16th October 2020

AUSTRALIAN KART CHAMPIONSHIP SET TO RESUME IN NOVEMBER

Reigning KZ2 Champion Troy Loeskow leading the pack during the opening round in February (Pic: Pace Images)

Karting Australia is pleased and excited to confirm that the 2020 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE is set to resume on November 6-8, 2020.

After significant planning, research and consultation with various government departments, we can confirm that the remaining two rounds of the revised schedule will be held as follows:

• November 6-8, 2020 – Newcastle, NSW
• December 4-6, 2020 – Ipswich, QLD

Both events will be held in a COVIDSafe environment and remain subject to restrictions enforced by State and Federal Governments.

Because of the extraordinary situation that is the new ‘COVID Normal’, we have needed to develop a few new Regulations that are designed to maximise participation and to make it as fair as possible for people to be able to compete at the highest level in Australian karting.

Other key details surrounding the structure of the revised 2020 Championship are:

• Should both events not be able to be completed, the Championship and ‘Green Plates’ will not be awarded for 2020;
• The final Australian Kart Championship standings will be based on a Driver’s two highest point scoring rounds from the three Championship Rounds. e.g.
  • If you compete in all three Championship Rounds – only your two highest scoring rounds will count towards your end of season points; 
  • If you can only compete in two Rounds (for any reason at all), both of those two rounds will count to your end of season points;
    • So, if border restrictions don’t allow a you to contest a Round, you will still have two full scoring rounds to enable you to compete for the overall Championship; 
  • If you have moved Class since Round One, you are still able to compete for the overall Championship in the last two Rounds.
• Championship Awards will consist of trophies for 1st to 3rd in the final standings and a ‘Green Plate’ for the Champion in each Class;
• Both Events will have State Championship status for all Classes except Cadet 9 and 12 (which have already been decided in both States);
• If you enter a Round in the hope that a border restriction will ease (and then it doesn’t, so you’re looking 7-14 days quarantine on the way home meaning that it is impractical for you to attend) or if the State in which you live currently has an open border that allows you to compete at the event and then something happens that causes the border to be restricted again (either locking you out or forcing you into quarantine on either the way to the event or on the way home) we will refund your entry fee in full after the event;
• At the Newcastle event, we will initially be implementing a ‘one driver/one mechanic’, no spectator policy.
  • Despite seeking an exemption from the NSW Department of Health since mid-September, currently a maximum of 500 people are permitted to attend the Newcastle Event. If that changes, we will advise you as soon as any changes are announced by the Government.
• As an AKC Competitor, you are only permitted to practice at the Host Circuit that is affiliated with the same State Association in which your Licence is issued. E.g.:
  • If you hold a licence issued by Karting Australia (NSW), you can practice at Newcastle before the Round.
  • If you hold a licence issued by Karting Queensland, you can practice at Ipswich before the Round.
  • Any Driver can compete in a lead up Event Interstate, but you can’t practice outside of this Event at a Host Circuit outside of your State.

“The challenges to get these two AKC events up and running as with all COVID-19 issues since March, have been seemingly never ending. The issues with Border closures, have caused and continue to cause a high level of anguish which is why we have put our refund policy in place,” said Karting Australia Chief Executive Officer Kelvin O’Reilly.

“As we’ve navigated through the COVID-19 Pandemic our focus has always been on getting our sport back on track in a COVIDSafe environment – at all levels.  We’ve been delighted with the participation numbers at Club and State level over the past few months and now it’s time to start to build on these numbers for a strong finish to the year.

“We’ve been monitoring the situation of the Pandemic across the country closely and been working with various government departments to be able to get all of our sport back operating at full throttle in a COVIDsafe manner.

“Our thoughts continue to be with everyone in Victoria at the moment.  Hopefully our Competitors in Melbourne will be able to be back on track sooner rather than later.  We look forward to welcoming them back to high level karting events on mass as soon as it is practical.  We are really hopeful that by the time we get to the last Round in December, some or all of you will be able to travel again and can do your second point scoring round in Queensland.”

Entries for Round Two of the 2020 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE will open this afternoon.

Updated Championship Regulations are available by clicking here.