First ever Historic Kart World Championships to be held at Donington Park.

We haven't featured kart racing on Overdrive - maybe it's time we did? - Much less historic kart racing. Which is an area of historic racing fast gathering pace. It seems strange at first to think of historic karts, but that's to dismiss karting as a whole as a sport just for kids learning racing with little importance beyond that, the fact is that Karting is an important motorsport, and fully deserves to have it's past and historic vehicles represented.

They may look a little odd, but the racing is no less competitive.

The 2012 Donington Historic Festival has been chosen as the venue for the first-ever Historic Kart World Championships, giving classic motorsport fans even more to enjoy on May 5^th and 6th as some 150 historic karts, including machines originally campaigned by Graham Hill and Ayrton Senna, join the action on a specially laid-out circuit using the Donington GP Loop.

The inaugural Donington Historic Festival, in 2011 – a major landmark in the resurgence of this hugely-popular East Midlands circuit – was characterised by truly spectacular racing action featuring over 300 historic race cars and drivers from around the world. The addition of the karts, and around 200 kart drivers from the USA, Australia, New Zealand and all over Europe, to the Festival’s thrilling mix of sportscars, single-seaters, classic saloons and mighty Group C cars should ensure that the 2012 event raises the bar even higher.

Festival organiser, Duncan Wiltshire, said, “We are delighted that the British Historic Kart Club has selected the Donington Historic Festival as the stage for the inaugural Historic Kart World Championships. One of our key aims has always been that the Festival offers a wealth of racing excitement and entertainment for spectators, and the karts will really add to that, bringing former World and British Champions, and some very special machines.”

Tickets on sale in plenty of time for Christmas

Tickets for the 2012 Donington Historic Festival – which would make great Christmas gifts – go on sale on November 4^th. Advance ticket prices have been held at the family-friendly levels set in 2011, at £18 for an advance one-day ticket and £30 for an advance weekend ticket. On-the-gate prices will be £25 per day and £40 weekend. Children aged 16 and under are admitted for free. From November 4^th, tickets can be bought via www.doningtonhistoric.com and through the 24-hour ticket hotline 0844 873 7355.

Small karts, big excitement

Among the stars already entered for this world-first is British Historic Kart Club Patron, the veteran racing driver Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams, who will race one of his father’s creations, a 1959 Fastakart/Villiers. Karting legends scheduled to appear include the 1967 World Karting Champion Edgardo Rossi (Switzerland) and 1978 World Champion Lake Speed (USA), plus former British champions Reg Gange Jnr, Bill Longden and Bob Phair.

Going kart racing in an open face helmet is NOT reccomended!

There will also be a strong contingent of lady competitors, including the current European Champion, 100cc vintage, Tania le Couilliard, British Champion 250cc classic, Claire Atkinson and the Dutch racer Miranda van Middendorp.

Significant karts taking part include the 1959 Progress in which Graham Hill won the first-ever kart race held in the UK. This will compete alongside the famous front-engined Del-kart/Suzuki that was part of the Donington Collection for thirty years; both karts racing for the first time in several decades. Ayrton Senna’s World Championship DAP kart – last raced in 1979 by the great man himself – will compete for Classic Class 1 honours, while former champion Peter Burgess will pilot the Martin Hines-built Burgess Special Zip/ Bultaco.

There will also be demonstration laps by some rare machines, including the very first kart ever made by Art Ingels and the Biagi 701/Bultaco, the creation of 1961 Scottish champion Paul Biagi.

For further information and Festival tickets please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.