Bikes light up kart track

THE Bendigo Go Kart Club traded four wheels for two over the weekend, as it hosted two Ohvale Australia practice sessions.

Riders from across Australia took to the track, with a junior’s practice day on Saturday and an open day on Sunday, in preparation for Ohvale’s FIM MiniGP Australia Series which kicks off on 5 March at Port Melbourne.

As part of the series competitors only use Ohvale model GP-0 160 bikes, a 160cc four-speed four-stroke mini-bike that that a manufacturer describes as “ideal entry level platform for young… riders looking to begin their two-wheeled motorsport journey.”

Dim Papaconstantinou, who directs Ohvale Australia alongside Nick Angelopolous and Australian superbike champion Wayne Maxwell, said the go kart track was everything riders needed.

“Bendigo Go Kart Club president Brett Arnett has been extremely helpful with getting us on the track and helping organise weekends and open up the facilities,” he said.

Gisbourne rider Nathan Webb said the track is fun to ride on, especially since the club resurfaced it thanks to a $64,000 grant from the State Government last year.

“The track’s really cool,” he said. “It’s obviously better now that it’s been resurfaced on some of the corners.

“It’s a fun track, it flows a bit, it gets hot but the weather’s good. After 15 minutes out there, you feel like you’ve worked hard but it’s a lot of fun, the bikes are fun around here.”

Mr Webb said having Ohvale at the Bendigo club provides locals with a great introduction into the sport.

“If you want to go to any type of racing, its Winton, Benalla or Phillip Island, so for regional riders in this area you’ve got to travel two or three hours to watch any type of racing,” he said.

“If there’s young kids around here that want to get into bike racing than this is the place to get started for sure.”