World Champions to Join Australian Superkart ChampionshipsPosted by Mark Jones, 20 April 2010, 7:39 AM |
What is already promising to be the most competitive season of Superkart racing in years will be enriched further next month when two World Superkart Champions join the best and brightest of the Australian scene. The opening round of the Australian Superkart Championships, May 1-2 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, will feature a field of over 50 based on pre-registration numbers.
Fresh from race victory at the latest round of the European Superkart Championship, 1995 World Superkart Champion Trevor Roberts will be joined by Danish veteran constructor and dual World Champ Poul V. Petersen. Roberts is coming to Australia as part of a friendly swap arrangement with reigning Australian Champion Sam Zavaglia but there is no mistaking his intent.
Roberts' entry is part of an international "swap drive" with reigning Australian Superkart Champion Sam Zavaglia. Zavaglia drove with Roberts' team at Assen round of the European Championships last year. "We actually agreed a fee from Sam to us and from us to Sam of $1," Roberts said. "Sam still hasn't paid up, so I guess the only way to get our $1 back was to come and race!" Joking aside, Roberts said he will be racing to win, and he does not intend to let unfamiliar equipment stand in his way.
"I have never even sat in a Stockman Superkart and have never raced a kart with an ex-GP bike motor," said Roberts, who will be driving a Stockman MR2 run by Zavaglia's team. "However, I have won many races and championships in many different classes throughout my career. ... I know plenty of top notch equipment will in use at the meeting, by top notch drivers, all of whom will be wanting to win as much as I do."
For Petersen, who said that at the age of 61 he is "over [his] best time as a driver," the trip is a blend of pleasure and business. "I have several customers in Australia I would like to say hello to," Petersen said, "and maybe I can help some of them if they have some questions about the PVP kart and motor." Among the existing customer base in Australia for Petersen's PVP Karts are Carlo Chermaz, Anton Stevens and Vince Livaditis. Petersen's first international title came back in 1979 with a European Championship with a pair of World titles following in 1985 and 1988.
Last year Petersen ran Queensland based driver Chermaz in the European Championship held at Magny-Cours (France), Most (Czech Republic) and Assen (Netherlands). Chermaz was a regular top ten race by seasons' end, claiming ninth in the series pointscore as well as finishing second in a non-championship event in Zolder, Belgium. PVPs are a familiar sight across Europe with several new karts finding their way to Australia for the 2010 season. Petersen will drive the PVP of another Queensland driver, Troy O'Brien, at Phillip Island.
The opening round of the 22nd Australian Superkart Championship will form part of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships event at Phillip Island with four championship races over two days of qualifying and racing.
Image supplied courtesy Poul V. Petersen.
For more information on Australian Superkart racing, visit:
http://www.superkartsaustralia.org/ - Superkarts Australia
http://www.superkartsvictoria.com/ - Victorian Superkart Club
http://www.nswsuperkarts.com/ - The Superkart Club of New South Wales
http://www.qldsuperkart.org/ - Queensland Superkart Club
http://www.superkart.net.au/ - Adelaide Superkart Club
or contact Mark Jones - 0412 678 237
