V8 Racers (and Karters) Set For MOJO Enduro

Sidenote: There will be a spit roast after the MOJO Enduro. Cost is $12 a head and all are welcome. Tickets available from Denise Wall - mob. 0417 554 915.

AKA press release

Kart racing is well publicised as the starting point for Australia’s top motor racing stars.

This weekend a number of those stars will be going back to their roots when they contest the MOJO Rotax Four Hour Karting Enduro at VACC Park in Port Melbourne on Saturday, with names such as Richards, Holdsworth, Caruso, D'Alberto and Price set to feature on the entry list.

After competing in last year’s inaugural enduro event, Sprint Gas Racing’s Jason Richards, who finished runner-up at this year’s Bathurst 1000, will pair with team engineer Adam DeBorre for the four and a half hour race.

Above: Sprint Gas Racing's Jason Richards in action during the 2007 event
pic - photowagon.com.au

“Last year’s race was a real blast,” said Richards. “With all of my V8 Supercar commitments for the year out of the way I am looking forward to having some fun back behind the wheel of a kart. I did about 15 laps in a kart the other week and I had a ball, so I am genuinely excited about this weekend’s race.”

The Garry Rogers Motorsport duo of Lee Holdsworth and Michael Caruso should also adapt well as they trade their Valvoline-backed Holden Commodore V8 Supercar for a 125cc Rotax-powered kart this weekend.

Caruso, who was an Australian champion during his karting career, said this weekend’s event is something he has been looking forward to for a number of months.

Above: Garry Rogers Motorsport's Lee Holdsworth and Michael Caruso are two of the V8 drivers competing in this weekend's Event
pic - Edge Photographics

The Melbourne-based driver’s last competitive outing in a go-kart was in 2000 when he won the inaugural Ford KartStars Series. This is the same series that helped kickstart the careers of 2008 V8 Supercar Champion Jamie Whincup and runner-up Mark Winterbottom.

“I am looking forward to getting back into a go-kart this weekend and getting into some racing that is not so serious,” said Caruso. “My last competitive go-kart race was back in 2000, when I won the Ford KartStars Series, so it has been a while.

“We’re putting no pressure on ourselves, the aim is to go out and have some fun. If we can help lift the profile of karting while doing something that we love to do then it is a win win situation for everyone involved.”

The surname of Price is synonymous with Australian karting. At this weekend’s event Bart and Shane Price will compete alongside each other for the first time as they prepare to take on 45 other two-driver teams.

The pair, who are the sons of Drew Price – a former class winner at the Bathurst 1000 and Managing Director of Australia largest karting manufacturer - Drew Price Engineering - have won eight Australian karting championships between them.

Above: The Price brothers will team up for the first time this weekend
pic - photowagon.com.au

Shane, the younger of the duo, has spent the last two years competing aboard a V8 Supercar and contested the corresponding event last year with former V8 team-mate Jack Perkins.

“Bart and I have raced against each other on a couple of occasions, but never together so it is going to be a good experience to share a kart with him,” said Shane Price. “He is really the guru out of us these days when it comes to karting, so I’ll be leaving the set up to him and just be his co-driver. If I can get somewhere near his pace across the weekend I’ll be happy but the main aim is to simply enjoy the event.”

Also included in the impressive entry list is recently crowned Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series Champion Steve Owen, female racer Leanne Tander and 2007 Australian Formula Ford Champion Tim Blanchard.

The 2008 running of the MOJO Rotax Four Hour Karting Enduro will begin at 12:30pm on Saturday following a 90-minute junior endurance race for kart racers, both boys and girls aged between 12 and 15, which will be held during the morning.

2008 MOJO Rotax Four Hour Karting Enduro - Entry List

2 Bobby Bourke, Gary Pegoraro (Masters Category)
kb Peter Klein, Luke Burt (Masters Category)
94 Tony Johnson, Wayne Alway (Masters Category)
87 Steven Smythe, Mark Wicks (Masters Category)
74 Ron Gaw, Kevin Taylor (Masters Category)
101 Phil Straughen, Chris Sanderson (Masters Category)
48 Steve Johnson, James Sera (Rotax)
54 Matt Chambers, Bret Mullavey (Rotax)
92 Taz Douglas, Tim Slade (Rotax)
40 Luc Price, Ben Small (Rotax)
4 Brett Davison, Darren Anderson (Rotax)
60 Aaron Rintoul, Ashley Rintoul (Rotax)
9 Tony Ciccone, Steve Scoble (Rotax)
15 Matt Wall, Darren Hossack (Rotax)
22 Chris Pratt, Lee Nicolaou (Rotax)
12 Reece Brody, Adam Klunyk (Rotax)
13 Bart Price, Shane Price (Rotax)
46 Dale Wood, Tim Macrow (Rotax)
36 Daniel Rochford, James May (Rotax)
35 Jason Pringle, Phil Lucas (Rotax)
42 Nick Lakasas, William Yarwood (Rotax)
11 Carley Wells, Leanne Tander (Rotax)
0 Grant Rowley, Phillip Mahoney (Rotax)
3 Adam Deborre, Jason Richards (Rotax)
10 Paul Rodgers, Domonic Ciccone (Rotax)
6 Jace Lindstrom, Ryan Sanderson (Rotax)
17 Andrew Quinn, Luke May (Rotax)
8 Zeke Edwards, Steve Owen (Rotax)
58 Jordie Lindstrom, Aaron Ivermee (Rotax)
14 James Reyonlds, David Reynolds (Rotax)
5 Jason Stania, Matt Hayes (Rotax)
21 Bruce Otter, Joel Smith (Rotax)
41 Kristian Hanley, Hayden McBride (Rotax)
66 Ben Walter, Reif Corbett (Rotax)
90 Sarron Caddy, Daniel Richert (Rotax)
1 David Sera, Kel Treseder (Rotax)
32 Cameron Thorpe, Dominic Albanese (Rotax)
2 James Small, tba (Rotax)
34 Lee Holdsworth, Michael Caruso (Rotax)
43 Kyle Bell, Paul Gallo (Rotax)
91 Lee Mitchener, Tim Blanchard (Rotax)
16 Nick Percat, James Moffat (Rotax)
64 Mitchell Cuzens, Adam Hughes (Rotax)
56 Dean Foster, Brock Green (Rotax)
-- tba, tba (Rotax)

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