The Superkarts first hit out with the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championship for 2010 at Phillip Island on May 1-2 is almost a full house, with the series receiving over 50 pre-registrations, including two former World Champions who are heading to Australia to compete against the best in the land.

1985 and ’88 World Champion Poul Petersen will journey all the way from his base in Denmark, while Trevor Roberts from the United Kingdom will also join the grid, having won the last ever Superkart World Championship held in 1995, before the event reverted to the European Championship status in ’96.

Petersen is also a two-time European Champion, as well as a four-time Scandinavian Champion, and has been constructing PVP Karts since 1989, which are notably used in Australia by Carlo Chermaz and Anton Stevens.

Although he will be utilising the services of an Australian based kart, he will be providing his own engine, which he plans to bring to Australia as hand luggage!

Roberts meanwhile comes to Phillip Island with strong form on the board, having won a race at the opening round of the 2010 European Superkart Championship, which was held recently at Silverstone in England in changeable weather conditions.

Roberts will drive a Stockman MR2, run by the team of 2009 Australian Champion Sam Zavaglia, and he comes into the round with high hopes.

“I only race to win, anything else is a failure of varying degrees" Roberts said.

“Of course we have to be realistic, a strange kart, a reed valve motor instead of the disc valve motor that I'm used to, and of course there are some fantastic Australian drivers with intimate circuit knowledge to compete with.

“To win will be a tall order, but if I didn't believe I could win, we wouldn't be coming.

“I know Sam and Brian Stockman will provide me with a top quality piece of equipment with which to get the job done.”

The deal to race in Australia has come about following on a swap deal with Zavaglia, which saw the Australian compete at Assen in Holland last season in a round of the European titles.

The gearbox Superkarts will also be on the Shannons Nationals program at Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway on August 14-15, while the non-gearbox pocket rockets will feature at the fourth round of the championship at Mallala on May 29-30.