Big Five-Oh For Tassie Karting

AKA press release

Tasmanian karting is turning 50 in 2009 and to commemorate the milestone the North West Kart Club is conducting a Special Event at the HARDINGS HOTMIX Kartway in Highclere (near Burnie) next month (March 6-8).

Karting in Tasmania, and the world for that matter, has changed significantly since the first karting Event in Tasmania conducted by the Apex Club alongside the highway at Deloraine in 1959.

In the early years race meetings were conducted on various temporary circuits in paddocks across the state whereas the modern era sees karting featured at million dollar purpose-built complexes.

The North West Kart Club, now located at Highclere, was the first go-kart Club in the State and was originally known as the Burnie & District Go-Kart Club, so it is fitting that the 50-year celebrations be held at the venue next month.

While the initial layout of the circuit has been extended since it was first sealed many years ago, the same characteristics of the track remain.

Geoff Jacobs was one of the pioneers of karting in Tasmania and alongside the first President of the North West Club, Mac Wiseman, they worked together to attract drivers from ‘the Mainland’ to compete on local tracks.

Above: Organisers are trying to get 50 Twin-Engines karts to Tasmania to celebrate 50 years of the sport

“We needed a way to continually improve the level of karting in the State and the only way to do that was to attract drivers from the Mainland to come over and race,” said Jacobs, who was a former competitor in the International and 200 Super categories.

“With this in mind we developed a race in the 70s the Burnie 1000 which attracted the best drivers from across the country to compete for the $1,000 prize money.

“It certainly worked, we attracted guys like the Hunter brothers, Ryan and Robby, along with other Australian karting legends such as John Pizarro, Drew Price and Graham Powles.”

As a part of the 50-year celebrations Event Organisers are aiming to attract 50 twin-engine powered karts to take part in the race meeting along with racing for a variety of regular karting categories. Dave Gray, a vintage kart collector from Hobart, will also have a lot of his display on show at the Event.

The HARDINGS HOTMIX Kartway in Highclere is 770-metres in length and is located a few kilometres South of Burnie on the North-West Coast of Tasmania.

Competitors looking to participate or have something to show at the Event should contact stephp@internode.on.net or visit www.nwkc.org.au

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