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EARLY BIRD – Geez, Tassie is getting in early, already promoting the state championship at Launceston – in November! Some other key events for the LKC this year:
- McDonald’s Young Guns – Saturday January 11th (race report HERE)
- KA3 Clubman Cup – Sunday June 7th
- TaG Feature – Sunday August 9th
- City Of Launceston State Cup – Sunday October 17th
- 2020 Tasmanian State Kart Championship – 27, 28, 29th November
HOAX CONFIRMED – The Vettel Kart has been confirmed as a hoax. Speculation raged when a new ‘Vettel Kart Official’ Instagram account appeared last month, declaring an association with Tony Kart. See the updated Racebox report HERE.
THINGS WITH WINGS – Outlaw speedway karts are coming to Victoria. The Outlaw Kart Racing Victoria club recently posted that it and its new track at Bacchus Marsh had been approved by Speedway Australia. The organisation’s rulebook, which has just four classes, can be downloaded HERE.
GO! – Karate Kid meets Days of Thunder is how Sunrise’s Samantha Armytage describes the new Aussie movie ‘Go!’ This film, released 16 January (Thursday), will be popular with kids and should be great for increasing the awareness of karting with the general community – though we reckon seasoned racers are going to cringe…
INDUSTRY – A bigger and better showroom is coming to IKD! Celebrating its 30th anniversary in the karting industry, upon completion IKD will have over 200 square meters of showroom for customers to look at, try and buy product. A Grand Opening is scheduled for April.
2020 HOURS – Ringwood Kart Centre advise they’re back in the shop for 2020, as per the times below:
- Monday – by appointment
- Tuesday – 9 to 4
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 9 to 6
- Saturday – 9 to 1.
TEAM CHOOSES LECLERC – A prominent American race car team that runs IMSA GT3 Cup and Prototype Challenge cars has added karting to its lineup. ANSA Motorsports has become a Charles Leclerc (CL) Kart dealer through BirelART North America. The ANSA Motorsports karting division will be headed up by multi-time champion Daniel Formal, local hotshot Allan Isambard, and team co-owner Patrick-Otto Madsen. “It was only natural for us that we expanded our program into kart racing,” said Madsen, who regularly competes in shifter karts.
EVENT – For the first time, X30 Junior will be offered at the annual Margutti Trophy at Lonato. This year will be celebrating the 31st edition of the race and will also be the first big event for the new ‘Mini International’ class under FIA technical regulations. Mini, OK-Junior and KZ2 will be on various Vega tyres while the X30 Senior & Juniors classes will use Komet tyres. Entries, which are capped in each category, open February 3.
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MASTERS GAMES – Tatiara Karting Club will be hosting kart racing over two nights as part of the 2020 South Australian Masters Games.
PRODUCT – Vrooam Brake & Parts Cleaner is now only $6 a can, or buy 12+ cans and save even more! See patrizicorse.com
POLL RESULT – In the week after New Year we posed the question “Are you organised for 2020?”. Most people are, 78% know exactly, or have a good idea, what events they’re racing in this year. Over 13% have no formal calendar and just race when they feel like it. A new poll will be posted shortly…
2020 CALENDARS – We’ve updated out Calendar page that links to various organisations that run karting in Australia – see HERE, or navigate via the main menu. Let us know if we’ve missed any!
2-STROKES for F1? – A staple in kart racing, two-stroke engines are being considered for Formula One. New engine rules are planned for 2025 or 2026, and hybrid 2-strokes are on the table for consideration. F1’s chief technical officer, Pat Symonds, told Motorsport Magazine, “I’m very keen on it being a two-stroke. Much more efficient, great sound from the exhaust and a lot of the problems with the old two strokes are just not relevant any more.” The proposal is said to make the sport greener than electric racing series, while still using internal combustion engines – with improved sound. The article stated that research presented at the Motorsport Industry Association’s energy-efficient motorsport conference showed that electric racing vehicles could be responsible for twice the level of carbon emissions as hybrid racing cars, because of the amount produced when building the batteries. Read the full article HERE.
CADET E-SERIES – Meanwhile, new e-karts will make their debut in a series of races for Bambino and Cadet drivers in the UK later this year. Electroheads Motorsport, co-founded by former F1 engineer (for Ferrari, Jordan & Williams) Rob Smedley, told The Racebox “For the next generation of racers, the era of the petrolhead is coming to a close. The whole philosophy of the Electroheads group is to get digital natives to experience the unique awe of the electric revolution.” There’s also an Electroheads Talent Academy that “will work to ensure talented youngsters get the opportunity to ascend the motorsports pyramid… (in) a sport that’s only been for the privileged few not the talented many.”
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