It’s been a while since the last post of Quick News Briefs! There’s LOTS of current karting related news below, but there’s also some content that is a bit dated (didn’t get published when it was supposed to – my bad). Rather than scrap the old stuff, I decided to run it anyway as much of it is still newsworthy or interesting. MW.
VENUE CHANGE – Tiger Kart Club has advised that due to track work at Cockburn, the venue for the 2023 Karting WA State Championship (Sep 28 – Oct 1) will now be held at Wanneroo International Raceway. The City of Perth / WA Karting Series Round 6 (Sep 2-3) will also now be held at Wanneroo. Supp Regs for both events are now available.
COLD SALE – Winter discounts at IKD on these items. Note: discounts cease at the end of July!
VALE – The Queensland speedway kart community is mourning the passing of teenage racer, Jett Lemon. The 18-year-old was critically injured in a road accident earlier this month but sadly passed away several days later. He was a popular member of the Maryborough Speedway Karts club. “We will miss your infectious smile, personality and enthusiasm for Speedway” the club posted on Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kristie, Ryder and your entire family at this difficult time. You will be missed by all. Rest easy mate.”
AKERS BACK – Former AFL star Jason Akermanis is back behind the wheel, relaunching his Superkart career this weekend in New Zealand. Akermanis has been a regular karter in the past, competing in both sprint and superkarts. He is driving for long time Superkart team owner Scott Williams in the NZ Superkart Championship and NZGP events aboard Anderson/VM in the 250cc International class. An event preview was published HERE on Thursday.
RMC TICKETS – While the last opportunity to earn tickets to the 2023 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals is fast approaching, the first opportunity to earn tickets to the 2024 edition has been confirmed. “The Rotax Winter Trophy is the first opportunity for Rotax racers from around the world to earn their ticket to the 2024 Grand Finals,” explained RTX Karting’s Julieta Fernández. The RMC Winter Trophy will be held in Florida across two events on Jan 26-28 and Feb 2-4. The venues are yet to be announced.
THE DIRTY SIDE OF KARTING – Leigh Cocker and & the team from Vital Karting visited the Morgan Dirt Kart Club a couple of months back for the 2023 South Australian State Title. “We went to find out what Dirt Karting is all about, the teams, the drivers, how you get involved & the difference bitumen and dirt karting” Leigh said. See “The Insiders Look” video, below:
HUGE 4 & 20 CoM – The City of Melbourne Titles is shaping up to be a huge event next month. As with Ipswich recently, an event prior to an AKC round has ramped up numbers with lots of AKC competitors utilising the meeting for a shakedown, plus the fact the City of Melbourne has always been a popular karting event anyway. As per the graphic below (22/7/23), almost 50% of the classes are full.
Andrew Hayes (AHR Media) will be commentating the event. “This is a big deal, a marque event for me, a country boy from Hamilton, Victoria!” Hayes posted. “I snared 2nd place at the CoM in 2016, and will be looking to put on a good performance again this time.” Good luck with the call, Andrew!
MAX WORLD NEWS – A new date has been set for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Festival. A special event for the youngest Rotax competitors, it will take place at the Genk circuit in Belgium on October 27-29. The RMC Grand Festival features Micro MAX (8 to 11 year olds) and Mini MAX (10 to 13 years) and is renowned for showcasing the exceptional talents of young Rotax drivers. Eligible winners will be awarded a ticket to the RMC Grand Finals 2023 in Bahrain in December.
THEN Vs NOW – Vroom recently posted this video comparing 90s karting (100cc Formula Super A) and the current top single-speed category (125cc OK Senior) enlisting drivers and karts from both eras.
BRISK NOAH – Victorian karter Noah Enright announced a partnership with Brisk Spark Plugs Australia recently. “At Brisk Spark Plugs Australia they have BRISK Silver Racing Spark Plugs and BRISK Iridium Racing Spark Plugs for any Go Kart and with many years of Go Kart industry experience to get you the correct BRISK Spark Plug for your application” he posted. Enright subsequently won the 50th Anniversary North West Titles at Mildura, taking pole in qualifying, winning the heats and the final for a clean sweep of the weekend! More about Brisk: https://www.facebook.com/BriskSparkplugsAustralia
DAVE’S OAM – On behalf of its members, the Australian Independent Dirt Kart Association has congratulated AIDKA Life Member and former President, David Earl, on his Order of Australia Medal. “Dave has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal in recognition of contributions to both go karting and surf lifesaving” the organisation posted. “Congratulations Dave on this national honour and thank you for your contributions to our sport!”
INDY KARTERS – Better late than never… this is the karting version of the 2023 Indy 500 start lineup, prepared by eKartingnews. “One thing that is common – at one point, all 33 (drivers) have sat in a kart – be it for training, for fun, or to help develop their skills and racecraft in hopes of one day competing at the Indy 500.” See the full line-up on ekartingnews HERE. Several are photographed on Aussie-made Arrow karts. How many can you count?
HOLE COVERS – Ringwood Kart Centre has these carby and exhaust cover sets available to protect your engine from contamination. This durable dust cover set for X30 and KA100s is perfect for covering the carby and exhaust manifold while cleaning or while in transit. Cost is $12 per set, or $22 for 2 sets, or get three sets for $30 (plus Aus post freight to you). Contact Moksy at RKC on 0419 882 132.
- RKC on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ringwoodkartcentre
VRM KARTERS – There is a strong karting flavour to the Volante Rosso Motorsport’s Radical Cup line-up this year. Melinda Price has made a return to national level racing to partner Greg Kenny, while internationally renowned racer Josh Hunt partners with Peter Clare. Price and Hunt both have distinguished karting and car racing careers and continue to have the odd run in retro karts. Max Walton is the team’s junior development driver.
OFFICIALS FUNDING – Karting Queensland will receive funding from the Department of Tourism, Innovation & Sport via the second round of an Active Industry Project Fund. “We would like to acknowledge that the Queensland Officials Mentoring Program launch is due to the funding received and will be invaluable to our sport in securing the future development of officials” the organisation posted on social media.
“We will be working on engaging officials participation and developing them to the next level of achievement through a mentoring program. The program will be focused on officials and setting a standard for officiating at different levels of our sport, this in turn will drive improvement in our driving standards, so we are effectively setting the standard as a State.
“We will shortly be calling for nominations for Timing Officials, Clerks, Stewards and Technical Officials. Nominations are best received by an individual who are motivated to be actively involved in the program over the next 12 months, or by a club, as the participant/s might be a bit shy in coming forward. Nominees will be required to hold a Level 4 or Level 3 currently or achieve a a Level 4 to commence the program.”
LIVE NOISE – “All the action speaks for itself, which is of course why I video every race I attend” Kev ‘The Noise’ Davies tells us. “Lately, as well as video recording races, they are now all live on the day, allowing family members and supporters who cannot attend to watch their favourite drivers in action in real time. This alone makes it all worthwhile with many compliments received!”
SPEEDWAY TOP DOG – Liam Niblock has been awarded Speedway Australia’s Karting Competitor Of the Year for 2023. The Queensland 125cc driver was one of three finalists at the Australian Speedway Awards night, edging out Andrew Horne/Roeser and Kai Malley.
HAMILTON KARTING – Not Lewis, but a circuit in Canada. A new 1.1km, fourteen-corner layout is on the horizon for the Canadian Mini Indy circuit, rebranded as the Hamilton Karting Complex. “The full track will feature a high-stability performance asphalt,” explained Trevor Wickens. “We are bringing new life back to the facility. Canada has some of the most dedicated and passionate racers in the world. We are proud to offer them another great racetrack for our country’s kart community to enjoy.”
INDUSTRY – BRP-Rotax has confirmed an expansion of the dealer and distribution network for the RTX USA Group. The company’s distribution of Rotax products and service now goes beyond the USA South territory to include the Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago. “We have found the perfect addition to develop and promote the Rotax brand with our partners: Caribekart in the Dominican Republic and Race Tech in Trinidad & Tobago” said RTX USA Group’s Gonzalo Alenaz. “We fully trust the team we have established and are looking forward to working together in the future.”
WIN A KART – It’s not every day you get the chance to win a brand new ready-to-race kart! Could Saturday August 19 be that day? Ballarat Kart Club has an Arrow 6.2 with IAME X30 on offer in its raffle. This is a complete kart and engine package, including Jecko seat. Second prize is a 134-piece SP Tools toolkit and third an SP Tools Karting toolkit. All proceeds go to maintaining and upgrading club facilities
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Tickets are $30 (or 2 for $50) – buy tickets now at: https://www.trybooking.com/CHVLR
VALE – Veteran karter Dan Stowell passed away last month due to injuries sustained at an AKRA/Dart Kart Club Mid-Ohio road race. “Dan was a friendly man and a kart racer since 1968” Kart Lounge reported. “When we saw him at the races, he’d always offer a handshake and a friendly chat. At 83 years old, he still loved being on the track competing and working to gain more speed. Dan also served the karting industry as a volunteer officer for WKA for a number of years and in addition to his kart racing hobby, was an avid skier. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
ONE LAP WONDERS – take a ride, a single lap ride, on a bunch of hire kart tracks from around the world.
SUPERKARTS @ SUNSET – Superkarts at sunset:
RELIEF FOR REMO – “I was so scared that I would go out there and be dead slow and lose everything I have done for 40 years.” Remo Luciani is relieved he has ‘still got it’ on the track after recovering from a stroke a few months back. Read the full article on The Weekly Advertiser site HERE.
ADMIN – KNSW has appointed a new Director of Administration – Rachel Simpson. “Rachel holds many certifications in program and project management and is highly qualified and experienced in governance, procurement, and contract management” KNSW posted. “She has been consulting to Federal and State Departments leading large scale IT and infrastructure projects for the past 8 years. Rachel has been involved in karting for 12 years as Director of a karting business and has also held several Club Committee positions. She also has very significant experience officiating having been an official for 10 years at all levels of events, an officials panel member and was State Training Coordinator for 2 years.”
FUEL REGS CHANGE – New regulations for fuels and oils at AIDKA events will come into effect on September 1st. After recent testing and review (including a survey of what fuel and oils members are currently using), AIDKA has published a list of 22 approved lubricants. As a result of testing and analysis, AIDKA is banning PowerPlus fuel (contains ethanol and resulted in very different readings compared to the other approved fuels). The full rule change document, including he list of approved oils, is HERE.
AGP WRAP – Below is Karting Australia’s take on the Australian Grand Prix weekend where another batch of Grid Kids experienced the F1 circus first hand:
NUMBERS REVEALED – KNSW’s competitor portal has been tweaked to now the numbers in each class. To view, select Filter by Class.
ON A JOURNEY – Live to Drive is a three and half minute trailer for an upcoming three part series on the motorsport journey of young Queenslander karter, Sebastian Eskandari. “It takes you from the beginning of his journey from the carpark of an industrial estate at age 4, through his career in Australia, winning multiple State Championships and two Australian Championships, to the biggest stage of karting in the world, the WSK, World Series Karting, as a factory driver for Tony Kart Italy at age 9. It began as a hobby with his dad, and he dreams about and has ambitions, like all race car and motor sport enthusiast, a place on the Formula 1 grid.”
BUMP GONE – Circuit Mark Webber is undergoing further track upgrades that will remove the bump at turn one before the ACT Titles. CKRC Membership Officer Brett Staples said the track extension has been hugely successful. “The only negative has been the bump at turn 1 where the track transitions from new to old” he explained. “As of this weekend we have re-laid 45 meters of track which will allow a much smoother transition for drivers.”
ELF ON THE SHELF – DPE Kart Superstore is now stocking the world renowned ELF lubricants. ELF HTX 909 is a castor & synthetic oil specifically designed for high RPM 2-stroke engines, as used by major teams in motorcycle and kart World Championship teams. Visit https://dpekartsuperstore.com/…/elf-htx-909-caster… to get yours today.
IT’S TIME – New features coming from MYLAPS:
2023 PRESENTATION – FIA Karting has produced a comprehensive presentation dossier outlining all its competitions in 2023. It includes the history of karting, list of current F1 drivers trained in the discipline, the international bodies, the 2023 FIA Karting sporting season (calendar, categories analysis, FIA Karting Championships, Cups and Trophies), the partners, and the circuits – a colourful gold mine of information. The 40-page PDF can be viewed/downloaded by clicking HERE.
CANBERRA – Karting Australia was represented during the launch of the new ‘Parliamentary Friends of Motorsport’ group in Canberra earlier this year. The group will help facilitate opportunities and enable more motorsport-based discussions with members of Federal Parliament. “Motorsports are a massive part of Australian life, and we’ve formed this group to promote and grow this exciting sector” federal parliamentarian Luke Gosling said. Read more about the initiative and the launch HERE.
INDUSTRY – North American karting identity Ryan Norberg has launched the ‘Norberg Karting Academy’. Based out of the Orlando Kart Center in Florida, the academy aims to develop drivers of all ages and help them gain the racing skills to compete at the highest levels of karting. It will use a range of OTK karts (from Mini to full size) powered by Rotax engines. “Adding speed is one aspect but I also take time to impart key elements to insure each driver is confidently prepared to race and win,” explained Norberg. “I have been fortunate enough to have a great karting career, and I would like to pass that on to those around though the Academy.”
SPONSOR – Superkarts Australia has confirmed that Dunlop Kartsport is the naming rights sponsor for the 2023 Australian Superkart Championship. “We sincerely thank Les and Ann May for their continued support” SKA announced in a press release. A set of Dunlop tyres will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each of the Rotax Max Classes (Light and Heavy). This year’s event takes place at Tailem Bend from Friday November 10 to Sunday the 12th.
SYDNEY – Greater Sydney kart club has secured a $500,000 grant to resurface and make upgrades to its facility. “Big thank you to Karting Australia, Karting Australia New South Wales and NSW Office of Sport for all their support” the club posted.
INDUSTRY – Megan Pronesti has joined the Racemax team and taken over the day-to-day operations, sales and dispatch at Racemax headquarters. “Megan has been around the karting scene for several years. Her son Beau competed at the RMCGF in 2019 so she will not be a stranger to a lot you already” Racemax posted. Megan replaces Natasha who recently finished her university studies and taken a fulltime role in her specialist field. “I would like to express our thanks to Natasha for the effort she has put into the company. We genuinely wish her all the best for a very bright future.”
AFFILIATION CHANGE – At a Special Meeting earlier this year, the members of Port Macquarie Kart Racing Club voted to affiliate with Karting Australia New South Wales. “The committee wishes to thank everyone for their support and look forward to working with Karting Australia New South Wales on the development of karting in the area.” the club posted.
STATEMENT FROM KANSW: We would like to officially welcome back Port Macquarie Go kart Racing Club to KANSW and look forward to working with them well into the future. We thank them for their efforts through the process and pleased to have them on board as part of the rebuild of the sport we all love. We extend an invitation to all passionate Karter’s to work with us into the future to reunite the sport.
PROMOTION – Karting Australia was once again at the F1 Australian Grand Prix with this display in the Innovation and Technology Zone on the outside of the main straight.
OSCAR – As part of the pre-Grand Prix build-up, Oscar Piastri visited his home club at Oakleigh in Melbourne on the Tuesday prior to the race for a filming session. “Great to see you back at your home club at Oakleigh” Melbourne Kart Centre posted. “The kids, committee and members will truly love that you got to take time to come and drive the track even with your busy schedule.”
INDUSTRY – Parolin Australia is looking for additional mechanics to join the team at major events, including Australian Kart Championship rounds. Contact via socials for more information –
AWARDS – Remo receiving his Hall of Fame medal.
OUTLAW TRACK – A new circuit for Outlaw speedway karts is under construction at Bacchus Marsh, around 55km from Melbourne. “The first purpose built Outlaw Kart track in the country is getting very close” Outlaw Kart Racing Victoria posted. “Slidejobs will be the order of the day by the looks of this!”
CARB CONTRACT – Dell’Orto has been confirmed as the exclusive supplier of carburettors for the FIA Karting Championships for KZ & KZ2 class across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. Having launched its first carburettor in 1933, the Italian company has been a major player in karting and has been the exclusive supplier of KZ and KZ2 carburettors with a collaboration that began in 2001.
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