For many people , Karting was their introduction to competing in Motor Sport. Some stayed in the sport, others moved on.... many have fond memories of their Karting days.
Historic Karting is enjoying a rise in popularity world wide. Machinery from the past is being brought back to life... the unit below is one such example.... powered by 32 year old twin Parilla Reed engines, you can read about its restoration here
Many people don't consider Karting real racing, but I suggest you look at this short preview clip from the movie "Senna"..... and note who he considers "The greatest driver he ever raced against"...
I saw the Senna movie on Sunday and came away drained after a couple of hours of intense adrenaline rushes. The footage of Senna taking his first win at Monaco, in a Toleman, in torrential rain, had the entire theatre gasping it was so intense.
And yes, at the end of the movie it shows Senna recalling his tour to Europe for karting as the best racing of his life. Pure racing, no money, no politics (in his F1 days Senna went head-to-head with Jean Marie Balestre, President of FISA and came away with some pretty big bruises, although he had some wins in the boardroom as he did on the track.)
The kart in question is a "Demon X8" manufactered by Drew Price Engineering in the late 1980's.
DPE began manufacturing karts in the mid 1970's, and continue to do so to this day. The first karts were branded know as "Ace" karts which then evolved into the "Demon" range, and are now known as "Arrow" karts.
Drew Price first became involved in karting when he purchased Eric Walsh tuning here in Melbourne at the start of the 1970's.
The business was originaly run from the garage at the back of his fathers house. The business now occupies a large manufacturing facility where they produce karting products for not only the Australian market, but a large export market as well.
Yes, and look at the Kids gathered around......all future race car drivers. Dont see much of that anymore...too interested in X-box, or whatever it's called. Other sporting codes are always going on about getting the youngsters involved, and I guess motorsport is the same. If your Dad didn't do it, is unlikely that the family will get the bug. And of course today the machinery is SO much more sophisticated......and expensive.
Now it's the rich dads who, in some cases, never made it that are the cheque books for the kids. I guess it's not too practical for dads to race and have the kids follow. It's a bit sad that they all want to be pro race drivers instaed of doing it for fun and the cream rising. Even sadder watching the kids have to be the successes that some of the dads never were.
Pics and descriptions from the Nelson photo News February 3, 1962
The machines used by go-karters might lack the zest and zoom of their bigger counterparts but they provide just as many thrills for driver and spectator as the boys on the Tahuna back beach. We called in at the circuit on Bolt Road during the holiday season, and found the lads (all smoking a popular brand of cigar-rettes) having a rip-roaring time.
May 31, 1969
They might be small and close to the ground, but the little go-karts taking part in the Rothmans GoKart Grand Prix meeting on the reclamation at Port Nelson were certainly not slow. At times the powerful little machines reached speeds well above 60 m. p.h. Major placings in the big event went to South Island karts and drivers, Robin Wilkinson (Christchurch) taking first place. He just pipped Nelson's Robin Greig who took second place. Another Christchurch driver, Phillip Mills, was third (at left). The only untoward incident in the big race was a collision involving several karts. Our photograph above shows the merry mix-up as karts sort themselves out after the collision. Behind the straw bales the driver of one kart lies on the road while the crowd scatters.
Nelson drivers relax in the pits: Denis Bradley, Mike Fisher, Jim Bradley and Kevin Jones.
Only woman driver was Lavinia Triplow, seen here with her father, Roy, the national president, and another driver
