Driver Database News

Whilst Northamptonshire hosted the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone, local kart star Ronan McKenzie was himself racing at nearby track Whilton Mill in the Easykart UK Championship “double header” event, with Round 4 on Saturday 9th and Round 5 on Sunday 10th July.

After a tough weekend of racing McKenzie, a member of Italian Kart Manufacturing giant Birel’s International Easykart Driver Program for talented drivers, came away with yet another podium, achieving third in round 4 and a fourth in round 5, leaving him in second place in the Easykart UK Junior Championship standings with three rounds to go.

As the practice day kicked off on the Friday, the heavens opened and the track was beset by rain, just as Channel 4 arrived to film some race footage of McKenzie in his kart number 65 to go with an interview they did with him the previous day for a “F1 Hopefuls” report. This was aired on Saturday 9th July on the Channel 4 News program, and details and video of McKenzie can be found on their website.

Saturday arrived and the track was dry and sunny – McKenzie had a disappointing warm-up performance, which saw him only 12th quickest of the 27 strong grid for this the 4th Round of the Championship. Changes were quickly made before qualifying which gave McKenzie good pace, qualifying in third position for the Heat.

In the Heat race McKenzie was up into second in the first lap, but not quite having the pace to hold off the kart he had overtaken, the position was taken back during lap two. He held third for the rest of the race to finish the Heat where he started. McKenzie started the fifteen lap Pre-Final in third, and lost a place in the first lap. The three karts ahead of McKenzie had slightly more pace, so he was unable to get close enough to try an overtake, but the four pulled away from the rest of the field. McKenzie held fourth to the end of the race and would start the Final fourth on the grid.

A very good start to the twenty lap Final saw McKenzie quickly taking third place during lap three. The kart ahead of McKenzie seemed to lose pace and was holding up the field, and McKenzie was unable to stage a safe overtaking move. On lap eight with karts backed up behind him he attempted a move but went wide which let two karts through, leaving McKenzie in fifth. Undeterred, he closed in on the kart in front and re-took fourth place during lap eleven, and made a pass for third on lap seventeen, which he held until the end to secure his fourth podium in a row.

Sunday was the second race day of the weekend – Round 5, and McKenzie was looking for a good result to further his Championship bid. Warm-up showed McKenzie had good pace, and qualifying saw him one of two drivers to achieve a time under 49 seconds to end up on the front row of the grid for the Heat race in grid position two – only one hundredth of a second behind the driver achieving Pole Position. The Heat was a disappointing result for McKenzie, after a false start and another rolling lap, on the start his kart bogged down and did not have rapid acceleration, allowing three karts past before the engine picked up. McKenzie managed to overtake for fourth place on lap two, but it was retaken on lap three, and the sixth place kart was pushing hard but McKenzie drove defensively and kept fifth position until the end of the race.

The Pre-Final saw an accident happen in front of McKenzie in the first corner which he did well to avoid, but he lost a place to leave him in sixth. On lap two McKenzie took fifth back, and the kart in front did not have the same pace as McKenzie, so was holding him up until he could find a safe place to pass, which he did on lap eleven of the fifteen-lap race. He set about chasing for third as he was much quicker, but did not have enough laps left to get close enough to make a move, and finished in fourth place.

The Final began and the first four with McKenzie in fourth pulled away from the field, who could not match their pace. McKenzie began to catch the third place kart, but fell foul of back-markers in the latter part of the race which cost him valuable time, and could not attempt a move. The top four all finished in the order they began, with McKenzie in fourth at the chequered flag.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK Junior “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

It has been announced that 12 year old UK Karting Champion Ronan McKenzie has become an Associate Driver of Cranfield University’s world renowned School of Applied Sciences Motorsport Engineering and Management programme.

Ronan was invited to spend a day experiencing the Cranfield Motorsport Simulator at the beginning of June, where he tried out a Formula Renault and a Formula 1 simulation around the Silverstone track with impressive results. Ronan’s Dragon2000 sponsored kart also featured in a display of race vehicles at the Bedfordshire based University’s recent Open Day as part of National Motorsport Week on the 29th June.

As part of Ronan’s association with Cranfield University, selected Motorsport Postgraduate students will be acting as Ronan’s Race Engineer at UK Championship events for the student to gain experience in a live racing environment, and they will be assisting Ronan with data gathering, chassis and engine tuning and driver coaching.

Ronan’s next race event will be rounds four and five of the Easykart UK Junior Championship taking place over the same weekend at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, on 8th – 10th July. The event will be held at nearby Whilton Mill International Karting circuit near Daventry, Northamptonshire, and Cranfield University Postgraduate student Josh Beckett will be joining Ronan at this event to experience the Birel Easykart National kart racing series.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Junior 100cc Open Championship

Cranfield University Motorsport Programme information: www.motorsport.cranfield.ac.uk
Cranfield Associate Driver information: www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/postgraduatestudy/taughtcourses/motorsportengineeringandmanagement/associatedriver/associatedriver.html

For the latest Ronan McKenzie news please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

As part of National Motorsport Week in the UK, Cranfield University, who has a renowned Motorsport Engineering and Management postgraduate programme, will be displaying Ronan McKenzie’s Dragon2000 sponsored Junior 100cc Easykart during their Open Day event on Wednesday 29 June along with other competition cars and bikes.

National Motorsport Week in the UK this year takes place on 25 June – 3 July 2011, which is an initiative from the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) and the Motorsport Foundation. Running since 2006, its aim is to attract wider media coverage, which in turn introduces new fans, competitors, spectators, organisers, engineers, journalists, photographers and much needed marshals to the thrilling sport of Motorsport.

Events are taking place all over the country from Factory Tours of top Formula 1 teams to racing events, screenings of races and displays of race vehicles.

At the University’s Open Day, prospective students will be able to visit the Cranfield Impact Centre, Off Road Dynamics facility and also the Cranfield Motorsport Simulator, that Ronan recently experienced at the invitation of the university earlier this month. For more Information about Cranfield University please visit www.motorsport.cranfield.ac.uk

Dealer Management Software provider Dragon2000, based near Silverstone in Northamptonshire, are supporting 12 year old Ronan’s bid for the 2011 Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship. They are represented at over 40 franchises worldwide and supply DMS Systems to garages, MOT stations, car supermarkets, used car specialists and independent workshops. For more information about Dragon2000 please visit: www.dragon2000.co.uk

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

Following Easykart Junior Championship leader Ronan McKenzie’s success in karting, Cranfield University recently invited the 12 year old to try out their state-of-the-art Motorsport Simulator. Cranfield Motorsport Simulation (CMS) has experience working with a large number of motorsport teams including those from Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula Renault and Karting.

During his visit Ronan also tried the Formula 1 simulation of the Silverstone track, and the technical team were impressed with Ronan’s ability to drive the circuit’s racing line. Ronan remarked that the “feeling of grip was awesome, it felt like I was really driving in F1 around my home circuit!”

Ronan set a time only 19 seconds off Fernando Alonso’s 2010 Silverstone lap record, not bad for his first “test” in a Formula 1 car!

Ronan and Dad Jason with the state-of-the-art Motorsport Simulator

Before leaving, Ronan also had the opportunity to see the BAR Honda Formula 1 car driven by Jacques Villeneuve in 2002 – and was allowed to sit in it!

Cranfield Motorsport Simulation (CMS) comprises a dedicated and highly motivated team within Cranfield Aerospace Limited (CAe), which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cranfield University. CMS is the commercial arm with CAe responsible for providing rapid innovative solutions to some of the most challenging issues in the Motorsport Simulation industry today.

For more Information about CMS please visit www.cranfieldmotorsportsimulation.com

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

Twelve year old Karting Champion Ronan McKenzie has achieved his second Pole Position of the season and his third podium, finishing third after an eventful days racing at Round three of the Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship on 22 May.

McKenzie qualified in Pole Position by over a tenth and a half at the Clay Pigeon circuit in Dorset, but due to contact in the first corner lost a couple of places. McKenzie made up a place to finish second, and from second on the grid in the Pre-Final he kept the position for the whole race.

From second on the grid McKenzie had a brilliant start in the 20-lap Final taking the lead in the first corner, but on the next corner was hit wide by the kart behind which dropped him down to eighth place. McKenzie then set about getting back to the front, overtaking karts one by one – on the final lap he set the fastest lap of the race challenging for second place, but could not complete a safe move in the remainder of the lap and had to settle for third.

“Obviously I’m really disappointed with what happened to me at the start of the Final. I had got into the lead when the contact happened, and I was the quickest kart in the race even having to make five overtakes, so I’m sure that I could have driven away to a win. But that’s racing!” Said McKenzie after the race.

McKenzie’s father, Jason added “Even though Ronan lost out on seven places after the incident at the start, he wouldn’t give up – to be honest I think it shows what a talented driver he is that he can come back from such a setback to claim a podium. His overtaking was amazing – good, clean racing, and I think most of the spectators were glued to Ronan’s comeback performance rather than those at the front that benefitted from the incident at the start.”

This latest podium still leaves Birel Easykart Driver Program member McKenzie at the top of the UK Championship leader board, but he is now tied on points with two other drivers with five rounds to go.
Birel will be inviting McKenzie to Italy for a test drive in a KF3 (Kart Formula Three) in July, which if successful will result in a part-funded drive for their Junior Motorsport team in the World Series Kart (WSK) next year, where drivers are routinely scouted by Formula One teams to take onto their youth driver programs.

The next two rounds take place on 9th & 10th July (with a race day on both Saturday and Sunday) at the Whilton Mill International circuit in Daventry, Northamptonshire – McKenzie’s local track where he has been racing since the age of eight.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK Junior 100cc “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

12 year old UK Karting sensation Ronan McKenzie notched up another podium achieving a hard fought second place at round two of the Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship on May 1st, maintaining his championship lead after his epic round one win in March.

Reigning 2010 Cadet 60cc Champion and Birel Easykart Driver Program member McKenzie qualified in third position at the Teesside Autodrome circuit, but suffered problems with too much grip in the Heat which saw him finish fifth. Undeterred, McKenzie gained places in the Pre-Final after some changes in set-up and finished third.

From third on the grid McKenzie had a great start in the 20-lap Final and was up into second by the first corner, but the position was taken back during the first lap. The first three karts pulled away from the rest of the field and on lap seventeen the first and second place karts swapped positions – but their battle for the lead gave McKenzie a chance to get within striking distance, and on the last lap he overtook to take a well deserved second place.

McKenzie’s father, Jason, said after the Final, “Ronan had to work a little harder this race, but to achieve another podium leaving him still leading the Championship at the age of twelve against older drivers, most with a season or two under their belts, is an incredible achievement. We don’t have the backing of a team or full-time paid mechanics but can still win races because the Easykart series is designed to rely more on the talent of the driver. Ronan’s performance really does highlight his potential in KF3 with the right backing.”

Birel will be shortly inviting McKenzie to Italy for a test drive in a KF3 (Kart Formula Three), which if successful will result in a part-funded drive for their Junior Motorsport team in the World Series Kart (WSK) next year, where drivers are routinely scouted by Formula One teams to take onto their youth driver programs.

McKenzie’s second podium finish along with his sensational debut round one win maintains his Championship lead by 3 points, with six rounds to go.

McKenzie’s next event is the third round of the Easykart UK Championship, at Clay Pigeon in Dorset on 22 May where he won the 2009 ‘E’ Plate Open Championship and the 2010 Championship round racing as a Cadet.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:

Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com.

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com.

12 year old Ronan McKenzie has finished his debut in the first round of the Easykart European Junior 100cc Series in eighth place overall, at Jesolo, Italy on 20th March 2011.

McKenzie, the reigning Easykart UK Cadet 60cc Champion and the current leader of this year’s Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship, is in his second year of an option contract with Italian Kart Manufacturing giant Birel on their International Easykart Driver Program for talented drivers. Birel’s Easykart European Series comprises of two rounds – the first in Italy and the second in Poland. Each round has two finals on race day, and of the four total races across the two rounds the best three results will count to decide the Series Champion.

In his first international race only two weeks after his stunning Easykart UK 100cc Junior Championship debut, McKenzie had mixed success in the double round after qualifying in sixth position. In his first 10-lap heat McKenzie started fourth on the grid and was up into third on the first corner after overtaking Benedetti, but he reclaimed the position on the second lap. The race settled down and McKenzie remained in fourth until the chequered flag, finishing behind Italians Benedetti, Orsini and the winner, fellow Easykart Driver Program member Drudi. After the race Orsini was given a ten second penalty for jumping the start which gave McKenzie third place.

McKenzie suffered a disappointment in the second heat where contact on the first lap caused a tyre puncture, forcing him to retire from the race on lap three, but recovered in the first Final race, going from grid eighth to third within four laps of the twenty lap race, eventually finishing in fifth giving him 11 series points.

Another disappointment followed in the second Final race, where starting in fifth on the grid McKenzie was hit from behind in the first corner launching him off the track and onto the grass, where another three karts were also pushed off. McKenzie, now in last place, jumped out of his kart and dragged it back onto the track, then he got back in and set about closing the ten second gap to the back of the field. In what was undoubtedly the most spirited drive of the day, McKenzie had the race of his life catching the pack and during the 20-lap race overtaking seven karts one by one to finish in fourteenth place. After the race Benedetti was penalised 20 laps for contact with fellow Italian Lazzari which gave McKenzie another place, to finish in thirteenth place – which still earned McKenzie 3 series points.

The Easykart European Series standings after the first round sees McKenzie in eighth place. “I am happy with the kart and my driving, it is disappointing to have a DNF in the heat and being taken off in the second Final, but I think I came back well. The next round in Poland is at a track I’ve raced before, and with some good results I am still in with a shot at the title,” said McKenzie after the event.

The second round of the Easykart European Series will be at the Stary Kisielin track in Poland on 17th July and McKenzie’s next UK race will be at Teesside Autodrome in Middlesboro on 1st May.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:

Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

12 year old British driver Ronan McKenzie, who is the reigning Easykart UK Cadet 60cc Champion and Easykart UK Cadet 60cc 2009 “E” Plate Open Champion, has got off to a sensational start after moving into the Junior 100cc class winning the first round of the Easykart UK Junior Championship at Ellough Park on 6 March 2011.

Ronan’s sole race mechanic, his father Jason McKenzie, who also provided Ronan with a Championship winning Cadet kart during 2010, has clearly quickly got to grips with the Junior kart despite only acquiring it in November.

Ronan, in his second year of an option contract with Birel Motorsport on the Easykart Driver Program, qualified in Pole Position, then won the Heat and the Pre-Final races leading throughout.

This formidable father and son team took on more experienced race teams and drivers up to the age of 16, and provided the most talked about racing of the event -
The Junior Final culminated in a nail-biting finish with Ronan, who led the entire race, claiming victory crossing the line five hundredths of a second ahead of the current 15 year old Junior Champion.

Ronan’s stunning first round performance sees him leading the 2011 Easykart UK Junior Championship, the youngest winner of a Junior UK round to date. Ronan will be taking part in a KF3 test with Birel Motorsport in the coming months which if successful will result in a contract for WSK 2012.

Ronan McKenzie is competing in the following events in 2011:
Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International European Junior 100cc Championship
Easykart International Junior 100cc World Finals
Easykart UK “E” Plate Open Championship

For more information about Ronan McKenzie please visit www.ronanmckenzie.com

Press enquiries and Sponsorship enquiries please email info@ronanmckenzie.com

Fast Lady Karter, Fabienne Lanz, sponsored by Stargate and ENGEN Extreme, had a successful performance at the 2009 Bridgestone European Cup and at the Rok World Championship, held in Lonato, Italy from 16th – 25th October 2009.

At the Bridgestone Cup European Final, Fabienne showed early on in the practice sessions that she has the pace and is running up front among some of Europe’s finest karters in the Super Rok category, such as Alessandro Vantini, Paolo Baselli and Lorenzo Caponi.

Fabienne qualified a solid 3rd, “the best place to start a race from”, she said.

She had a lightning start and soon lead the 15 lap Pre-Final. She kept her cool and took a whopping win. “I just kept telling myself to stay calm and focus on pulling a gap. I was over the moon when we won. I felt so blessed.

So Fabienne lead the way in the opening stages of the Final race, but fell back to 5th position as the kart lost a bit of pace, which later was proved to be a result of a faulty tyre pressure gauge. This resulted in the tyres overheating and the kart losing pace.

She is now number 5 in the world in this series for 2009. “This is a great result for us and I am amped for the Grand Final next weekend”, she said with a smile around her face.

Fabienne competed at the Super Rok World Grand Final the weekend thereafter where twenty two countries qualified to participate this year. Each country sends pre-qualified drivers to compete amongst the very best drivers in the world. All competitors race with the same make of Vortex ROK engines, but are however allowed to use their choice of professional racing chassis.

Fabienne Lanz impressed spectators and fellow competitors alike as she lit up the track on the damp Friday practice sessions, topping the time sheets with a fastest lap time amongst 68 fellow competitors in the Super ROK 125cc category.

During Friday and Saturday, more practice and qualifying heats allowed Fabienne to fine tune her kart placing her consistently in the top three places.

An unfortunate fuel pump failure in the second qualifying heat, two laps from the end, knocked Fabienne back in the overall average rankings that dictate the final race starting position and she had to settle for starting in a disappointing twenty first place out of thirty four finalists on the grid.

On race day all the hard work and preparation throughout the week seemed to be in vain as Fabienne would now have a monumental task to pick her way through the rest of the field to gain as many places as possible in the 20 lap race.

“My main aim was to keep clear of any incidents to have the best chance of overtaking the slower drivers, commented a frustrated Fabienne.

Finally after an exhausting race, Fabienne managed to steer clear of incidents and picked her way through the field to claim 14th place with a fastest time of 44:28 seconds, which was 4th fastest lap time overall. Fabienne was still placed ahead of all other fellow South African nationals from her country.

“I’m happy that I managed to show my pace in the kart, despite the disappointing fuel pump failure. This is something one cannot prepare for, but like they say “that’s racing”. I’m grateful that I had a safe race and I’m looking forward to next year. I would like to thank all my sponsors, my team, fans, family and friends for their continued support”

It was the finale that Formula One’s ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone would definitely approve of. After eight, hard-fought rounds that had taken the drivers from Cambridgeshire to Cumbria, Wales to Belgium, this year’s Formula Kart Stars Mini Max championship had gone down to the last race of the season – at Whilton Mill, Northamptonshire last weekend (3/4 October).

Having topped the points table from the outset, many onlookers could have been forgiven for thinking that all the pressure lay on Jack Barlow. The Wavertree Motorsport driver saw it differently however. With his nearest rival, Harry Crawley, needing to win the race and set the fastest lap, Jack knew that 4th placer of higher would seal the title at his first full attempt – “I was quite relaxed. Harry was the one who had all the hard work to do,” he observed coolly.

In the last few seconds of timed qualifying, Jack grabbed pole position by just 1/100th of a second to take first blood on Sunday.

A sharp blow of a whistle cleared the grid of mechanics and well-wishers, leaving Jack to focus on his game-plan. From the start he got the jump on the pack, and quickly opened a commanding lead, but a crash brought out the safety flags and the field duly bunched up behind him. Passed at the re-start, it was now Barlow’s turn to lead the chasing pack of 25 karts.

Having shaken off the challenge from the 3rd-placed driver in the championship, he began to reel in the leader, Crawley. Once he’d caught him, an enthralling game of cat-and-mouse ensued. Although visibly faster, Jack could not risk a passing manoeuvre and a possible collision with the leader. Similarly, Crawley could not risk a crash either, and so attempted to back Jack into the clutches of the pack.

Jack explains, “Harry came right off the gas going into the Boot (corner) and I thought, ‘Oh my God, what’s he doing?’ but after a couple of laps he stopped.”

Displaying maturity allied with an incisive racing brain, Barlow responded in kind by slowing down to create a sizeable amount of daylight between the pair, and then went back on the attack.

“Matt [Napolitano, boss of Wavertree Motorsport] gave me the signal and I chased Harry down”. It was a brilliant tactic. Barlow set the fastest lap of the race and in doing so took the ten extra points available – making sure that Crawley could win the race, but not the title. As he explained afterwards, “I went for the Championship, not the glory and settled for second.”

Asked how he felt as he drove towards the chequered flag, Jack said “Just everything; excitement, elation, relief.” Referring to the prize of competing in Formula Kart Stars’ sister series in America, Jack added that he used that as an incentive to overcome a nasty bout of flu and win his first major championship title, “I just want to go to Florida! I’ve not been before. The race is in January but I’m going to try and convince my mum and dad that we should practice there for at least a month before!”

Paying tribute to the people who helped him to achieve his success throughout the year, Jack said “I’ve got to thank Matt loads and Paul Napolitano Snr for my engine rebuilds, mum and dad, my sister Jess for being my biggest fan, Ben my brother and my sponsors Philip Standen Electrical Services, Key Motor Finance, D & C Gould Property, Skinners of Rye, Azur and of course, all the staff and my friends at Rye College who have supported my racing career”.

To keep up to speed with Jack’s career, visit www.jackbarlow.co.uk.

Photo by Chris Walker/Kartpix.