• Fans flock to stunning historic display.• Packed 2012 calendar revealed.
The British Historic Kart Club, the fastest growing kart club in the UK, took pride of place at the recent Kartmania UK show in Coventry with a spectacular display of machinery and plenty of exciting developments for the 2012 season.
With more than a dozen immaculately restored karts all built between 1959 and 1982 on display the club welcomed a steady stream of inquisitive onlookers, current drivers and potential new recruits to the Historic Karting scene over the course of the two-day show.
Among the highlights of the display was a 1962 Italkart with twin Komet K125 engines originally imported by Bernie Turney, who later went on to form Tal-Ko and whose son Alan is still heavily involved with the British Karting scene.
Joining the Italkart and many other long-forgotten Marques such as Vacquand and Buckler that were also represented on the stand was Graham Loakes’ stunning 1976 Class IV Barlotti/Villiers, which has been the subject of a painstaking six month restoration that has been well documented on the BHKC’s website. Still to have its engine fired much less turn a wheel in anger, it is hoped that Loakes will appear on track with it during the 2012 season.
Club patron Barrie ‘Wizzo’ Williams was in attendance on Saturday as the 2012 calendar was unveiled, which includes the six round RetroRacer Series, the as yet untitled global championship event at Donington Park next May as well as high profile demonstration events at the annual Shenington Superprix in June and Race Retro at Stoneleigh in February.
While the karts are often the stars of the show in historic karting, one of the main talking points this year was eleven year old Ed Thurston, who demonstrated his 1976 Deavinson Sprint DAP T70 throughout the country in 2011. Despite being too young to race even though his lap times are comparable to the very quickest drivers in the RetroRacer Series, Ed and his father Gerry are working towards creating the first Historic class for Junior drivers in the near future.
The club already have members signing up for 2012 and with over 200 drivers expected to attend the Donington Park event the BHKC are continuing to expand their international horizons and are working towards sending drivers to the two Angelo Parilla organised historic events at Jesolo in Italy next year.
