Australian go-kart racer Jay Coul makes ROK Super Final podium

The Italian-based competitor, who moved to Desenzano del Garda in early 2023, finished third in a world-class competition.

Coul, 21, competed in the top class - known as shifter - at the ROK Super Final in Lonato and made the podium alongside Italian Marco Tormen and fellow Australian Luca Ross Nici.

He was among 412 verified drivers from 48 countries spread across seven categories to take part in the competition.

Dad Laurie described the KZ2 class his son raced as "the closest thing to Formula 1 with the g-force and acceleration".

Three-time Formula 1 world champion and current Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen competed in the KZ2 class as a youngster.

"A normal go-kart is one speed and these are six-speed and (go up to) 160 kilometres an hour," he said.

"They're 15 millimetres off the ground and scrape the ground, they're that low."

Coul said he was thrilled to perform well in the competition's elite class.

"There were drivers from all over the world. All karts in this event must run a six-speed Vortex motor which makes the competition more even," he said.

"We change gears approximately 32 times per lap with speeds of over 150 kilometres an hour.

"Coming third in a world event was an incredible experience, competing against some of the best drivers from across the world.

"In this event I raced with LA Motorsport team who were very professional in their engine and chassis tuning, which all helped to get this result."

Adapting to the conditions in a motorsport-mad country as well as competing on a regular basis have helped Coul fine-tune his driving.

"The level of competition in Europe is extremely high as a lot of drivers race most weekends with unlimited budgets," Coul said.

"Some of the drivers are a part of Formula 1 teams as academy drivers.

"The go-karts are the same as what we use in Australia but the set-up is a lot different as the tracks are longer and the surfaces have higher grip levels."

The committed driver, who also competed in the KZ2 world championships in Germany in September, finishing 63rd out of 119 drivers, is working for a race team which is also helping him when he gets in the driver seat.

"Since mid-January I have been living in Desenzano de Garda in Italy which is on Lake Garda," Coul said.

"It's a beautiful place to live and central for all the go-karting events.

"I work with Shamick Racing Europe doing go-kart and team event preparation, looking after drivers in various events across Europe. I also do driver coaching in between events.

"Competing in Europe against so many high-level drivers will strengthen my driving abilities and (help me) gain more knowledge in kart preparation.

"My ultimate goal is to be world champion as a driver and help others to reach their goals."

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