Well that is Kartsport SA’s first full year of racing and what a year it has been.
Firstly, on behalf of the hard working committee I would like to sincerely thank all the drivers, pit crews and families that came and supported our meetings. Without you all we would not even exist.
Speaking of the committee, thank you all for the work that goes on behind the scenes. All your dedication to making this work goes back almost 3 years when the messenger group first formed. So you must all be very proud of yourselves to see how successful we have become.
I would like to thank Mark “Gadget” Lunn for supplying the stickers for our trophies for each and every meeting at considerable cost to himself. Please contact Mark if you need any stickers, sticker kits, vinyl wraps for vehicles, etc. I am sure he will look after you if you mention Kartsport SA.
Terry Dunn from Dunn Photographic has been to every one of our meetings to take photos, normally about 400+ pictures per meeting. I thank you for all your work and putting the pictures on Facebook for everyone to see. That publicity is so great for us when it shows people at race meetings just having fun as it used to be. If you have raced this year, then Terry would have photos of you on his Facebook page. Take a look and maybe buy a single photo or package, they are great value.
Where would we be on race days without all our volunteers? Each and every one of these people turn up to officiate at our meetings at their own cost. Chris Whibley, our race director. Arnold Oxford, our safety lights operator. Steve Simkin, Peter Flynn, Wayne Cross, our stewards. Warren Mitchell, he puts his hand up for wherever he is needed. Linda Harris and Gavin Newman our timekeepers and lap scorers. Frank Chessell, our starter and most importantly after the racing he jumps in behind the bar to take care of your thirst. Not to forget Dale Provan, our very own scrutineer and scales marshal. Then of course we have Rachel Ford, she puts her hand up for anything that needs doing from parking attendant, starter, scales marshal, to cooking for and feeding the many race day volunteers. (I think the fantastic food she serves us is why we have so many volunteers). I sincerely thank you all.
The Barossa Go Kart Club must also get a huge thank you for believing in us and allowing us to hire their brilliant facilities. The Barossa club committee and volunteers always present their complex for our race meetings in a pristine condition. The canteen staff work hard to always serve the tastiest food. John Ellis, the Barossa club president, is usually on the microphone doing the race commentary unless he is out on the track racing.
This year we ran 5 meetings at The Barossa Go Kart Club and to try to mix things up we ran 3 of them in an anti-clockwise direction, 1 was clockwise and 1 was in both directions on the same day which judging by the comments was hugely successful.
Our last meeting for the year was down at the very picturesque Mount Gambier track with our very first 2 day meeting. With 55 race entries it was the biggest race meeting for Mount Gambier in 2019. Thank you to Mount Gambier Kart Club and their volunteers that helped out over the weekend, and all the volunteers that travelled down from Adelaide that helped to make this meeting a resounding success. Being invited to participate in their presentation night with a delicious barbecue tea and desserts made this a truly memorable weekend. Stay tuned as we will be back down there next year even bigger and better.
So with 6 meetings this calendar year we totalled 337 entrants. That is an average of 56 drivers per meeting. Our biggest meeting for the year was 82 entrants, making it SA’s biggest club day meeting and 3rd largest South Australian kart meeting for 2019!
Onto next year, what are the plans?
- Encourage more cadets, rookies and juniors to race.
- Prepare the race calendar for the whole year.
- Work out rules for a senior and junior “driver of the year”.
- Attract more sponsors.
- Attract more venues.
I would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and look forward to an even bigger and better year next year.
David Harris.
President, Kartsport SA.