IT was a blast from the past at the Mount Gambier Karting Club over the weekend, as it held its fifth annual Vintage Karting meeting.
A solid field tested their metal in their restored machines over three days of competition and event committee member John Cutting was pleased with the numbers who flocked to the Glenburnie circuit, whether it be to race or lend a hand in the pits.
“We had a good turnout,” he said.
“We had 49 entries and 78 karts.
“We were up 18 entries from last year so it was really good.”
With positions decided on times rather than track positions, it was a race against the clock to record the fastest laps throughout the Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions.
“We are not allowed to race, so what we do is we amass times,” Cutting said.
“You have the two days, Friday and Saturday, up until three o’clock and then you mash your lap times.
“The fastest five in each division go into the shootout.”
Split into five divisions based on the era of kart, the weekend gave plenty of opportunity for drivers to show off their machines, regardless of the manufacture date.
Josh Tynan demonstrated his skill across two divisions, winning both the Era 4 100cc and Era 5 100cc events.
He was followed by Tim Clarke and Brian Ramsden in the Era 4 shootout, while Ben Kilsby and Glen Davidson finished second and third respectively in the Era 5 event.
In the Era 3 100cc class Steven Moxon claimed the win, while Nick Karavas took out the Era 4 135-200cc category.
The final event was the Era 5 200cc, which saw Paul Kendall secure the victory from Robbie Hunter.
Since its inception, the vintage meeting has seen a steady growth in popularity and Cutting hopes to see numbers continue to improve in the years to come.
“I think in the first year we had 21 or 22 (entries),” he said.
“We had a bit of a drop in the second year, but then it has been increasing every year since.”
There was plenty of commotion in and around the pits, as well as on the track, as drivers from all over Australia made the trip to meet and race against people who share their passion.
Family and friends doubled as pit crews and spectators took to the grandstand to watch the old school karts in all their former glory.
“It is great to see all the old karts getting restored and being used again in the manner they were supposed to be,” Cutting said.
“People come here and they love the track and love the facilities.
“We had two entries from Queensland this year and I think six drivers from New South Wales.
“The rest were from Victoria and there was a dozen or so from Adelaide.
“Vintage karting is a growing branch of karting, so it is good to see the people who are actually interested enough to come to Mount Gambier.”
Cutting said preparations are already being made for next year’s event, as the club hopes to break over 50 entries in 2019.
“We are starting to work up for next year already,” he said.
“If we can get another 10 or so entries next year that would be great.”
