Australian Superkart Championship Explained

Pixels:220px
Category:Single-seaters
Inaugural:1989
Drivers:41
Teams:33
Constructors:7
Country/Region:Australia
Champion Driver:Russell Jamieson
Champion Team:Coach Design
Manufacturer:Anderson Racing Karts
Current Season:2016 Australian Superkart season
Website:Superkarts Australia

The Australian Superkart Championship is a motor racing series run in Australia under the auspices of CAMS under their Superkart regulations. The karts race on full-size Australian circuits and in 2013 the series was raced at Sydney Motorsport Park and Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. As of 2007 the series has raced as part of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships. The series is one of nine that enjoy full CAMS Australian Championship status.[1]

National titles have also been run by other sanctioning organisations over the years as one-off events.

Classes

Presently three different classes of Superkart compete in the Australian championship: 250 International (for two cylinder 250cc engines), 250 National (for single cylinder 250cc engines), 125 Gearbox (for 125cc engines). Rotax max family of classes no longer compete for Australian championship status but have a single event non-gearbox Nationals with three classes: Rotax Light and Rotax Heavy, both weight based categories and Rotax Junior for drivers of the ages 12–16, and they run their Rotax 125cc engines without a power valve, reducing the power output of the class relative to Rotax Light and Rotax Heavy. While all classes compete for a national title, because of regulations in 2008 only the winners of the 250 International class has consistently been able to claim Australian Champion. Prior to the widespread popularity of Rotax Max the non-gearbox classes were 100cc engine capacity. Previously there was also a fourth gearbox class for 80cc engines Superkarts but numbers have dwindled in recent times to the point that 80cc class has been folded into 125cc class at national level and today only survives in limited numbers at state level.

Champions

The following is a compilation of Australian Superkart championship and national series winners. Since 1980 superkart motor racing series have been run under AKA & CAMS regulation. Prior to 1989 titles existed run under AKA authority. Run originally as single event championship it blossomed into a multi-event series in the early 2000s.

One of the most successful driver in Superkart racing is Warren McIlveen who has won 7 titles, six of them in the top class, 250 International. The most successful & cross-class driver has been Brian Stockman who has won eight titles across four classes. 2 x 80cc, 1 x 125cc, 2 x 250cc single & 3 x 250cc international. Jason McIntyre, Luke May and Jeff Reed are the only drivers to have won both Gearbox and non-Gearbox titles. Both the non-gearbox classes 100cc and Rotax Max have both used Light, Heavy and Junior classes to further sub-divide their numbers on occasion. They are indicate L: Light, H: Heavy and J: Junior.[2]

Due partially to falling numbers not all have been recognised as Australian Champions, some only as national series winners. For example, in 2009 only the 250 International class was recognised with the status of Australian champion. Numbers have since rebounded.

Attempts to run a Rotax Max title since 2009 had collapsed on multiple occasions[3] but a replacement event no longer considered an Australian Championship was run in 2011.[4]

Year250cc International250cc National125cc Gearbox80cc Gearbox100cc non-GearboxRotax Max
DriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-Engine
1989Paul LawsonZipBarry ThomasZipBruce JollyZipGerard SkellyTonyKart
1990Gerard SiebertZip Eagle-RotaxRob LindsayAnderson-HusqvarnaGlen RobertsonEliminator-Yamaha
1991Les MayZip Eagle-RotaxRob LindsayAnderson-HusqvarnaPaul HillmanCentreline-HondaCameron KerrTalbot-Yamaha
1992Shane WilsonAnderson-RotaxBrian StockmanStockman-KawasakiPaul HillmanCentreline-HondaChryss JamiesonGladiator-YamahaDale HarrisSprinter-Yamaha
1993Gerard SiebertZip Eagle-RotaxBrian StockmanStockman-KawasakiPaul HillmanCentreline-HondaBrett AndersonMinarelli-YamahaJeff ReedSprinter-Yamaha
1994Les MayAnderson-RotaxJohn PellicanoStockman-KawasakiMatthew CampbellCentreline-HondaBrett WalshGladiator-YamahaKerryn BrewerBenson-Yamaha
1995John BarabaszKustom-RotaxGraeme WilliamsStockman-YamahaPeter WorrallCentreline-HondaBrett WalshGladiator-YamahaLes PrziovskiSpeed-Yamaha
1996Gerard SiebertZip Eagle-RotaxPaul HillmanCentreline-YamahaWarren McIlveenStockman-HondaTroy ByronCentreline-YamahaLes PrziovskiSpeed-Yamaha
1997David BakerPVP-RotaxChris StaffStockman-KawasakiPeter WorrallCentreline-HondaTroy ByronCentreline-YamahaIan LennoxMac-Mineralli
1998Brian StockmanStockman-YamahaMichael CrosslandStockman-KawasakiPeter CarterCentreline-HondaRoss HansenCentreline-YamahaL: Ray Collier
H: Ken Knight

Arrow AX5
1999Warren McIlveenStockman-HondaGary BrookesCentreline-HondaBrian StockmanStockman-HondaChryss JamiesonGladiator-YamahaL: Jason McIntyre
H: Gary Pegoraro
J: Luke May
DAP-Yamaha
CRG-Yamaha
CRG-Yamaha
2000Brian StockmanStockman-HondaSteven TapperStockman-kawasakiRoy FrancescatoCentreline-HondaChryss JamiesonGladiator-YamahaL: Ray Collier
H: Gary Pegoraro
KCM-Yamaha
Azzurro-Yamaha
2001Warren McIlveenStockman-HondaSteven TapperStockman-kawasakiDarren DunnTopkart-HondaAnthony LappasEliminator-YamahaL: Michael Rogers
H: Andrew Davison
Arrow-Yamaha
KCM-Yamaha
2002Sam ZavagliaStockman-HondaColin McIntyreAnderson-KTMDarren DunnTopkart-HondaRoss HansenCentreline-YamahaGary PegoraroAzzuro-YamahaTracey O'Rourke
2003Warren McIlveenStockman MR2-HondaAnthony ZulianStockman MR2-HondaChryss JamiesonGladiator-HondaGary PegoraroAzzuro-YamahaShane Wright
2004Brian StockmanStockman MR2-HondaSam ZavagliaStockman MR2-HondaNathen BeyMonaco-Rotax
2005Warren McIlveenStockman MR2-HondaJason McIntyreAnderson-KTMSam ZavagliaStockman MR2-HondaDoug WardCentreline-YamahaDarren TylerBirel-Rotax
2006Warren McIlveenStockman MR2-HondaJason McIntyreAnderson-KTMRussell JamiesonStockman Laydown-HondaRobert TrimmerCentreline-Yamaha
2007Warren McIlveenStockman MR2-HondaJason McIntyre*Anderson-KTMKristian StebbingStockman MR2-HondaL: Michael Rogers
H: Ron Goldfinch
J: Sean Whitfield
2008Darren HossackAnderson-SafeMartin Latta*Stockman-YamahaBrad StebbingStockman MR2-HondaL: Michael Rogers
H: Mark Wicks
J: Sean Whitfield
Arrow-Rotax
Hypermax-Rotax
Hypermax-Rotax
2009Sam ZavagliaStockman MR2-YamahaSteven Tamasi*Stockman MR2-Honda
2010Darren HossackAnderson-SafeMartin LattaAnderson-HondaSteven TamasiStockman MR2-Honda
2011Warren McIlveenStockman MR2-HondaLuke May*Anderson-HondaJeff ReedStockman MR2-HondaL: Shaun Pannowitch*
H: Steve Milner*
J: Tim Clarke*
2012Jason SmithAnderson-DEABrendan Luneman*Anderson-YamahaJeff ReedStockman MR2-Honda
2013Russell JamiesonAnderson-DEADalton Rowell*Stockman MR2-HondaJeff ReedStockman MR2-Honda
2014Gary PegoraroAnderson-BRCDalton Rowell*Stockman MR2-HondaGary HaywoodBakker X4-Yamaha
2015Russell JamiesonAnderson-DEAJordan Ford*Anderson-YamahaMark RobinStockman MR2-Honda
2016 Australian Superkart season 2016Ilya HarpasAnderson-DEADriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-EngineDriverKart-Engine
250cc International Ilya Harpas[5] 250cc National125cc Gearbox80cc Gearbox125 Stock-HondaRotax Max
* Indicates winner of a national series rather than Australian championship.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CAMS Online Manual of Motor Sport . https://web.archive.org/web/20070116042004/http://www.camsmanual.com.au/SportingRegulations.asp . 2007-01-16 . CAMS Online Manual of Motor Sport.
  2. Web site: Online Manual of Motor Sport: Section 14: Titles . 2008-12-01 . 2008-10-01 . Confederation of Australian Motor Sport . 12–13 .
  3. Web site: Australian Superkart Championships . 8 April 2009 . Superkarts Australia . 29 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111001170513/http://www.superkartsaustralia.org/news/australian-superkart-championships . 2011-10-01 . dead .
  4. Web site: 2011 Australian Non Gearbox Superkart Nationals: Sporting Regulations . . 29 June 2011.
  5. Australia