Mick Blankespoor – kart sinds 2016.
For Mick Blankespoor, karting is more than just a sport — it’s a way of life. His journey didn’t begin with dreams of fame or trophies, but with a deep fascination for the heritage of the sport itself.
From an early age, Mick was captivated by histokarts — classic racing karts from the 1960s and 1970s — a passion he inherited from his father. At just three years old, he could already be found in the paddock at Strijen during a Histokart event, eagerly soaking up every detail. Before long, he could name legendary brands like Landia, ZIP, Blow, Birel, Davinson, and Barlotti with ease.
In 2016, Mick’s own racing adventure began. He started training in a Parolin Rocky at KartCentrum Lelystad under the expert guidance of professional driver Indy Dontje and the renowned “Karting Queen” Yosca.
In 2017, Mick made his debut in the Dutch 4-Stroke Championship (NK 4T) organized by Chrono. Joining mid-season meant he wasn’t in contention for the overall title that year — but that didn’t stop him from making an immediate impression. Behind the wheel of his distinctive #4 Gulf-liveried kart, Mick quickly claimed his first trophy.
The following year, 2018, brought even greater success. Still racing in the Parolin Rocky class, Mick faced a highly competitive grid of 34 drivers — the largest 4-stroke field in Europe — and finished an impressive 7th overall in the championship. He also captured the KartCentrum Lelystad Summer Championship title, along with several victories in club and NXT GP races.
In 2019, Mick moved up to the Cadet 160 class, again with Chrono. Racing under the number 14, he scored multiple podiums and two overall race wins. His momentum continued as he became NXT GP Champion and also won the 2019 Club Championship at the historic Ulrum kart track.
That same year, Mick made his first appearance in the GK4 Kart Series, a new challenge for him. Although scheduling conflicts prevented a full season, several strong wins proved that Mick could compete confidently among the series’ top drivers.
As the 2019 season progressed, major teams within the karting world began to take notice of Mick’s talent. During an event in Wales that August, he caught the attention of Ralf Schumacher Karting — and they weren’t the only ones eager to welcome him to their ranks.
Soon after, Mick received an invitation to test with the PDB Racing Team, the highly respected and experienced outfit led by former Karting World Champion Peter de Bruijn and former European Champion Nick de Bruijn. PDB is well-known even beyond the karting community for helping launch the careers of stars such as Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas, Ho-Pin Tung, and Kevin Magnussen.
In September, Mick took part in a successful test session with PDB, driving a two-stroke 60cc kart — a completely new experience for him at the time. Impressed by his performance, the team invited him to race with them in November at a GK4 event in Genk, Belgium.
There, Mick immediately proved his pace, setting top-10 lap times in a highly competitive field — a strong foundation for what would become an exciting 2020 season.
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