The four-day Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham traditionally signals the start of the motorsport season and for the Formula Kart Stars Championship it signals both the end AND the beginning as the 2011 Champions are crowned in the official championship presentation and the 2012 season is launched amidst a flurry of star names and fantastic new prize announcements. 

Heading into its 17^th year of competition the Formula One Management backed championship, the same championship that helped give current Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Paul Di Resta their first big break in the world of motorsport, once again hosted the official Karting stage at Autosport International. As in previous years FKS enjoyed the company of a plethora of motorsport superstars during the show and highlighted the achievements of many of its current roster of drivers.

The focal point of the four day motorsport bonanza was the awards ceremony, which went off with the traditional Formula Kart Stars flurry of confetti cannons but with BBC Formula One duo David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey and new BBC Formula One commentator Ben Edwards highlighting a list of stage guests that also included Le Mans legends Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen, World Touring Car Championship runner-up Rob Huff and sportscar ace David Brabham, there was no shortage of action all the way from Thursday morning to Sunday evening, when the show finally closed.

In front of a packed audience of friends, family and casual spectators, MSA British Cadet Champion Daniel Ticktum, Formula Kart Stars Mini Max Champion Josh White, Junior Max Champion James Singleton and KF3 Champion Callum Ilott all received their unique Formula Kart Stars steering wheel trophies while Ticktum also received the official MSA British Cadet Championship trophy from the MSA’s John Symes.

The four champions had already been to the prestigious Autosport Awards Ceremony in December at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London to get their hands of the unique FKS trophies but the official presentation was the first chance they had to get their hands (or wrists) around their prize TAG Heuer watches.

In addition to the four champions, Ticktum’s Fusion Motorsport team manager Neil Doran also received one of the spectacular timepieces as did second and third place drivers in Cadet, Mini Max and Junior Max. In total TAG Heuer handed out no less than eleven watches with Jamie Caroline, Ryan Anderton, Jack Mitchell, Connor Mills, Sam Marsh and Ryan Norris also earning the right to take home a TAG watch.

All four champions will receive a full day of training at iZone Driver Performance while Singleton and White were also presented with a free Rotax engine from JAG. Singleton also earned an entry into the Rotax World Finals last November, an event in which he did the championship proud by finishing a superb third overall.

“It is fantastic to have the likes of Jake Humphrey, David Coulthard, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen on our stage but the show is all about the karters,” said FKS Championship director Carolynn Hoy. “This is their chance to shine in front of the biggest motorsport audience of the year outside of the British Grand Prix and I am very proud of all those drivers who were on stage for either an interview or just to collect their prizes.”

The Powerboat P1 Superstock Championship confirmed their 2011 prize of a test day in one of their awe inspiring Powerboats for six lucky Junior Rotax drivers while fellow Junior Max competitor Macaulay Austin was officially presented with the inaugural Dannie Pennell trophy.

Looking ahead to 2012, FKS continued to work on creating more unique opportunities for its drivers as the eagerly anticipated Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day prize was confirmed along with new scholarship prizes courtesy of Lohen Ltd, iZone Driver Performance and Hillspeed.