NEXT GENERATION OF MOTORSPORT STARS HEAD TO MURRAY BRIDGE THIS WEEKEND

Record numbers for Australian Kart Championship opener

A record number of drivers will be lining up for the opening round of the 2023 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE this weekend (Pic: Pace Images)

The journey for the next generation of motorsport stars kicks into top gear for 2023 this weekend with the opening round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE being contested in Murray Bridge, South Australia.

The first of five rounds in the Championship takes place this weekend, with close to 400 competitors travelling from all states of Australia and New Zealand, to chase the glory of victory in their respective category. Attendance at Round One is already breaking records.

The 2015 opening round winner, Oscar Piastri is set to make his Formula 1 debut with the McLaren outfit at the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix this weekend and it is sure to inspire many of the youngsters in action over the adrenaline fuelled three days!

“Oscar is an inspiration for many of our young and emerging drivers, he is proof that the success that you achieve in Australian karting can translate into opportunities on a worldwide scale,” said Championship Manager Lee Hanatschek.

“Across the Junior and Sub-Junior categories this weekend we’ve got more than 150 young drivers who will be aiming to emulate Oscar’s success in motorsport.”

While karting is considered pre-dominantly the domain of kids, it is also a form of motorsport that is enjoyed by drivers of all ages – including current Supercars drivers. The elite category is KZ2 where drivers use a six-speed gearbox kart and will reach speeds in excess of 130 km/h around the Monarto circuit.

PremiAir Racing Supercars driver James Golding will be one of 30 drivers lining up in the KZ2 class this weekend. Golding was victorious in the opening round of 2020 and after showing great speed during 2022 is considered to be one of the serious contenders for the Championship in 2023.

Also in action across the weekend is Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars driver Nick Percat who will be competing in the largest class at the event – TaG 125. The South Australian will be of 73 drivers in action, only 40 of which who will make the final race on Sunday afternoon.

Practice and qualifying will be contested tomorrow (Friday) ahead of the heat races on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

The Monarto Karting Complex is located at 3711 Old Princess Highway, Rocky Gully (10km from Murray Bridge) with admission free for spectators.

All of the weekend’s racing will be streamed live across www.watchmysportlive.tv