Action-packed four weeks for kart fans

Kart racing fans are in for four weeks of action on the trot at Nutts Corner Circuit, Dundrod, and Kirkistown on the Ards peninsula as the sport starts its run-up to the British Superkart round and UK Cup at Bishopscourt on 2nd June.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Apr 2012, 09:45 BST

This Saturday 21st April sees Kirkistown the focus of the non gearbox classes in the third round of the Northern Ireland championship and after the recent Ulster Karting Club hosted double header Northern Ireland and Ulster Championship round at Nutts Corner Circuit then hopes are high of big turnouts.

The following Saturday 28th April sees the incredibly fast Superkarts in action at Kirkistown as part of a joint car race and kart race meeting. Both the 125cc and the 160mph capable 250cc Superkarts will be in action in what will be their full race practice before the British championship round on 2nd June at Bishopscourt.

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Nutts Corner Circuit will be the focus of the tough Ulster Championships on 5th May with the non gearbox class drivers contending the third round of the series.

In the Jack Graham Motorsport of Ballymena supported Mini Max class, Coleraine’s Conor McKeown came home as top novice in the tough class but significantly finished fifth overall which was an impressive result so early in the season.

Dungannon’s Gary Donnelly, the defending GP champion, was the driver to beat and will be a tough driver to beat in the next few weeks. Jack Graham, from Ballymena, managed to hold off the improving Conor McPolin from Banbridge and that pairing will no doubt have their own challenge to reel in Donnelly.

The Nigel Stewart motors of Gilford supported Prokart class has remained fairly close at the front and Coleraine’s Martin Culbertson was also in the hunt for the podium with a fifth in finals showing his overall potential.

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Unquestionably the big success story this season is the World Formula class and the AG Wilson Civil Engineering Contractors of Portadown supported class will no doubt have capacity grids again.

Last time out Stephen Tosh from Coleraine had an uncharacteristically poor set of finals but no doubt will be back in the hunt for a top ten as a minimum over the next few weeks.

The Ronnie Thompson Wedding Limos of Lisburn supported Rotax Max class had a somewhat better turnout last time out and hopefully that trend will continue.

Portstewart’s Andrew Lynch took a well deserved fifth also in the last meeting which keeps him in the hunt for the podium overall.

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Ballymoney’s Dean Gray was not far off the pace either with a solid top ten finish showing his potential in the fastest of the non gearbox classes.

12th May will see Kirkistown back in action for the King of Kirkistown K plate meeting.

Racing on each of the next four Saturdays gets under way with the first of three heats starting at 10am with the finals in mid afternoon.

Full details can also be obtained at the newly formatted NIKA web site www.nikarting.com or www.ulsterkartingclub.com.