• Five events build up to Golden Helmet weekend at Whilton.• Fantastic price deals for Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax entrants.
Drivers in the new Formula Kart Stars Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax classes thisyear will face a new Challenge; or rather 12 separate Challenges as they join theFormula One Management backed Championship for the first time.
Prize filled Challenge events at Kimbolton (April 6-8), Ellough Park (May 18-20),Larkhall (June 8-10), Glan Y Gors (July 13-15) and Nutts Corner (August 10-12) willculminate in a winner-takes-all weekend at Whilton Mill on the weekend of September7th-9th.
Each challenge format mirrors that of the other Formula Kart Stars classes as driverscompete in a ten minute timed qualifying session, two twelve minute heats and afifteen minute final on both days of each Challenge.
Individual Challenge points will be accrued over each day of each race weekend withthe top three in each daily Challenge receiving bespoke trophies.
In Cadet Honda all drivers will receive three tyre bags courtesy of Dunlop and will beeligible for a new class prize set-up by class patron Alex Albon and Red Bull. Driverswill also be eligible for the new Frank Wrathall prize and the Bernie Ecclestone Driverof the Day award.
In Senior Rotax the overall winner of each daily Challenge gets an invite to the LohenMINI Adventure scholarship assessment at the end of the year with the next eligibledriver also qualifying if the winner has already qualified. All drivers will also be eligiblefor the celebrity class patron prize, the new Daniel Lloyd prize and the BernieEcclestone Driver of the Day award.
In an effort to keep costs for competitors at a minimum Formula Kart Stars havedevised a number of different options for those wishing to compete in three, four or allfive of the Challenges and providing drivers compete in at least three of the Challengeevents, entry to the series finale at Whilton Mill where the champions will be crownedis free!
Drivers in both classes can choose to pay for all five Challenges in advance for a totalof £1300, that’s just £130 per race day or can choose to enter each Challengeseparately at a cost of £320 per weekend, which equates to £160 per race day.Even if a driver wishes to enter three Challenges separately, he or she still qualifies fora free invitation to Whilton Mill and will only have spent £960 in entry fees for a total ofeight race days.
All drivers will have use of Formula Kart Stars TAG Heuer timing system and theSenior Rotax drivers have to use the Alfano Alspy data logging system.As an extra incentive to save on costs, Cadet Honda will be able to seal both slick andwet tyres and roll them over to the next challenge. Senior Rotax will buy only one setof slicks for both days and roll their wets over to the next challenge.
The Series finale called ‘The Golden Helmet’ at Whilton Mill promises to be one of themost spectacular and high profile events of the year. Battling for points throughouteach day, the top point’s scorers on Sunday evening will receive a glut of prizes. Moreprizes to, be announced, are lined up for this special event
In Cadet Honda the winner on Sunday gets the coveted FKS jewelled steering wheeltrophy and second and third places both receive bespoke trophies. The top three allwin the much sought-after TAG Heuer watches and a Honda engine while the winnergets an invite to the Autosport Awards in London.
The prize situation is similar in Senior Rotax with the winner taking the steering wheeltrophy and an invite to the Autosport Awards in London. Provided he or she has notalready qualified for the Lohen MINI Adventure scholarship assessment the winneralso gets an invite to that and in the event that he or she has already earned a placethe prize goes to the best placed non qualified driver
As in Cadet Honda the top three in Senior Rotax will receive TAG Heuer watches with bespoke trophies for second and third and further prizes still to be announced.
Formula Kart Stars Championship Director Carolynn Hoy feels that the Challenge format is the best way to introduce the new classes into the Championship.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support the championship has had from the drivers to this new format,” said Hoy. “We are adding Cadet Honda and Senior Rotax to our roster due to popular demand and our ‘Buy Three Get One Free’ offer has been extremely well received by those who have already entered for 2012.
“By offering free invites to Whilton Mill for all those drivers who enter at least three Challenge events I feel that we are taking some of the pressure off the new competitors, some of whom will be very young in Cadet Honda and some of whom will be studying for A Levels and College courses in Senior Rotax.
“Likewise for those who want to enter all five Challenge events, and lots of drivers have indicated that they intend to complete the full FKS season, I believe we have offered them an extremely competitive package that offers lots of track time, some excellent prizes, great value for money and all the other unique aspects that make up a normal Formula Kart Stars race weekend.
