The CIK-FIA has released more detail around the OK-N category announced last month. The organisation is wanting the various ASNs to run the class at a National level to qualify drivers to head to an OK-N World Cup.
Engine manufacturers Vortex, IAME, TM and Modena are all on board with the concept. Vroom reports that all four had OK-Ns at the track testing for the first time at the weekend’s OK/OK-J European Championship round in Italy.
Technically, the engines are water cooled, 125cc with reed valve induction. They make around 35 horsepower, have a 15,000RPM rev limit and run no valve in the exhaust. Like OK and OK-J, the engines will be direct drive (making the kart more nimble than a TaG setup – no clutch, starter, battery or wiring loom) with de-compression valve to assist push-starting.
Strangely, the CIK-FIA will allow the ASN to decide what carburettor to use in their country, which can be either diaphragm or float type. You would think that whatever is going to be used at the World Cup is what would be used for the qualification series…
Karting Australia told KartSportNews last month it wants to “be at the forefront of OK-N because of the opportunities we believe that it can create for our national competitions and the pathways that it can create internationally.” Read more about that in a previous post HERE.
FIA Karting has published a presentation dossier about the category, titled Back to The Roots. Download this in PDF format by clicking HERE.
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The CIK-FIA want ASNs to run OK-N in 2023 and the first World Cup to take place in 2024 – for which there will be no entry fee for the drivers.
“Today karting needs to strengthen its base” said CIK-FIA President Akbar Ebrahim.
“High level competition is doing well, but access to racing needs to be facilitated in all countries. To do this, we had to imagine a new category that was accessible, reliable and inexpensive to run, and that would make the link with the top level.
“We have taken advantage of the new engine homologation cycle that starts in August 2022 to introduce this new category that shares many parts with OK / OK-Junior.
“National markets, including those of countries new to kart racing, are the target of this outstanding popular access category.
“Performance, reliability and accessibility are in the DNA of the OK family. The OK-N will become the foundation for its expansion around the world thanks to an affordable cost of ownership driven by an open market among all its players.”
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