Product Code Database
OKN-Junior ( OKN-J) is a kart racing class sanctioned by the for drivers aged 12 to 14. Debuting in international competition in 2023, is the secondary junior direct-drive class in FIA championships.
Approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council in 2022, was designed as a simplified version of OK-Junior regulations to reduce costs for competitors. The class debuted in international competition the following year, being contested in several championships across Europe and the Middle East.
Its inaugural World Cup is due to be held in 2025—with qualifying decided via national championships held in various countries. The Arrive & Drive World Cup is also set to host its first edition in 2025, using a modified OKN-J engine in a single-design format.
Junior direct-drive classes have evolved substantially since 1981. was introduced to the European Championship in 1989 and remained at the World Cup until 1996, where notable winners included two Formula One World Drivers' Champions: Alain Prost (1973) and Fernando Alonso (1996). In 2007, it was replaced by 125 cc KF3 regulations, later known as (). The KF era was marked by decreasing entry figures as costs for competitors spiralled due to the presence of manually-controlled front , sophisticated Bowden cable, and fragility of components. It was eventually replaced by () in 2016, which—following iterations by the —offered improved performance, reduced weight, and increased competition by eliminating the centrifugal clutch, complex cabling, and starter motor, with later reductions to the rev limiter and exhaust valve; after six years, it was deemed ready to expand into national championships.
() was unveiled alongside the senior category, utilising a lower [[rev limiter]] to increase reliability and a higher minimum weight to reduce costs and bolster accessibility; additionally, events were to operate as a [[single-manufacturer discipline|one-make racing]], with one brand of engine, [[chassis]], and six option tyres. uses an identical design to the engine, with the only technical difference being a [[flange]] on the [[exhaust|exhaust manifold]]. [[ACI Sport]] carried out further tests at Sarno and [[Cremona|Cremona Circuit]], in preparation for both categories' debuts in the Italian Championship, where they would serve as a gateway from Mini Gr.3 to OK.
Qualification for the inaugural World Cup in 2025 was decided via national championships in several countries, as well as the podium of the African Cup, for a total of 72 drivers. Each National Sporting Authority (ASN) hosting a national championship were given three entries, with the exclusion of all European Championship entrants. The Arrive & Drive World Cup was inaugurated that year, featuring Vortex Engines engines derived from with centrifugal clutches. In the Italian Championship, average entry numbers in and increased from 70 in 2023, to 90 in 2024, to 120 in 2025; a record 190 entered the 2025 Cremona Circuit round in preparation for the World Cup. With the increased demand from ASNs, the World Cup increased from 72 to 90 drivers.
The sole differences to the technical regulations of are the minimum weight reduction and the exhaust flange. Engines, chassis, bodywork, brakes, and tyres are subject to the homologation and approval system operated by the . Each year, the specific tyres and fuel for use in competition are selected after a call for tenders. With elimination of the clutch, electric starter, battery, and electrical wiring, TKART described the regulations as being "as simple as it gets".
| ASPA Srl | Modena Engines | ME-K | 032-EN-17 |
| IAME SpA SU | IAME | Reedster 5 | 040-EN-66 |
| Karlheinz Hahn | Rexon Motors | Primaballerina | 035-EN-17 |
| Lenzokart Srl | Lenzokart | LK2 | 033-EN-20 |
| OTK Kart Group Srl | Vortex Engines | VTS | 012-EN-11 |
| TM Racing SpA | TM Kart | S3-Senior | 041-EN-03 |
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