SKF axle units and bearings help kart team win world title

An innovative kart axle unit and cylindrical roller engine bearings from SKF have helped the international kart team, Chiesa Corse, and driver, Nyck De Vries, win the CIK-FIA KF2 World Cup 2010 at the Circuit Aragonese Zuera, Spain. The SKF Racing Unit has been supporting Chiesa Corse for many years and has provided the successful team with bespoke components and assemblies, specially designed for kart wheel applications, and novel engine bearings.

In particular, the SKF Kart Unit has been designed specifically for the kart rear axle to provide optimum speed, stiffness, handling and response, with true concentric locking for reliable shaft mounting and ceramic balls for low friction and rotating mass. The unit features a removable snap shield that enables the bearing to be cleaned and lubricated quickly and easily according to racing conditions, thereby ensuring high rotation efficiency and a long, reliable service life. Furthermore, the patented grooved profile on the outer ring surface of the kart unit has been designed to eliminate the risk of misalignment of the unit support during racing. In addition, the specially designed engine bearings help to provide more power, stiffness and reliability in the high-performance kart.

Along with the company's strong knowledge and expertise in the field, SKF was also awarded the contract because of the global engineering support readily offered to the Chiesa Corse team. Phil Burge, Communication Manager at SKF, comments: "This latest success is yet another sign of SKF's prominent position in the kart bearings market and as a value-adding partner for innovative solutions in the racing arena."

Following his victory at the Karting World Championships, Nyck De Vries has also been awarded a contract with the McLaren Formula One team, which will see him being part of the future F1 racing team.