New French-made karts hit Phillip Island

Karting at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is set to go up another level in the high-octane stakes, with $230,000 having been invested on a new fleet of French-made, Honda-powered SODI RT8 karts.  The karts arrived from Europe this week and will go through an assembly process in readiness for action by the September school holidays.

“These are no ordinary karts.  Each has a price tag in excess of $8000,” said circuit managing director, Fergus Cameron. SODI is the Ferrari of the karting world, and we went with them to ensure our fans enjoyed the best karting experience possible.

“We need to replace our karts every three to four years and this is a significant, but necessary, investment to ensure top quality karts.

“In the karting world, the name SODI is legendary and its karts are designed and manufactured in Europe, with technical development honed on the racetracks of the world and through intensive testing. These SODI karts will make karting at the island even more thrilling and we are sure that fans across Australia will love the experience.”

People will be able to race the karts on the island’s 760m karting track, which is a scale replica of the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. Open seven days a week, the kart track is adjoined to the visitor centre, situated above Southern Loop and overlooking Bass Straight.

All-round rubber protection surrounds each kart, preventing wheel-to-wheel contact. In the event of a collision, the rubber-surround compresses to absorb any impact and quickly resumes its race-ready shape.

The new karts come fitted with a structurally engineered roll bar and seat belt.  There’s also an anti-gas brake system which, when applied, overrides the accelerator pedal for greater safety and reduces clutch damage.

There’s also adjustable ergonomics, and the karts allow for a minimum rider height of 140cm – 13cm less than the previous karts.

At the Phillip Island karts, participants can race the clock or one another and push out a series of hot laps.  Lap time print outs are provided for each racer.  Times can even be posted to a driver’s own Facebook site, allowing any top gun to enjoy maximum bragging rights.

Group racing is encouraged, and tandem karts are available for beginners, particularly popular for parents and children starting out.

No bookings are required for each on track session.   All drivers are given a thorough briefing in safety and race-craft before putting their driving skill to the test. For all details www.phillipislandgokarts.com.au.