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Birel ART: the history of kart!


Being part of Birel ART means being part of a large team present all over the world.

OUR HISTORY


2010-2020

2010-2020

 

From the union of Birel and ART Grand Prix, Birel ART is born, a new adventure aimed at becoming one of the main protagonists of the international Karting scene.
Birel ART launches two new brands in collaboration with two great F1 drivers: Ricciardo Kart in collaboration with Daniel Ricciardo (www.ricciardokart.com) and Charles Leclerc Kart (www.clkarting.com) in collaboration with Charles Leclerc.
In 2019 Marijn Kremers wins the world title in the KZ premier class.
In 2020, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, for Birel ART it was a year of incredible sporting and commercial successes that continue into 2021.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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2000-2010
 
 
 
 
 
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2000-2010

 

Robert Kubica’s star shined brightly for Birel in 2000 when he won 4th place in the World Championship, the last one awarded in a single trial.
In 2009 through the partnership between Birel and Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, the new RK Robert Kubica Kart brand, (www.kubicaracingkart.com).

90s/2000

90s/2000

 

Birel won six Formula C World Championship titles in the years from 1990 to 2000 and led the classification of the most winning teams in the 125 ever.
At the end of the nineties, Birel became involved in amateur karting, “invented” endurance races, a new perspective in kart racing, and created a new chassis, the N035, specifically designed for these competitions. Easykart is also born, a project conceived with the aim of supporting and promoting basic karting and in particular the youth sector.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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70s/80s
 
 
 
 
 
 
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70s/80s

 

At the beginning of the seventies, Birel presented a chassis which was destined to leave a very deep impression on the history of karting: the Targa.
In 1974, Birel and IAME formed an official team with future Formula 1 drivers Riccardo Patrese and Eddy Cheever.
The eighties were the stage for a lot of successes as team and as manufacturer. Mika Hakkinen, the future Formula 1 star, raced for the team managed by Finnish importer Pekka Pirkola. Birel conquered four Junior World Championship titles from 1982 to 1986.

50s/60s

50s/60s

 

Karting became popular throughout Europe at the end of the fifties.
Umberto Sala at that time was managing a car and motorcycle shop in Lissone, near Milan.
He opened a small light metalurgy workshop and started to make his first karts for fun.
Sala’s chassis were called “Birel” which was the family’s nickname.

 
 
 
 
 
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KEY PEOPLE


Ronni Sala

PRESIDENT & CEO

Born in 1972, Ronni Sala - grandson of Umberto Sala, Birel’s founder - comes from a motorsport passionate family: Guido, Umberto’s brother, was a motorbike rider and so Ronni grew up with the motorbike passion and when he was 4 years old only, Ronni received his first motorcycle. After some racing experience - including the participation in the Italian 125cc Grand Prix championship in he 90s, Ronni joined his father and grandfather in the management of Birel.

In 1994, he started to organize and manage the newborn Birel Motorsport: under his guide, Birel Motorsport won 4 consecutive titles from 1997 to 2000, including 3 world titles with Gianluca Beggio and the last in 2019 with Marijn Kremers.

Ronni achieved not only important results with the racing team but also introduced important technological and commercial innovations: in 1997, for example, Birel presented Torsion, the first Birel chassis designed only by a computer. In 2000, Ronni launched the increase the number of karting fans, but soon became very famous not only in Italy but also in America and in many European countries.

In 2014, Ronni launched a new era for Birel, by joining forces with ART Grand Prix to give birth to Birel ART. Thanks to the association with Nicolas Todt and his partners, Ronni contributed to create a new ambitious project that will be at the forefront of the karting industry, through original sporting, marketing and communication initiatives in support of the product, the brand and the Birel ART dealership network.


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Nicolas Todt

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Since he was born, Nicolas Todt grew up in the world of Motor Racing so for him. Turning his passion into his profession was a natural progression as well as a true achievement. A graduate of the commercial school of Toulouse (2000), Nicolas founded his first company, NTNZ, specialized in the communication and creation of Internet sites, in 2001. It was a successful first move into the field and he created for himself a large agenda of relations and a sphere of competence which naturally led him to aim even higher.

Opportunity was born from a meeting with Felipe Massa in 2003, who Nicolas began to manage when the Brazilian had been hired by the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team as a test driver.

Nicolas created a new company, All Road Management, specialized in Motorsport consulting that currently takes care of the career of F1 drivers like Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado, Charles Leclerc and James Calado (AF Corse Ferrari).

Two years after the creation of All Road Management, Nicolas joined Frederic Vasseur who was in charge of the ASM F3 team to create ART Grand Prix and enter the new stepping stone to F1, the GP2 championship. Success came right away as the team clinched all titles in 2005 and 2006 with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. At fall 2007 ART Grand Prix merged with ASM the F3 Team.

In 2011, ART Grand Prix entered the go-kart world as a Manufacturer giving Nicolas a global view of the motorsport ladder, from karting to F1.


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FACTORY


Management policy always oriented towards joining tradition and innovation, always putting the unconditional search for quality as its top priority along with maximum attention to the needs of the user in every segment of the market.

The production organization provides for four departments located in a surface area of over 6.000 square meters: mechanical works, carpentry, assembly and the warehouse. Production, like the racing department, can consider itself one of the greatest expressions of excellence in the entire karting sector due to the use of maximum technology machinery and the best professionals.

The technical office works in synergy with the racing department for the racing segment.

ICONICS MODELS


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Reattino

The first mass-produced Birel, which dates back to 1961

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Sogliola

The “flat” chassis, built in 1962

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Scoiattolo 1964

Engine moved to the driver’s side

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Scoiattolo 1966

An evolution of its predecessor, with a three-tube rear end

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Fox 1967

The first Birel world champion

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Drag 1968

Structure with a triangular layout

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Strike 1971

The double column steering system

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Targa 1972

The recovery weapon

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T4 Jesolo

The first long wheelbase Targa

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Cadetti

For beginners

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T7 Parma

A two-bearing rear end

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T12 B 1981

The first chassis for the 135 class

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Conte Nero 1983

A top international in the 125 class, too

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T18

A transition chassis narrower in the front

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Serie M

Torsion concentrated up front

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R 30

The “short cradle” chassis is born

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Torsion

Revolutionary architecture and refined features

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CR 832

A mobile bar to stiffen the front end

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CR 31 SP 2004

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CRX 32 SC 2005

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CRY 32 S2 2010

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RY 30 S4 2012

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CRY 30 S6 2014

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CRY-30-S8-2016

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CRY-30-S11-2020

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CRY-30-S15-2023

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