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The OK-N will allow National Championships to use a universal category, adapted to all of the participants of each National Sporting Authority for kart racing, approaching the top level, in every country that wants it.
CIK-FIA President Akbar Ebrahim explains the philosophy and objectives of the OK-N category:
"Today karting needs to strengthen its base. High level competition is doing well, but access to racing needs to be facilitated in all countries. To do this, we had to imagine a new category that was accessible, reliable
and inexpensive to run, and that would make the link with the top level. We had a benchmark with the OK and OK-J engines that have successfully revived international competition since 2016 by bringing back the essential values of simplicity and performance that have accompanied the development of karting since its origins.
Building on these fundamentals to make them more accessible to a wider public is the guiding principle of OK-N. Based on the best of OK and OK-J, it offers a simplified version designed to conquer new national markets throughout the world. A true gateway to the international top level, the OK-N does not deny its origins.
We have taken advantage of the new engine homologation cycle that starts in August 2022 to introduce this new category that shares many parts with OK / OK-Junior. National markets, including those of countries new to kart racing, are the target of this outstanding popular access category.
Performance, reliability and accessibility are in the DNA of the OK family. The OK-N will become the foundation for its expansion around the world thanks to an affordable cost of ownership driven by an open market among all its players."
The OK-N is a light and powerful +/- 35 hp kart with an exciting driving sensation. It is quite simply a true competition kart in the pure spirit of its origins. The favourable power- to-weight ratio allows the best drivers to learn and be recognised.
Directly related to the simplicity of its design inherited from the tried and tested OK, reliability is a priority in OK-N with an engine speed limited to 15 000 tr/mn and a minimum of moving parts. The exhaust valve is no longer required. The absence of a clutch, battery, starter and wiring harness limits the causes of problems on these modern engines, which were originally designed to withstand much greater stress.
An essential element that has given karting its popularity, purity is at the heart of the OK spirit, two letters standing for Original Karting. As with an OK, there is no room for anything superfluous on an OK-N, resulting in a lightness that is extremely beneficial in many respects, including reliability and safety. The only significant mechanical operation is the adjustment of the carburettor, with butterfly or membrane depending on the choice of the National Sporting Authorities, the difference being the skill of the drivers.
Accessibility is also measured in financial terms. Without an arms race, the investment to race in OK-N remains extremely affordable. A reasonable purchase cost of the engine, among the lowest on the market at this level, limited maintenance cost thanks to a proven design by the world's leading manufacturers and stability of prices due to healthy competition between several manufacturers.
The sporting regulations prepared by the FIA Karting emphasise the economic aspect of OK-N competition with events organised over a limited time and strict regulations based on one chassis, one engine and one and a half sets of tyres per event.
THE BASIS OF A REAL PYRAMID TOWARDS THE TOP LEVEL
The development of OK-N will be achieved through the organisation of a specific FIA Karting World Cup from 2024 onwards, bringing together OK-N drivers qualified in their countries under the responsibility of their National Sporting Authority.
Other evolutions are already envisaged, to widen the audience of the OK-N to a greater number of drivers.
THE ORIGINS OF KARTING
A look back at the origins of the OK - to fully understand the philosophy of the OK-N'
Simplification, weight reduction and cost reduction were already among the priorities that guided the introduction of the OK generation engines in 2016.
This major evolution was an immediate success as it rediscovered the values of the origins of karting, brought up to date with modern technology. The OK has proven itself at the highest level of world karting by keeping all its promises to revitalise international participation.
As an elite category, the OK uses the only direct-drive engine that can claim the titles of FIA Karting European Champion and World Champion, in Senior and Junior categories.
This pure engine benefits from the expertise of the biggest manufacturers to guarantee the best performance in the long term. From this proven base the OK-N has been developed. The new engine retains all the qualities of the OK with the added reliability of limiting the maximum engine speed to 15,000 rpm and the disappearance of the exhaust valve. Even more reliable, slightly less powerful, the OK-N stays true to its prestigious origins. It is the optimum weapon for national championships all over the world.
Without prejudging the possible evolutions in the near future, the basic OK-N is intended for drivers from the age of 15.
WISE TECHNICAL CHOICE
Like its predecessor the OK, the OK-N engine does not use components that are detrimental to performance, and concentrates on the essentials.
Sources of breakdowns and excess weigh; the clutch, the electric starter and its wiring or the battery have no place in the OK-N. More than 10 kg is saved. Safety and budget are as important as reliability.
The kart can be started easily by pushing, thanks to the small decompressor which reduces the effort. The help of a second person is ideal to leave the pits, but the machine can be restarted by the driver himself in case of an unexpected stop on the track.
The exhaust valve, which provides extra power on the OK, also disappears on the OK-N, which doesn't need it to outperform anything else on the market thanks to its unbeatable power-to-weight ratio in this segment.
Limited to 15,000 rpm for the OK-N instead of 16,000 rpm, the maximum speed of the OK-N reinforces its already high mechanical reliability and contributes to reducing the time needed for maintenance.
In order to simplify technical inspections as much as possible and to avoid disparities, preparation of the OK-N engine is only allowed within the limits of the homologation form and the technical regulations.
Using an existing and proven mechanical base as the OK-N does limits the development costs of a new engine.
Freedom that is left to the National Sporting Authorities to choose between one bowl carburetor and one diaphragm carburettor according to their market preference.
The tyres used in OK-N will logically be of the "Option" type. Pure racing mechanics concentrating on the essential.
OK-N TECHNICAL DATA
From 15 years of age, CIK-FIA approved chassis, rear brake only, hydraulic control.
Minimum weight : 155 kg with driver on board
Engine 125 cc two stroke with balance shaft, water cooled, max. engine speed 15000 rpm, power +/- 35 hp, monotype exhaust, reed valve. No gear change, no clutch, no starter, no battery. Decompression valve for easy starting with a pusher.
Engine weight : 10 kg
THE OK-N TECHNICAL PARTNERS (non exhaustive list)
Vortexis the engine division of the Italian group OTK Kart. Since its beginnings in 1995, Vortex has had many successes. To date, Vortex has won 17 world titles. Vortex engines are designed, developed and
A COHERENT SPORTING ENVIRONMENT TO GUARANTEE ACCESSIBILITY
The unique technical framework that governs OK-N had to be accompanied by a harmonised sporting vision between all the National Sporting Authorities, with the FIA Karting World Cup - OK-N in sight from 2024.
To this end, the FIA Karting recommends that the National Sporting Authorities put in place a simplified sporting scheme from 2023 onwards, in line with the accessibility values of the OK-N.
The duration of the events should not exceed two days. Each competitor will have only one chassis, one engine and one and a half sets of racing tyres.
The National Sporting Authorities will therefore be able to organise the qualifications for the FIA Karting World Cup - OK-N as closely as possible to the sporting regulations of this benchmark event, for which entry will be free of charge in 2024 for the selected drivers.
FIA KARTING WORLD CUP - OK-N
An FIA Karting World Cup - OK-N has been planned since the creation of the category in order to offer worldwide visibility to the national championships that adopt it.
From 2024 onwards, the OK-N World Cup will be open to drivers qualified in their country within the competitions organised by the National Sporting Authorities. The drivers selected will benefit from free entry fees. They will be able to showcase their skills in a prestigious event, the FIA Karting World Championship - OK and OK-Junior, which will host the OK-N World Cup in the presence of the greatest teams and under the gaze of influential motor sport observers. There will be no shortage of opportunities to get noticed.
To keep the idea of a gateway to the top level, the OK-N World Cup will be organised according to the same scheme recommended by the FIA Karting for national events. Competition over a limited time, one chassis, one engine and one and a half set of tyres for each driver.
*Press release from FIA Karting, you can downlad the full presentation here.
**This engine is not yet homologated
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