Jay Kostecki will headline the Australian entries in this weekend’s WSK Open first round at Franchiacorta in Italy with three other Australians making the trip to Italy for the event that starts with practice tonight (Wednesday) Australian time.
Kostecki – the brother of Jake and Kurt Kostecki, nephew of Brodie – made fleeting appearances in Europe last year and this weekend will line up in the Mini 10 category for Ward Racing. He finished second in last year’s Cadet 9 Australian Championships taking two round wins and a Series high nine heat race victories.
Another driver to be in his second European season will be Queenslander, Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi. Seb moved his racing to Europe last year to connect with the Tony Kart factory team, however has moved to the Sweden-based Ward Racing this season (alongside Kostecki), where he lines up in the OK-N Junior category.
Xavier Avramides will make the jump into the KZ2 gearbox competition, where he’ll have his work cut out with no less than 82 entries in the category. He races for the Tony Kart factory team along with Marijn Kremers – who moved to team green at the start of the year after cutting his teeth in Australian KZ racing before going on to win a World Championship for BirelART.
Queenslander, Brodie Norris will make his international debut in the OK-N Senior category for Monster K Factory Team driving a CRG chassis.
Norris moved to single-drive senior racing in Australia mid-way through last season after a rapid rise in junior competition and started his 2024 year in the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship in KZ2. He will drop back to X30 for the second round of the Australian Championships in Victoria April 18-21
The always spectacular Norris will be one to keep an eye on in the 41 kart OK-N field.
Other notables include the venerable five time World Champion, Davide Fore heading up a 12 kart KZ2 Masters field and Henri Kumpen, the cousin of Max Verstappen.
In all, 260 entries will take to Franchiacorta, Italy with practice starting tonight (Wednesday) Australian time.
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