Canada Day weekend is always a busy one in Martensville, and this year is no different. For a unique experience, residents can head over to the Martensville Speedway where the Saskatoon Kart Racing Club (SKRC) will be hosting the 2022 Rotax Canada Final Championship. This event is a two-round series that is based in Western Canada and will bring upwards of 80 drivers from across Canada and the USA to compete for a chance to win an opportunity to represent Team Canada in the Rotax Grand Finals World Championship, which will be taking place in Portugal.
The Saskatoon Kart Racing Club has had a home in Martensville for the past twenty years on land that is leased from the City of Martensville. During that time, there has been extensive upgrades and improvements made at the track. Just in the past seven years alone, there have been 60 trees planted, a perimeter rail fence installed, racecar storage units installed, a resurfacing of the track and more, with more upgrades planned for the future.
This year, the SKRC has seen large membership numbers with over 90 members at the moment; however, they are always looking for more people to join. People of all ages can participate in kart racing and according to SKRC Past President and current Board Member Jason McCumber, the best way to get involved is to get educated about the sport.
The introductory age for racers is 7 year olds that will be turning 8 the year they want to join, and they have members that are over 60-years-old.
“We get inquiries from all age groups and we encourage people to reach out and ask questions. Our sport is definitely lumped into go-kart racing, but this is not your typical household idea of that. It is that times ten. It is an outdoors sport on a racetrack that is almost a kilometer long with elevation changes and varying speeds. It is the closest a person can get to Formula one Racing at a much more affordable budget, in a family-friendly environment, and is accessible to everyone,” McCumber said.
Speeds for kart racing vary between 60km/hr for introductory levels to approximately 112km/hr for more advanced classes. “There is quite a bit of room for growth and development in this sport which is nice,” McCumber added.
Throughout the season, there are 12 Club races held, along with an annual Sask Series event where the SKRC competes against their sister-club in Regina in a two-part event held in both communities. Races take members to various cities to compete such as Edmonton, Calgary, Chiliwack and even Ontario.
The event this weekend is one that the SKRC has been looking forward to and the Board is excited to see everyone come out. Practice will take place Friday, with the main event happening throughout Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is invited to attend free of charge and there will be a concession available on-site.
“We don’t charge admission for any of our events. We are just happy to have people come out and be more exposed to the sport. Come and talk to some of our members and see if this is something you might be interested in getting involved in. It is going to be a great weekend of racing.”
For more information about the Saskatoon Kart Racing Club, visit www.saskatoonkartracers.ca or follow them on Facebook.
