New plans for Stars as Hamilton launches 2009 series
Stars of Tomorrow announced today that the series has arranged a close relationship with Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 World Championship, and will now be known as Formula Kart Stars. At the launch event, where Lewis Hamilton was the guest of honour, series owner Carolynn Hoy outlined the plans for the championship over the next three seasons.
In 2009 Ecclestone will be sending the F1 TV crew to televise events that don’t clash with F1 races, then in 2010 there will be races in the days preceding the European F1 rounds. The year after that, support races for the F1 rounds outside Europe are planned as well.
Lewis was due to attend the launch event at PF, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, for an hour, but ended up staying for 2.5hrs! Five or six teams were in attendance with several drivers each and the F1 champion spent time with each of them, as well as catching up with some of the many people he knows in the sport. Since Lewis was last involved, new innovations have been front brakes and the Intrepid brand, which he observed with interest. Lewis won the series, when it was Champions of the Future, three times – in Cadet, Junior Yamaha and JICA.
It is thought that Anthony Hamilton had a hand in the deal’s instigation, and Hoy has been meeting with Ecclestone since Monday. I hear there is potentially large amounts of financial backing involved, so let’s hope Bernie doesn’t get taken to the cleaners in the divorce!
I wasn’t able to attend the event at PF, but Kartlink had representation in the form of photographer Chris Walker, who took the photo above.
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