The stars of the golden age of non-shifter karts take to the track.

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[dropcap]K[/dropcap]arting legends from the years 1990/2000 met at the South Garda Karting track on 4 November, but the real stars were the 100 cc engines, in the rotary and reed valve aspirated versions.

In 2006, the 100 cc, clutchless, non-shifter engines capable of reaching 20,000 rpm were replaced by KF engines, 125 cc displacement engines introduced in order to facilitate starting and decrease the frequency of maintenance thanks to a rev limiter.

The disappearance of the 100 cc engine, whose simplicity embodied the karting spirit, marked the KZ’s gradual transition towards becoming the premiere class in karting.

At nine o’clock in the morning, the 2000 World Formula A Champion Colin Brown and his brother James were already prowling impatiently around the kart, a faithful replica made by Neil McKernan (Beyond kart Restoration), a passionate restorer of ‘90s karts and promoter of the event with the Brown brothers and Martin DC of the ATR Team Brask.

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There was only time to warm up the engines on the trolley and set the starting carburetion before the other karting legends began to arrrive, stars of the calibre of: Davide Forè, Alessandro Manetti, Giorgio Pantano, Marino Spinozzi and other driving enthusiasts.



During the day, the cry of the 100 cc engines at the end straight on the Lonato track attracted enthusiasts and the most exciting moments were when Davide Forè and Alessandro Manetti took to the track.



Davide Forè also believes that the 100 cc engine embodies the spirit of karting:
“If I had to name a class that has remained in my heart, it would be the Formula Super A with the 100 cc rotary valve engine, guillotine carburettor, liquid cooling and special tyres, that kart was out of this world and so quick on bends that you ran the risk of flipping it over unless you let up! ”.
What is your favourite memory?
“I have fond memories of the 1998 season, in which I won the European and World Championships in what was by no means an easy season. When we reached the last race of the European Championship in Mariembourg, an incident in the Pre-Final meant I started the Final in last place on the grid, but managed to climb back up to sixth despite a sore leg and won the title ahead of Raikkonen. Getting over the injury and preparing for the World Championship was really difficult, in fact I spent the whole of July and August on crutches, and there was a lot of pressure because there were people complaining that I didn’t deserve to win the European Championship. I competed in the World Championship and won it, so they stopped talking.”.

For the occasion, Alessandro Manetti wore the CRG racing suit, a brand that accompanied his victories in non-shifter karting: “A beautiful experience, it was exciting to get behind the wheel of 100 cc karts. I haven’t driven them in over ten years, but I got back into the groove easily and felt comfortable after a handful of laps, which allowed me to push the machines to their limits”.
Do you prefer the valve or reed valve aspirated version?
“The valve version without a doubt, the sound of the carburettor under acceleration was incredible and it wasn’t easy to take to the limit, you had to open up right away and avoid pauses between braking and acceleration in order to be fast on the bends”
As well as the engines, Alessandro also emphasized the importance of the chassis of the time:
“My favourite chassis was the CRG Kalifornia, while today I had the pleasure of trying a Topkart chassis, whose tubular frame is similar to the Kalifornia. I was impressed by its behaviour and performance out on the track, it's amazing how a twenty year old chassis with today’s tyres is better than many modern approved chassis”.

During the course of the day there were also some seizures and push-start problems, both of which were typical issues with the 100 cc engine, which was fast, but delicate.