Team Spirit Triumphs At RKC 24-Hours

press release

8 May 2014


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Team spirit was the real winner in the 16th RKC 24 Hours last weekend. CER ASK Racing, which saw the chequered flag in first place at the end of 24 hours, is the result of a merger between two teams: CER Racing, winner in 2013, and ASK Performance 360°, which had finished third.

This synergy was also evident among the staff of Racing Kart de Cormeilles, who again combined professionalism and passion to give the 37 crews and 226 drivers present a festive and sporting weekend matching the reputation of the event.

pic - Julien Gontard

The reasons for success

Is the RKC 24-Hours the blue riband arrive-and-drive leisure kart event? Since 1999 the race has been run on a yearly basis and it has earned the status of a classic in its category.

It has built up its reputation step by step and to be a member of the former winners’ club is now a must. Part of its success can be explained by the fact that it takes place on one of the most beautiful kart circuits in France. The Sodi GT4s chassis powered by the 390 cc 4-stroke Honda engine were given their head on the 1200-metre long track providing their drivers thrills aplenty: the quickest were lapping at almost 70 km/h!

pic - Julien Gontard

Over the years other factors have enhanced the appeal of the event, like the neutralisation at 22h30 when the direction of the race is reversed with a fireworks display in the background, plus the respect that guarantees sportsmanlike behaviour both on the track and in the pits. The overall quality of the welcome should not be forgotten either starting with the caterer to the renowned overall cleanliness of a circuit on which considerable work was carried out during the winter.

pic - Julien Gontard

CER ASK Racing – an indisputable victory

Bastien Borget was a good driver in Formula Renault 2.0, and in 2009 he finished 2nd in the International Le Mans 24 Hours for Karts. This season he is racing in the FFSA French Karting Endurance Championship with Franck Lavergne and Jérôme Copinot, two ‘arrive-and-drive’ addicts. Eddy Beaujard has never signed a driver’s licence. Between two leisure kart events, Yohann Vaugarni is taking part in the RKC Gentlemen’s Trophy with a kart powered by a Rotax Max engine, and the youngest member of the squad was Kevin Caprasse. The Belgian, who had done a little racing in cars (Clio Cup and BRCC), had already made his mark in Cormeilles where he won the SWS Grand Final last year.

Like many of the crews entered for the RKC 24 Hours these six drivers represented mix of profiles, experience, ages and size. Things gelled between them and that’s how they scored a well-deserved victory. “It’s the toughest arrive-and-drive endurance race in the world of leisure karts, and that’s why I like coming here every year,” said Franck Lavergne. “I also enjoy the friendly ambience. However, I’ll go to Dubai to see how it stacks up.” Franck and his victorious team-mates won an entry for the Dubai 24 Hours event on 28-29 November.

pic - Julien Gontard

In practice CER ASK Racing was beaten by Vaucouleurs and then in the opening laps of the race by JPS Racing
whose no.1 driver Harald Créton took the start. Several other squads like the Racing Falcons, winner of the Bahrain 24 Hours, added spice to the spectacular battle among the leaders before the direction was changed.

During the night, however, CER ASK Racing made the break. Caprasse was in brilliant form and set a string of fastest laps helping the no. 25 kart to pull out an 8-lap lead over its pursuers. The latter, however, provided plenty of suspense. Uncertainty prevailed concerning the final top-3 placings after the Alfa Romeo 1 team decided to make the final obligatory pit stop at the last minute. After checking all the data Race Control ruled that the team had not breached the regulations.

pic - Julien Gontard

Guerrero, Bouvier, Fournet, Rodesh, Da Costa and Usureau were given back second place deadheating with the Vaucouleurs squad whose kart (no. 8) was driven by Gréau, S and J Gindre, Julien, Lenglet, François and Alexis Gerdil who banged in pole on the final lap in Q2.

Gerdil was part of the same year (2007) in the Formula Campus Championship as Jean-Eric Vergne. He paid homage to the winners: “it’s obvious that CER ASK Racing were very strong in terms of strategy and they were very quick during the night. We changed tyres and a wheel bearing, but in any case they would have beaten us.”

Vaudier, Spinelli, JC and JF Thévenin in the KST 1 team upped the pace progressively as the race unfolded to take third place beating the Swiss Pro Team by a mere 18 seconds. Ranj Team 1 fought their way back up to fifth in front of Team Handy Sport Mixte, one of the two teams with Megakart Algérie NDRI with a combination of handicapped and able-bodied drivers.

pic - Julien Gontard

When karting rub shoulders with F1

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to share the track with a Formula 1 driver. The RKC 24 Hours didn’t clash with an F1 grand prix so Jean-Eric Vergne was again at the event on the circuit on which he cut his teeth.

The local lad didn’t need to be asked twice to put on a show in the opening hours, and also to set the benchmark times at the wheel of the no. 23 Ky T’emy kart. The F1 ambience was further boosted by the presence of an outfit carrying the Red Bull colours and another those of Renault F1, one of whose drivers was Julien Degoutte, among the best French kart drivers of the 90s, and Remi Taffin, the Renault F1 track manager.

pic - Julien Gontard

The 17th RKC event will take place in 2015, but in the meantime do not miss the Fun and Race 24 Hours on 13-14 September 2014.

pic - Julien Gontard

16th RKC 24 Hours final results:

1. n°25 CER ASK RACING 1317 laps, average speed 65,81 best lap 1:02.252
2. n°5 TEAM ALFA ROMEO 1 1309 laps, average speed 65,42 best lap 1:03.172
2. n°8 VAUCOULEURS 1309 laps, average speed 65,39 best lap 1:02.553
3. n°31 TEAM KST 1 1306 laps, average speed 65,23 best lap 1:03.020
4. n°17 TEAM SWISS PRO 1306 laps, average speed 65,22 best lap 1:02.753
5. n°20 RANJ TEAM 1 1305 laps, average speed 65,19 best lap 1:03.118

pic - Julien Gontard

6. n°27 TEAM HANDY SPORT MIXTE 1304 laps, average speed 65,12 best lap 1:03.019
7. n°28 JPS RACING 1302 laps, average speed 65,02 best lap 1:02.913
8. n°26 VKI RACING 1299 laps, average speed 64,88 best lap 1:03.491
9. n°11 COMO RACING TEAM 1298 laps, average speed 64,84 best lap 1:03.151
10. n°9 RANJOS 1296 laps, average speed 64,73 best lap 1:03.547
11. n°34 AXIAL 1296 laps, average speed 64,73 best lap 1:02.934
12. n°35 ASCAP - 2AX SPIRIT 1295 laps, average speed 64,69 best lap 1:03.350
13. n°12 ESCOBARRACING TEAM 1295 laps, average speed 64,69 best lap 1:03.248
14. n°18 TEAM ALFA ROMEO 2 1294 laps, average speed 64,65 best lap 1:03.489
15. n°30 VIRTUAL DRIVER.ORG 1293 laps, average speed 64,60 best lap 1:03.564
16. n°32 KART FOR FUN 1291 laps, average speed 64,49 best lap 1:02.981
17. n°24 RACING FALCONS 1289 laps, average speed 64,38 best lap 1:02.854
18. n°14 RM PERFORMANCE 1287 laps, average speed 64,29 best lap 1:03.632
19. n°33 EXCUZ.FR 1286 laps, average speed 64,22 best lap 1:03.274
20. n°6 HSM DIABOLO 1286 laps, average speed 64,21 best lap 1:03.421
21. n°22 PUISSANCE KART 1285 laps, average speed 64,21 best lap 1:03.466
22. n°16 KAYAK 1284 laps, average speed 64,13 best lap 1:03.744
23. n°4 CACL 1280 laps, average speed 63,92 best lap 1:03.743
24. n°36 FORZA DIJON 1274 laps, average speed 63,66 best lap 1:04.004
25. n°2 R.T.T. 1274 laps, average speed 63,63 best lap 1:04.117
26. n°10 GTM SPORT 1273 laps, average speed 63,57 best lap 1:03.691
27. n°1 MEGAKART ALGERIE NDRI 1264 laps, average speed 63,12 best lap 1:04.169
28. n°15 RENAULT F1 1259 laps, average speed 62,88 best lap 1:03.116
29. n°13 TEAM SMP 1257 laps, average speed 62,80 best lap 1:03.991
30. n°23 KY T’EMY 1255 laps, average speed 62,68 best lap 1:02.751
31. n°21 FREIN’TARD 1240 laps, average speed 61,93 best lap 1:03.795
32. n°7 LAF1ENCONTINU.COM TEAM 1236 laps, average speed 61,73 best lap 1:03.662
33. n°3 FI-ANGELS 1221 laps, average speed 60,99 best lap 1:04.285
34. n°29 SPYD RACING BNI 1206 laps, average speed 60,23 best lap 1:03.753
35. n°37 RED BULL 1159 laps, average speed 57,87 best lap 1:04.485
36. n°19 LAPEYRE 1143 laps, average speed 57,10 best lap 1:04.326

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