Setting The Scene For U18's
press release
The contestants in the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Championship and the CIK-FIA Academy Trophy are getting closer by the hour to the start of their first world event. This Thursday, they have taken their places in the Wackersdorf paddock, a little under 100 kilometres east of Nuremberg, where this week-end the first of three races in these competitions are taking place.
Above: There are no walls allowed between teams at the Under 18 World Championship events where everything must be presented openly
Administrative controls, allocation of paddock spaces, finding their places in their teams... Under a sweltering heat, which should give way to light rain from Friday, the drivers have taken in their settling-in in their stride. For those who didn’t take part in the test-day at Ostricourt at the beginning of July, this was also the time for them to receive the various components of their kart to be set up to suit the driver.
In the paddock, one of the main subjects of conversation was... the lay-out of the paddock. In accordance with the wishes of CIK-FIA, all the drivers are allocated places according to a strictly equal size and spacing with the tents of the same dimensions for everybody without any barrier. The consequence is that there will be a guaranteed conviviality which competitions at the highest level often lack. “It’s really a very good change”, reflected Albino Parolin, the boss of the marque of the same name which provides – free of charge – the WKE engines for all of the competitors in the U18 World Championship and the complete kart package in the Academy Trophy. “Karting is not Formula 1. We have to get the message over to people that karting can be undertaken quite simplistically.”
It was the same reaction on the part of American Andrick Zeen, driver in the U18 World Championship. “It’s different to the normal paddock, but it’s very good. This open aspect is much more fun. In any case, I’m impatient to make a start and I hope to prove myself with the best.”
Arriving straight from their Johannesburg home, young Michael Taylor and his father were immensely impressed. “This is magnificent for a paddock”, explained the South-African representative in the Academy Trophy. “The personalised tents with the name of each driver, the same set up for everybody... We arrived from South-Africa with only our suitcase, nothing else. We have limited resources but here we are going to be able to race other drivers on an even footing, with exactly the same equipment. It’s great to see 34 young drivers coming from so many different countries and most of them taking part in their first international competition. It’s exciting to see who is going to be the quickest.”
The anxious young drivers will have their first indication of how good they are in each of the free practice sessions which take place on Friday afternoon. Prior to that, the drivers will be taking part in a educational program called “EduKart”, based on the idea of an apprenticeship which teaches the rules and regulations, the spirit of fair-play, a history of karting, doping controls, etc. But the first crucial moment will be on Saturday morning at 11.25 with the qualifying practices. But we are not there just yet...
Information and live results http://www.cikfia.com/News2010/wackersdorf_u18.htm
