him even stronger!"

Nathan Tye leads from first to last lap

7th in Timed Practice, winner of two Qualifying Heats and 5th overall despite an incident in another heat, Nathan Tye won the Super Heat on Sunday morning and showed his rivals his ambitions for the Final. He made an excellent start from 3rd position and immediately caught up with the leader and passed him on the first lap. His competitiveness allowed him to widen the gap as the laps went by, to win by 3.5 seconds. The British driver even set his fastest time on the penultimate lap, proof of the effectiveness of his equipment from the beginning to the end of the Final.

"This is a very important victory for Sodikart" added Bertrand Pignolet, President of Sodikart. "It is also a great victory for our talented driver Nathan Tye, after a difficult but necessary first year of learning. Finally, I would like to congratulate the whole team who work with passion at the track: Julien, Mansel, Jean-Philippe, Adrien, and our engine builder GFR for its TM Racing engines."

As the FIA Karting European Championship for OK-Junior has reached its halfway point, Nathan Tye and Sodikart are now in 1st place in the provisional standings with 53 points, compared to 39 for the driver in 2nd place. We will meet on 5th June in Kristianstad, Sweden, and on 10th July in Franciacorta, Italy, for the final result...

About SodiKart

Founded in 1981 by a kart racing enthusiast, Gildas Mérian, Sodikart began producing its own racing and leisure karts in 1991. In 1993, Sodi chassis won their first World Championship title, both for drivers and manufacturers. In 1998, the establishment of the largest and most modern kart factory in Couëron, France, covering more than 10,000 m², enabled Sodikart to rapidly become the world's leading manufacturer.

Present on five continents and in more than 100 countries, Sodikart is a major player in the karting market thanks to its constant drive to innovate. The French company offers a unique range of products and services through its range of SODI Racing karts and SODI Rental karts, its ITAKAshop distance sales and specialised shops, the organisation of races and events by 3MK Events, as well as its choice of Tekneex accessories and Box's equipment.

The Sodi Racing Team lines up the official Sodikart drivers at the start of the biggest international competitions.