15 Nov 2023

Angas Go-Kart Club celebrates 60th anniversary │The Mount Barker Courier

By Louis Mayfield 

The Angas Go-Kart Club recently celebrated a milestone with two days of racing, memorials and award presentations at its Strathalbyn racecourse.

The 60th anniversary club championships drew about 300 people including racers, pit crews and spectators from around the State to compete in 15 classes, ranging from juniors to seniors.

The club also honored past and present life members and members who had passed away over the past year, with 14-year-old Will Cutting completing memorial laps for his father Pete, who died in April.

Meanwhile the KT Retro class was open to any kart built before the year 2000, providing a nostalgia hit for those who have been involved in the karting scene for many years.

Club sponsorship co-ordinator Tammie Tugwell said the class highlighted how far the sport had advanced in recent years.

“It (highlights) the changes in the way they look and how they’re built and things like that, they actually do look really spectacular, it feels like you’re transported back 20 to 30 years,” she said.

“All the side pod shapes are different, chassis are constantly being upgraded and built by manufacturers for improvements in aerodynamics and stability.”

The speedway-style format of the competition involved time trials, four heats, a top six shootout and a winner-take-all final.

The club championships were opened by SA Senator Andrew McLachlan and club member Robert Crouch, the son of Ken Crouch who originally opened the club.

Mr McLachlan paid tribute to the “incredible” work of many “passionate” volunteers past and present who had contributed to the club’s success over the past 60 years.

“The Angas Go-Kart Club is such a fantastic asset to the Strathalbyn community, it regularly hosts hundreds of competitors and spectators from across the State,” he said.

“I am incredibly impressed by the club’s efforts to promote the sport at the junior level.

“It was fantastic to see so many children racing around the track and pulling into the pits with smiles on their faces.”