As always, it was a thrill-packed event at Varennes, with plenty of frantic overtaking, breathtaking climbs through the field and final laps full of surprises. Julie Tonelli's famous T-shirts wereon show there and the track was decked with pink and white banners. Lots of karts were sporting Julie's butterfly decals. The PR relating to the recently created Julie Tonelli Fund for sick and distressed children is ramping up.

After taking 3rd place in Essay last month in the Junior class, young David Rambeau from Portugal, racing a Zanardi/XTR, fared less well at Varennes. At 13 years old, he already has 5 years competitive racing under his belt, and he was twice runner-up in the Portuguese rookie class. David, who hails from the Lisbon area, readily admits that the competition in Portugal was not always of the highest standard and that, Braga apart, the circuits are not up to European level. So this year he decided to take advantage of the fact that with a French father he is entitled to take part in the French championships. He brought with him a small armada from Portugal, in the guise of FCK Motorsport, managed by Fernando Cabo. He got to know about Julie from her website. Not being too fluent at the time in French, he asked his brother to translate it for him. He was moved by Julie's story, and decided there and then to get some of her rose-coloured decals for his kart, something he intends to keep doing.

Despite his tender years, Thomas Mich ('Toto' to his friends) is already an old hand; he's been going kart racing since he was in his pushchair! He's one of the original Julie Tonelli drivers. He bumped into Gérard Tonelli one day at a motor racing track and says they hit it off right away. He was impressed by the way in which Gérard was totally committed to Julie's cause. Thomas had seen Julie, of course, even if he didn't know her personally. So for him it was the most natural thing in the world to stick Julie Tonelli decals on his kart. This season Thomas is racing 125cc gearbox karts - a speciality of his - a KZ2 for France and a KZ1 for European and world championship meetings. And things seem to be going quite well for him so far. After Ugento, he is lying 5th in the European standings and now he's up to 3rd place in France.

From Switzerland to Belgium, British driver Michael Ryall is having a whale of a time in Europe! After winning the 2006 German ICA championship with Swiss Hutless, he's now living and working in Genk in Belgium, within a stone's throw of the Paul Lemmens track. Michael is now the official test driver for GKS, which is a well-organised and highly professional team. This year he is racing in the KF2 class in the French Championship. He will also be taking part in the European Championship as well as in the Rotax Euro Challenge. So, what's the connection with Julie? As is often the case, it's a matter of friendship. It was Alban Varutti, ex-teammate and role model at Swiss Hutless, who told him about Julie. Michael thinks it is great that people are doing all they can to perpetuate Julie's memory on kart tracks. That's all. For him it's a matter of respect. So he finds it perfectly normal to stick the decals on his kart.

The voice of the kart world.
Commentator Jean-Pierre Blais says he just couldn't forget the wonderful smile of that little blond girl, as he calls her, after meeting her as a driver. He has particularly fond memories a long discussion he had with her one evening in the lobby of the Hotel de France after a race in Angerville. He still gets emotional about it. Jean-Pierre is mad about cycling and at 62 he still practices the sport to keep himself fit, covering several hundred kilometres a week on his bike. It was in cycling that he first became a commentator, at a race held in Laigné en Belin (in the Sarthe department of France). He's still there helping out with Tracto-cross races, which are very popular. Active in the kart world since 1988, he's commentated on all the big names in modern motor sport, including Formula One. Jean-Pierre never misses an opportunity to evoke Julie's memory.