FFSA Karting Grand Prix racing is a showcase for high level kart competition, attracting keen interest both in France and from abroad. With drivers from over twenty countries competing for honours in four international categories (KF1, KF2, KF3 and KZ2), the FFSA thought the time was right to register its Karting Grand Prix races on the CIK/FIA.
To mark the move the FFSA plans to enhance the appeal and professionalism of its 2008 race calendar, in line with the expectations of drivers and teams alike. Numerous changes are planned at the sporting, race organisation and promotional levels, including more money for drivers.
A more intense race programme
With a view to making its race meetings more exciting for both drivers and spectators, the FFSA is adopting new arrangements :
Promotion
Display advertising : To each organiser the FFSA allocates a grant to be used to finance the promotion of their events with the general public: 4×3 meter panels, bus shelter panels, 40x60cm panels, printed invitations, etc…
Press : The circuits organising FFSA Karting Grand Prix events will make presentations to the local and regional press, based on information packs supplied by the FFSA press office.
A press conference will take place in the FFSA motor-home after each final.
Internet : On the FFSA’s website (www.ffsa.org) you will find a rich selection of press releases, live results (timed practice and races), photos from our partner KSP (www.ksp.fr) as well as video recordings of the FFSA Karting Grand Prix events.
Motoring press :
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Auto Hebdo : France’s leading motor sports magazine, in which karting gets exposure alongside the other branches of motor sport.
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Kart Mag, a magazine dedicated to kart racing and which is packed with reports from karting Grand Prix races
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France Auto Karting, published by the federation, provides full coverage of FFSA Karting Grand Prix events. This magazine is only available to FFSA licence holders.
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GP News provides full coverage of Karting GP news, including press releases, reports, official standings and photos. This publication targets the drivers and teams taking part in Grand Prix racing and is distributed on race days.
New ! More flexible and enjoyable meeting arrangements
The new race arrangements will include measures to build more flexibility into the timetable :
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more drivers will be allowed on the track both in open practice and in races
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simplified registration procedures
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simplified tyre management in an enclosure
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paddock open until 10pm
In addition, the FFSA will be offering more services to competitors. These will be available through its motor-home trailer, which will be open every day during race meetings from 8am to 7pm for :
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Race number plate allocation
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Results service
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Replays of previous meeting on a big plasma screen
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Hot and cold refreshments for competitors
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Press conference
Drivers, teams, officials and volunteers are cordially invited to join the FFSA Karting GP race organisers for a drink on the Friday or Saturday evening.
A team of experts at your service
The FFSA places a team of experts at the disposal of drivers, teams, organisers and race officials :
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Team Karting Compétition has been accompanying the FFSA as operator on the FFSA Karting GP circuit for the past 6 years. TKC plays a key role in organising the grand prix races, with responsibility for administrative matters (entry management, competitor information, timetable arrangements), organisation (protocol) and promotion (finding partners, etc.)
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Savoie Chrono Impact is a team of professionals which has been providing chronometry services for many years. They send out race results live on the Internet.
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Frédéric Billet, a member of the KARTCOM team, acts as the FFSA’s press officer for its kart grand prix races. He writes the press releases and prepares the press packs for FFSA Karting GP meetings.
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Interface Sports specialises in the production of motor sports images. Nothing escapes the lens of the news photographers present at FFSA Karting GP meetings.
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Jean-Pierre Blais and Jacques Sabatier provide the running commentary during FFSA Karting GP meetings.
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Delta Management is responsible for running the FFSA motor-home welcome service.
Prize money and bonus payments for drivers: €100,000 spread over the four events !
Prize money allocated after each final
KF1: €4,600 per event, making a total of €18,400 for the season of FFSA Karting Grand Prix races
KF2: €3,500 per event, making a total of €14,000 for the season of FFSA Karting Grand Prix races
KF3: €3,500 per event, making a total of €14,000 for the season of FFSA Karting Grand Prix races
KZ2: €3,500 per event, making a total of €14,000 for the season of FFSA Karting Grand Prix races
Special bonus payments
The best rookie drivers in each category will be rewarded at the end of the Championships.
At the end of each final the drivers who clock the fastest lap and who make the most spectacular climb through the field (during pre- or semi-finals and the final itself) are awarded a bonus.
Prizes for drivers
The three top-placed drivers* in each category of FFSA Karting Grand Prix racing (12 drivers in all) will be offered a test drive in a Formula Academy racing car. The winner of the test drive will be offered a grant of €30,000 towards the cost of a season’s racing in the Formul’ Academy Euro series. This sum represents half the drivers budget for the season.
The manufacturers and petrol companies partnering with FFSA Karting will also be offering prize money, as follows :
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supply of 1200 litres of CIK/FIA homologated fuel
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supply of 180 sets of tyres
(*age conditions apply)
Extract from the rules
Categories
The FFSA organises French Championships in the KF1, KF2, KF3 and KZ2 classes. The championship season calendar comprises a series of four events.
Driver admission
A maximum of 72 drivers will be admitted to each category. The FFSA reserves the right to alter this limit at any time. Priority will be given to those drivers who enter for the complete Championship series.
The licence requirements for each category are as follows:
KF3 : Grade C-Junior International Licence
KF2 : Grade B or C International Licence
KF1 : Grade A, B or C International Licence
KZ2 : Grade A, B or C International Licence
Sign up
Drivers wishing to enter the French Championships must apply to TKC (20, rue des Fosses Rouges 77590 BOIS LE ROI – FRANCE – +33 6 85 13 29 26 – contact.tkc@free.fr) using the FFSA entry form (www.ffsa.org) at least 21 days ahead of the date of the first event. A cheque for 1000 euros made out to FFSA must be sent with the entry form. Drivers wishing to enter for a single event must send their entry form to TKC at least 21 days prior to the event and enclose a cheque for €320 made out to FFSA.
Drivers may also apply online for one or more events and pay for them via a secure online payment system.
The amount includes a handling charge, track fees for the Friday, five access badges and a place in the paddock for the event in question.
Chasses and engines
In classes KF3, KF2, KF1 and KZ2, each driver shall have at his disposal :
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one CIK/FIA homologated chassis. Applications for the replacement of a chassis suffering duly witnessed race damage may be lodged with the FFSA Technical Director, whose decision in the matter shall be final and binding.
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two engines meeting the CIK/FIA’s technical specifications
Fuel
The supply and distribution of CIK/FIA homologated fuel will take place solely in the race assistance area set aside for the purpose, and will be available in exchange for pre-paid fuel coupons that may be bought on the petrol company’s website or on the spot. Drivers shall supply their own oil.
Tyres
In classes KF1, KF2, KF3 andKZ2, each driver shall have at his disposal :
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four new tyres (one front and one rear set) for the Saturday
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four new tyres (one front and one rear set) for the Sunday
In the event of a puncture, the driver shall replace the damaged tyre with a tyre that was used during practice on the Friday.
KF1 : any brand that features on the CIK/FIA list of tyre types homologated for the KF1 class
KF2 : one brand of tyre is chosen after a call for tenders from suppliers of the tyre types homologated by the CIA/FIA for KF2 class racing.
KF3 : one brand of tyre is chosen after a call for tenders from suppliers of the tyre types homologated by the CIA/FIA for KF3 class racing.
KZ2 : one brand of tyre is chosen after a call for tenders from suppliers of the tyre types homologated by the CIA/FIA for KZ2 class racing.
Event arrangements
Unofficial practice
Unofficial practice will take place on Thursday afternoon between 2pm and 6pm. Entrants must pay a track fee, the amount of which shall be fixed at the race organiser’s sole discretion.
Open practice and briefing
Open practice will take place on Friday between 8am and 7pm.
Warm-up sessions will take place on the Saturday and Sunday morning.
The race briefing will take place upon completion of Saturday’s warm-up laps.
Timed practice
Timed practice will take place over two 10-minute sessions, one on the Saturday morning and the other on the Sunday morning. Depending on the track capacity, up to a maximum of 45 drivers per group will take part.
Final stages
If the number of drivers is less than or equal to the track capacity :
Following timed practice on the Saturday morning, the drivers will take part in the following races on the Saturday afternoon :
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one pre-final race run over 20 km in dry conditions and 20 km in the wet. Upon completion of timed practice, grid positions for the final will be allocated as follows :
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one final race run over 25 km in dry conditions and 20 km in the wet. Positions on the starting grid will be allocated in the order of arrival in the pre-final race.
If the number of drivers is greater than the track capacity :
After timed practice on the Saturday morning, the drivers will participate in the following races on the Saturday afternoon :
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two semi-finals run over 15km in dry conditions and 12km in wet ones. Grid placing for each of the two semi-finals will be determined according to the outcome of timed practice :
Semi-final 1 |
Semi-final 2 |
1st in timed laps |
2nd in timed laps |
3rd fastest |
4th fastest |
5th fastest |
… |
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one final : The first X drivers (where X = half the track capacity) will qualify from each semi-final to race in the final, which will be run over 25km under dry conditions and 20km under wet conditions. Upon completion of the two semi-finals, grid positions for the final will be allocated as follows :
Final
– 1st in semi-final 1
1st in semi-final 2
– 2nd in semi-final 1
2nd in semi-final 2
– 3rd in semi-final 1
3rd in semi-final 2
– …
The number of drivers qualifying for the final will depend on the track capacity.
SUNDAY’S RACE PROGRAMME IS THE SAME AS SATURDAY’S
How points are awarded
After each final, the first 24 drivers will be awarded points as follows :
50 points for 1st |
18 points for 7th |
12 points for 13th |
6 points for 19th |
40 points for 2nd |
17 points for 8th |
11 points for 14th |
5 points for 20th |
32 points for 3rd |
16 points for 9th |
10 points for 15th |
4 points for 21st |
26 points for 4th |
15 points for 10th |
9 points for 16th |
3 points for 22th |
22 points for 5th |
14 points for 11th |
8 points for 17th |
2 points for 22th |
20 points for 6th |
13 points for 12th |
7 points for 18th |
1 point for 24th |
Two bonus points will be awarded to the driver who clocks the fastest lap in Saturday’s or Sunday’s final.
Final standings
Drivers accumulate the points they have won during each pre-final and final race. The final French Championship table is obtained by adding up each driver’s total number of points and then deducting those of one race. A no point race following disqualification is excluded.
2008 race calendar and circuits
1st round : 22-23 March in Lyon
2nd round : 12-13 April in Salbris
3rd round : 17-18 May in Essay
4th round : 31May – 1st June in Varennes