IN a great advertisement for the sport of karting, all V8 Supercar drivers at Darwin’s Hidden Valley over the weekend began their careers in that mode of racing.
Champions such as James Courtney, Jamie Whincup, Garth Tander and 2012 Darwin winner Craig Lowndes, all got their start in karting.
Others include Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison, Michael Caruso, Todd and Rick Kelly, and Lee Holdsworth.
Courtney part of a unique trio as the only Australian drivers to have won an FIArecognised World Championship. His wins at karting world championship level in 1995 and 1997 place him with Australia’s Formula One world champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, in the FIA’s list of champions.
And when Courtney, Caruso and Winterbottom filled the podium at the inaugural Sydney Telstra 500, in 2009, the winner said it was like the Combined DistrictsKart Club championship in 1992.
‘‘We all grew up karting together at places like Lithgow, Oran Park and Wollongong,’’ said Courtney.
‘‘Back then we were banging side pods, and now we’re banging car doors.’’
Winterbottom, driver of the Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon, said lessons learnt in karting were ones that stayed with you for your entire career.
‘‘ V8 Supercar racing is very much a technical game in this day and age, however, the basic driving principles are still the same as when we were all in karting,’’ Winterbottom said.
Australia’s next crop of future V8 Supercar drivers head to Darwin to compete in the 2012 AustralianKarting Championships, to be held at Berrimah’s Hidden Valley karting complex, on the weekend of July 7 and 8.
