Emerald KZ-2 competitors Ben Finch and Murray Herwin tower over their karts (Pic: CQ News/Sam Woods Emekart)
THEY are big, bold and certainly make a statement.
For the first time on a Central Highlands track, the Emerald Karting Club will be racing the formidable KZ-2 shifter karts at this Sunday’s monthly race meet.
Emerald competitors Ben Finch and Murray Herwin are two of those taking the wheel, muscling the extreme beasts around corners and down open straights at break-neck speeds.
“They’ll get you zero to 100kmh and back to zero in four seconds,” Herwin said.
Kart owner and local motorsport enthusiast Alex Jones described the KZ-2s as “premium class” and one of the most exciting to compete in and watch, simply because of the kart’s sheer power.
Packing a six-speed gear box as opposed to the conventional one and with a top speed of about 160kmh, it’s easy to see why Finch and Herwin – both newcomers to the KZ-2 class – are treating every race and practice session in this new power division with trepidation.
Emerald Karting Club committee member Brett Aird said the Central Highlands track was ideally suited to the big performance class of kart.
Other top-line drivers expected to make an appearance on Sunday will be Gladstone driver John Grother and Kel Treseder from Bundaberg.
Aird said the pair compete in the CIK Stars of Karting – an Australian-wide competition circuit which attracts leading drivers.
The Emerald club is developing a wealth of stars, with more than 80 members already signed on – the majority in the last couple of months. But while their senior ranks were looking well-stocked, the junior membership base was still starved of local competitors.
“We would love to more juniors out here,” Jones said.
The club will be holding its AGM at the track tomorrow from 4pm. All current and prospective members are welcome to attend.
