Karting’s Crown Jewel

The Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Bathurst 1000. What do all these have in common? Well, these are just some of the many prestigious events in the world of motorsport. Winning these events is different from the others given the nature, history, and identity of not just the track they are racing in, but the circuit itself. When it comes to the world of karting, it too has it’s iconic can’t miss events, here are some of them.

1. FIA Karting World Championship

• It comes as no surprise that the organization that is responsible for overseeing most motorsport events has found a spot on our list. This event is always held around the months of September to December and serves as the final race of the year under the CIK-FIA name. Furthermore, this event follows the conclusion of the FIA Karting European Championship that consists of 3-4 rounds. Every year, there are 2 different world championship races held in different locations. This is because one race is dedicated for the OK classes which composes both Junior & Senior categories and the other being for the KZ and Master classes that compose of Shifter Karts. The winners of this event are then invited to take part in the FIA Gala ceremony where they recognise other FIA World Champions including Formula One.

2. SKUSA Supernationals

• Known as America’s biggest karting event, the Superkarts! USA Supernationals is a yearly event held in November at a parking lot at the Rio All-Suites Casino in Las Vegas. Surrounded by the beautiful environment and scenery of Sin City, the track always presents a unique and difficult challenge as the track layout changes every year. Another reason this event is a must see is that current professional drivers always make an appearance in the races. Some examples of this would be Will Power during Supernats 24, and Michael Schumacher at Supernats 13. Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez, George Russell and Lance Stroll are some of the current Formula One drivers who have competed in this race.

3. Rotax MAX Grand Finals

• Out of all the events on this list, the Rotax MAX challenge Grand Finals is a race you can’t simply just enter and race. To qualify, you must have won a regional Rotax Max Championship or at least place in the top 3 to be able to qualify for the big race in your country. As for the race itself, the race is held in different locations every year, meaning a new difficult challenge is present every year. What makes this championship different from the others is in the equipment, due to materials such as the chassis and engine being provided by Rotax themselves, allowing for a more cost-free experience. This also narrows the gap between the competition because every single driver uses the same equipment, bringing it down to the driver more than the equipment. It’s known as the Olympics of karting as drivers are representing their country for a nations cup also.

4. IAME International Final

• The IAME International Final, also known as the IAME Warriors Final as of 2022, is like that the Rotax Grand finals, except for the fact that drivers and teams must bring their own kart. Keep in mind that for Rotax, IAME, and the ROK finals which we will discuss later, these are known as one-make championships, meaning that you are restricted to using a certain kind of part. In this case, the engines used for the IAME final would be IAME Engines, and Rotax engines for the Rotax Grand Finals. This race has predominantly been featured at the Le Mans circuit in France, but in 2023 will embark on a new challenge by hosting the event in Portimao, Portugal.

5. ROK Cup Superfinal

• Held at the Lonato circuit (Italy) every year, the ROK Superfinal also shares the same concept as the previous two crown jewel races we have mentioned, with the only difference being the fact that the racing venue does not change every year. Classes use the Vortex range of engines and they have categories ranging from Cadets all the way through to ROK Shifter. This circuit is known as the ‘unofficial’ World Championships in Cadet racing where entrants are well over 100 competitors each year.

So out of all the karting events held across the globe, these five prestigious events are held to the highest regard. It is these events that have paved the way for legends such as Lewis Hamilton, a steppingstone for present drivers like George Russell and raced by the stars of the future such as Kimi Antonelli. These events are not only entered by the best but are won by the greatest.