Koene.com News Blog
16-12-2023
Watch the Otk Kart Group factory tour of the chassis division
We open the doors of our factory in Prevalle (Italy) with an in-depth video that tells, with exclusive images and unpublished information, how our racing karts take shape
OTK Kart Group offers the chance to virtually visit its headquarter in Prevalle, in the district of Brescia (Italy), to explain how the racing karts branded Tony Kart, LN Racing Kart, Kosmic Kart, Gillard Kart, Exprit Kart, EOS Kart, Redspeed Kart as well as the line of karting-specific components, OTK Kart Parts, are manufactured.
The video tour will allow you to know and appreciate the "Designed, Engineered, Manufactured - 100% Made in OTK" philosophy, at the base of any single OTK Kart Group product’s manufacturing process. In fact, our racing karts have always been conceived, designed and manufactured within our group, allowing us to have complete control over the entire production chain. This approach grants a continuous enhancement of the quality and precision standards of our products, meeting the needs of the ever-increasing market demands of more than 90 countries worldwide.
The R&D division where any single detail of each of our products is designed, the largely automated and robotized production as well as the reliable and constant quality control process that go along with the entire manufacturing process of our racing karts are just some of the unique features of the OTK Kart Group that you can get to know now by watching the "factory tour" of the Chassis Division, available on our YouTube channel.
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17-11-2023
Tony Kart, 2024 chassis range between (winning) confirmations and news.
OTK Kart Group's flagship brand consolidates and expands its "Racing" offer, which ranges from the multi-winner Racer 401 RR- 3-time world champion already -to the Rookie, intended for MINI categories, now also available in the new EVM version.
"A winning team does not need to be changed": just for this reason Tony Kart introduces its 2024 chassis range, among plenty of confirmations and one particular novelty. The key point represented by the Racer 401 RR model able of winning - from the end of 2021, at its debut on the track, until today - three world championships in all three FIA Karting categories: OKJ, OK and KZ, remains firm.
However, there is also no shortage of novelties with the Rookie, tripling its offering: in fact, in addition to the already existing EVH and EVS versions, the CIK-FIA homologated model intended for the MINI categories sees the introduction of a new version called EVM.
For nearly two decades, the Racer has embodied Tony Kart's winning tradition. From 2004 to nowadays, this model and its evolutions have collected a total of 10 world titles in the single-gear and shifter categories, including the latest one in the OKJ class with the 2022 edition. Not only, the Racer 401 RR has consistently been one of the main protagonists of the most prestigious competitions in the last two years, going on to consistently enrich the Italian brand's legacy with several international titles.
Born in 2020, the Rookie model "split" into two versions in 2022: the EVH, which prefers the use of "hard" tires, and the EVS, designed for "soft" tires. In the last racing season, the Rookie won the WSK Super Cup by MINI (in the U10 category) and took several podiums in both the WSK series and the Italian ACI Karting Championship. Based on these concrete results, starting next year there will be an additional version of the Rookie: the EVM, a direct development of the EVS, also intended for "soft" compound tires.
Playing a key role in the development of Tony Kart-branded winning products is the Tony Kart Racing Team, able of always working close with the OTK Kart Group R&D department with the aim of testing, on the most selective race tracks, the new technical solutions that only after a hard process of development and planning are put on the market at the disposal of kart drivers all over the world.
All product signed by OTK Kart Group are manufactured according to the philosophy "Designed, Engineered, Manufactured, 100% made in OTK - Italy" following a complete control of the production chain beginning with the use of only selected materials and continuing through largely automated machining in order to ensure uncompromising quality and performance standards.
A design and manufacturing approach which also refers to the other models in Tony Kart's product range, the confirmed TDX models, which takes on board all the winning features of the Racer 401 RR from which it differs only in the diameter of the body tubes (Ø 32 mm), as well as Kid and Micro, reserved for the youngest children.
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6-2023
How do I start racing karts? The story of Tommy
Tommy had a dream since he was a kid: being a go-kart driver. Unfortunately he did not have a chance to start karting at a very young age. But ever since, he kept his dream alive and believed he would achieve it one day. All of a sudden Tommy reached out to us and did his first purchase: a Sparco Club X helmet, a Sparco Rookie suit, Sparco gloves, a Sparco balaclava and last but not least matching Sparco K-pole shoes. Shortly after his purchase he e-mailed us if these products were enough to start his dream. Koene.com gave the advice that he may also needed some products to protect his neck and ribs, like a neck brace and rib protector. And so on, Tommy followed the advice and bought a neck brace and rib protector also from Sparco. Tommy would be completely protected and was ready to go on track.
After Tommy's first purchases he thought that one suit may not be enough. So, he bought a second one from Alpinestars, in combination with some matching pair or socks. However Tommy was rocking on the track already, he purchased a Tony Kart travel bag and OMP underwear to make sure he kept his body warm and his muscles didn’t get sore while driving. He also added a beanie, and a cap from his favourite team Tony Kart. To make sure he was fully equipped he also bought a Tony Kart backpack.
Tommy his first experience with karting was in his hometown with an electric kart. He was really happy and from that moment his heart was only beating karting. The next time, when he experienced driving fuel karts he didn’t want to drive electric anymore cause that day he felt wat real karting was. Then, after a while Koene.com got a call from Tommy that he wanted some more information about having his own Tony Kart chassis. What the costs are, what engine is the best for him, what tyres he could take, what the maintenance will look like, what fuel he had to use and the products he needed to keep his chassis clean. After a good conversation Koene.com advised him to go for a Rotax Max engine and made a price for the total costs for Tommy. Later that month he bought a Tony Kart race suit, OMP KS-1R shoes, OMP KS-1R gloves, an Arai helmet with a golden Arai visor and a spare pair of Alpinestars shoes that suits his Tony Kart racing suit well. Tommy went back to the track and after racing he called us to confirm the order of his own Tony Kart chassis and Rotax Max engine. On his birthday Tommy got a call that his go-kart was ready and he was more than happy. Tommy bought a Tony Kart 401 RR chassis with a Rotax Max 125 EVO senior engine complete, and Mojo D5 tyres. The Mojo D5 tyres are the softest ones, but last for a long time, perfect for Tommy racing in his spare time and having fun in his go-kart. Thereby he bought a laptimer from MyChron: the MyChron5.
On a sunny Monday in August 2022 Koene.com went with Tommy to Genk to coach him through his first race with his own chassis. We are very happy to be part of his dream, and keep on helping him with further questions. Like Tommy said, never give up on your dreams and go for it!
Any questions about what to purchase? Feel free to contact us! All necessary equipment can be ordered at Koene.com.
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18-9-2022
Tony Kart CIK FIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SARNO RACE REPORT
A very exciting end of the season with great World Championships as well in the OK & OKJ category at the beautiful venue of Sarno in Italy The weekend didn’t start well on Friday, Joe Turney was unfortunately underweight and he had to start all the heats at the back of the grid. The remaining world champion Tuukka Taponen sid a good qualifying and had always top start positions in every heat and was ready to defend his title with all the skills and talent he had in the OK category. In the OKJ it was a great start for the Polish talent Jan Przyrowski he had some heat wins, his teammate Enzo Tarvanichkul had some great finishes in the heats and at the end of Saturday he was in de lead of the field. The Polish talent also secured the super pole for the super heat. In OK Tuukka Taponen also was at his best and also secured the super pole in super heat on Sunday, he was so again a step closer to extend his title. The Superheat didn’t start as planned for Enzo Tarvanichkul, a crash with an other driver made him retire of the super heat, lucky he could have a starting position in the top 10 so there was still a chance to become World Champion for Tony Kart. The superheat in OK was a master class of Tuukka Taponen he won with a great gap and made sure he would have his front row starting position in the final. The Finals were very exciting, very sharp, also very fair and at the end Tony Kart became world champion in the OKJ with Enzo Tarvanichkul.
All by all a great end of an exciting season for the Tony Kart Racing Team on the Vortex Engines powered Tony Kart Racer 401 RR Racing Kart