Paul announces his retirement from kart racing !

The Pizza Company Motorsport supremo, Paul Kenny joined the third round of the 2008 Rotax Max Challenge race in Saraburi on June 1st, competing in all 4 heats in the grueling heat - only to step out of his Italkart racing machine upon completing the race to announce his retirement from active karting. In Paul's own words; "kart racing is a young man's sport". Now he will stick with Touring Car racing !

Having had a first heat DNF due to a failed chain guard and subsequent loss of drive chain, Paul fought his way back during the day with good heat finishes in both the second heat and the Pre-Final. In the 20 lap Final the 21 competitors were fighting the scorching track temperatures as much as one another. Paul enjoyed some good challenges with the other competitors and his fitness saw him easily finishing the race.

Content with both the race and his own pace, the 1995 Thai National Champion announced afterwards his retirement from active kart racing. Full of praise for the sport, he feels now the time is right to focus more on his Touring Car racing.

It has been a pleasure racing kart with you Paul and all the best for your continued racing !

Paul impresses at Sa Kaeo

The freshly rebuilt Vios took some getting used to, but by the time of Saturday qualifying Paul put the car in 14th place on the 22 car grid for Race 1 (Saturday).

In the second qualifying Paul placed himself 15th for Sunday's 2nd race.

Paul was off to a rough start in the first race on Saturday and lost several positions in the start, but then got his head down and raced his way back up the field during the heat to end in 11th place, his best position yet on this very strong 22 car grid. Paul got to experience some tough and close racing and thoroughly enjoyed being back in the racing seat after a long off season.

The second race offered new challenges as the rains had come in and the race start went on a wet track. Again a new set of obstacles in a virtually new and untested car, as Paul started from 15th and again lost several positions in the start. Paul fell all the way down to 19th place before he again started clawing his way up the field. Several awesome overtaking maneuvers later and in the process setting his fastest time for the weekend, Paul finished the race in a noble 13th place.

A very strong showing by Paul after a long lay off from racing and he is now more then geared up for his next race at Pattaya's Bira Circuit in the end of June.

The Pizza Company Motorsport goes global

The 2008 Pizza Company Racing Campaign has been called the "2008 Fast Forward Faster" and clearly indicates the Pizza Company's resolve towards motorsport racing and its brand development world wide. With the resent signing of famous Thai 250cc World Championship motorbike racer Ratthapark Wilairot, the Pizza Company team is now represented in kart, touring car, Formula and motorbike racing world wide.

Paul launched the 2008 campaign with a grand press conference held at World Center in Bangkok on April 30. Accompanied by the largest field of Pizza Company racers ever, the 2008 season promises to elevate the Pizza Company Motorsport into the higher echelons of professional racing.

Paul will himself be racing in the Super Car Super 1500 series this coming season, after 2 years contending the Toyota One Make series. The first race of the season is only a week away, with the season opener at the Sa Kaew Circuit in Thailand.

Paul Kenny preparing for the 2008 season

Super 1500 "Standard"

Paul will in 2008 be competing in the new class called Super 1500 “Standard". Super 1500 covers 2 classes, “Open” & “Standard”.

The “Open” class is open to any car/model of any age which has a 1500 CC engine. Any modification can be done to the engine and car, except adding Turbo or Supercharger.

The “Standard” Class  is only for cars which are produced in Thailand, the cars can  not be more than 5 years old and can not have an engine over 1500 CC. The Engine can not be modified. You can only do a few external things with the engine, such as changing the exhaust header, adding a Piggy Bag or an Engine Management Control System. As for the body work, suspension and brakes, more or less any changes can be made as long as the car is within the minimum weight.

Paul is returning to his preferred car, which is his Toyota Vios which is currently being modified to match the technical specifications of the Super 1500 class. The car is currently being prepared by AVO in Sattahip and will be ready for testing in a few weeks. Paul is looking forward to his first race this season, which will be at Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia.

Paul Kenny in the Toyota Yaris, Group B for the third round 2007

3rd round of the Toyota Yaris Championship in Phuket

The 3rd round of the Championship was held in Phuket over the past weekend 1st and 2nd September. The track was a street circuit with some tight and twisty turns, and a few corners that were quite technical.

The weekend was looking quite promising for Paul, as he had been getting lessons from an Australian Pro-driver, and had been working with both Martin and Thomas at Bira on the car set up, and actually managed to set his fastest ever lap around Bira in his Yaris before heading to Phuket.

Saturday morning, Paul was on the track, and was right at it, and was putting in some good laps. Paul’s was having a few Thoughts on how to take the chicane, and was testing them lap by lap. He quickly found out how NOT to take it, as he almost lost it on one of the first laps, but his quick reactions and driving skills, kept him on the track, and he was then right back at it again.

It was clear to see that he had an added confidence in both the car and himself, and he kept pushing, until he eventually went o the track, as he was pushing too hard. This is how ever the way to go, the team agreed, as this would show you exactly how fast it is possible to go, before you go off.

In the first round Paul was 3 sec of the pace of Ray Macdonald, in the second round he was during practice 2 sec of the pace of Ray, and in the race he was only 1 sec of his pace. During practice in Phuket he was only 0.6 of his pace, and closing it steadily. It was looking like it was going to be close between Ray and Paul.

Just before the Time trails it started to rain, and Paul has never really driven his Yaris in the rain with the exception of 1 session in Chiang Mai where he was very fast, but then came of the track “big style”, He was therefore a little careful and held back during the session, as he did not want to go off the track, and not get a timed lap.

Paul qualified in 14th place, next to his nemesis Ray, and knew that if it was dry in the race, he would try and everything in his power to try and beat Ray in this round, as they were almost equally fast.

As the race day came up, it was dry and Paul was set on getting past Ray. He had a good start, but at the first corner, he was on the outside of Ray and had to fall in behind him and take up the chase.

Paul pushed hard, and kept up with the back of Ray, and was driving right to the limit to hang onto him, but on lap 5, he was again pushing just that little bit to hard, and lost the car trough the chicane, exactly the same place as in the Practice sessions, but this time he went off big style, and took out a few of the tires in the chicane, before ramming into the barrier, and coming to a full stop.

That unfortunately spelt the end for his race, but he was still quite happy, as he knew he was now on the same pace as Ray, and he agreed with the team that it was back out on the testing days, and back to work, at getting even faster for the next round.

Paul Kenny in the Toyota Yaris, Group B for the second round 2007

Although Paul Kenny had very limited time for practice prior to the second round of the 2007 Toyota one make race, he enjoyed the very fast street circuit tremendously. He kept improving his lap time around the 1,5 km long city block with each outing and even set his fastest time during the race itself.

Paul Qualified in 13th place during Saturdays 15 minute qualifying session. In the race Sunday afternoon Paul was quickly off the mark fighting for first corner positions, mixing it with the other 2 Pizza Company racers. I the end Paul finished 12th in the 30 lap race. The temperature went up to a grueling 40º Celsius and the high temperatures took their toll on both drivers and cars.

The next race will now be at Saphan Hin on sunny Phuket Island on 19th August. The team is adamant to get in more practice for the next race and get the entire Pizza Company race team into the points.

Paul Kenny at the first Toyota Yaris, Group B race in 2007

The first race of the Toyota One Make Race series kicked off in Chiang Mai on May 5 - 6. The Pizza Company racing team only saw their brand new Group B, Toyota Yaris race cars the day before the race itself. Having been given only 3 practice sessions, all in wet and rainy conditions, Paul still quickly adapted to the new car and set very good practice times on the slippery track. The Saturday qualifying would though be on a dry track with a car set up never tried before. Paul struggled with his car set up in the dry and ended up qualifying 16th. Sunday morning saw again a wet track and constant rain and Paul felt sure of picking his way up through the grid. It was though not to be and like on Saturday, then track just dried out in time for the Yaris race. Paul did though thoroughly enjoy his race and the new Yaeris car, eventually finishing in 12th position. He is now looking forward to the next race which will be on June 23-24 in Ubon Ratchatani and Paul is planning some familiarization runs with the new car in the run up to the second round of the season.

Paul Kenny at the 2007 season launch press conference

Paul Kenny is again confirmed racing for the Pizza Company Race team in the spectacular Toyota Yaris - One make series. After an exiting learning year in the 2006 Toyota Vios series, he now moves up to Group B. Again the series will compromise approx. 30 entries which this year will be raced on street circuits in 5 Thai cities throughout the country. The first race is scheduled for the northern city of Chiang Mai in May. We wish Paul the best of races for the 2007 season!

Paul Kenny at Bira Circuit

Paul Kenny raced his car together with Bill Heinecke (later substituted by Bill's son, John Heinecke), Australian racing legend "the Doc" Ian Corness and Michael Fletcher during the 4 Hour Bira Endurance Race. The team fought their way up the grid from a mid level qualifying position to where they were hoping for a top 5 placing. Then, disaster struck in the form of a broken fuel pump, just 20 minutes before the completion of the 4 hours. A very strong showing for the team though - boding well for the 2007 season.

Bill Heinecke at Bira Circuit

Paul ads yet another race class to his formidable racing CV.

Having raced earlier in both Formula Renault, Nascar, Toyota Vios series and karts, Paul now ads yet another single seater to this, with the super fast Aim II Concept car. The race practice was held at Bira International Circuit on October 13th 2006 and the race went on the following day, Saturday 14th. After a torrential downpour on Saturday Paul qualified 9th. The race got underway with a rolling start and Paul got off to a good start and charged hard, a little too hard as it were and on lap 4 he hit some standing water coming at high speed out on the straight. With the awesome power these very capable single seater's are packing, it was but a split second before the car spun out on the water and there was nothing Paul could do to save it and he went off on the wet grass and into retirement. Paul was though very happy with the experience and is now looking forward to the Pizza Company Race Team's next race, the final 2006 Toyota Vios race on November 5th at Bira.

Click on pictures above for a larger view.

Paul was the only one of the Pizza Company who managed to advance from qualifying position in the race itself. After an initial qualification to 19th on the grid, Paul steadily climbed to finish 16th. At the end of the race all 3 Pizza company cars were driving together, all limping with their war wounds, but much to the spectators delight.

The race was grueling tough to start with and became even more challenging towards the end, with breaks wearing completely out combined with the blistering heat. An obviously fit Paul Kenny completed the race hardly breaking sweat, while some of the teams younger members were more close to being ICU clients...

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