Ivermee: "Safe Driving Starts On The Kart Track"

AKA press release

Long before he was legally allowed to drive on the road, Geelong local Aaron Ivermee got behind the wheel of a go-kart and he says it is the best thing he ever did.

At the tender age of 12 Ivermee decided to follow his father Norm, who is a former state champion, into the sport of karting. This decision is something that Ivermee believes has benefited him not only as a competitor on the track but in becoming a safer driver on the road.

“By the time I got my road licence I had already been driving at speeds of over 80 km/h for five years, so I wasn’t intimidated when I got in a car and drove along a road at 100 km/h,” said Ivermee.

“Racing a kart helped boost my confidence behind the wheel of a car and also provided me with a good perspective of speed and the consequences of losing concentration which generally leads to a mistake and results in an accident.

“I think a lot of teenagers hop into a car and don’t really have a good understanding of what they are getting themselves in for. It’s not necessarily the speed that catches young drivers out but more so how to react in different situations, especially when they are travelling too fast around a corner.”

On most occasions when teenagers are gaining an education they find that it is not enjoyable but Ivermee believes this certainly isn’t the case when is comes to an education gained on the race track.

“Over the past 11 years I’ve had a ball in the sport, it has not only taught me a lot about car control it has also provided me with the opportunity make some great friends and allowed me to see different parts of the country,” added the 23-year-old.

“I’ve competed in a number of state championships across the country and have made some great friends from various parts of Australia.”

Later this week Ivermee will compete in the 2008 Victorian Karting Championships sponsored by Pettaras Press at the Beckley Park Raceway in Corio (just north of Geelong).

The event is set to be the biggest on the karting calendar for 2008 with a total of 464 entries being received across 16 categories. Qualifying begins on Friday morning followed by heat races on Saturday and the Championship Finals on Sunday.

Competing will be children, both boys and girls, from seven years old in the Midgets category, teenagers in the junior classes, adults in the senior categories and there is even a class for those more experienced in life – the over 40 year olds.

For the youngsters, who race at speeds of up to 80km/h, karting is a sport that teaches these kids basic driving skills well before they are able to obtain their road licence.

The Beckley Park International Raceway is located on Geelong Road, Corio - adjacent to trotting track/north of Geelong. Admission is free for spectators.

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