Queensland Premier David Crisafulli was on hand on Friday morning in Ipswich. (Pic: Pace Images)
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli was on hand Friday morning in Ipswich, Queensland to welcome drivers, teams, officials and the karting community to the 50th round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol.
During the opening, Premier Crisafulli spoke about the significant impact that the sport of karting has on the lives of the youngsters competing in the sport and how much it can benefit them in the future.
“Sports like karting are a part of what we are as a nation, and indeed as a state,” said Premier Crisafulli.
“Yes, amongst the young men and women here may be the next Oscar Piastri or Kai Allen, who I’ve had the privilege of meeting a couple of times. But in the end if that privilege doesn’t afford itself to you, you’re still much better people having competed in this and enjoyed the discipline and structure that a sport like karting brings to your life.”
For Karting Australia Chief Executive Officer Kelvin O’Reilly, the milestone of 50 rounds signifies a decade of nurturing the aspirations of thousands of young karters who are the future of this great sport.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the original Board of Directors from the modern era, led by Mick Doohan, who set out to make our sport something exceptional. They gave me, as CEO, and Lee Hanatschek, our COO, the freedom to try and build something — and what we’ve created is truly spectacular,” said O’Reilly.
“I don’t think any of us could have imagined that in less than a decade, this competition would be recognised as the best national championship in the world and the largest multi-round championship.
“A special thank you to the Premier to be here and help us celebrate here today.”
Following the official opening of the event by the Premier, practice sessions commenced on the circuit and continued throughout the day. Qualifying and heat races will take place tomorrow, with finals scheduled for Sunday.
The Ipswich Kart Club is located on Champions Way, Willowbank. Admission for Spectators is Free.
7plus will broadcast the racing on both Saturday (12:30pm AEST) and Sunday (11:30am AEST) with a dedicated Australian Kart Championship channel available here.
Premier Crisafulli cutting the celebration cake for 50 rounds of the Australian Kart Championship (Pic: Pace Images)
