News

Formula Kart Productions, Inc, exclusive owner and promoter of the Florida Winter Tour, and 13mem Avenue Organization, exclusive promoter of the GPO Karting Series, announced today a strategic alliance in international karting. The alliance is designed to generally promote international competition in the world karting categories, and specifically to provide opportunities for FWT and GPO competitors to compete in these popular and prestigious series.

Formula Kart’s Bill Wright: “This is just one more step in our plan to re-integrate world class karting in the Americas. Thierry Germanovitch and the staff at GPO are forward-thinking, and like myself place a premium on the competitor experience. It’s nice to know there is another group who understands the “Serious Fun!” concept we adopted so many years ago. That is not to imply, however, that the GPO is anything less than a world class series. The names of their supporters and competitors is a clear indication of their pedigree. I am honored that they are working with us.”

GPO’s Thierry Germanovitch: “For a long time I have appreciated the philosophy of kart racing in the United States. All drivers are important, from the driver who finishes first to the one who finishes last. There is a serious component to the organization, but the driver’s enjoyment of the event also is very important. When I arrived in January to visit the first 2009 race of the Florida Winter Tour, I understood immediately that it will be very important for our two series to work together, with the objective to promote on each side of the Atlantic our same shared spirit. I know that a lot of drivers from the GPO Karting Series will be very excited to discover the sun of Florida! Bill Wright has a terrific enthusiasm and I will be very happy to receive him and his FWT winners in France in a few months, for the first demonstration of our ambitious long term agreement.”

The detail of the current relationship are as follows:

13eme Avenue (Sarl) / GPO Karting will provide entry, access credentials, dry tires, fuel and oil (with limits) for one to-be-determined round (tentatively June 6&7 at Essay) of the 2009 GPO Karting Series, for the top 3 positions ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd ) in the points championship of the 2009 Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour, in the classes KZ2 (Pro Shifter), KF2 and KF3.

Formula Kart Productions, Inc will provide entry, access credentials, dry tires, fuel and oil (with limits) for the first round of the 2010 Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour, for the top 3 positions ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd ) in the points championship of the 2009 GPO Karting Series, in the classes KZ2, KF2 and KF3.

In addition Formula Kart and 13eme Avenue will distribute promotional materials and media releases promoting the relationship and the respective championships.

The Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour is one of the longest running and largest sprint kart racing series in the world. For the 11th straight year the 2009 FWT has set records for attendance, averaging 329 entries per race day, and awards, including direct transfer spots to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, Skip Barber (Car) Racing competitions, Ferrari Driving Experience competitions, entry spots in the Granja Viana 500 Endurance race, a $20,000 cash purse, and now, entry incentives into the 2009 GPO Karting Series at Essay, France. For more information about the FWT visit the series innovative web site at www.floridawintertour.com. Check out the ground-breaking “FWT Live” link for the most comprehensive karting coverage on the net.

The GPO Karting Series (Grand Prix Open) is the new 2009 name of the “Grand Prix FFSA,” which is one of the most popular karting series in Europe with a long history of famous drivers who have gone on to compete in F1, Le Mans and Champ Car. In order to give a new dynamism to the championship, the French Federation has decided to entrust the management, organization and promotion to Thierry Germanovitch and his company. Thierry is well known, in particular, for the organization of a memorable CIK World Championship at Le Mans and for being the mind behind the famous “Elf Masters Kart de Paris” which featured motorsport greats such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve. The new GPO Karting Series wants to provide a new generation of karting organization with partnerships and promotions including the famous racing school “Auto Sport Academy (Car)”, a €100,000 cash prize for the drivers’, the proud support of four time F1 Champion Alain Prost, and now, entry incentives into the first race of the 2010 Florida Winter Tour! For more information about the GPO Karting Series, visit the newly updated GPO web site at www.gpokarting.com .