JND Racing which is spearheaded by Nick Percat is karting outfit based in Melbourne, Australia and provides mentorship as well as driver training to up and coming Karting drivers, while also running a race team which is growing each year.
JND runs the FA (Fernando Alonso, yes, that Fernando) Karts which are manufactured side by side with OTK (Original Tony Kart) which is renowned for its quality builds, just in green.
JND has announced a partnership with A14 (Another of Alonso’s outfits), and DPK Racing that gives access for Australian and European competitors to compete in the European or Oceania karting championships, while giving clearer and additional pathways for Australian kids looking to take their motorsport careers further.
Percat noted that it can be difficult to find openings in big teams internationally without the right support, and this would give competitors that opportunity.
“From the JND sie it’s very exciting. We want to give kids the opportunity to be in contact with the right people in Europe. It’s a passion of mine, that side of the business. For us, it’s not all about the karting – it’s about providing the guidance they need to get to Supercars, IndyCar, F1, whatever they want to do.”
“To be able to link up with A14, Fernando and his management team is cruicial to that. We now have friends in Europe that can help guie the parents as much as the kis about how to make that move. And on the DPK side, its a world-class karting team and back-to-back champions so there’s an opportunity for us to help send a driver over to compete at top events, even the world championships. It can be difficult to find an opening in a big team like that without the right support.”
“It’s great to have this link. And if we can put together the right programme we’d love to bring some of their star drivers over to do a couple of rounds of the Australian Karting Championship. That would be amazing.”
From the A14 Management team which is Fernando Alonso, Alberto Fernandez and Albert Resclosa, they were excited to be able to exapnd into Oceania and gain another benchmark for driver performance in Karting.
“Delighted to collaborate with such a highly regarded team in the Australian championship, as is the case with JND Racing, and one with whom we share values. Our aim is to provide an opportunity for young Australian talents to come to Europe under the support of DPK, a guarantee of quality and now an integral part of the A14 family, just as JND wil lbe from now on.”
“At A14, we are constantly seeking new talents. Having a partner who can track their development in the grassroots categories is of paramount importance to us, as it provides accurate references, not only on the track but also regarding their behaviour.”
Finally Pablo Rodriguez from DPK Racing said he was looking forward to the prospect of finding and sharing drivers between Oceania and Europe in the FA Kart brand.
“The FA Kart brand has been brilliantly represented in Australia in recent years by JND Racing, and this arrangement will allow us to find and share drivers who want to compete in Oceania and Europe.”
“It gives us great pleasure to collaborate with A14 Management to find and develop young talent while instilling in them the qualities that have guided us throughout our history: passion, dedication and teamwork.”
For our two cents, Behind the Sport is looking forward to seeing what comes of this partnership and perhaps one day seeing an Alonso v Percat battle for team boss supremacy?
