LIMESTONE Coast karters have welcomed a taste of normality, with drivers able to hit Glenburnie Raceway over the past few weeks.
Upon discussion with both state and national bodies, the Mount Gambier Karting Club became one of the first karting clubs in Australia to reopen its facilities, with two limited practice sessions a week, held with strict protocols in place.
Sessions have limited positions each week, with only 10 spots per day on Saturdays and Sundays, with bookings to be made via the club and an application process in place.
Social distancing restrictions are implemented, while drivers are permitted only one assistant/mechanic, who also needs to be registered in their application.
Those who miss out each week will be put on a waiting list and will be first in line for following sessions.
While several steps remain before complete normality can return to the racetrack, the reopening of the venue has provided something positive in these trying times.
Mount Gambier Karting Club president Jason Fewins said members have been excited to hit the tarmac again and the recent wet weather has not deterred their enthusiasm.
He said the club is following government restrictions closely and has the necessary precautions in place to ensure the track remains a safe place.
“There are a lot of things we have put in place to try and minimise the risk,” Fewins said.
“As a sport we are probably pretty lucky – we are covered in suits, we are wearing enclosed helmets and gloves, so a lot of that contact is minimised anyway.
“We will use that to our advantage to try and fast track the possibility of getting back on our tracks.”
Fewins said while it is early days yet, the club hopes to return to local events in July if government restrictions permit.
“There is a four-stage process we are working towards,” he said.
“We will start off with club level racing and then as the year unfolds it will go to regional, state and hopefully national level.”
To ensure the facility remains a safe environment no public access is allowed at this stage, with only club members able to use the track.
Sessions are run from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday, with club officials present to ensure members abide by the rules.
Any unauthorised practice may result in cancellation of membership or loss of license.
Also in place are several regulations to ensure the safety of those at the venue.
“We are limited and restricted by a number of procedures put in place to ensure the safety of our members,” Fewins said.
“That ranges from pitting with trailers (five metres apart) and you are not allowed to share tools and things like that.
“We also have to make sure the toilets are all cleaned after each session, so that way there is no cross-contamination between days.”
There is an amount of trust involved as well, but providing the guidelines are followed, Mount Gambier karters will continue to enjoy a return to their sport of choice.
“All our members have been told to take their own precautions – so take their own hand sanitiser and things like that – but as a club we are also doing what we can to make things easier and get
things moving back to some sort of normality,” Fewins said.
“The weather has been pretty average the last couple of weekends, but that has not stopped people from getting out there.
“Both days each weekend we have had members out there so that has been a positive sign everyone is keen to get back into some sort of racing.”
