Superkarts! USA regional championship hosted penultimate round at Spring Mountain Karting Complex
Superkarts! USA regional championship hosted penultimate round at Spring Mountain Karting Complex

Superkarts! USA regional championship...

Superkarts! USA regional championship hosted penultimate round at Spring Mountain Karting Complex

Superkarts! USA regional championship hosted penultimate round at Spring Mountain Karting Complex

The 2026 ProKart Challenge championship took another step toward crowning this year’s title winners, hosting Round Five of the program at the Spring Mountain Karting Complex. The Superkarts! USA...
Max vs 100: 100 drivers prepare to face Max Verstappen in go-kart race
Max vs 100: 100 drivers prepare to face Max Verstappen in go-kart race

Max vs 100: 100 drivers prepare to face...

Max vs 100: 100 drivers prepare to face Max Verstappen in go-kart race

Max vs 100: 100 drivers prepare to face Max Verstappen in go-kart race

Max Verstappen’s 100 challengers in Red Bull’s ‘Max vs 100’ got to grips with the track, karts and race rules today, ahead of qualifying tomorrow and the livestream from 17:00...
ProKart challenge set for return to Spring Mountain Karting Complex
ProKart challenge set for return to Spring Mountain Karting Complex

ProKart challenge set for return to...

ProKart challenge set for return to Spring Mountain Karting Complex

ProKart challenge set for return to Spring Mountain Karting Complex

The ProKart Challenge will make its second ever visit to the Spring Mountain Karting Complex. The program travels to the Pahrump, Nevada course over the September 12-13 weekend for Round Five of the...
Max vs 100: Verstappen to Take on One Hundred Drivers in World's Biggest Go-Kart Race
Max vs 100: Verstappen to Take on One Hundred Drivers in World's Biggest Go-Kart Race

Max vs 100: Verstappen to Take on One...

Max vs 100: Verstappen to Take on One Hundred Drivers in World's Biggest Go-Kart Race

Max vs 100: Verstappen to Take on One Hundred Drivers in World's Biggest Go-Kart Race

Four-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, who recently extended his contract with Oracle Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030, will return to his racing roots on September 16. At the...
Second half of 2026 ProKart Challenge begins in Sonoma
Second half of 2026 ProKart Challenge begins in Sonoma

Second half of 2026 ProKart Challenge...

Second half of 2026 ProKart Challenge begins in Sonoma

Second half of 2026 ProKart Challenge begins in Sonoma

The second half of the 2026 ProKart Challenge began over the August 15-16 weekend at Sonoma Raceway. The Sonoma, California circuit welcomed the series for the second of back-to-back trips, hosting...
RGMMC Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder Lynn Geidel
RGMMC Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder Lynn Geidel

RGMMC Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder...

RGMMC Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder Lynn Geidel

RGMMC Mourns the Passing of Co-Founder Lynn Geidel

It is with profound sadness that RGMMC shares the news of the passing of its co-founder, Lynn Geidel.
SuperNationals 2026: Senior MAX and Mini MAX engines from every country are welcome
SuperNationals 2026: Senior MAX and Mini MAX engines from every country are welcome

SuperNationals 2026: Senior MAX and Mini...

SuperNationals 2026: Senior MAX and Mini MAX engines from every country are welcome

SuperNationals 2026: Senior MAX and Mini MAX engines from every country are welcome

Karting Solutions Group, the US distributor for BRP-Rotax karting products and home of the Race Rotax brand, is confirming a key detail for racers ahead of the 2026 SKUSA SuperNationals: Rotax engines...
Tony Kart: “double weekend” with victory and podium
Tony Kart: “double weekend” with victory and podium

Tony Kart: “double weekend” with victory...

Tony Kart: “double weekend” with victory and podium

Tony Kart: “double weekend” with victory and podium

The Tony Kart Racer 401 T won the OK-N final and took third place in the MINI Gr.3 class at the fourth round of the ACI Italian Karting Championship. The Tony Kart Racing Team also took to the track...
A second victory in the Italian Championship for Modena Kart with Kolovos
A second victory in the Italian Championship for Modena Kart with Kolovos

A second victory in the Italian...

A second victory in the Italian Championship for Modena Kart with Kolovos

A second victory in the Italian Championship for Modena Kart with Kolovos

The races keep coming, and so do the podium finishes for the Modena Kart Racing Team. Two weeks after Elton Hedfors’ brilliant performance in the WSK Euro Series, Ioannis Kolovos has added a...
Buggyra Academy partners with Citarusus to launch international karting program
Buggyra Academy partners with Citarusus to launch international karting program

Buggyra Academy partners with Citarusus...

Buggyra Academy partners with Citarusus to launch international karting program

Buggyra Academy partners with Citarusus to launch international karting program

Buggyra Academy, the driver development program of Buggyra Organization, announced a new partnership with Citarusus, one of the leading Czech karting teams, at a press conference in Prague on Monday....
ROK Cup Italia, Round 6 – Race Report from the 7 Laghi Kart circuit
ROK Cup Italia, Round 6 – Race Report from the 7 Laghi Kart circuit

ROK Cup Italia, Round 6 – Race Report...

ROK Cup Italia, Round 6 – Race Report from the 7 Laghi Kart circuit

ROK Cup Italia, Round 6 – Race Report from the 7 Laghi Kart circuit

For the first time in the season, the ROK Cup Italia was hosted at the 7 Laghi Kart circuit (Castelletto di Branduzzo), for the sixth championship round, featuring the hottest summer temperatures. At...
Townsville shines as Championship chase heats up
Townsville shines as Championship chase heats up

Townsville shines as Championship chase...

Townsville shines as Championship chase heats up

Townsville shines as Championship chase heats up

Modena Kart: Three drivers in the top 10 of the Italian Championship after Sarno
Modena Kart: Three drivers in the top 10 of the Italian Championship after Sarno

Modena Kart: Three drivers in the top 10...

Modena Kart: Three drivers in the top 10 of the Italian Championship after Sarno

Modena Kart: Three drivers in the top 10 of the Italian Championship after Sarno

In the ACI Karting Italian Championship, the Modena Kart Racing Team once again fought hard at the front of the field at Sarno in the OK-N Junior class. Radu Basescu Pricop and Ioannis Kolovos put in...
Unchallenged dominance for Ioannis Kolovos and Modena Kart at La Conca
Unchallenged dominance for Ioannis Kolovos and Modena Kart at La Conca

Unchallenged dominance for Ioannis...

Unchallenged dominance for Ioannis Kolovos and Modena Kart at La Conca

Unchallenged dominance for Ioannis Kolovos and Modena Kart at La Conca

ProKart Challenge opens 2026 season at K1 Circuit
ProKart Challenge opens 2026 season at K1 Circuit

ProKart Challenge opens 2026 season at...

ProKart Challenge opens 2026 season at K1 Circuit

ProKart Challenge opens 2026 season at K1 Circuit

The opening two rounds of the 2026 Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge were held over the April 24-26 weekend at K1 Circuit. The Winchester, California facility welcomed the SKUSA regional program for...
French Formule 20.000 series for 100cc karts of the 90s ready to scream into season 8
French Formule 20.000 series for 100cc karts of the 90s ready to scream into season 8

French Formule 20.000 series for 100cc...

French Formule 20.000 series for 100cc karts of the 90s ready to scream into season 8

French Formule 20.000 series for 100cc karts of the 90s ready to scream into season 8

Formule 20.000 is set to kick off its 2026 season on 9 and 10 May at the Soucy circuit, located 125 km southeast of Paris. The 100cc air-cooled karts from the 1990s to 2002 will then compete on two...
CRG Mini Team set for Italian Karting Championship
CRG Mini Team set for Italian Karting Championship

CRG Mini Team set for Italian Karting...

CRG Mini Team set for Italian Karting Championship

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The karting season has reached the point where the MINI Team and the CRG Racing Team split their programmes for the Senior categories (OKJ, OK and KZ). After sharing the paddock and competing together...
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ProKart Challenge readies for 2026 season

ProKart Challenge readies for 2026...

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The 2026 season for the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge marks the 22nd edition of the organisation’s flagship regional program. The championship is coming off a strong 2025 season that...
The ROK Cup Italia Round 1 at Cremona Karting was blessed with sunny weather and spring-like...
The ROK Cup Italia Round 1 at Cremona Karting was blessed with sunny weather and spring-like...

The ROK Cup Italia Round 1 at Cremona...

The ROK Cup Italia Round 1 at Cremona Karting was blessed with sunny weather and spring-like...

The ROK Cup Italia Round 1 at Cremona Karting was blessed with sunny weather and spring-like...

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Garage Motorsport (PRO) and MLS Racing (SILVER) are the winners of the 24 Hours Karting 2026

Garage Motorsport (PRO) and MLS Racing...

Garage Motorsport (PRO) and MLS Racing (SILVER) are the winners of the 24 Hours Karting 2026

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The 24 Hours Karting of Italy organized by CRG has confirmed itself as one of the most anticipated and spectacular events in the Endurance panorama dedicated to Rental Karting. On March 14th and 15th,...

Round four contested at Adams Motorsports Park for California Prokart Challenge

Round four contested at Adams Motorsports Park for California Prokart Challenge Read more

The 19th season for the California ProKart Challenge has been put to the test as the program enters the second half of the championship chase. What was scheduled as a three-day, two-round race weekend at the Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, California over August 18-20 became a shortened two-day, one-round event. Hurricane Hilary hit the southern California region on Sunday, forcing Superkarts! USA to postpone the Round Five action scheduled for that day. Round Four was contested on Saturday, with dry weather greeting the competitors at the historic Riverside, California facility.

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Double-round weekend ahead for California ProKart Challenge Read more

Two rounds of racing set for Superkarts! USA regional championship program at historic Adams Motorsports Park on August 18-20

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Australian kart racers selected for Ferrari Shootout Read more

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Walton wraps up Australian Championship in Ipswich

Walton wraps up Australian Championship in Ipswich Read more

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Sodi World Series International Finals 2023: A lively edition in Slovakia Read more

From 5th to 8th July 2023, the 12th edition of the SWS International Finals introduced a new destination to the 374 drivers who had qualified throughout the world during the 2022 SWS season. In Slovakia, the races were extremely hotly contested, sometimes even a little too hot in the Sprint categories. The competition was very intense, and the winners were often revealed in the final meters of the Finals. Many positive comments rewarded the efforts of the 3MK Events organising team, who worked hard to satisfy the vast majority of participants.

Sodi World Series: New destination for the world's biggest leisure karting event

Sodi World Series: New destination for the world's biggest leisure karting event Read more

For the first time, the 12th edition of the SWS International Finals will be held outside France and Italy. From 5th to 8th July, Slovakia will be the venue for the major annual meeting of the Sodi W Series, bringing together the best drivers selected in 2022 from all over the world. The Slovak Karting Center is the ideal setting for this landmark event, in a country that deserves to be better known.

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Round three of California ProKart Challenge set for Santa Maria Read more

The 2023 California ProKart Challenge returns to action on the July 8-9 weekend with a trip to the Santa Maria Karting Association facility. The third round of the Superkarts! USA regional program will be held at the Santa Maria, California facility. Following two events at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park to open up the year, the California PKC program reaches the midway point with the third event to continue the 19th championship season with a perfect sunny, breezy beach climate expected for Round Three.

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Lana Flack re-writes the record books in Newcastle

Lana Flack re-writes the record books in Newcastle Read more

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WKA Changes Date and Venue for the Next Southern Gold Cup Round

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Repeat winners and first time victors at California Prokart Challenge

Repeat winners and first time victors at California Prokart Challenge Read more

The second event of the 2023 California ProKart Challenge saw teams and drivers return to the Buttonwillow Raceway Park over the May 6-7 weekend. Round Two of the Superkarts! USA regional program welcomed nearly 100 karters competing in seven categories around the 7/10-mile circuit in the clockwise direction. Perfect racing weather provided an amazing backdrop for the racing action over the two days.

CIK-FIA Pays tribute to Angelo Parrilla

CIK-FIA Pays tribute to Angelo Parrilla Read more

With the recent death of Angelo Parrilla at the age of 77, the karting community has lost one of the most influential and respected figures in the development of the discipline worldwide.

WSK Super Master Series: Two new titles for the KR brand

WSK Super Master Series: Two new titles for the KR brand Read more

The international events continue week after week, and the trophies pile up on the shelves of the drivers and teams using KR Global Motorsport Company equipment. After successes in IAME and Rotax in the previous days, the WSK Super Master Series ended in Cremona with no less than 13 podiums in the Finals and in the general classification.

California ProKart Challenge Returns to Action This Weekend

California ProKart Challenge Returns to Action This Weekend Read more

The month of May is here and so is the second round of the 2023 California ProKart Challenge. The Superkarts! USA regional series returns to the Buttonwillow Raceway Park to complete the back-to-back trips to start out this year’s championship program. The 19th season of the series began in March at the Buttonwillow, California facility and during this return, the drivers will run in the clockwise direction for the two-day Round Two event.

Sodi World Series - The first Electric Final goes to Sweden

Sodi World Series - The first Electric Final goes to Sweden Read more

This year, the SWS Final will be split into two. As a sign of the times, in parallel to the "classic" SWS International Finals scheduled in Slovakia in July, Sodikart is organising the first SWS e-Sprint International Final in Sweden. On 28th and 29th April, Gothenburg will welcome the first SWS finalists at the wheel of electric karts on the two GoKart Centralen circuits.

Hometown Heroes take Australian Kart Championship wins in Perth

Hometown Heroes take Australian Kart Championship wins in Perth Read more

West Australian competitors have taken the challenge to the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship regulars winning several classes on home soil in Perth on Sunday afternoon, the biggest win going the way of Jake Klarich, who took an emotional victory in KZ2.

Australia’s best kart racers set for the West this weekend

Australia’s best kart racers set for the West this weekend Read more

Australia’s top young drivers will be on show at the Wanneroo International Kartway this weekend, for round two of the 2023 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE.

Rok Cup Italia, Round 1 - Race Report

Rok Cup Italia, Round 1 - Race Report Read more

The Franciacorta Karting Track in Castrezzato (BS) inaugurated the new ROK Cup Italia season with an extraordinary participation of 215 drivers in the six racing categories. At the end of the day on Sunday, the following championship leaders emerged: Zsebo Marcell (Mini ROK), Marchesi Nicolas (Junior ROK), Dragan David (Senior ROK), Bal Antoni (Expert ROK), Cicognini Domenico (Super ROK) and Rigodanza Riccardo (Shifter ROK).

California ProKart Challenge opens 2023 season at Buttonwillow

California ProKart Challenge opens 2023 season at Buttonwillow Read more

The opening weekend for the 2023 California ProKart Challenge took place over March 11-12 at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Nearly 100 competitors participated on the weekend at the California facility with two full days of action for the first event of the six-round championship program. The 7/10-mile circuit in the counter-clockwise direction welcomed nine drivers earning their first victories on the season at the Superkarts! USA regional program.

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Exciting heats come rain or shine in the Flying Finn Race
Bas Kaligis
/ Categories: International

Exciting heats come rain or shine in the Flying Finn Race

There was an exciting day of qualifying heats in mixed weather conditions at the Flying Finn Race on Saturday, as drivers battled to be in contention for the FIA Karting World Championship titles in OK and OK Junior. On home ground at the PowerPark circuit at Alahärma near Kauhava, in the event organised by AKK, Finnish drivers came to the fore in the OK category. Juho Valtanen won three of his four heats on Saturday and Nikolas Pirttilahti won two, while Rasmus Joutsimies is also among the leading contenders, consistently inside the top four in his heats.

In OK Junior, the going was tougher for some of the local contenders despite some strong performances. The Dutch duo of Thomas ten Brinke and Laurens van Hoepen starred together with the Brazilian driver Rafael Chaves Camara.

 

OK: Valtanen leads the way

After Friday’s qualifying practice there were two Finnish drivers among the top four, with Juho Valtanen second to Gabriele Mini and Nikolas Pirttilahti in fourth behind Joshua Dufek. Valtanen (Kohtala Sports) promptly won his first heat (in which Pirttilahti had to retire) before taking fifth in his second. In the afternoon, after the heavens opened, the two Finns came into their element, dominating proceedings and taking a pair of wins each.

Valtanen is currently top of the standings with just one more heat to run on Sunday. While Pirttilahti (CV Performance Group) is making up places after his difficult start and is 22nd, Rasmus Joutsimies (Energy Corse) joins Valtanen inside the top six after a second, two third-places and a fourth during the day.

Dufek (Sauber Karting Team) is Valtanen’s closest challenger after a win in his third heat, with reigning World and European champion Lorenzo Travisanutto also in a strong position despite being yet to win. Dilano Vant'hoff (Forza Racing) won a heat and was always in the top four, with the Russian driver Kirill Smal constantly in the top five. Mini (Parolin) suffered an early setback before beating Taylor Barnard to win a particularly exciting heat, contested on slick tyres on a wet track.

- The whole day has felt good, three wins and one fifth. In both wet and dry conditions, we have been able to win heats, so I’m very happy. I was actually surprised about my speed especially in wet, I was very good. Now I’m the leader in the heat points, and tomorrow we’ll have the last heat. Let’s try to make it as good as possible to get pole position for the final. Then it’s flat out and we’ll see where it will take me eventually; hopefully to a good result, but we’ll see about that tomorrow! Said Valtanen.

- It was quite a good day. We had some technical difficulties and I had to start the first race from the pits. After the start I overtook some drivers, but after a good moment I hit another driver. In the second heat I had a good start and I was first but dropped to the fourth place. One driver went off the track and came straight back on in front of me. The last two races were wet: the first one was an easy win, the second was a bit tighter. I have good speed in both weather conditions so it doesn’t matter which one we have. Let’s continue tomorrow from where we ended today, Pirttilahti adds. 

 

OK Junior: Three apiece for Ten Brinke and Chaves Camara

The Dutch drivers flew out of the blocks, with Thomas ten Brinke and Laurens van Hoepen notching up five consecutive heat wins between them for Ricky Flynn Motorsport. They ended the day first and second in the points, ten Brinke finally beaten in his fourth and final heat of the day by the Brazilian Rafael Chaves Camara, who matched his tally of three wins by excelling in the wet.

Second in qualifying practice, the Forza Racing driver took the first of his wins in a race that had to be suspended after two laps due to torrential rain. Andrea Kimi Antonelli also looked good in the rain, ending his day with two wins to finish in the top five along with Josep Marti, winner of his first heat in the morning. Behind them, the American Ugo Ugochukwu, Austrialian James Wharton and the Russian Nikita Bedrin, who had been fastest of all on Friday.

The Finns enjoyed a strong start to the day in OK Junior, with Samuli Mertsalmi and Tuukka Taponen placing second and third in the opening heat. Taponen was fifth and sixth in two of his other heats but had a spin in another in soaking conditions, leaving him 30th in the points at the end of the day. Mertsalmi is the highest Finn in 16th, with Veeti Rajala, Patrick Hakala, Hugo Heinonen and Henri Sääskilahti all currently joining Taponen in the top 30.

Results of OK         Results of OKJ

More photos of Flying Finn Race here 

 

Finnish FIA Karting World Championship Medalists
2017 Juho Valtanen, bronze
2009 Aaro Vainio, silver
2000 Heikki Kovalainen, bronze
1995 Kimmo Liimatainen, bronze
1993 Risto Virtanen, bronze

 

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