There is a big Birel prensence in the paddock at Suzuka. With a third of the grid in KF2 and some more in KF1, no less than 22 Birels are lined up this weekend in Japan. This demonstrates the importance of the Milanese brand in the Asian market. A subsidiary of the parent, Birel Pacific, manages this part of the world.
As Ronnie Sala told our reporter: “Japan remains a big market for us, tied with the USA. We have a longstanding partnership with Yamaha for whom we produce a specific chassis, WinForce, recognisable by it’s blue colour. Yamaha still uses the famous KT100 in a formula you will see tomorrow on the track, the FP-Jr class.
However, faced with the saturation of the Japanese market, we are currrently looking to develop ourselves in other countries in this region, like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, the Phillippines… countries where new tracks are being announced or built. The strong Euro is not an advantage to us right now and we are moving towwards more simple equipment, so it is less expensive to start karting.
But if we are present at Suzuka with the racing team to boost our image and support our customers, we also have real ambitions on the track!”
Info Kartcom / © Photo KSP