1,160 meters of bends with gradients up to 15%. A kart with no engine hurtling downhill versus a KZ kart racing uphill on the same road. Which one wins the madcap challenge?

How do you remain indifferent when you learn that there is a downhill kart race in a small town not far from Lake Garda? Easy: you don’t!

In fact, the race is not an impromptu game played by a few lunatics who meet up on Sundays, but an official championship race regulated by the Italian Cart’s Federation...
consisting of a few lunatics who meet up on Sunday. It has its own regulations, timekeepers and various "classes" that compete: from karts that are more or less similar to the ones we are familiar with, only without engines, to two-seater vehicles, sleds with wheels, etc.

This is enough for us to understand that it’s an opportunity not to be missed and, above all, to arouse our curiosity about which is faster: a kart without an engine hurtling downhill or a 125 shifter racing uphill on the same road.

The answer is not that obvious, because there are several doubts in our minds:

"How quick are these karts downhill?"
"How will a traditional kart behave in an environment so markedly different from a race track?"

We do have one certainty, though. In fact, we have two: our "contact", named Spartaco, a former Rotax kart driver who now dedicates himself to downhill races, and our "real" driver, Alberto, who has been involved in karting for years as a mechanic and all-rounder, as well as being someone who has already driven karts on the long Ring circuit.

The karts involved in the challenge are "made in Brescia" and its surroundings.
For the downhill: an Olikart, featuring a “handmade” chassis and parts produced by MRX Kart.
For the uphill: a BRM model GPM66 KZ with TM Racing engine...
(keep reading on the "ONCE IN A LIFETIME" TKART Magazine channel)