New names have appeared at the top of the rankings in all the FIA Karting international categories to establish a new hierarchy at the beginning of the year with the promise of surprises and revelations.

Statistics released by Kartcom give some interesting insights into the starting point of the top level in 2023. With Italy numerically dominating on home soil, 60% of the field is from Eastern and Northern Europe. The country that is no longer named is still very much present, along with Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The Parolin and Kart Republic chassis lead the way in terms of numbers, followed by Tony Kart, Birel ART and CRG. In terms of engines, TM was in the lead with more than half of the field, ahead of IAME, with a quarter of the engines, and Vortex with 15% on its OTK chassis.

Turkey was in the spotlight with two winners, Aksoy Alp Hasan (Tony Kart/Vortex) in OK-Junior and Iskender Zulfikari (Parolin / Iame) in Mini. The Tony Kart Racing Team won both OK-Junior and OK with James Egozi giving the lie to his reputation as a late season performer. Birel ART confirmed its competitiveness in KZ2 with Cristian Bertuca winning and six drivers in the top 11. Sodikart was not well represented in shifters in Lonato, but took 2nd place with Emilien Denner, while Maranello / SRP confirmed its level against CRG. The Mini category of the under 10 years old continued to validate its sporting interest. The excellent performance of Alessandro Truchot (Parolin/TM), who was leader for a long time and finally 4th in the Final, should be noted.

The private teams Koski Motorsport and Forza Racing shone in the direct drive categories with Ward Racing and Ricky Flynn Motorsport. Frenchman Jimmy Helias (Tony Kart/Vortex) was 3rd on the OK podium in the Ward Racing colours. In the youngest category, Babyrace Driver Academy won against Team Driver Racing Kart, Gamoto and Kidix Driver Performance. KZ2 remains the domain of the factory teams in the absence of several CPB Sport drivers.

The next round of the WSK Super Master Series, from 16th to 19th February in Franciacorta, will confirm or deny this first assessment on a track quite different from the one in Lonato. KR Motorsport is expected to increase its strength in OK-Junior and especially in OK after its participation in the IAME Winter Cup.

Finally, it should be noted that the first OK-N competition in history took place in the United States on the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson (Arizona) within the framework of the Challenge of the Americas series. Nine drivers were entered, Jesus Vasquez Jr will remain as the first OK-N winner in the Final on Saturday, with Blake Nash succeeding him on Sunday.

About KartCom

Kartcom is the communication department of the French company KSP Reportages.

A tool for large-scale communication!

In 2004, KSP Reportages was one of the first to offer the production of karting press releases to its customers. Numerous well-known players in the kart and automotive industry rely on KSP Reportages for the production and distribution of their press releases to a mailing list of more than 30,000 targeted and verified contacts worldwide.

Kartcom has recognised expertise and solid experience in the production of press kits and presentations, as well as brochures, advertising materials and collector books.

Launched in 2007, the Kartcom website quickly became an essential tool in the international karting world. Users to benefit from a unique database of drivers, circuits, competitions and much more, which can be consulted free of charge. Published on www.kartcom.com along with news photos by KSP Photo Agency, the articles from KSP Reportages provide simple and accessible communication elements contributing to social network feeds and websites, while benefiting from the archiving and development as well as the influence of Kartcom.