The first round of the CIK-FIA European Karting Championships got under way this Friday afternoon with the first serious competitive session, the timed qualifying practice. Frenchman Armand Convers in KF1 and Belgian Jonathan Thonon in KZ1 made perfect starts to their weekend by securing pole position. But it’s a long way yet to Sunday’s finals…..

There are 177 drivers and they come from all 4 corners of Europe, with Japan, Canada and the United States are also represented here. Taking part in Classes KF1 (the premier class of 125cc direct drive) KZ1 (the premier class for 125cc gearbox karts) and KZ2 (the second tier of 125cc gearbox karts), they all gathered at the Gabriel Thirouin d’Angerville circuit for the first action in the European Championships.

At first glance, the competition would appear to be more open than ever in KF1 where, at the end of qualifying, one second covered the 43 drivers. And it was only by 0.05 (five hundredths) of a second that Frenchman Armand Convers (PCR-TM) set the best time. The PCR factory spearhead led the young Dutch hope Jack Te Braak (Zanardi-Parilla) and the astonishing Frenchman Jean-Philippe Guignet showing a return to form on his CRG-Maxter.

In 4th place was the Belgian rookie Yannick de Brabander (Intrepid-TM) who took the rare pleasure of going quicker than 3 times European Champion and reigning World Champion Marco Ardigo (Tony Kart-Vortex), 5th but by a margin of just 0.169 of a second. Following them were the Finn Matias Laine (Tony-Vortex), Italy’s Alessandro Bressan (Kosmic-Vortex) and Arnaud Kozlinski (CRG-Maxter), the second Frenchman.

Winner of the World Cup in 2007 and hot favourite for the European Championship, Jonathan Thonon (CRG-Maxter) confirmed his status by already taking pole position in KZ1. The Belgian headed his Italian team mate, and holder of the European title, Alessandro Manetti, by 0.133 of a second. With Manuel Cozzaglio (Intrepid-TM), Rick Dreezen (CRG-Maxter) and Roberto Toninelli (Intrepid-TM) completing the top 5, the Belgians and the Italians are well in the hunt, as CRG-Maxter and Intrepid-TM also lead the way.

If you visit an amusement park, more than likely you will see a section designated for go karting. The tracks are usually outdoors, although there are also indoor tracks as well. Karts are usually rented for sessions that last typically between 5-10 minute intervals. The majority of karts designed for public use are run at slow speeds, since many patrons are children. Generally, helmets are not required on these tracks. There are however, tracks made for karts that can reach higher speeds, which require appropriate attire. If you have an interest in motor racing, go karting is a great stepping stone to gain practical behind-the-wheel experience. In fact, young drivers and adults equally enjoy the karting experience. For instance, there are numerous formula one race car drivers and NASCAR drivers that grew up racing karts. Some of these prominent drivers include Michael Schumacher, Darrell Waltrip, Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart.

Karting is also popular in European countries as well as England and Australia. At the competitive circuit, karting has three racing formats, which include sprint, endurance and speedway racing. There are national and international karting competitions which draw experienced drivers in karting. Since there are more risks involved at this higher level of competition, these competitors are required to wear a helmet, suit, gloves and driving boots. Go karting can be enjoyable among family and friends or it can be experienced at the competitive level. Either way, karting remains a popular past time activity for many individuals. Tracks for go karting can be found in many cities throughout America. If you are looking for a fun activity, go ahead and try go karting.