On October 8th, the inaugural race for the 2022/2023 Karting Championship was hosted by the IE Motorsports Club. This club was founded in October 2021, and established at the end of January 2022 by students. They are, Nia Sekania, Ainhoa Martin, and Jorge Herrero – all from the degree BBA-BDBA. “We all enjoyed Formula 1,” Sekania explained, “last year, when I arrived at IE, I realized there was no karting club or anything related to motorsports, so I wanted to create one.” Last year they hosted a total of 4 events, 3 being races. However, this year they are raising the stakes by creating a go-karting championship that will consist of multiple races throughout the year.
On Saturday, students from both campuses came together at the track Karting Diez Kartpetania, to race or simply enjoy the event. From what was observed, the majority of attendees signed up to race, showing the passion for motorsports that runs through the IE community. Spectators were greeted with the perfect ambiance for socializing with friends and meeting new people. As Nia said, “everyone is having fun here because it’s the motorsport community. It’s not only about racing, it’s about meeting each other.” The event had great music, a beer pong contest, and free red bulls provided by the sponsors.
Out of the 48 racers, many had no previous experience with racing, while some were already acquainted. A few participants had even raced at a professional level – providing a diversity of skills and proficiency. “Doing the qualifications and the practice laps at the same time was pretty tiring because I’m not used to it, it’s hard to steer,” said Rodrigo Sagastegui, a first-year BCSAI student. After qualifying, participants raced in three groups, based on their performance, each with their own podium celebration.
The winner of the best performing group was Oscar Haffar, a former F4 and F3 racer. Haffar shared his enthusiasm after the race, “I’m pumped, I’m super excited, and I can’t wait for the next races. I’m going to be there in every race they have.” When asking around, everyone expressed they would repeat the experience, and are excited for the next event.
In the words of the winner, “thanks to the motorsport club for hosting this. It’s a lot of fun, and I hope we’ll get back on this racing track. It really seems to be the most fun one of the season.”
