JOIN THE CLUB: Kart and soul

There’s a good reason why the word ‘fun’ is included in the name of Winchelsea Fun Kart Club name.
The club’s charter makes it clear: “If you are seeking membership for serious racing, then I suggest you are applying to the wrong club”.
Secretary Glen Rabbas said the club was strictly family orientated, with fun the key element.
“It’s been the main ingredient for the club’s success,” he emphasised.
“We’ree looking for people with a similar motivation to become part the club.
“A win-at-all-costs approach to racing has no part in our club’s agenda. This is not what we’re about.”
Glen said the family-friendly club promoted parents and kids spending time together and having fun racing go karts within a safe environment.
“The aim is maximum fun for the entire family for minimum outlay while endeavouring to keep all carts on an even keel with no unfair advantages,” Glen said.
“Winning is seen as a secondary issue. In fact, one of our rules is that there will be no arguments entered into at the track.”
A group of Winchelsea families formed the club about 30 years ago, with members still using the original Gladman St dirt track.
Glen said the membership covered a broad range of age from six to 70.
“We have members from Geelong, Colac, Melbourne and Winchelsea. We have members who are truck drivers, small business owners, pilots, students, builders, mechanics, fitters and many other varied occupations.”
The clubs meets on the first, third and fifth Sunday from February to November, with dates reserved just for fun and practice.
Club trophy race days have junior members put into different age classes to ensure racing is fair and fun, while senior members run in weight and gender categories.
Glen explained that the club used only one class of engine, a Honda 6.5hp four-stroke, mostly fitted to second-hand bitumen go karts with club-set specifications and safety rules.
“The average cost to buy a kart setup for our club is around $1000 but each driver also needs safety gear such as a full-face helmet, gloves, overalls and boots.
“Annual membership is $200 for the whole family, with a gate entry fee of $20 per family for each race day attended.
“A number of members have gone on to speedway racing and have become quite successful.
“New members are always welcome and, as our emphasis is on having fun, existing members are always happy to help new members fit in and offer help in setting up their karts.
“We’re also holding a drive to raise awareness and help increase our membership.”
Glen said more information was available at winchelseafunkartclub.com or by phoning him on 0418 522 475.