adminby Bacardi.
All the country’s top junior and senior drivers will be in action in tomorrow’s event in which they will be fighting for the top honours in different classes which range from the cadet class up to club level.
In fact, about 30 junior and senior drivers will take part in this meet and the racing is expected to be fast and furious.
Nine-year-old Tanya Muzinda, who is also into motocross, is currently the pacesetter in the cadets class and will be the driver to beat in this section while in the miniROK class, all eyes will be on Keegan Davie who is leading in this category ahead of Ben Ferreira and Zac Dufty who are currently placed second and third respectively.
At club level, Ale Savo is leading the Junior class and Aiden Onoratti leads the seniors.
Karting is fast becoming one of the major motorsport events in this country and for each race meeting, there are 16 races held — four for each class.
The race calendar covers about 10 meetings a year with one or two of these held in Bulawayo. There is a combination of club and national races with some race meetings having both.
Race day generally starts at 8am with free practice for the Cadets/Mini Roks proceeding to official practice at 9am with racing commencing at about 10:30am.
Scrutineering takes place between 8am and 9am which all karts need to pass before being allowed to race.
And for all those people who have not been to Donnybrook to watch karting, kart racing is tremendous fun and an exciting motorsport the whole family can enjoy.
It’s a great way to spend time with friends and family in a safe and fun environment.
At each race meeting there is full bar and catering together with braai facilities and braai packs. In addition, there is an excellent club house with clean, tidy toilets and a nice fenced playground for younger children to have fun .
In Zimbabwe there are four classes of karts which are:
Cadets: This is the youngest class for ages from six to 12-year-olds. The first class for budding F1 champions, featuring mini size karts with speeds up to 60Kph and the same layout as standard machinery. Cadets use 60cc Comer 2 stroke engines with a clutch and various different chassis although Allkart is the most popular and advanced. A popular and great way to gain experience as long as Dads remain sensible!
Mini Rok: this is the newest class which started in 2012. Open to ages from eight to 13, the class uses slightly larger karts than the Cadet and a purpose built 60cc engine fitted with an electric start. The karts are very fast, reaching speeds of up to 85kph and only running about four seconds slower than the Junior class and for this reason the organisers highly recommend that younger or new competitors spend one or two seasons in the Cadet class learning racecraft.
The class is heavily regulated to ensure an even playing field and is run in accordance with the international regulations for this class.
The top two finishers qualify for the World Championships held in Italy every year.
Junior Rotax: This class is drivers who are from 12 to 16 years old. It features full size karts fitted with 125cc Rotax 2 stroke (restricted) watercooled engines that are much more advanced than the Cadet/Mini Rok engines and capable of 12 000RPM!
These karts are very fast and are not far off the times set by the senior class because of their weight advantage.
Senior Rotax Max Class: This class is designed for competitors who are 16 years and over. It uses a similar kart chassis as the Junior class with an unrestricted 125cc Rotax 2 stroke watercooled engine fitted with a power valve – these are the fastest karts in Zimbabwe capable of speeds in excess of 120Kph.
These engines are serviced, repaired and sealed to strict controls to ensure conformity to class regulations and avoid unauthorised tuning and modifications and to try and ensure a level playing field.
Within the Senior class is also a Masters class for drivers over 32 years old. Overall, karting is one of the safest forms of motorsport that you can participate in. Of course, any time you drive a vehicle at or near its limit, there is a risk of getting hurt. For that reason, your attention to the quality, care and use of your safety equipment is critical.
In addition, helmet costs are one of those areas where the old adage “you get what you pay for” rings very true. As Jody Scheckter once said, “If you have a US$10 head buy a US$10 helmet”! Entry requirements for kart racing consist of 1) joining the Harare Karting Club (US$100 per annum), 2) undergoing a medical examination with your GP (which will include a blood test) and 3) obtaining a restricted racing license (US$60). Once these requirements have been completed you can get out and start practicing for your first race meeting!
Meanwhile, Temba Mazvimbakupa of the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation has urged local motosport enthusiasts to go and watch tomorrow’s karting event at Donnybrook.
“Karting is one of the most exciting motorsport events to watch. This sport has been there for a long time but it was getting little support from the public and I would like to urge local motor racing followers to come to Donnybrook in their hundreds to watch Sunday’s event.
“In fact, one of our current sporting heroes, Axcil Jefferies, began his career as a karting driver at Donnybrook and I’m sure there are more Axcil Jefferies out there who are going to be produced during these karting events at Donnybrook.
“The other interesting thing to note is that most of the current popular Formula One racing drivers in the world started off as karting drivers and that is where their breeding ground is,” Mazvimbakupa said.
Online Reporter