IPK Race Line LIGHT powered by Tillotson: the 12-hour experience in Jesolo

The partnership between IPK and Tillotson continues to show its potential and, in order to prove the qualities of their new rental kart, both companies decided to organise a durability test. The Race Line LIGHT produced by IPK and powered by the Tillotson 200 four-stroke engine hit the Italian historic Pista Azzurra track in Jesolo for a 12-hour experience.

Aiming at demonstrating the reliability of their innovative rental kart, IPK and Tillotson organised a 12-hour test for the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT, which is designed to compete in endurance races too. Despite facing the challenges of a technical track such as Jesolo’s Pista Azzurra, the test was successfully passed by the two companies’ new product, which was flawless in accomplishing the plan. The extreme lightness that distinguishes the Race Line LIGHT emerged as a major asset, manifesting its beneficial effects on a variety of aspects, including consumption. Weighing only 120 kilograms, IPK’s Tillotson-powered kart alleviates the continuous stress that the chassis undergoes throughout an endurance event, hence positively influencing tyre wear, fuel consumption and, more generally, the material’s longevity. As a matter of fact, tyres never had to be changed during the 12 hours of racing in Jesolo, while approximately two litres of fuel were consumed every hour. Furthermore, the unique lightness of the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT makes driving less tiring and therefore expands the range of people who can enjoy some laps with this rental kart as well as the actual driving time. The 12-hour experience in Jesolo provided clear evidence of this plus, as the drivers completed impressively long sessions that lasted more than 50 minutes. [continue]

Just as extreme lightness doesn’t preclude good sturdiness, the limited physical effort required by the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT doesn’t hinder pure driving pleasure. Five drivers shared the seat of this innovative rental kart in Jesolo and all of them expressed their enthusiasm for the thrilling experience. Despite having different “karting backgrounds”, all five protagonists emphasised the racing spirit of the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT. In fact, the rental product designed by IPK features components and driving sensations that derive from the racing chassis, while maintaining the highest safety and functionality standards. Moreover, all drivers easily managed to find their ideal driving position thanks to the rapid adjustments that are enabled by the adaptable seat and pedals. Adaptability is an essential characteristic in the rental market and IPK’s Tillotson-powered kart can satisfy the needs of all customers, guaranteeing comfort. Additionally, the Race Line LIGHT offers the possibility of adjusting the front geometries through the ring nuts mounted on the Cs, thus suiting all driving styles and track conditions.

Thanks to the perfect match between IPK’s know-how and Tillotson’s expertise, the new rental product of the two companies proved its excellent reliability as well as its remarkable versatility.
Racing on different track and atmospheric conditions throughout the 12-hour experience, the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT achieved consistent performances and was always easy to use. This innovative kart also revealed its ease of maintenance, especially thanks to the nine practical quick-release clips that allow the cover, which prevents drivers from touching moving parts and is composed of only three pieces, to be removed and then put back in place in just a few simple steps. Following such a fruitful test in Jesolo, IPK and Tillotson are looking forward to the next milestones with their Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT. [continue]

Daniel Sliva, IPK Executive Managing Director: “As IPK, with our Praga, Formula K, OK1 and RS brands, we have a very close collaboration with Tillotson and we built a special rental kart for our partner, using their own engine. We decided to organise an internal 12-hour event to show the reliability of our product as well as of the Tillotson engines and we chose Jesolo’s Pista Azzura for this experience because it allows us to make a good evaluation of the kart. Compared to other tracks that are designed for rental karts, this circuit is long and fast, which means that the engine reaches high RPM and is put to the test. Our Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT chassis was successful and demonstrated its qualities. Thanks to a different philosophy compared to our competitors, our rental product is averagely 40 kilograms lighter than traditional rental karts and makes driving much more enjoyable. While providing a “racing feeling” to the driver, our Race Line LIGHT is also less tiring compared to conventional rental products and consequently offers a significant advantage to the track owner, because a customer will be more motivated to buy a greater amount of sessions with the kart. Lastly, our Race Line LIGHT proved to be extremely fun both for a professional driver and an amateur driver, while maintaining the highest safety standards thanks to a special protection that shields the whole chassis and absorbs the impacts”.

Mark Ffrench, Tillotson Racing Product Engineer: “The 12-hour durability test in Jesolo was successfully passed by our Tillotson 200 four-stroke engine, which powered IPK’s Race Line LIGHT. The historic Pista Azzurra delivered the ideal environment to test the product and highlighted the characteristics of a project we’ve been working on for three years with IPK. The Race Line LIGHT is a lightweight kart and has been developed around our engine, which means that the two components perfectly match together. Thanks to a very good power-to-weight ratio, this rental product proved to be very entertaining as well as competitive around corners and also when riding kerbs, while the Tillotson engine showed its advantages. A lot of bespoke parts were designed, in collaboration with IPK, for this kart, including the clutch, the manifolds and the carburettor of an engine that has been developed for a “racing performance”. I drove 40-minute sessions in Jesolo and, despite the hot weather, the kart’s balance always made driving extremely enjoyable. Furthermore, I think that this rental product can challenge experienced drivers too, because it is similar to a racing kart. The front geometry of the Race Line LIGHT means that the kart doesn’t feel flat and heavy like conventional rental products”.

Felipe Braga, Test Driver: “I test a lot of rental karts around the world and I hugely appreciated the lightness of the Tillotson-powered Race Line LIGHT. You feel like a racing driver because the sensations are similar to those provided by a racing kart. Moreover, you need to brake before corners and the driving style is different compared to the one you have with other rental products, as it is more professional and therefore offers a more complete as well as intense driving experience. An amateur driver can certainly have a lot of fun with IPK’s Tillotson-powered kart, which is a useful solution for a person who wants to learn how to drive and get closer to the level of professional drivers. On the other hand, professional drivers can enjoy this rental kart while using a “normal” racing style”.