- Lohen scholarship for Senior Rotax class- 12 drivers vie for MINI Challenge or Britcar 24 Hour entry.

Drivers in the new Formula Kart Stars Senior Rotax class will be embarking on a MINI Adventure in 2012thanks to a new scholarship with leading MINI Challenge team Lohen.One Senior Max driver in each of the 12 rounds that make up the 2012 Formula One Management backedChampionship will be selected to participate in an exclusive end-of-season shootout with Lohen. After beingput through their paces by a judging panel that includes former multiple Formula Kart Stars champion andcurrent British Touring Car driver Frank Wrathall, one lucky FKS driver will be awarded the 2012 MINIAdventure Scholarship award.

The winning driver will either get a free entry fee into the 2013 MINI Challenge with Lohen or get a race drivewith Lohen in the 2013 Britcar 24 Hours at Silverstone.“We are delighted to be working with Formula Kart Stars on the "MINI Adventure" scholarship for SeniorRotax drivers,” says Lohen Director Andrey Magiy, whose team has built up an impressive resume with thenew generation MINI over the past eight years. “It is a great opportunity to start developing their career inSaloon car racing.

“MINI Challenge is a perfect place to develop racing skills for shorter races, with many drives moving intothe TOCA paddock. Britcar is ideal for drivers wishing to pursue a career in endurance racing and ultimatelywishing to end up in GT or Le Mans series. Lohen can provide a perfect stepping platform for Karting to carracing and we are looking forward to attending some of the FKS 2012 rounds and meeting the candidates inperson.”

Wrathall, who earned his first steps into the world of car racing through the Will Hoy Scholarship award, isperfectly placed to judge a shootout like this.

“The winning driver will need to show that they have the potential to step up from karts to cars,” saidWrathall. “Moving from a kart to a car is a big deal and there is a lot to learn. You can’t solely judge things onraw speed but how a driver can adapt quickly and build a successful foundation as a racing driver. The onlyreason I am where I am today is because of the Will Hoy scholarship, it set me on the path that I’m on now.”Formula Kart Stars Championship director Carolynn Hoy, herself an experienced former saloon andsportscar driver, feels the Lohen MINI Adventure scholarship gives the Senior Rotax class the perfect boostahead of its debut season as part of the only Karting championship in the world to be supported by BernieEcclestone and Lewis Hamilton.

“As someone who has participated in several 24 hour races both in karts and cars there is nothing quite likethe feeling you get of racing through the night as part of a team,” said Hoy, who contested the Willhire 24Hours at Snetterton and the Le Mans 24 Hour kart race during her driving career. “Likewise the MINIChallenge is a well established and supported championship that several of our former karters have alreadytried with great success.

“Lohen has shown a tremendous desire to work with Formula Kart Stars and I know that enthusiasm willcontinue all year. It is very important for the Championship to offer our new Senior drivers the same kind ofopportunities within Motorsport that we offer our Junior competitors and this is the perfect way to start.”