Karting builds momentum into 2024

POLE Position Karts has announced the launch of a new four-stroke recreational karting series in Zimbabwe. Karting enthusiasts can look forward to an exciting competition that will feature six separate championships run over three rounds each, at the world class kart track at National Sports Stadium.

Collin Matiza Sports Editor

The first round of the series will begin on February 24, with two rounds held every month over a period of nine months.

Kevin Dufty, the owner of the venue and a karting veteran of over 40 years, said: “We are thrilled to introduce this new recreational karting series in Zimbabwe. We always wanted to inspire and encourage more people into the sport of karting as a recreational activity and as a competitive sport to grow karting and this series will help reach those goals.”

The competition promises to be a thrilling event, with between 40 to 50 drivers in 10 teams competing for a chance to be crowned the championship winner.

Each round of the championship will consist of a 30-minute qualifying session followed by a one hour endurance race, during which the top teams are expected to complete over 60 laps of the 720 metre kart track.

There will be four compulsory pit stops for driver changes, so teams have to calculate their strategies, work out when and which drivers should race and, of course, balance risk versus reward – if any driver crashes out, that’s the end of the team’s race. Recreational karts are not normally very powerful but the series will use the sport style 390cc Sodi karts which boast performance close to a racing kart.

They have been designed for a thrilling driving experience and are the benchmark in the rental kart industry.

The karts are all the same specification, which puts the focus on the driver’s skill and gives them the opportunity to show off their race-craft.

Dufty added: “We are privileged to partner with Duracrete ready mix concrete who have come on board as title sponsor for the whole series throughout the year.

“This will allow us to award prestigious trophies and prizes and really help to ramp up the professionalism of the championship, which promises to be one of the largest karting series seen in Zimbabwe for several decades.”

Pole Position Karts offers karting to the general public at both their venues in Eastlea and the National Sport Stadium, Harare, and are also well known as the promoters of the successful ROK Cup Zimbabwe kart racing championship.