2023-01-27 - 信息
Sodikart is among the more recognizable brands in karting around the world. The French manufacturer has garnered success globally, both in the rental kart and competition karting markets. The brand has been essentially absent at the national level in the United States over the course of the last few years, but that void is being filled through the creation of Sodi Racing USA, which will run under The Karting Distribution banner led by industry veteran Thierry Germanovitch.
Germanovitch is a former karter himself, having competed in his home country of France before advancing to car racing. Once Thierry was done behind the wheel, he turned to the organization side of the industry, working with CIK / FIA for European and World Karting Championships in the 1990s. Thierry was also the man who created the world-famous Elf Master Karting indoor karting event in Paris-Bercy, where legends like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and many other prestigious drivers were part of the action. Outside of promotion, Germanovitch helped guide the karting careers of Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and many others. It was through that venture where he developed a relationship with Gildas Mérian, the founder of Sodikart, which led to Thierry managing the marketing department for the karting manufacturer for several years. He eventually moved on to various professional projects abroad, however, the spark for returning to karting has been reignited.
“I’ve spent time here in the United States over the last few years attending kart races and noticed there were hardly any Sodi chassis left on the grid,” stated Thierry Germanovitch. “The Sodi brand is winning in Europe, and everywhere else, ahead of the other factory teams. It is probably today the best performing and most consistent chassis on all tracks and in all conditions. It is with that success and passion that I’ve returned to Sodikart and bringing it back to the USA. It was evident for me.”
The French manufacturer Sodikart is a leader within the karting industry, present on the five continents around the globe and offering a wide range of products and services. The Sodi racing chassis, along with the Sodi rental platform, are joined by the ItakaShop brand along with a complete range of accessories with Box’s, Tekneex and Mekaone.
“Sodikart is a fantastic company which for 40 years has experienced exceptional growth,” added Germanovitch. “They invested heavily in racing, hired the best technicians, and developed chassis that are now the benchmark for our sport. If you look at the 2022 results in Europe, they are impressive, both with the factory team and with the partner teams.”
The 2023 season marks the full return of Sodikart to the United States with The Karting Distribution and Sodi Racing USA as the exclusive importer of Sodi chassis and the Tekneex accessory brands and Mekaone products, which meet the needs of all drivers, not just those aboard Sodi. Sodikart and its CEO Bertrand Pignolet are supportive of the new effort, providing strong ties and a direct link between the USA operation and the factory in France. The first goal is to redefine the dealer network and prepare for the future of the brand in North America.
“Today, our priority is to initiate relationships for the future,” Germanovitch continued. “We will favor quality over quantity in the short term. With the objective of showing why Sodi chassis are so efficient today. The competition is tough and competitive, but it is with the ambition of a world leader that we will be working directly with. My goal this year will be to meet people and understand more their needs and how we can help them to grow or to be even stronger.”
Sodi Racing USA and The Karting Distribution will be based out of Coral Springs, Florida with their offices and warehouse to ensure daily shipments. The dealer network has already begun to take shape, strengthening their collaboration with Nic Le Duc of The Karting Collective in Sonoma, California. The loyal Sodi driver will receive immediate support for his team and will grow gradually from there.
“It’s time to think different – that is our slogan and my daily motivation,” concluded Thierry. “I set up this organization in the US so that we can support the most ambitious drivers, teams and dealers. We want to build the future and create a large Sodi family here in North America.”
A website is under construction, as well as the launch of their social media networks. All of this will be operational in the coming few weeks.
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