The premier karting championship in the southern hemisphere, the AKC has served as the proving ground for the likes of Formula 1 star Oscar Piastri, as well as almost the entirety of the current Supercars field, and will head to ELKC, 20 minutes west of Seymour, this weekend for the fifth time in the championship’s 11-year history.
With drivers as young as seven - and even some from as far as Singapore and Malaysia - behind the wheel, the AKC provides plenty of thrills, with eight classes to hit the Hume International Raceway track this weekend, ranging from Cadet 9 (under nine years old) in 60cc karts to the KZ2 class, which sees competitors aged 14 years or older do battle in 125cc geared karts, reaching top speeds of up to 140 kilometres per hour.
Four Goulburn Valley talents will be in action around the 1064 metre,13-turn anti-clockwise circuit, too, with 13-year-old Jensen Damaschino from Shepparton looking to reinforce his lead in the KA3 Junior class, having won the previous two rounds in Ipswich and Townsville, while fellow Shepparton local Mason Martin, also 13, will be looking to stop his run of wins.
Shepparton brothers Will and Zac Thompson round out the GV entrants, with 18-year-old Will to compete in his first round of the year, having won four previous rounds since 2022, while Zac will be looking to claim his first win in the AKC since 2023.
The championship, run by Karting Australia, the FIA delegated authority for kart racing in Australia, is set to inject an estimated $1.3 million into the local economy of the venue across the weekend, and will be broadcast on 7+ with live qualifying and heats coverage on Saturday, September 5 from, 12:30pm, before resuming at 11:30am on Sunday, September 6 for heats and finals in all classes.
