site.btaEx-Formula One Driver Giancarlo Fisichella among 250-Plus Participants in EKO 12h in Bulgaria in April

Former Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella will be lining up at the start of the upcoming European karting championship EKO 12h of Bulgaria, the organizers said. Sixty-two teams and more than 250 drivers will take part in the race. 

52-year-old Fisichella, a three-time Grand Prix winner and two-times class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is coming to Bulgaria at the invitation of the championship’s organizers, Karting Events Bulgaria. He will race with the All Stars team, joining actor Naum Shopov and the winner of the Karting Events Bulgaria giveaway. 

"I am very happy that Fisichella accepted our invitation and will race in Vratsa for the season opener," the race’s organizer, Nikolay Varbitsaliev, said. "The championship is becoming increasingly attractive. We have scheduled six race weekends across Bulgaria, Slovakia and Greece this season, and the start lists were filled since as early as last year," he added. 

The race’s official sponsor, EKO, will also field its own team.

As in previous years, Karting Events Bulgaria will donate proceeds to charity. The funds will go to the children's unit at the hospital in Vratsa (Northwestern Bulgaria). The race will start on April 12 at 11 a.m. and run for 12 hours. 

The start of the race will be broadcast live on the Bulgarian National Television.