Motorsport: Start of the autobau Kart-SM in Italy
The 2017 autobau Swiss Kart Championship kicks off in Italy on April 1-2, with close to 100 drivers set to compete in the five classes at the season opener. The first Swiss race on the calendar is the one-day event on April 29 in Wohlen. Ex-racing driver and patron Fredy Lienhard continues to act as title sponsor of the Kart-SM with his autobau (automobile world of experience in Romanshorn) and [...]
Ex-racing driver and patron Fredy Lienhard continues to act as title sponsor of the Kart-SM with his autobau (automobile world of experience in Romanshorn) and, together with other sponsors, makes an important contribution to the promotion of young talent in Swiss motorsport. The autobuild Swiss Kart Championship (SKM) now comprises seven races instead of six, three of which will be held in Switzerland.
On a positive note, the first home race will be held in Wohlen on April 29, which means that the popular circuit is back on the SKM calendar with a one-day event. As in the previous year, the TCS Circuit in Lignières will also be raced twice, on May 20/21 and September 23/24 as the final round in the opposite direction.
Before returning to Wohlen, the young and young-at-heart kart drivers have to go abroad this weekend for their first test of strength. The internationally renowned 7Laghi circuit in Castelletto di Branduzzo near Pavia, just an hour's drive from the southern Swiss border, will be the venue. A new addition in 2017 will be the Busca circuit in Italy (July 15-16), which lies south of Turin. The races in Mirécourt (June 24/25) and Levier (August 19/20, 30 minutes by car from Pontarlier) have been a fixed part of the SKM program for years.
The 2017 season is characterized by some innovations and extensions. For example, the official training sessions and the qualifications will already be held on Saturday (previously Sunday morning). The entry age for male and female drivers has been adjusted in some classes.
The two top classes KZ2 and OK Senior will now race with Le Cont LP Prime tires, the two Iame X30 classes with Vega CUP-blu and the SuperMini category will be equipped with Bridgestone YJL tires. Brand new is the Swissauto Cup VT250 for four-strokes, which will be held in three races (Mirécourt, Levier, Lignières II) as part of the SKM.
The 5 classes of the autobuild Swiss Kart Championship 2017:
KZ2 125 cc: 6-speed manual transmission, minimum weight 175 kg, standing start, from 15 years. Tires Le Cont LP Prime. Champion 2016: Loic Vindice (Praga/Parilla).
OK Senior: 125 cc, direct drive, without front brakes, minimum weight 150 kg, new from 12 years. Tires Le Cont LP Prime. Champion 2016: Fabio Leimer (Mach1/TM).
Iame X30 Challenge Switzerland: 125 cc, centrifugal clutch, without front brakes, minimum weight 158 kg, from 15 years. Tires Vega Cup blue. Champion 2016: Norick Lehner (Praga/Iame). Places 1-3 are qualified for the IAME World Finals in Le Mans.
Iame X30 Junior: Engine 125 cc with air mass limiter, centrifugal clutch, without front brakes, rider from calendar year of 12th birthday and up to max. 15 years, minimum weight 145 kg. Tires Vega Cup blue. Champion 2016: Savio Moccia (Praga/Iame). Places 1-3 are qualified for the IAME World Final in Le Mans.
Super Mini: Rider from 8 to new to 13 years, engine 60 cc, centrifugal clutch. Tires Bridgestone YJL. Champion 2016: Alessio Fagone (Exprit).
