Affordable, easy and clear: This is the new ADAC Kart Academy.

With the new junior series ADAC extends its concept for an uncomplicated start into a motorsport career for kart racing beginning in 2017. ADAC starts its new project for youth development in motorsport along with former Formula 1- and DTM-driver Ralf Schumacher. In the ADAC Kart Academy young racing talents at the age of 12 to 14 years compete against each other in identical karts. Thus, the ADAC Kart Academy provides a direct stepping stone into formula racing, as for example the ADAC Formula 4. In the debut season of the ADAC Kart Academy there are five planned events in the course of the ADAC Kart Masters, the German Kart Championship (DKM), and the Kart World Championship race in Wackersdorf.

“Due to our Academy concept we give young talents an easy and uncomplicated access to motorsport, I am glad that now, by the new ADAC Kart Academy, we have extended this idea to the kart racing”, says ADAC Sport President Herrmann Tomczyk. “The ADAC Kart Academy enables the participants of the regional ADAC Kart Series to make the leap into a higher class, thereby the talent is in paramount and not the financial aspect.”

“We are delighted that we have Ralf Schumacher as a partner for the ADAC Kart Academy, who is highly engaged for the upcoming racing talents. I am sure that the participants of the ADAC Kart Academy will benefit from his great experience”, says Thomas Voss, director of motorsport and classic.

“I remember well from my own past how important it is to have an early promotion for your future career in motorsport”, says Ralf Schumacher. “I have started my own career in the junior series of the ADAC and I am pleased to execute this exciting project together with the ADAC.”

The uniform karts are provided by the company OTK Germany and transported by them to the race tracks. Before the season start the karts will be distributed at random, the chassis will be matched individually to the drivers. The supervision on the race tracks can be done by the own team or, after arrangement, by OTK Germany. Karts from the OK-Junior class of type Exprit with engines from Vortex will go into action, moreover standardized tires will be used. The number of participants is limited to 34 drivers. Registration is possible until January 2017, as well as the registration fee and the entry fee.

RAVENOL Motorsport Director Martin Huning said: “I was just recently introduced to the concept of ADAC Kart Academy and I took the prompt decision to become involved in this. On the one hand we are already working together with kart racing teams and the promotion of youth development has always been a part of our activities. On the other hand there is already a motorsport cooperation with the ADAC and with Ralf Schuhmacher as well, so this is a deepening of.”

More images  here.