Ben Walter Ready for Final Crack At Nationals

AKA press release

This weekend’s National Sprint Kart Championships sponsored by Yamaha in Launceston, Tasmania will be Ben Walter’s final crack at a national karting crown and he wants to go out with a bang!

Between himself and brother Sam, who is now competing in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, the pair has won just about there everything there is to win in Tasmanian karting. However, there is one more title that Ben desires – a national karting championship!

Walter started his karting career at the age of eight and since then has twice been crowned the Tasmanian junior driver of the year, once the Tasmanian senior driver of the year and in 2004 was voted as the CAMS Tasmanian karting personality of the year.

During his time in the sport Walter has competed all across Australia and last year he even travelled to Spain as a part of the Australian team in the IAME World Leopard Challenge.

The 22-year-old Hobart driver has finished on the podium at national karting championships twice over the past few years and is this year a part of the Britek V8 Supercar team’s Scholarship program while contesting the Australian Formula Ford Championship.

“The Britek Scholarship is a great opportunity to further my career while competing in the Australian Formula Ford Championship but I still have some unfinished business in karting – a national title,” said Walter.

“To have the guidance and support of a V8 team such as Britek is certainly something that will benefit my career. Also by having a team which includes four drivers in the Formula Ford championship is good as we are all learning from each other.”

Walter will be joined at this weekend's event by the youngest member of the Britek Scholarship program, Scott McLaughlin, who will compete in the elite junior category, Junior Clubman.

McLaughlin has been the pacesetter in the category during the opening part of 2008. He won the Oakleigh Junior Top Guns event in January before taking out the major leading up event to the nationals, the Victorian Championships in early February.

There will be a total of 292 drivers competing across 10 categories at this weekend’s championships. Qualifying begins on Friday followed by heat races on the Saturday and the championship finals on Sunday.

The Southern Cross Archerville Kartway is located on Pipers River Road, Turners Marsh (through Rocherlea).

Home