JK Tyre will once again back the National Karting Championship in 2019 after a hiatus of two years. For the 2019 season though, the Karting Championship is all set to become bigger than ever with more rounds and categories added as part of a complete transformation. JK says the entry-level series will be more affordable and accessible to young motorsport enthusiasts with promoters and organisers Meco Motorsports having repackaged and upgraded the championship to mak the drivers future ready. The National Karting Championship has been a stepping stone for several racers in the country including Armaan Ebrahim, Aditya Patel, Arjun Maini, Karun Chandhok and more.
Talking about the overhaul, Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Motorsport, said, "We have repackaged our entire karting programme this season, with the main aim of getting more and more people exposed to the sport and also to make it affordable for them. We went back to the drawing board and decided to get back the four-stroke karting event back in the championship. The championship which was the most sought-after event in the 2000s not just attracted hundreds of participants but also drew viewers in huge numbers because of the added entertainment quotient. Along with giving them exposure to the very first level of motorsport, participants who would want to pursue it seriously will now have an option to choose from X-30 and Rotax, both internationally acclaimed two-stroke karting championships. Therefore, a participant can start from four-stroke karting, move on to two-stroke, thereafter to Indian make Formula Car (LGB), to JK Euro to Formula 3 and so on.
Future racing stars Armaan Ebrahim, Vishnu Prasad and Rayomand Banajee started their careers with karting
The 2019 JK Tyre National Karting Championship will have three different sub-sets - 4-stroke Sodi Kart Sprint Karting Championship, X-30 Karting and the Rotax Karting. The winners of the four-stroke championship will get an option to choose between X-30 and Rotax categories. The X-30 & Rotax winners (Junior and Senior classes) will go on to participate in their respective world finals and also get a sponsored drive in the LGB-4 championship during the JK National Racing Championship. Here's what each of the sub-sets have to offer.
1. 4-Stroke Engine: The Sodi Kart sub-set will be running on Sodi Kart chassis from France powered by a four-stroke Honda GX 200 engine. The entry-level category offers a safe environment for budding karting enthusiasts to compete and test waters. These karts have a top speed of about 70 kmph, while the chassis and engine set-up remains the same, giving an equal opportunity for all. The Sodi Kart is divided into two categories - Junior and Senior Class.
2. 2-Stroke: A step-up over the Sodi Karts, the X-30 is a world series that is extremely popular in India and is powered by the 125 cc IAME X30 two-stroke engines from Italy. These karts have a top speed of 120 kmph. The chassis too comes from Praga, Italy and the complete set-up is handled by a single team that allows the drivers to shine based on their skill set. The X-30 is divided into three classes - Cadet, Junior and Senior - based on the age group, and the winner of this category will compete in the X30 World Finals in Europe.
The 2019 Karting series aims to make the championship more exciting
3. 2-Stroke - Rotax: Running on international parameters, the Rotax class is the most sought after here and will see six teams competing in the championships. These include Peregrine Racing, Birel Art Racing, Rayo Racing, Erda Racing, RD Racing, &MSport, all of which prep their karts within the stipulated parameters. The kart's set-up along with the driver determine who will make it on the podium at the end of the race. The winner of the class at the end of the year will compete in the Rotax Max World Finals. Each grid attracts close to 70 karts in each class.
In addition to the new karting programme, JK Tyre has announced the series this year will also be launching the FIA accredited 'Girls on Track' program that is aimed at getting girls on the track and give them a feel of the professional motor racing world by testing their skills on karts and bikes and through various race related activities. The Girls on Track program will run alongside the four stroke karting events which will ensure more participation.
| Round | Date | City |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Aug 24-25 | Bangalore |
| Round 2 | Sept 14-15 | Cochin/Baroda |
| Round 3 | Oct 12-13 | Bhopal |
| Round 4 | Oct 26-27 | Chandigarh |
| Round 5 | Nov 30- Dec 1 | Delhi |
| Round | Date | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | May 24-26 | Bangalore | |
| Round 2 | June 14-16 | Bangalore | |
| Round 3 & 4 | July 12-14 | Hyderabad | |
| Round 5 | Aug 2-4 | Bangalore |
| Round | Date | City |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | June 7-9 | Bangalore |
| Round 2 | July 5-7 | Bangalore |
| Round 3 & 4 | Aug 9-11 | Hyderabad |
| Round 5 | Sept 6-8 | Bangalore |
