Kartsport In Good Shape To Face Next 50 Years

KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND
Media Release

08-04-09

Kartsport In Good Shape To Face Next 50 Years

KartSport New Zealand's annual National Sprint Championships meeting at Easter attracts karters of all ages and backgrounds from all over the country.

This year's 50th anniversary event at Hamilton, organised by the Hamilton Kart Club with the support of the Waipa District Council and presented by the Toyota Racing Series, continues the trend with over 250 entries over 11 classes and a record 34 in the Cadet class.

At just eight years old KartSport Mt Wellington (Auckland) member Amy Smith is the youngest competitor while at 53-years-of-age, 18-time New Zealand class champion Grant Kugener from Nelson is the oldest.

From humble beginnings in 1959 the sport has grown steadily to the point where there are 21 clubs and 19 permanent tracks.

There are age and category-based classes for all ages starting with the Cadet class for 6 to 12 year olds and culminating in one the anything-goes Open class for drivers 17 years and over.

In-between there are categories for Cadets to graduate through or other youngsters to join until they are 15 when they can move up to an adult class.

New Zealand continues to produce some of the best racing drivers in the world and the country's thriving KartSport scene is where almost all of them got their first taste of four wheel competition.

Reigning Indycar champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon got his career start at the Mt Wellington kart track in Auckland, as did 2003 World Karting and 2005 Indy Lights champion Wade Cunningham.

New Zealand A1GP drivers Earl Bamber, Chris van der Drift and Jonny Reid are all former New Zealand kart champions as are V8 Supercar stars Jason Richards and Fabian Coulthard.

Three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner and now one of the world's most successful Porsche GT3 Cup racers Craig Baird is a former New Zealand Cadet class kart champion and high-profile former Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy is a former North Island champion.

Over the years the sport has seen a number of second and now third-generation racers with a strong emphasis on training and support nurturing new entrants young and old alike.

KartSport New Zealand has been at the forefront of this with its three-stage Academy programme supported by The Lion Foundation and run by Director Graeme Moore and Co-ordinator Niki Urwin.

Grant Kugener is also deeply involved in passing on the skills he has learnt over the years through his Exide-backed development team based in Nelson.

As he says:

"I have been there to see the likes of Scott Dixon, Greg Murphy and Jason Richards learn the basics of their motorsport careers through karting. I see the same skill and talent they showed in young kids coming up through the ranks now, which is why I am so passionate about getting the Exide, GK Karts Development team up and running. Having won 18 national titles myself I know the hard work and dedication it takes to get to the top and I also can recognise the talent and potential in young drivers."

KartSport New Zealand continues to set the pace on the local motorsport scene in terms of promotion and publicity with racing from Hamilton this weekend being televised for TV1's Powerbuilt Motorsport show.

In a New Zealand first time the action will also be available live and free-of-charge on the internet at www.speedbox.tv

To watch you have to log on to www.speedbox.tv and create an account. But that's all. Once logged on you can watch the action in real time with the official live stream available on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm.

Competition at the Hamilton Kart Club track, opposite Hamilton Airport, starts on Easter Friday and continues through Saturday and Sunday with karts on the track from 10am each day.

Spectators will also be able to get a close-up look at a TRS Lite racing car which will be on display at the event.

Ends

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