to lead full review of UK karting
The Motor Sports Association has appointed George Robinson to undertake a complete review of UK karting and to make recommendations for the future of the sport.
Robinson's brief will be to consider karting throughout the UK and formulate proposals to ensure that the sport continues to deliver and develop in the future. It is anticipated that his initial recommendations will be made to the Motor Sports Council by the end of this year.
The three central considerations will be:
The MSA's governance and regulation of karting, to create a more timely and efficient system of governance for the sport The structure and quantity of karting championships and defined classes, with a view to introducing a clear structure of progression from entry at club level through to CIK The cost of karting at entry level and proposals to reduce the cost of competition in order to bring more people into the sport.
"For a number of reasons, it is clear that we have not got very far in trying to restructure karting from within," says Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Executive, "so we have gone outside the existing system to get an objective view of the way forward. George Robinson is hugely experienced and highly respected and he was the logical choice to undertake this review. It is vital to the future of the sport that we get this right, so we will take our time to address all the issues and will not be implementing anything before 2012 at the earliest."
George Robinson brings a wealth of experience to the project, having been involved in karting for 40 years as a competitor, circuit operator, driver trainer and engine builder. He still runs a successful engineering company.
"It is a fairly sweeping statement to talk about the restructure of karting, but it's vital for the future health and well-being of the sport," he confirms. "I am delighted that the MSA has asked me to lead this project, but it will not be a solo task. I will draw on the valuable knowledge and intellect of many people in the sport and I very much hope that they will support me in this important role.
"Because I'm still involved in karting, I am in touch with the people on the ground and I think that this is important. There are obviously a lot of vested interests at play - at first glance I estimated that something like 60 people currently have a say in the running of the sport - so we need to cut through personal interest and take a view on what's best for karting as a sport and as a leisure pursuit. It's not going to be easy, but if we do this properly I am sure we will receive the support to make a major impact on the future of the sport."
