Kip Foster has revealed the proposal he’s sent to Karting Australia regarding official recognition of an Australian Kart Championship for a ‘Masters’ category.
“I’ve been informed that it’s to be tabled at the October meeting and we now patiently wait for their response” Foster posted.
“I shall post their response if and when KA authorities me to, so we can all be fully informed.”
A copy of the proposal is published below.
“Thank you everyone for all your suggestions and feedback. Feel free to add any supportive comments that may help contribute to bringing this proposal to fruition.”
Kip’s Submission to Karting Australia
Dear Karting Australia board,
I am writing on behalf of the many Masters drivers that would like to see a Masters category added to the Australia Kart Championship for 2026.
Class Proposal,
X30 Master
(IAME X30 engines only utilising the D22.7 “restricted” exhaust manifold)
177kg
LeCont LH03 tyres.
Driver eligibility 40yrs* and over.
AKC inclusion,
Two possible avenues,
- 2 or 3 rounds of the championship perhaps alternating with cadet 9 and the total of the championship points decide the final results.
- 1 round only by expanding the program at the final round of the championship to include the additional category and finishing order of the final is used to determine the championship.
Benefits of including Masters in the AKC,
Apart from obvious financial windfall, Karting Australia promotes “Karting is an exhilarating sport for all age groups” and we should be demonstrating this with prime time coverage on our biggest stage.
Adding a Masters division would also dramatically increase the longevity of drivers racing at the top level of competition.
Very few competitors go onto higher levels of motorsports. The vast majority stay in karting but face the reality of having to race against 15 year olds if they wish to compete at the AKC.
Masters class is offered all over world at high levels of competition, KZ world champs, Rotax worlds, USA Supernats etc..,
The time is right for Karting Australia to offer Masters at the AKC.
Research we’ve done to arrive at this proposal,
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We have conducted online conversations on all the specifics in depth to find out what most Australian Masters drivers would want put forward.
To access any of the information simply google #masters2026akc and see for yourselves the amount of support in favour of this class.
We’ve covered arguments on weight, engines, tyres and events.
There are some very clear direct lines of support for a one engine class with the most support by far being for the IAME X30. This is because most Masters drivers currently utilise this engine package.
Also, the same can be said for the tyre selection, Le Cont LH03 being the most popular as currently used in Masters competition at local and state level events.
The two mostly argued points are over the weight and age restrictions.
On the topic of weight, we have arrived at the 177kg being 5kg above the current TAG weight it seems to be a good fit for a National championship as one would expect the competitors to be fit and ready for the top competition. It also makes it achievable for the smaller and lighter masters drivers to weight up to the minimum requirement.
The age topic has more input than any other. It’s the one thing that KA could help us get right.
The age restrictions for different zones internationally seem to vary 29-35 yrs.
- USA SuperNats 30yrs+
- IAME International Finals year of 30th Birthday
- Rotax Worlds year of 32nd Birthday
- KZ World Championship year of 35th Birthday
- Australia 40+
There is varying support for either 35yrs or 40yrs within our discussions and perhaps the slightly lower age limit keeps the drivers that are approaching their 30s to hold out and keep racing rather than hang up their boots for good.
This might also be appealing for international drivers to come and compete as it’s more in line with current international age regulations.
Entries and registration,
Should KA decide to include Masters into the AKC, because of the likelihood of selling out the class, we suggest priority be given to drivers that achieved a podium result at the Coffs Harbour Masters event. A simple couple of days grace period for those drivers to confirm and pay their registration before opening up the system for the rest.
Prizes and recognition,
What we are proposing is Karting Australia award the Winner of the Masters category a Green Plate, National Champion trophy, equal status and recognition as all other AKC champions.To be presented at the AKC gala awards night.
Fitting Masters into the AKC program,
Alternating the Masters and Cadet 9 categories at different AKC rounds will make no difference to the program run times, whilst the single round option, the additional run time could be offset by conducting qualifying Friday afternoon.
We have confidence that Karting Australia can and will do everything in its power to make it work. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Thank you all very much for the opportunity to put forward this exciting idea and we all wait patiently for your response.
Yours Sincerely,
Kip Foster.
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