Welding equipment lines up on starting grid

The 'joy of welding' and the 'joy of racing' came together at the 2004 British Grand Prix, with the Kemppi brand on both the Jordan Ford EJ14 F1 cars at this year's race.

Kemppi (UK), the Bedford, UK subsidiary of Kemppi OY, Finland, one of the largest welding equipment manufacturers in Europe, was on the starting grid at the 2004 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the Kemppi brand on both the Jordan Ford EJ14 F1 cars at this year's race.

Kemppi has a 6 year relationship with the Jordan team as one of their official suppliers.

The team has a Mastertig 2500W AC/DC, which is taken to all European races in case any last minute modifications necessitating welding are required.

For more distant race circuits the team fly in a Mastertig 1600 AC/DC.

During the close season the equipment is used at their workshops at Silverstone.

Although there is not so much welding in today's racing cars, where it is used, it is highly specialised, like titanium uprights, suspension parts, aluminium hydraulic pipes, oil coolers and radiators.

John Frost, Director Sales and Marketing said: "We have been able to support the Jordan team over 6 years, not only through the supply of equipment, but by service and welding support.

We were once phoned from trackside at the Hungarian Grand Prix and we helped the team set up the equipment to weld modifications to one of their gearboxes.

This is the first time that we have taken advantage of our relationship through Kemppi branding on their cars at a F1 race.

This relationship bends both ways, Jordan has always been very supportive at Kemppi events, including the annual OKemppi Karting Challenge1 held at Silverstone in May and won this year by the Jordan Karting team from their marketing and technical department.

We are proud of the relationship we have and were more than pleased to lend our support and encouragement to the team at this year's British Grand Prix".

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