MOTORSPORT TREAT FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND

A near capacity field of 39 drivers will line up in the Junior National Light class at the Queensland Championships (Pic: Coopers Photography)

North Queensland’s motor racing fans are in the middle of a real treat.

Last weekend, Townsville will came alive to the sound of V8 Supercars at the Castrol Townsville 500 while this weekend it will be the future generation of motorsport stars in action during the Queensland Karting Championships in Proserpine.

The July 11-13 event is one of the blue-ribbon events on the Australian karting calendar with more than 300 competitors from various parts of Australia set to line up on the grid across the 14 classes.

It is the first time the Whitsunday Moto Sports Club has hosted the event since the Proserpine venue was opened in 2011.

A near capacity field of 39 drivers will line up in the Junior National Light class with many front runners from all across the country set to battle for the Championship honours. The Toowoomba pair of William Brown and Cameron Shields will start as two of the best hopes for the home state. The pair will face tough opposition from interstate visitors such as Newcastle’s Jordan Pike, Sydney’s Cody Brewczynski, Benito Montalbano and Zac Raddatz along with Victorians Jordan Caruso, Oscar Piastri and Reece Sidebottom.

The Rookies class will be another enticing affair with young Queenslanders speedsters Jack Doohan, Joel Jamieson and Lochie Hughes to start amongst the favourites. Western Australians Jack Harders and Jake Sawyer will be making the long trek over from Perth for the event.

Townsville's Josh Smith is expected to figure prominently in the X30 Light class (Pic: Coopers Photography)

In the fast-paced X30 Light and Heavy classes, in excess of 50 drivers will be competing. The likes of three-time Australian Champion Cian Fothergill from Gladstone, Bundaberg’s Troy Loeskow, Townsville’s Josh Smith, V8 Ute driver Kris Walton, Brisbane’s Brock Plumb and Gold Coaster Ben Stewart are expected to figure prominently in the Light class.

As has been evidenced across many parts of the country, the Cadets class remains to be one of the strongest with 33 drivers lining up to do battle for the prestigious ‘blue plate’.

The drivers in the Cadets class are aged as young as seven and they will be chasing Championship glory at speeds close to 80 km/h. While the main aim for these youngsters is the enjoyment of the sport while teaching them valuable lessons about car control and driving techniques well before they are old enough to obtain their road licence, winning is a big bonus.

Practice for the 2014 Queensland State Championships begins on Wednesday July 9 ahead of qualifying on Friday July 11 with the racing continuing on Saturday and the Championship finals to be contested on Sunday July 13.

The Whitsunday Moto Sports Club is located on Lascelles Ave (Proserpine airport road), Proserpine.