The Kingdom of Belgium is located in north-western Europe, and its bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, and France, with a short coastline to the North Sea, with England not too far across. The area composed by these five countries is home to an estimated 80+% of all indoor rental-kart tracks in the world, and millions of indoor kart drivers. A record number of drivers are expected to compete at the 2008 Indoor Kart World Championship in Belgium.
Kortrijk is a city located in the north-western part of the Belgium, in the province of West Flanders. The city is located along the Lys River, just 25km (15 miles) north-east of Lille in France. Both cities are part of a transnational urban area composed of many other cities in both countries, with around 1.7 million people. Kortrijk itself has approx. 75.000 inhabitants and is the 7th largest city in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Dutch and French are spoken, and Kortrijk is known in French as "Courtrai".
Originally founded by the Romans, the city has a history of over 2000 years, and includes many bloody battles against the French throughout the last millenium. In the 20th century Kortrijk suffered significant damage from bombing in World War 1 by Germany, and even more during World War II by the Allied Forces. Most of the city that is seen today has been rebuilt after the war.
In 2008, Kortrijk will again be the stage for an international battle, though a bit less bloody. The Indoor Kart World Championship will bring together in competition drivers from all across Europe, North & South America, and beyond, at Belgium's top indoor kart racing facility: WORLDKARTS - Flanders Indoor Karting (FIK). The Belgians currently hold IKWC Nations Cup and IKWC Team World Championship Titles, and are very excited about hosting the 2008 IKWC!
Weather info for August:
August is the warmest month on average in Kortrijk. Still, temperatures can range from warm to cool, with average hig temps around 23C (73F), and lows around 13C (55F). The sun will be rising around 6:20am and setting around 9:25pm.
Welcome to the 2008 IKWC Belgium!
