Superkarts to Test at Mount Panorama 06/02/10
By Mark Jones, 5 February 2010
Superkarts will make their first ever appearance at Australia's most famous motor racing venue, Mount Panorama, Bathurst next weekend as part of the festivities of the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Six Superkarts will take to the six kilometre circuit on Friday, February 12 for a test session to test the feasibility of racing at the New South Wales venue in the future. The six drivers represent each of the three most popularly contested Superkarting classes and each will record their impressions prior to CAMS, the governing body of Australian motor racing, giving approval for Superkarts to be able to compete.The three classes represented are 250cc International, 125cc Gearbox and Rotax Max.
The feasibility test came from an initiative started by the Superkart Club of New South Wales, after an invitation from Bathurst 12 Hour organisers, Yeehah Events. An extensive safety study of the fabled and fast racing circuit was conducted by Workplace Safety specialist Ian Mash of Superkart Club of New South Wales with the report submitted to CAMS last year.
"Having ridden this wave from day one, it's with much excitement for not only the Superkart Club of NSW, but Superkarts in Australia that this opportunity has arisen," said Wayne Horswell, President of the Superkart Club of New South Wales. "James O'Brien from Yeehah Events and CAMS deserve a lot of praise for opening a door that has the ability to put this little known, inexpensive category on show."
If approved it will be the first time in over forty years that winged open wheel racing cars will have raced at Mount Panorama. In 1970 in the only appearance of the V8 powered Formula 5000 category, Neil Allen set a lap record that took the touring cars of the Bathurst 1000 thirty years to eclipse. Since then Formula Ford and Formula Vee, two categories that race on treaded tyres and run without aerodynamic wings have been the only open wheel racing cars to race at Bathurst. In recent years a former American Indycar has completed demonstration runs during Bathurst Festival weekend.
Strictly a feasibility demonstration run, the six drivers, who include Australia's most decorated Superkart racer, seven time Australian champion Warren McIlveen, will not be setting aggressive lap times and are not expected to approach Greg Murphy's famous fastest ever lap, although they will be exploring capabilities of their karts on the circuit.
“I can’t wait to drive a Superkart around the prestigious Mount Panorama Circuit,” said McIlveen. “I feel it will be very exhilarating but a little bit scary driving between those concrete walls at speeds up to 240kph. It is also going to be an awesome spectacle watching Superkarts literally fly up and across the mountain. Many thanks to all the organisers.”
The six Superkart drivers are: 250 International drivers Tamworth-based McIlveen and Melbourne's Gary Pegoraro, 125cc Gearbox drivers, Sydneysiders Jeff Reed and Ian Mash and Rotax Max: Wayne Horswell and Alan Dodge also from Sydney. Each of the six will be contributing to the final report.
Superkarts are one of Australia's fastest motor racing categories and also one of the most cost-effective. Built around a specialist kart racing chassis which are constructed in both Europe and Australia, these pocket rockets are powered by a mix of specialist kart racing engines, and by 250cc and 125cc Grand Prix motorcycle engines. Producing approximately 100 horsepower in the 250 International class, the karts themselves weigh just 215 kg, making for a power-to-weight ratio unmatched in Australian motorsport at an operating budget of as little as 5% of comparably swift racing categories.
http://www.superkartsaustralia.org/news/superkarts-to-test-at-mount-panorama
