The entry-level discipline of Karting will feature a new category at the FIA Motorsport Games 2024 in Spain, 23-27 October, with the introduction of Karting Mini set to give young karting stars the opportunity to compete under the colours of their home nation.
The 2024 Games will also feature Karting Endurance, Karting Sprint Junior, and Karting Sprint Senior. They form a core part of the significantly expanded third edition of the event which will feature 26 categories of motorsport competition in Valencia.
Combined, the categories span all abilities and age groups, giving kart racers from across the world the chance to compete on an international stage, with the dream of bringing home a gold medal for their nation.
That dream of winning a gold medal while competing under the colours of their country’s flag came true for six lucky karting competitors at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games in France.
Team Peru’s Andreas Cardenas (aged 14 years) made history by winning his nation’s first-ever FIA Motorsport Games gold medal in Karting Sprint Junior, while Brazil and Denmark completed the podium.
In Karting Sprint Senior, Belgium’s Elie Goldstein took the honours, ahead of Sri Lanka and Israel. Team Belgium’s Maxime Dron, Jeremy Peclers, Sita Vannmeert, and Antoine Morlet also won the Karting Endurance gold medal, with Spain second and Czech Republic third.
advertisement
In 2022, Karting Endurance also welcomed the greatest number of competitors from nations competing at the FIA Motorsport Games for the first time. They included Team Bahamas, who stole the show with their indomitable sporting spirit, cheering every team across the finish line. Racing for the first time on a purpose-built track having trained on coned courses in car parks, Ramando Hudson, Christopher Bain, Jashai Burrrow, and Giselle Liriano finished an applaudable 16th overall.
FIA Karting President, Akbar Ebrahim, comments: “In 2022 Karting was one of the disciplines in the FIA Motorsport Games that saw over-subscription from competitors excited to represent their nation.
“Based on this, the 2024 edition will now include an additional class in the Mini category. With this inclusion, we expect over 116 Karting participants in Valencia, 44 Mini, 36 Junior, 36 Senior, plus 24 teams in Endurance.
“We continue to see growth in the arrival-and-drive concept, be it leisure kart or FIA-CIK approved or homologated equipment. This concept opens up the sport to a wider demographic giving opportunities to even more talented drivers. It is great to see its popularity continuing, and it is definitely here to stay.”
The Karting competitions will take place on an unique configuration of the Aspar Circuit, located just 25km away from Valencia, with track action beginning on Friday 25 October and concluding Sunday afternoon.
advertisement