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CHASSIS AND ENGINE MANUFACTURERS QUESTION CIK

Editor Note: The first part of this column is a letter written on April 8th to the President of the Swiss-based Commission Internationale du Karting (CIK) Yvon Leon demanding answers to a number of questions regarding recent decisions by the international organization. The second part is President Leon’s reply.

THE LETTER

Sir,
We feel obliged to put in evidence the uncomfortable situation that has been originated between the engine and kart manufacturers and CIK after the decisions taken by the (CIK) Executive Committee which in strong opposition with our requests and suggestions proposed in the interest of karting.

We, the engine and kart manufacturers, express out total disagreement with the following decisions imposed by CIK:

1) The imposition of the 4-stroke engine in all CIK classes with the aggravation of the two-cylinder option.
2) The future exclusion of the 2-stroke engine from the CIK classes
3) The introduction of the new 4-stroke World Formula with non-homologated engines and chassis.
4) The introduction of the new North American Championship with the 4-stroke World Formula.
5) The lack of financial support and of adequate television coverage that had been promised to the teams participating in the FSA World Championship.
6) The introduction of an International Race Calendar without the proper consideration either for dates or for track locations.
7) The non-observance of the contract signed with the manufacturers regarding the World Championship calendar.

We also take the liberty of putting some further questions:
1) Why hasn’t the promised Super Commission which was to include the manufacturers’ representatives ever been engaged?
2) Why haven’t the Technical Regulations and the terms for the year-end chassis homologation been set yet?
3) Why have technical and sporting decisions been adopted which were against the manufacturers’ opinions (introduction of the D18 flange in the ICA Junior class)?
4) Why has the FIA World Championship been eliminated, followed by the introduction of the FIA World Cup?

The whole kart world expects precise answers to these questions.
Yours Sincerely,
The engine and kart manufacturers:
Birel SpA
Bombardier-Rotax GmbH
CRG Srl
CE Bro. Srl
Comer SpA
Dream Kart Srl
Haase Srl
Hetschel GmbH
IAME SpA
ItalSistem Srl
ItalCorse Srl
Maxter SpA
MRC Snc
PRC Srl
Swiss Hutless International
Tecno
TM Racing Srl
Tony Kart Srl
Vortex Srl

CIK ANSWERS

Sir,
We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 8 April, 2002 and deeply regret that it was simultaneously communicated to the press thus depriving any future debate on this issue of the confidentiality and serenity that it would have deserved.

Firstly, we wish to remind you of the decision making process of the CIK/FIA based on the FIA Statutes and the Internal Regulations of the CIK, which calls upon the Specialized Committees created within the framework of the new CIK that are entrusted with proposing to our Executive Committee the regulations resulting from the policy defined by the latter. It is the CIK Executive Committee and its Plenary Conference which consequently have the power to take decisions.

As regards the first point concerning the introduction of 4-stroke engines, everyone has long since realized that the use of 2-stroke engines is coming up against more and more severe standards enacted by national and supranational authorities in most regions of the world. This has resulted in a shift to 4-stroke engines for all leisure activities where 2-stroke engines were previously used, as is illustrated by the disappearing of 2-stroke scooters and motorbikes from public roads, and by the orientation chosen by motorsport federations in favor of 4-stroke engines.

Indeed, for example, the World Motorcycling Championship has been open to 4-stroke engines beginning of this season. Experts also agree that the technical principle of 4-stroke engines will permit an evolution towards stricter and stricter emission standards that are out o reach of 2-stroke engines which are handicapped by their own operating principle necessitating the mixture of lubricant and fuel.

We are surprised by the wording of your letter which states that you are absolutely opposed to the introduction of 4-stroke engines, whereas on the contrary you have informed the CIK several times that you approved this policy, as attested by several sets of minutes (taking into account the above mentioned reasons) while some of you are against multi-cylinder engines; in the meantime, however you have proposed a calendar of introduction that the CIK has adopted at your request.

We also wish to draw your attention to the fact that the CIK, aware of the extent of such a measure and of its consequence for the manufacturers and artisans concerned, has altered the initial calendar and postponed by one year the introduction of 4-stroke engines in the existing categories, which will extend this calendar over a period of 10 years as from the first announcement made in the year 2000.

Contrary to what to what you are stating, this introduction will not concern all the disciplines since it has been clearly established that the CIK would introduce the 4-stroke gearbox category only after an initial experience with 4-stroke engines replacing the current 100cc 2-stroke formulae. As a further example, the technical regulations of the Panamericano category covering the South American continent will not be modified until a later date, as the ecological pressures are lesser in this region of the world.

At the national level, all our ASN’s will be absolutely free to continue with 2-stroke categories according to their specify situations. However, it is our duty to stress that, in most regions of the world, environmental standards regarding emissions and noise will not become more relaxed and that some governments have not hesitated to condemn and ban 2-stroke engines as such (e.g. Taiwan), and that, by the end of this decade, the area in which 2-stroke engines can express themselves freely is likely to be very limited indeed.

On the other hand, we would like to know why chassis manufacturers have joined this move against 4-stroke engines whereas the introduction of this technology can only reinforce the leisure aspect of our discipline, from which the most important market entirely dedicated to 4-stroke engines already results, not to mention the new markets that will open up.

The technical definition that has been accepted with one and the same engine block and 2-cylinders as a maximum for the future competition categories (from K1, equivalent to the current FSA, to K4 for Juniors) has been the subject of numerous consultations and discussions at all levels of our various bodies. We thus know that the complexity of a high technology single-cylinder engine will be perfectly comparable (as will its costs) to that of a twin-cylinder engine on which it will not be necessary to fit a balancing shaft and the vibration level of which will allow greater longevity of the chassis. Since the 4-stroke technology is very old and fully mastered, it appears that, as regards the future K1 to K4 classes, there will be a natural distribution between single and twin-cylinder engine.

The introduction of the World Formula has answered a need expressed by numerous countries in many regions of the world which, so far, had been neglected by the international authorities. This formula is therefore destined to create karting activity and to develop it where it barely existed or did not exist at all. We have not chosen a conventional homologation system because it would have meant that the situation would be at a standstill for 3 years which is incompatible with the aims set out above.

On the other hand, all engine and chassis manufacturers may participate on the simple condition that they respect the regulations and, as regards engine manufacturers, that they sign with the CIK a contract stipulating that they undertake to respect technical standards and the stipulated capped price, and to supply a technical form which constitutes a form of homologation. Since it was launched, we have recorded its adoption by several countries and geographic zones, creating new markets that will in turn generate further high competition markets for the future.

For example, the ASN of Kenya has just ordered 10 chassis for this formula whereas before there was no karting activity in this country. As regards North America, we wish to remind you that the CIK/FMK Championship ended 3 years ago due to a lack of interest and of entrants, and that only a 4-stroke formula meeting the requirements of the local karting culture can revive it. The choice is therefore either to adopt that solution or do nothing.

Since it took office, the new CIK immediately undertook to develop the promotion of karting, the media coverage of which was practically back to square one. Thanks to a major grant from the FIA in 2001 which was renewed for 2002, we have been able to make new contacts and to adopt a communication strategy that will enable us, in collaboration with the World Championship organizers, to develop television coverage specifically targeting channels for the general public, an essential condition for our development. The details of this plan were communicated to you a few days ago and we regret that you did not study it before sending your letter.

We are still working on the possibility of organizing one or several of our events within the framework of Formula One Grand Prix as curtain raisers (support events). We are taking this opportunity to remind you that the new World Formula Super A Championship is run over 5 events at the request of the manufacturers and that our communication advisers have enjoined us not to have two World Championships with formulae that are technically very close to each other (FSA/FA) which would tarnish their image. In this context, the cancellation of the Japanese event, due to the economic situation which has rapidly deteriorated in this country, was bad news for all of us. After a World Cup had been organized flawlessly for 10 years in that country, and further to the efforts made in order to obtain particularly favorable conditions of participation for competitors, the CIK cannot be accused of having made a rash choice. The replacement event, organized at very short notice in Kerpen, received popular support and the participation of Michael Schumacher in this event permitted unprecedented media coverage.

Our different formulae are therefore logically distributed today, i.e. World Championship for Super A and Continental (European) Championship for Formula A, but as this formula is not confined to Europe, we quite naturally decided to create a super world event to be held at the end of the season in the guise of a world cup. We know that this event is arousing great interest, which its image is nevertheless not confused with our World Championship.

As regards to the calendar, we remind you that it is dependent on ASN applications and that, further, it is the duty of the CIK to study sporting situations as a whole, not just the interest of such or such party involved. The manufacturers involved in the Formula C Championship showed themselves to be worried (and understandably so) about the loss of interest generated by this formula in Europe. This is why we chose to add the 2001 calendar an event held in the Czech Republic which corresponds to a geographical area traditionally oriented towards this category. This choice nevertheless provoked some criticism at the time considering how far away the circuit was.

We think that the fact that the CIK was reproached for having introduced a technical and sporting choice opposed to the manufacturers’ opinion (restrictor for Juniors) is more worrying. The duty of the FIA and of the CIK is indeed to define the best possible safety standards in order to guarantee to all those who practice our sport, including the public, that the best available standards have been respected. It rapidly appeared that the power of Junior engines no longer guaranteed the safety of Juniors, taking into account the relation between the performance allowed and the circuits. Consequently, for safety reasons and in accordance with the International Sporting Code (Article 199), the CIK has decided to have a monitored power of 15-HP.

Furthermore, we wish to draw your attention to the special effort made by the CIK and the FIA in the field of safety. WE have created a specialized committee in order to offset the particularly blatant lack of regulations regarding temporary and indoor circuits, we are working jointly with the FIA Safety Commission chaired by Professor Watkins who is acknowledged as an authority in the field of safety, and we have obtained financial support of the FIA Foundation for the financing of safety research programs covering all aspect of our discipline, such as circuits, karts and drivers, etc.

As for the allusion to a Manufacturers’ Super Commission, it comes as a total surprise to us as it was never contemplated to create such a commission because the Manufacturers’ Commission and its different satellite working groups perform their functions perfectly. On the other hand, we have created an informal working group entrusted with studying any delicate question by means of direct dialog. This group has met on three occasions (Malpensa, Milan and Kerpen) and, last week, you requested the fourth meeting (which we accepted), in order to discuss the issues that you have preferred to communicate to the press.

Yours Sincerely,

Yvon Leon
President of the CIK/FIA

END

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