OTK Kart Group
Kart manufacturer from Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OTK Kart Group S.r.l., also known as Original Tony Kart (OTK), is a go-kart manufacturer based in Prevalle, Lombardy, Italy. Founded in 1958, OTK has won 35 CIK-FIA World Championships between 1986 and 2023 with its Tony Kart, Vortex, FA Kart, Kosmic, and Exprit brands.
- Roberto Robazzi (Chairman)
- Tony Kart Racing Team
- Giacomo Aliprandi
- Marco Ardigò
- Francesco Celenta
- Simo Puhakka
- Alessandro Sferrella
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| Founded | 1958, as Tony Kart S.n.c. |
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| Founder(s) | Antonio Bosio |
| Base | Prevalle, Lombardy, Italy |
| Team principal(s) |
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| Drivers' Championships | |
| Website | tonykart |
With 35 titles, OTK is the second-most successful chassis manufacturer in the history of the World Championship, behind CRG. Across its 68-year existence, OTK has also won 14 CIK-FIA World Cups, three CIK-FIA International Super Cups, and 44 CIK-FIA European Championships. Notable World Champions on OTK machinery include multiple-time winners Davide Forè and Marco Ardigò, as well as Formula One drivers Jarno Trulli, Lando Norris, and Logan Sargeant.
History
Tony Kart S.n.c. was founded in 1958 by Antonio "Tony" Bosio (23 February 1923 – 12 June 2015) in Prevalle, Lombardy, Italy.[1][2][3] Bosio's craftsmanship was admired by drivers, who frequently visited his workshop.[4] In 1965, Bosio built a special Tony Kart based on other land speed record designs with a 100 cc Parilla engine; at Monza, driver Livio Bolis set a record speed for a go-kart of 214.286 km/h (133.151 mph).[5][6] Bosio also collaborated with the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) on the construction of bobsleighs.[7] His work was credited with several innovations in kart design, such as the "floating" brake caliper.[4]
Tony Kart chassis were originally painted Savoy blue before switching to Tony Kart Green in 1983, following the purchase of the company by Roberto Robazzi and Carlo Cancarini.[1] Powered by a Pavesi engine, Fabrizio Giovanardi took Tony Kart's first CIK-FIA World Championship three years later, winning the Formula C (FC) gearbox class.[8] Under control of the Robazzi family, Tony Kart continued to dominate throughout the "Golden Era" of the 1980s and 1990s, establishing itself as the second-most successful chassis brand in World Championship history behind CRG.[8] Several Formula One prodigies featured in Tony Kart machinery throughout this period, including Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Sebastian Vettel, and Lucas di Grassi.[9][10]
OTK expanded beyond the Tony Kart brand in the mid-1990s. In 1995, it founded Vortex Engines, evolving Tony Kart into a factory team.[11][12] The following year, it established the Kosmic Kart brand and, throughout the 2000s, established Redspeed Kart and Exprit Kart, as well as the Trulli—the first collaborative chassis with a Formula One driver.[13][14][15][1][16] From 2009 to 2020, OTK partnered with two-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso on the FA Kart chassis.[17][18] It later established the LN Kart brand with Lando Norris in 2021 and CS55 Racing with Carlos Sainz Jr. in 2024.[16][19][20] In 2020, OTK acquired Gillard—the only British brand to win a non-superkart World Championship—and established EOS Racing Kart.[21][22][23] OTK has operated factory-backed teams with the Tony Kart, Kosmic, and Exprit brands.[24][13][15]
A 70% stake in OTK was acquired by QCapital and BIC Capital in 2022, supported by Crédit Agricole Italia, with the Robazzi family retaining 30% and strategic control.[25][26][27] By 2023, OTK generated over 90% of its sales outside of Italy, with subsidiaries located in the United States, Japan, and Singapore, utilising over 130 distributors in 70 countries with €45 million in revenue.[25] In 2023, OTK acquired Vega Tyres, which produced over one million tyres per year, representing 40% of the competitive tyre market.[25][28] Two years later, it merged with TM Kart, an engine manufacturer with 19 World Championships, 15 of which were in the gearbox categories; the Flenghi family of TM subsequently joined the ownership group of OTK.[27][22] It further strengthened partnerships with OMP Racing and Hitech Grand Prix throughout the mid-2020s, the latter following their collaboration with KTR in Formula Renault 2.0.[29][30][31]
Facilities
OTK operates a 17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft) factory in Prevalle, where it produces all its chassis and engines under various brands.[32] The karts are frequently tested at South Garda Karting in nearby Lonato del Garda.[33]
Chassis
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Engines
Vortex Engines
Vortex Engines is the engine division of OTK. Founded in 1995, Vortex operate the ROK line of engines, which are contested in single-manufacturer disciplines worldwide.[12]
TM Kart
In 2025, OTK merged with TM Kart, an engine manufacturer with 19 World Championships, 15 of which were in the gearbox categories.[27][22]
Tyres
During the pre-2012 open tyre era, Tony Kart were primarily partnered with Bridgestone.[8] Of its 16 World Championships during the era, 14 were won on Bridgestone tyres, with one title on Vega tyres and another on Dunlop tyres.
Vega Tyres
In 2023, OTK acquired Vega Tyres, which produces over one million tyres per year, representing 40% of the competitive tyre market.[25] Vega was founded in 1976 by Sergio Mantese in Saronno, Lombardy, Italy, and its tyres were used to win six World Championships throughout the open era.[25][8]
World Championships
OTK has won 35 CIK-FIA World Championships—23 with Tony Kart chassis, four with FA Kart chassis, five with Kosmic chassis, and three with Exprit chassis; 24 of which were with Vortex engines—since the inaugural edition in 1964:
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Notes
- Collaboration with Lando Norris.
- Collaboration with Carlos Sainz Jr.
- Collaboration with Jarno Trulli.
- Collaboration with Fernando Alonso.
See also
- Commission Internationale de Karting
- Kart racing
- List of kart manufacturers