FKS Honda Cadet Class

Alex Albon

FKS Old Boy, and 2010 CIK-FIA World Champion Alex Albon is the class patron for Formula Kart Stars new championship for 2012 FKS Honda Cadets.

Alexander started karting at home at the age of six when his Dad marked out corners outside their home using bricks as markers. Alexander’s aim was always to beat his own time. This was his way of improving his own performance and quickly led his parents to realise that they had a talented youngester on their hands.

In 2005 Alexander raced in the Hoddesdon Club championship where he was the winner in every round of the competition. He also raced several rounds of F6 in his Honda and was the winner of the best challenger award for the year.

He also gained his first experience of overseas racing when he took part in the invitational Cadet Challenge at Langkawi in Malaysia. He managed to finish 4th despite using a different sized kart, engine and tyres to that which he was used to in the UK. As a mark for the future he still managed to set the fastest lap time!

Today Alex races with the most up-to-date karting equipment, complete with on-board computer. The computer measures engine rpm and wheel speed, braking points and brake performance, acceleration rates and throttle action, corner radiuses and steering, G forces and the kart’s reaction to corners as well as lap times and outright speed. It also provides a perfect map of the circuit and Alexander’s line through corners and enables the team to see where improvements can be made in this area. A full spares package together with various sets of tyres both wet and dry is carried to enable the team to deal with any eventuality.

Behind Alexander is a team of dedicated individuals. “I really couldn’t be where I am without them,” says Alexander. “As well as my mum and dad, and my manager Rod Vickery, I really want to thank the Mick Barrett Racing Team, my race engineer Dan Barrett, My engine tuner Gordy Finlayson and my mechanic Martin Parrott who have helped me to win the 2009 Winter Series, the FKS Championship and the Super 1 British Championship.

“I would also like to thank all my sponsors who are continuing their support once again in 2010.

“Finally a special thank you to the Intrepid race team who have had the faith in me to sign me as their number one works KF3 driver for 2010.  I am really looking forward to working with the team, helping them develop the KF3 kart and winning lots of races as well as the WSK championship”.

MSA Comer Cadet Class

Martin Plowman

Another FKS old boy Martin Plowman, who now races in Indy Cars in the United States is the class sponsor for the MSA British Cadet Championship.

Martin’s second-place finish in the 1999 MSA British Cadet Championship was recognised by renowned talent-spotter Martin Hines, who signed the youngster for this Ford Racing Young Guns team. Martin repaid that leap of faith by promptly winning the British Formula Yamaha Open title.

After tasting success, Martin dominated the 2003 French International Open Championship with 4 wins and 7 podiums in 10 events, crediting him as the first Briton and youngest winner of the series. His potential was further acknowledged in 2004 when he was elected as a member of the BRDC Rising Star programme.

Martin was selected as the sole factory driver for the newly formed Team Zanardi, and once again, he was quick to show results, winning the coveted CIK/FIA Asia Pacific Championship in only the team’s third outing.

Stepping up to single seaters for 2006, Martin joined Prema Powerteam and Toyota’s Young Driver programme to contest in the Italian Formula Renault Championship as well as in Eurocup Formula Renault. Finishing an impressive 5ht overall in Formula Renault Italia, Martin was ranked top Rookie and notched up his first podium at Hockenheim amid an encouraging string of top-six finishes.

Martin caught the eye of VW and signed for the closely-fought Formula 3 Euroseries with RC Motorsport for 2008, showing plenty of potential at elite events such as the Zolder F3 Masters. With VW’s blessing, Plowman joined Panther racing to contest the Indy Lights Series in 2009.

A move into Indy Lights was more profound than just a change of class; 2009 would see Martin relocate to the United States and emerge himself into a full year of learning new tracks, cars, drivers and of course, American culture.

The year went by with many high points. Martin’s most memorable performances came at Long Beach where he battled for Pole in only his second ever race where he eventually qualified sixth. An incident in the race forced him to make a pit-stop and finish down the order.

Martin impressed by taking a very strong top 5 in tricky conditions on his very first oval race at Kansas, backing up the result with a solid drive at the Mid=Ohio road course, where he held off strong competition to gift Panther racing their first road course top 5 for nearly 2 years.

 By the close of the season martin was invited to drive in a shoot out to compete for a ride with the championship winning team Andretti Green Racing/ASF at Mid-Ohio. On the day, he successfully outpaced the other drivers and matched the times set by the reigning Indy Lights champion set at the previous race. He was subsequently offered a chance to drive for the team in 2010.

Joining forces with Michael Andretti, Martin’s 2012 career was even more successful than his rookie year in Indy Lights. He dominated at Mid-Ohio where he won the Sunoco Pole Award, set the Indy Lights track record, and took the chequered flag for his first Indy Lights victory. His hard work and willingness to learn earned him podium finishes at Iowa Speedway and Edmonton, along with a pole position at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin finished the season in third place in the championship.

The results spoke for themselves – Martin was ready to move into the IZOD IndyCar Series. During the off-season Marting and “Team Plowey” worked tirelessly to secure a full-time ride in IndyCar. He tested ni January with Dale Coyne Racing, getting up to speed in under 10 laps and continuously leading the time charts. Team owners took notice of Martin’s abilities in an IndyCar, and by mid-season Martin had signed to run three races with Sam Schmidt Motorsports driving car #17 at Mid-Ohio, Sonoma and Baltimore.

FKS Mini Max Class

Lewis Hamilton

FKS Championship winning old boy, and the 2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton is the Class Sponsor for the Mini Max Class.

Lewis’s motorsport career started in 1993 when he was just 8 years old. By the age of 10 he had won his first British Karting Championship. A further four British Karting Championships followed in 1996 and 1997.

At the age of 13 Lewis was signed to the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Support Programme by McLaren Group Chairman and CEO Ron DEnnis. The programme provided Lewis with a long-term contract guaranteeing financial and technical support to help with his future motorsport career.

FKS Junior Max Class

Bradley Ellis

FKS old boy and GT Champion Bradley Ellis is the Class sponsor for Junior Max.

Since he started karting in 1997, Bradley has shown race-winning prowess. With a Cadet karting title clinched in his first season, he attracted the attention of multiple World Karting champion Martin Hines, who recruited him to the Zip Young Guns team.

Claiming consecutive MSA British Cadet and British Yamaha titles in 1999 and 2000, Bradley switched to Europe with Rambo Motorsport from 2002, adding the JICA Industrial Trophy to his CV.

His consistent form earned a factory drive with the Italian ITLOOX Racing team before his racecar debut in Formula Renault Italia followed at just 16, again with promising results. Bradley returned to UK racing in 2005 and the Formula Renault UK Championship as sole driver for Mark Burdett Motorsport. A move to Fortec Motorsport for the Winter Series proved his potential as he flourished within a bigger team.

The Avon Tyres British GT Championship beckoned for 2006 and Bradley rapidly established himself as a GTC championship contender, claiming his first podium in a matter of races. His maiden British GT victory soon followed, sharing the spoils in Pau with teammate Alex Mortimer. The Team RPM duo notched up a further two wins and several podium finishes to finish third overall.

The pair graduated to the championship’s GT3 category for 2007, equipped with a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. Despite podium finishes in two of the first four rounds, equalisation measures initially hampered progress.

Double victory at Bradley’s home track, Brands Hatch, however, earned him a place in the annals of motorsport history with Dodge’s first British GT victory. His first GT3 pole position followed at Silverstone, ahead of another podium double at Thruxton, but disaster at Croft left the Rockingham finale looming with an eight-point deficit.

Undaunted, the Team RPM duo fought back in style, their second double victory sealing the title with one pole, four wins, two seconds, two third places and 12 point-scoring finishes in 14 rounds.

Taking the next step on the GT ladder, Bradley joined the FIA GT3 European Championship for 2008 having secured full membership to the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC). RPM teammate Mortimer stepped in as co-driver from round two at Monza, immediately rekindling the successful partnership in style with a double-header victory.

Bradley’s assault on the European crown, however, was put in grave danger when he broke a bone in his neck following a massive accident while guest driving in the Avon Tyres British GT round at Thruxton in June.

Despite an overnight stay in hospital, Bradley purchased a new helmet and HANS device on the way home, sought specialist treatment and was cleared to race in the FIA GT3 rounds at Oschersleben the following weekend. He would later receive recognition for his sportsmanship and courage in the form of the BRDC Innes Ireland Trophy.

Again, equalisation measures, together with a large measure of poor fortune, hampered the campaign mid-season, but Bradley remained in the title battle after returning to the points at Brno, and to the podium with third at Nogaro.

Approaching the season finale in Dubai, he was one of seven drivers capable of taking the crown. A solid third in the penultimate round put the title just out of reach but it was impossible to defend second place when torrential overnight rain flooded the circuit, forcing the final round to be cancelled.

Despite that, the 21 year-old was awarded the Ford Manufacturer Cup as the highest scoring Ford driver, with two race wins, two third positions and points scored in seven out of 12 rounds.

While concentrating on developing his specialist driver coaching company, Bradley took on the testing role for Apex Motorsport in the Jaguar XKR-S in 2009, delivering an encouraging start to the development project in the opening FIA GT3 European rounds at Silverstone.

His extensive expertise meant he was called in for long-distance endurance feasibility analysis for Team RPM’s Ford GT programme. A role he expanded in 2010 to include full endurance race distance tests, component and tyre reliability analysis and strategy planning ahead of Team RPM’s 24 Hours of Spa debut.

While developing the next stage of his sportscar career with planned manufacturer backing for 2011, Bradley was called upon to take on special duties with the British Touring Car Championship, driving the medical response car throughout the 2010 season.

FKS Senior Max Class

New for the 2012 season is the introduction of the Formula Kart Stars Championship Senior Max Class. The class sponsor will be announced at the Autosport Show in January.