British Superkart Championship
Encyclopedia
The British Superkart Championships are a clustered Motor Racing series run in the UK
under the auspicies of the British Superkart Association under MSA
regulations. The karts race on full size British circuits such as Pembrey
, Silverstone
, Bishopscourt
(Northern Ireland
), Castle Combe
, Darley Moor, Snetterton
and Croft
, Cadwell Park
, Thruxton
, Donington Park
, Oulton Park
along with the 31st running of the MSA British Superkart Grand Prix at Cadwell Park
.
Classes
The British Superkart Championship runs two packages for five classes.
In 2009, the Formula 450 National was first run within British Superkart events, running on 250 chassis featuring 450cc single cylinder four-stroke engines, primarily the KTM engine. The Division 1, MSA 250 National and 450 classes are grouped together in one package, and the 125 Open and 125 ICC classes run as a separate package. On a number of occasions during a season, the two groups are run together in one meeting, most notably the MSA British Superkart Grand Prix and the UK Cup event, but they run separate calendars for the majority of the season.
Champions
In recent years, drivers such as Nathan Freke
(Ginetta works driver), Lewis Williamson
(Formula Renault), James Tucker and Jake Green (Formula Ford) have all raced and won championships in Superkarts. Nigel Mansell
raced on the Long Circuits before going on to win the 1992 Formula One Season
.
Press Features
Outside of motoring circles, Superkart
s are very under-publicised. In May 2007, Autocar
Magazine ran a video track test of a 250 National Superkart round Cadwell Park, with Chris Harris
describing Superkart drivers as "... completely mad", and "... the biggest collection of loonies anywhere on planet earth". Even David Coulthard
described driving a Superkart as "one of the most frightening things I have ever had to do". In 2009, Valentino Rossi
drove a Superkart round Laguna Seca, beating Superkart veterans and former Moto GP heroes Wayne Rainey
and Eddie Lawson
in an exhibition race before the Moto GP round at Laguna.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under the auspicies of the British Superkart Association under MSA
Motor Sports Association
The Motor Sports Association , is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.-Responsibilities:...
regulations. The karts race on full size British circuits such as Pembrey
Pembrey
Pembrey is a village in Carmarthenshire Wales, situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, overlooking Carmarthen Bay.-History:The name Pembrey is an Anglicisation of the Welsh, Pen-bre...
, Silverstone
Silverstone
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Banbury...
, Bishopscourt
Bishopscourt
Bishopscourt can relate to:*Bishopscourt, a southern suburb of Cape Town, South Africa*Bishopscourt, a gothic architecture building in East Melbourne, Victoria*Bishopscourt, a historic house in Sydney, Australia....
(Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
), Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
, Darley Moor, Snetterton
Snetterton
Snetterton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located some north-east of the town of Thetford and south-west of the city of Norwich....
and Croft
Croft Circuit
Croft Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near Dalton-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. The tarmac circuit is just over long and is based on the lands of an airfield, but has long since moved on from being a basic airfield circuit...
, Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park is a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England, south of Louth. It is owned and operated by Jonathan Palmer's Motorsport Vision company....
, Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
, Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, Oulton Park
Oulton Park
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
along with the 31st running of the MSA British Superkart Grand Prix at Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park is a motor racing circuit in Lincolnshire, England, south of Louth. It is owned and operated by Jonathan Palmer's Motorsport Vision company....
.
Classes
The British Superkart Championship runs two packages for five classes.
- Division 1 Superkarts is the Premier Superkart Class in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an competition, featuring twin cylinder 250cc engines, - Formula 250 National the MSA British Championship class for single cylinderSingle cylinder engineA single-cylinder engine is a basic piston engine configuration of an internal combustion engine. It is often seen on motorcycles, auto rickshaws, motor scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, go-karts, radio-controlled models and has many uses in portable tools and garden machinery...
250cc engines, - Formula 125 Open single cylinder 125cc engine. Engine tuning is allowed in this class.
- Formula 125 ICC (KZ) the CIK 125cc class all been running since 2006. The is a CIKCommission Internationale de KartingThe Commission Internationale de Karting is the primary international sanctioning body for Kart racing. It was founded in 1962, and is headquartered in Paris, France. In 2000, it joined with the FIA. Its most important event is the Karting World Championship.CIK's current president, Luigi...
Class and no tuning is allowed.
In 2009, the Formula 450 National was first run within British Superkart events, running on 250 chassis featuring 450cc single cylinder four-stroke engines, primarily the KTM engine. The Division 1, MSA 250 National and 450 classes are grouped together in one package, and the 125 Open and 125 ICC classes run as a separate package. On a number of occasions during a season, the two groups are run together in one meeting, most notably the MSA British Superkart Grand Prix and the UK Cup event, but they run separate calendars for the majority of the season.
Champions
In recent years, drivers such as Nathan Freke
Nathan Freke
Nathan Freke was the 2006 British Formula Ford Champion. Nathan has held four British Kart Racing Championship Titles and in 2005 became the only driver ever to win an FIA/CIK Superkart Race in a Division 2 Kart against Division 1 Karts, .-2006:British Formula Ford Champion...
(Ginetta works driver), Lewis Williamson
Lewis Williamson
-Karting:Born in Dundee, Williamson began karting at the age of eight, and spent a successful decade racing in the various classes around the United Kingdom. By the time Williamson moved into the junior formulae in 2008, he had claimed three Scottish karting championship titles at Cadet and MiniMax...
(Formula Renault), James Tucker and Jake Green (Formula Ford) have all raced and won championships in Superkarts. Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
raced on the Long Circuits before going on to win the 1992 Formula One Season
1992 Formula One season
The 1992 Formula One season was the 43rd FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 1, 1992, and ended on November 8 after sixteen races...
.
| 2008: Class | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | GP Winner | UK Cup Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1 | Dave Harvey | Carl Hulme | Paul Kennings | Lee Harpham | Trevor Roberts |
| MSA 250 National | Jason Dredge | Don Kennedy | James O'Reilly | Jason Dredge | Gavin Bennett |
| 250 Clubman | Sam Moss | Kevin Waring | Stuart Parker | N/A | N/A |
| 125 Open | Paul Platt | James Irvine | Dan Edwards | Paul Platt | James Irvine |
| 125 ICC | Danny Butler | Michael Groves | Bruce Crawley | Lewis Williamson | Danny Butler |
| 2009: Class | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | GP Winner | UK Cup Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1 | Carl Hulme | Trevor Roberts | Dave Harvey | Peter Elkmann Peter Elkmann Peter Elkmann is a German racing driver. He has competed in such series as the Formula Three Euroseries and the German Formula Three Championship.-External links:*... (Deu) |
Carl Hulme |
| MSA 250 National | James O'Reilly | James Tucker | Jason Dredge | James Tucker | James O'Reilly |
| 250 Clubman | Paul Platt | Toby Davis | Martin Goodliffe | N/A | N/A |
| 125 Open | Dan Edwards | Lee Morgan | Louise Colin | Dan Edwards | Lee Morgan |
| 125 ICC | Lloyd Scrivens | Adam Underhill | Kevin Gray | Jake Green | Chris Needham |
Press Features
Outside of motoring circles, Superkart
Superkart
Superkart is a form of motor racing based around a racing vehicle sized like a kart but with several characteristics more strongly associated with open-wheel racing cars....
s are very under-publicised. In May 2007, Autocar
Autocar
Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...
Magazine ran a video track test of a 250 National Superkart round Cadwell Park, with Chris Harris
Chris Harris (speedway rider)
Christopher Calvin "Chris" Harris in Truro, Cornwall, nicknamed Bomber, is a Great Britain international speedway rider for the Belle Vue Aces in the United Kingdom.- Early career :...
describing Superkart drivers as "... completely mad", and "... the biggest collection of loonies anywhere on planet earth". Even David Coulthard
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons...
described driving a Superkart as "one of the most frightening things I have ever had to do". In 2009, Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi, , is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.Following his father, Graziano Rossi,...
drove a Superkart round Laguna Seca, beating Superkart veterans and former Moto GP heroes Wayne Rainey
Wayne Rainey
Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding...
and Eddie Lawson
Eddie Lawson
Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...
in an exhibition race before the Moto GP round at Laguna.