OK: Highly competitive equipment

The Kart Republic factory prepared perfectly for the two major events in September (Champions of the Future Euro Series and FIA Karting World Championship scheduled for 11th-14th) and gave a perfect demonstration of this at the Asum Ring. Kenzo Craigie (Prema Racing) started by taking pole position, before winning three Qualifying Heats. Thibaut Ramaekers (VDK Racing) took the lead in the overall standings with four wins. Oliver Kinnmark (Koski Motorsport) and Daniel Kelleher (KR Motorsport) won twice, bringing the total number of wins to 11. In the first Super Heat, won by Craigie, there were 10 KRs in the top 11!

In the Final on a dry track, the race was contested between three Kart Republic factory drivers. Ramaekers led the early laps, then Craigie took the lead, but it was Kelleher who took a magnificent victory. Climbing to 4th place ahead of his teammates Jacob Micaleff and Iacopo Martinese, Joe Turney (KR Motorsport) proved he was in good shape just a few days before the World Championship. Zac Drummond and Jesse Phillips, both from the Fusion Motorsport team, completed the top eight, which was made up entirely of KR chassis.

In the overall standings, Kenzo Craigie succeeds Joe Turney as the Champions of the Future Euro Series winner. Thanks to his third place in Kristianstad, Ramaekers is the 2025 vice-champion.

OK-Junior: Baglin, the best over all five rounds

Just over a month after Dean Hoogendoorn (Prema Racing) won the European Championship title in Denmark, his team-mate Noah Baglin claimed the prestigious Champions of the Future Euro Series title. On Friday and Saturday, 12 of the 15 Qualifying Heats were won by KR-IAME drivers. Drivers such as Emiliano Hernandez (DPK Racing) and Valerio Viapiana (Koski Motorsport) proved themselves in a very difficult and competitive environment. Michael McGaughy (Koski Motorsport) won five heats and the Super Heat, but unfortunately did not fare as well in the Final.

During the second lap, Baglin took the lead and sped to victory alone. In the pack, Hoogendoorn achieved a remarkable feat by climbing from 18th to 2nd place with the fastest lap of the race. A rather surprising penalty pushed him back to 7th place. Devin Walz (KR Motorsport) had a solid Final to finish 2nd. Another excellent finisher, Luka Scelles (VictoryLane) came back to 4th after gaining five places.

Comment from Dino Chiesa, head of KR Global Motorsport Company

"I am really pleased to have won both the OK and OK-Junior titles, as the Champions of the Future is a very competitive series contested over a total of five rounds. It shows that we have been consistent and competitive throughout the series. Of course, the World Championship remains the most important event of the season, but luck is always a major factor when everything is decided in a single race. The series organised by RGMMC brings together all the best drivers and the biggest teams on the five circuits also used by FIA Karting, so the titles won by Noah Baglin and Kenzo Craigie are really valuable. In Kristianstad, our equipment proved to be competitive with many other drivers and our various teams, which is positive. The most striking example remains the OK Final with eight KRs in the top eight!"

About KR Global Motorsport Company

At the end of the 2017 season Dino Chiesa officially presented the new Kart Republic entity and its characteristic logo. The yellow, orange and red colours reflect the colours of the Serenissima Republic which, from 697 to 1797, marked the history of the Padua region, home of the KR brand. The wing refers to those of the lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, the capital of the Venetian Republic.

On 1st January, the KR chassis received CIK-FIA homologation. The success was immediate! In the very first season, the German Hannes Janker became European OK Champion in 2018. A few weeks later, the Italian Lorenzo Travisanutto (KR-IAME) became FIA Karting World Champion. The KR chassis quickly became a reference in the most important international events, as well as in many countries around the world. The successes in FIA Karting followed one another. At the 2022 World Championship in Campillos, less than four years after its launch, KR was the most represented brand in the paddock.

Over the years, the Kart Republic factory has continued to develop, launching the Alonso Kart brand in 2020 and relaunching the famous DAP name in early 2023. The various activities of the Italian company are now grouped under the "KR Global Motorsport Company". The head of the company, Dino Chiesa, is one of the most influential figures in the world of karting. The Italian engineer is also one of the best talent scouts in the world of karting. He has helped the rise of drivers such as Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Nyck De Vries. Many Formula 1 team academies trust him, including those of Mercedes, Red Bull, Alpine and Sauber. The famous Prema Racing team has just announced its entry to the world of karting, in partnership with Kart Republic.