Mark Webber to have Canberra venue named in his honour

Canberra Kart Racing Club to officially name their facility Circuit Mark Webber, 4pm April 29.
Ceremony will take place in conjunction with the NSW State Karting Championships April 29-May 1.
Mark Webber won a NSW State Karting Championship in 1993.
Alan Webber, Members of the ACT MLA, Tim Overall Mayor of Queanbeyan, and members of the Queanbeyan City Council will attend the ceremony.

Mark Webber during his karting career

The Canberra Kart Racing Club will officially name their Fairbairn Park Circuit in honour of 2015 Federation International De L’Automobile (FIA) World Endurance Champion and nine (9) time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Mark Webber on April 29.

The ceremony will see the Webber family along with a number of local dignitaries attending the Circuit during the first day of competition of the NSW State Karting Championships, with a BBQ celebrating the club’s most successful driver following the formalities.

Mark Webber started his motor racing journey at age 14 at the Fairbairn Park track in Canberra and has maintained a relationship with the Canberra Kart Racing Club throughout his 26 year motor racing career.

He has regularly visited the circuit during visits home to Queanbeyan on occasions offering advice, and providing instruction to other up and coming junior drivers from the club.

Mark Webber will become the only* Australian Racing Driver to have a circuit named in their honour, and aligns him with other F1 contemporaries like Michael Schumacher (Germany), Fernando Alonso (Spain), and Alain Prost (France) who all have karting tracks honouring their achievements in their own home countries.

The renaming of the circuit is the first part of a $3.6 million development slated for the site, the club is undertaking a major refurbishment which includes extending the length of the track and installing state of the art viewing and club facilities that it is hoped will see Circuit Mark Webber obtain international level sanctioning.

Former members of the Canberra Kart Racing Club along with members of the public are welcome to attend the naming ceremony, which will commence at 4pm Friday 29 April.

*Alf Barbagello from Western Australia had the Wanneroo circuit north of Perth re-named to Barbagello as part of a sponsorship arrangement.