Teams from across the country are signing up to a new national Elite Karting League which will provide the chance for members of the public to pursue a driving career in one of the most exciting forms of motorsport. If you’ve always dreamed of getting behind the wheel then this is your chance to be selected to join your local Elite Karting League squad.
Organised and promoted by Teesside Karting in association with the National Karting Association (NKA), many of the 120 NKA kart circuits nationwide are supporting the fantastic new Elite Karting League, which will kick off at Bayford Meadows, Kent on 20 May.
Successful team members will be selected on merit alone by the respective circuit operators and team owners based on driver skill and determination. Each regional circuit is able to enter multiple teams comprising four members, so there’s every opportunity to prove your driving skills.
The 2012 League will boast up to 40 teams each representing UK circuits and regions, competing head-to-head aboard identical Biz Kart Evo chassis featuring twin GX160 Honda engines.
Six one-day rounds will be hosted at some of the country’s top karting circuits. Drivers will compete across practice, qualifying, and heats followed by two 90-minute races. One driver from each team will also battle it out in a ‘Race of Champions’ with the chance to win up to £1,000 in team prize money.
The inaugural Elite Karting League weekend will be held at Bayford Meadows (Kent) on 20 May, with subsequent rounds taking place at Ellough Park (Norfolk), Clay Pigeon (Dorset), Llandow (South Wales), Whilton Mill (Northamptonshire) and Teesside (Middlesbrough).
Elite Karting League Co-ordinator Kat Pope explains “Although karting is well known for crafting the careers of many of today’s top racing drivers, it is an extremely rewarding sport in its own right. There are thousands of kart enthusiasts out there who simply want to go racing and don’t have the necessary budgets or indeed desire to do anything other than race karts, so the Elite Karting League will allow them to go racing in a cost-effective way.”
Operators of the longest and fastest outdoor kart track in Europe, Teesside Karting is based at an Autodrome on the edge of Middlesbrough. It shares the facility with speedway team the Redcar Bears and it was that association which was the inspiration behind pitting regional karting teams one-on-one in a national league.
Kat continues: “Like Karting, speedway started on an individual basis but the formation of leagues rather than championships took it to a different level. Our aim for the Elite Karting League is to not only provide fantastic racing and competition for the drivers, but to offer the opportunity for circuits to become involved at a level that suits them.
“Like speedway, each team will represent the locality of its home track, which will not only create local media interest, but will also help develop a larger fan base and help karting to be better recognised as a sport in its own right.”
In addition to manufacturer backing from Biz Kart, with the supply of 45 new karts at the start of every season, the Elite Karting League has confirmed media partner support from Karting Magazine who will produce an exclusive publication each round, making it the only karting series with its own magazine.
The Elite Karting League will unify the competitive elements for the top drivers in karting but will also offer the opportunity for thousands of karting enthusiasts nationwide to have their talents acknowledged and their sport recognised.
Aspiring karting stars wanting to know more about the regional heats, scholarships and club nights at their local track can visit the website at TheKartingLeague.co.uk or simply join the team owners on the Facebook EKL Teams Association page to find your nearest team. A representative of the Elite Karting League will then contact you.
