Premier Profile

Ronan McKenzie

Date of birth:	1998

Ronan McKenzie's biography

2012

RONAN MCKENZIE SECURES KF3 SEAT UNDER LAST MINUTE DEAL WITH PKP MOTORSPORT & DINO KART

13 year old kart champion Ronan McKenzie, who was forced to turn down a works assisted KF3 drive in Italy due to lack of funding earlier this year, has secured a last minute deal which will see him on the KF3 grid in the UK in a matter of days.

Dorset-based PKP Motorsport, the factory team of Danish kart manufacturer Dino, has stepped in at the eleventh hour to sign the talented Northamptonshire youngster on a factory-backed deal after McKenzie impressed Team Principals Leon Cole and Sean Girdler with an exceptional KF3 test drive.

Girdler said "To have Ronan McKenzie on board with PKP Motorsport was a big goal for us, and we are delighted that we have managed to secure him as a team driver with this last minute deal." Cole added "We are really excited for the 2012 KF3 campaign and with Ronan joining us we believe we have a strong team."

Despite competing on a limited budget since 2006 with his dad Jason as mechanic on weekends, in the Easykart series McKenzie has had several top twenty finishes in Europe and has three UK titles under his belt, including winning the 2010 Cadet UK Championship and "E" Plate Open Championship aged just eleven.

McKenzie graduated to the Easykart Junior class in 2011, finishing third in the UK Championship, with a debut win and a clutch of podiums. He went on to totally dominate the Junior "E" Plate Open Championship in February this year, winning all races unchallenged from pole, becoming the first driver to win the title in two different classes.

The Dino factory-backed drive from PKP Motorsport - who count LG Ericsson among their sponsors - together with McKenzie's own supporters, motor trade software provider Dragon2000 and blast cleaning firm PIL Gritblast, now brings a full season of KF3 racing within reach for McKenzie this year.

"This is an amazing chance for me and there will be a lot to learn in my rookie year, going from my Dad running me to being part of a factory team," said McKenzie, who is also an Associate Driver of Cranfield University's prestigious Motorsport Programme.

"It will be hard work but I"m ready for the step up to KF3 and I can't wait to get started," he added, "I'm really grateful to PKP and Dino for giving me this fantastic opportunity and very excited about the season ahead."

McKenzie will be competing in the ultra-competitive KF3 125cc class for 13-17 year olds in the MSA British Super One Championship, alongside other selected events in the UK and Europe. He will make his KF3 class debut for PKP Motorsport in the first round of the Super One Championship at PF International this weekend on 21-22 April.

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PREVIOUS SERIES

Ronan totally dominated the Easykart UK E Plate Open Championship in the Junior 100cc class, held on 19 February 2012 at Whilton Mill International circuit.

Qualified Pole
Won the Heat from Pole
Won the Pre-Final from Pole (and scored 5 extra points for Fastest Lap)
Won the Final from Pole

All races won by a margin of 2-4 seconds without challenge.

Ronan scored 265 out of a maximum of 270 points to give him the 2012 Title. He will now race the Easykart UK Junior 100cc Championship under the "e" plate instead of a number.

Ronan is the only driver to have won the "e" plate Open Championship in two different classes, sporting the "e" plates as a Cadet in 2010 and now in Junior for 2012, the first time Ronan has contested the Junior Title.

2011

Ronan McKenzie graduates to Easykart UK Junior 100cc class for the 2011 Championship, under number 65.

Ronan's "under option" contract with Birel Motorsport's Easykart Driver Program is renewed for 2011, this time racing the Junior 100cc kart.

Ronan took part in a KF3 test in October for Birel, out-performing four other drivers being tested from the UK. Birel offered him a full contract as a Works Driver in WSK and Euro/World Cup 2012, but unfortunately we were unsuccessful in securing funds to take up the offer.

Ronan took part in the Autosport International Motorsport Show at the NEC in January, demonstrating the Cadet kart in front of thousands of visitors.

Ronan also appeared on national TV in an interview with Channel 4 News about "F1 Hopefuls" over the British Grand Prix weekend in July.

Easykart UK Junior (100cc) Championship 2011 Round 1 Winner at Ellough Park, Suffolk 6th March 2011. Reigning UK Cadet 60cc Champion Ronan's first race weekend in the Junior Class after moving up from the Cadet class.

Ronan qualified in Pole Position
Ronan won the Heat race from Pole
Ronan won the Pre-Final race from Pole
Ronan won the Final race from Pole

Ronan took the 2011 Junior Championship lead after winning Round 1.

He was also named the Karting Magazine "Driver of the Day" after his stunning debut performance.

Ronan also competed in the 2011 Easykart European Junior 100cc Series. Round 1 took place in Jesolo, Italy on 20th March 2011, each round consisting of two Finals:

Ronan qualified 6th out of 23 drivers
First Heat 3rd
Second Heat 14th (DNF due to damaged tyre)
Final one 5th
Final two 13th (taken off at first corner, 10 seconds down came from back of the field of 23 drivers)

Ronan was 8th in the Series standings after this result, and went on to score further points in round two in Poland, finishing 13th Overall in the series.

Easykart UK Junior (100cc) Championship 2011 Round 2 Second at Teesside Autodrome, Middlesbrough 1st May 2011.

Ronan qualified in 3rd
Ronan 5th in the Heat race (problems with grip)
Ronan 3rd the Pre-Final race
Ronan 2nd the Final race

Ronan maintained the 2011 Junior Championship lead after his Second place in round 2.

Easykart UK Junior (100cc) Championship 2011 Round 3 Third at Clay Pigeon Raceway, Dorset 22nd May 2011.

Ronan qualified in Pole Position
Ronan 2nd in the Heat race
Ronan 2nd in the Pre-Final race
Ronan 3rd in the Final race, after being in the lead after the first corner, contact from the kart behind in the second corner left him in eighth, where he battled back to a podium position and was challenging for second but ran out of laps!

Ronan was still at the top of the leaderboard the 2011 Junior Championship after this latest podium, but in a three-way tie with two other drivers.

Ronan went on to finish Third in the UK 2011 Junior Championship, with four podiums, and was the highest placed rookie and the youngest, having entered the championship at only 12 years old.

2010

2010 - Easykart Cadet 60cc class

Signed in January 2010 by Birel Motorsport "under option" on their Easykart Driver Program for the 2010 season.

Winner of Easykart UK Championship 2010
March - September 2010

Only driver to achieve a podium at every counted round of the championship including two wins, four runner-up places and one third place (seven rounds out of eight - the dropped round was a DNF).

Named Daventry District Councils Junior Sportsman of the Year 2010.

Achieved Runner-Up in Northamptonshire Sport's Young Sportsman of the Year 2010.

Easykart World Finals 2010 - Cadet 60cc A Final - 19th
Castelletto di Branduzzo, Italy 17 October 2010.

Started the A Final 31st on the grid out of 34. Ronan was in 15th by the first corner, but got caught up in several incidents which saw him come off the track twice - but he fought his way back up to snatch 19th place on the line from fellow EDP driver, Venezuelan Jonathan Ceccotto.
A good result at this huge annual event, despite the disappointing incident in Heat 1 - 19th out of 115 taking part.

Easykart World Finals 2010 - Cadet 60cc B Final - 3rd
Castelletto di Branduzzo, Italy 15 - 17 October 2010.

15 October - Qualified 8th overall out of 115 (3rd out of 29 in group)
16 October - Heat 1 - Ronan was running in 4th place when deliberate contact from another driver took Ronan off the track, his kart becoming stuck across a kerb so Ronan had to get out and drag the kart back onto the track - which by the time he got going again left him in 21st place. The offending driver was excluded from the Heat as a result of his actions, so Ronan gained a place to give him 20th.
Heat 2 - 2nd out of 26
17 October - B Final - 3rd place trophy and qualified for A Final

Easykart European Finals 2010 - Cadet 60cc A Final - 17th
Stary Kisielin, Poland 1 August 2010.

Qualified 14th overall out of 44 drivers
Heat 1 - 5th
Heat 2 - 18th (actually finished 4th but Ronan received a 10 second penalty for contact, which was disputed - even by the driver he was supposed to have hit!)
Started grid 19th, involved in a multi-kart accident on the first lap which left him in 26th, but fought his way back through the pack to finish 17th.

2009

2009 - Easykart Cadet 60cc class

Third in Easykart UK Championship 2009
March - September 2009.

Easykart World Finals 2009 - Cadet 60cc B Final - 19th.

Winner of Easykart UK "E" Plate Open Championship
Clay Pigeon, Dorset 15 November 2009

As the winner of the "E" Plate Open Championship, Ronan raced with the coveted "E" plates instead of a number on his Cadet kart for the whole 2010 season.

This profile page was last modified 2012-02-23 21:53:21 by Dirk Kempen
Modification: Easykart UK E-Plate - Junior 100cc 2012