Zack Speed Racing

17/06/2026

https://www.pittalk.it/2026/06/zack-zhu-interview-karting-okj-victorylane-formula1/

Zack Zhu, 14, French-Chinese OKJ kart driver with VictoryLane: exclusive interview on identity, comebacks and his F1 dream.

15/06/2026

🇩🇪 FIA Karting European Championship – Round 3, Mülsen, Germany
☔ Completly different whether than last week. First time racing in rain conditions on this track. Very challenging conditions due to the constantly changing weather and difficult setup decisions.
✅️ But still a weekend of resilience, progression, and valuable championship points in one of the toughest OK Junior fields in the world.
Against more than 90 drivers from across Europe, Zack continued his FIA Karting European Championship campaign with solid pace, strong racecraft, and consistent progress throughout the event.

🏁 Qualifying 🌧️
🥉 P3 in Qualifying Group
🔥 P9 Overall out of 93 drivers

📊 Heat Results
📍 Heat 1 🌧️ Rain wet track
P3 ➡️ First-corner incident ➡️ DNF

📍 Heat 2 ☀️ Sunny with a drying track
P3 ➡️1st corner incident drop to Last ➡️ P18
We decided to run on slicks, but contact in the first corner dropped Zack to the back of the field. He recovered strongly to finish P18.

📍 Heat 3 ☀️ Sunny dry track
P3 ➡️ Incident 1st corner ➡️ P8

📍 Heat 4 ☀️
P4 ➡️ Incident 1st corner ➡️ P9

📍 Heat 5 ☀️
Third-fastest lap, strong overtakes, and smart race management.
P4 ➡️ P2

💪 Super Heat ☀️
Very strong pace and excellent racecraft throughout the race. secured important championship points and improved the starting position for the Final.
🥉 P13 ➡️ P3
⚡ Second Fastest Lap

🔥 P14 Overall heading into the Final
💔 Final
P14 ➡️ First-corner chaos, incident ➡️ Dropped to last ➡️ P17
🌦️ Rain started falling midway through the race, causing absolute chaos.
The final result does not reflect the speed, consistency, and competitiveness we demonstrated throughout the weekend.
Against one of the strongest OK Junior fields in Europe, Zack showed genuine front-running pace. After a strong qualifying performance, he struggled through the first four heats and dropped to P53 overall. However, he fought back impressively to P14 thanks to an excellent Heat 5 (P4 to P2) and a superb Super Heat recovery (P13 to P3).
✅ P3 in Qualifying Group
✅ P9 Overall in Qualifying
✅ Qualified for the Final
✅ P3 in the Super Heat
✅ FIA Championship Points Scored
✅ P17 in the Final
✅ Very Strong Pace Throughout the Weekend
✅ Recovered Positions Even After Being Dropped to Last
Results don't always tell the full story.
This weekend proved once again that the speed is there. We leave Mülsen with valuable experience, confidence, and motivation for the races ahead.
The performance level keeps rising, and we'll come back stronger for the next challenge. 🚀🇫🇷

Big thanks to my team VictoryLane , to Minardi Management , ASK Rosny 93 , Luminous Sport, Jeff Crypto Card, thanks to all my fans and followers for your support

10/05/2026

🇪🇸 FIA European Championship – Round 2 Valencia 🇪🇸

After the Champions of the Future event last week in Valencia, where bad tyres compromised our results, we came back stronger and started this FIA European Championship weekend with very strong pace. 💪🔥

🏁 Qualifying
P2 in group and P5 overall out of 93 drivers 🚀
This allowed me to start on the front row for almost every heat, including P2 in 4 out of 5 heats.

🔥 Heat 1
P2 🚀

🔥 Heat 2
Finished P3 on track, but received a 5-second penalty for track limits after being forced wide by another kart. Classified P9.

🌧️ Heat 3
P1 🚀🚀🚀
Amazing race in wet conditions.

🌧️ Heat 4
DNF. Got hit from behind and spun on lap 2.

🔥 Heat 5
P2 🚀

⚔️ Super Heat
Started P6. Unfortunately, I got pushed very hard at the start and my front bumper dropped, touching the ground for the entire race. Finished P11 on track but dropped to P14 because of the bumper penalty.

🏁 Final
Started P18 and made an excellent opening lap, climbing to P15 immediately. Unfortunately, some mistakes and the wrong strategy caused me to fall back to P28 at the finish.

I’m very disappointed with the final result because it does not reflect the hard work done by the whole team throughout the week. I take full responsibility for it, and I promise it will not happen again.

Now the race is over, but my work continues. I will watch the replay again and again, analyse every mistake, and make sure I come back stronger next time. 📈🎥

A huge thank you to my team VictoryLane for giving me the material to fight at the front all weekend, to Minardi Management , ASK Rosny 93 , Jeff.crypto.cards, Luminous_sport and to everyone who supported me during this week. ❤️🙏

We keep pushing. The speed is there. The results will come. 🚀

02/05/2026

🏁 Race Report – Champions of the Future Round 2 | Valencia 🇪🇸

This week marked our arrival in Spain for Round 2 of the Champions of the Future. It was also an important milestone as we began our journey with a new team—returning to a familiar environment that truly feels like home within the French setup 🇫🇷.

🔧 Testing & Preparation
We showed strong potential right from the start. Throughout Thursday’s free practice sessions, our pace was consistently within the top 10, giving us solid confidence heading into qualifying.

⏱️ Qualifying
Unfortunately, qualifying didn’t reflect our true performance. We struggled with rear grip, with the kart sliding excessively, and could only manage P17 in our group. We suspect an issue with the race tyres, which may have compromised our performance at this crucial stage.

🔥 Heats Overview

Heat 1: Setup changes didn’t bring improvement – P20

Heat 2: Adjustments started to pay off – P13

Heat 3: Consistent performance – P13

Heat 4: 🌧️ Strong start avoiding early incidents, but contact at Turn 7 caused a spin – DNF ☹️

Heat 5: Difficult race – P19

After the heats, we were classified P55 overall, making the path forward very challenging.

🌧️ Super Heat
Starting from P28 in wet conditions, the opening laps were extremely chaotic with multiple incidents. To avoid a major crash at Turn 3, I had to go off track, dropping to last position.

From there, I made a strong comeback drive up to P17, showing competitive pace—often quicker than drivers ahead. However, a mistake on the final lap resulted in a spin and DNF ☹️.

Additionally, I was later disqualified following a minor contact where another driver lost control, ending our chances of reaching the Final.

📉 Conclusion
A frustrating weekend in terms of results, but one filled with valuable lessons. The pace was there, and there are clear positives to take forward.

💪 Looking Ahead
We stay focused and motivated as we now turn our attention to the next round of the European Championship. The objective is clear: come back stronger and convert potential into results.

Thanks to m'y team VictoryLane , to Minardi Management , ASK Rosny 93 and all my supporters

22/04/2026

⚠️Official Statement – Zack ZHU

Zack ZHU, together with his family, Minardi Management, and DPK Racing Team, have mutually agreed to bring their collaboration to an end with immediate effect.

Despite the short duration of the partnership, the cooperation has been constructive and carried out in a professional spirit on all sides.

We would like to thank DPK Racing for their commitment and support during this period, and we wish the team continued success in the upcoming races.

Zack ZHU and his management will now turn their attention to the continuation of his racing program, with further information to be shared soon.

14/04/2026

FIA Karting European Championship – Round 1, La Conca 🇮🇹

This week, we returned to La Conca Circuit for the opening round of the FIA Karting European Championship.

With 93 of the best drivers from around the world competing, the level of performance was exceptionally high 🌍🔥

Unfortunately, we were unable to match the pace we had shown the previous week. Qualifying was challenging, and I finished P13 in my group, placing me P37 overall.

Starting from P13 in every heat made things more difficult 🫤

Heats:
• Heat 1: A few mistakes on my side resulted in a P19 finish
• Heat 2: Contact on the first lap forced me to retire 😮‍💨
• Heat 3: Strong recovery to P5 🚀
• Heat 4: P8 😊
• Heat 5: P8 😊

Super Heat:
Starting from P18, I managed to gain positions and finish P13 ⬆️

Final:
Starting from P34, it was a very chaotic race with multiple incidents. I crossed the line in P28.

⸻

Although the results were not what we aimed for, this weekend provided valuable lessons. Now it’s time to analyze everything in detail, learn from our mistakes, and keep pushing forward 💪📈

We stay focused and motivated — the work continues, and we never give up.

Thanks to my team Dpk Racing, to Minardi Management, ASK Rosny 93, , .crypto.cards and all people who supported me during this week

06/04/2026

🏁 Champion of the Future – Round 1 | La Conca 🇮🇹

This week, we returned to La Conca for the opening round of the Champion of the Future series, racing on Maxxis tyres. Overall, the pace was consistently strong in both wet and dry conditions, showing very promising potential throughout the weekend. 💪

🌧️ Thursday – Fully Wet Conditions
A completely wet day to start the event, allowing us to build confidence in tricky conditions:
• FP1: P7
• FP2: P3

Qualifying was held in the rain as well:
• QP: P5 in group, P14/93 overall

Heat 1 proved challenging:
• Finished P11 on track, but dropped to P19 after a bumper penalty 😔

⸻

☁️ Friday – Mixed & Drying Conditions
The track began to dry, creating very difficult tyre decisions and grip levels:
• Heat 2: We gambled on slick tyres in tricky conditions but got taken out at Turn 1 💥
• Heat 3: Fully dry at last – P8
• Heat 4: P6
• Heat 5: Victory 🥇 P1 💪🔥

A strong race pace once conditions stabilized.

⸻

🏎️ Saturday – Final Phase
• Warm-up: P4, with fastest Sector 1 & 2 🟣
• Super Heat: Started P12, finished P11 on track, but received a 5s penalty for an incident → P18 🫤

Final:
Starting from P27, I made an excellent opening lap, climbing up to P17 🚀. Unfortunately, I was forced onto the grass by another driver, which dirtied my tyres and caused heavy sliding for the next laps. It was impossible to defend, and I dropped to the back of the field.

I fought back to P30, but the race ended with a disqualification following an incident with another kart who lost control during the battle.

⸻

📊 Conclusion
The final result does not reflect our true performance this weekend. The speed was clearly there in all conditions, and we showed strong race pace and fighting spirit throughout.

There’s still work to do, but we’ll keep pushing and come back stronger for the next round. 👊🔥

Thanks to my team Dpk Racing, to Minardi Management, ASK Rosny 93, Jeff Crypto card, Luminous Sport, F1model7788 and all people who supported me through this week.

22/03/2026

WSK Super Master Series R5 – Franciacorta 🇮🇹

A very positive start to the weekend with a strong qualifying performance. We missed pole position by just 0.025s after encountering traffic on the best lap.

P2 in group and P5 overall secured front-row starts for all the heats — a key advantage 🔥

Heats:
Consistent pace throughout, with a best result of P6. One heat was compromised after contact in Turn 2, dropping me to P17 before recovering to P9.

Sunday:
P1 in warm-up confirmed our strong pace 🚀

In the prefinal, starting P7, we showed competitive speed and set the fastest lap, but finished P12.

Starting P17 in the final, the race was extremely chaotic with multiple incidents and retirements. Staying focused and avoiding trouble, I recovered to P13 🏁

Overall, the performance was stronger than the final result shows. The pace was there all weekend, but we still have work to do to maximize the outcome. Looking forward to the next one 💪

Thanks to my team Dpk Racing, to Minardi Management, ASK Rosny 93 and all people who supported me during this week.

See you at La Conca for the COTF and FIA european championship

23/02/2026

🏁 WSK Super Master Series – Viterbo 🇮🇹

Strong Pace from the Start 🚀

We began the weekend on a very positive note, setting the fastest lap in free practice ahead of qualifying. The pace was immediately there, and I felt confident heading into the crucial sessions.

Qualifying – Missed Opportunity ⚡

Unfortunately, qualifying did not unfold as planned.

To create space for three clean laps, I deliberately left over 100 meters to the karts ahead. The strategy was working perfectly — I was purple in Sector 1 and pushing hard through Sector 2 when I unexpectedly caught a much slower kart. Instead of yielding, the driver defended aggressively, compromising my momentum and ultimately ruining my final two flying laps.

As a result, I could manage only P7, just 0.2 seconds off pole position — a small gap, but costly in such a competitive field.

Heats – A Challenging Run 🔄

The heats were inconsistent and didn’t fully reflect our true pace:
• H1: P11
• H2: P17
• H3: P7
• H4: P12 → bumper penalty → P20

Despite showing strong speed at times, circumstances and penalties made it difficult to secure better starting positions for the final stages.

Saturday Warm-Up – Speed Confirmed 🔥

In Saturday morning warm-up, we reaffirmed our competitiveness:
• P2, just 0.004 seconds from P1.

The speed was clearly there.

Prefinal – Big Recovery 💪

Starting from P15, I delivered a strong comeback to P7, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. The performance confirmed our potential to fight at the front.

Final – Fighting Forward 👊

Starting from P23, I climbed back to P17. Overtaking was challenging, but we maximized what was possible given our grid position.

⸻

Conclusion 🎯

We demonstrated excellent race pace throughout the weekend and had the speed to fight for top positions. Unfortunately, the setback in qualifying made the entire event significantly more difficult.

Nevertheless, the performance is encouraging. We will keep pushing forward — there are many races ahead, and we’ll come back stronger. 💥🏎️

Thanks to my team Dpk Racing, to Minardi Management, ASK Rosny 93, Herve Lemenager , Simagic Official and all people who followed and supported me during this week

17/02/2026

Race week ! Again ! Dpk Racing Minardi Management ASK Rosny 93