Summarize

Mention any world racing champion — from Prost to Senna; Schumacher or Hakkinen, Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Button and Vettel. They all have one other thing in common — they were all top kart racers first — and most of them started in Bambino — the world standard karting kindergarten. Same applies to South African motorsport — any top driver worth his salt today, came up through the ranks and they too inevitably started in a Bambino kart.

 

Now, following a remake over the past two seasons, Bambino karting has been completely overhauled to deliver a most relevant, cost effective, reliable and fair first step into racing for any family.  

First off, Bambino will be far more relevant from 2019 with the baby class counting towards a South African National Championship as part of the Rotax Max Challenge. “We are delighted that Bambino will be a full South African National Karting Championship for the first time from next year,” SA Rotax Max Karting founder and promotor Ed Murray confirmed. “So not only is Bambino now a fully fledged national championship, but we will also grow to this vital introductory class in all regions.”  

 

Then reliability — the re-engineered Bambino engine has fully overcome the technical challenges Cadet karts had come to suffer for a variety of reasons. “We gave the class formerly known as Cadets a major technical makeover in 2017 and it delivered reliable, close racing throughout 2018,” Murray pointed out. “We have completely solved those reliability issues and we have gone as far as to re-name the class Bambino as it is in the rest of the world.” 

 

Fairness is another Bambino kart cornerstone. The worldwide entry age karting formula of choice, safe and affordable, Bambino races with a 77cm wheelbase frame at a 70kg minimum weight limit and caters for kids from their fifth year in club racing and recommended from 6 to 9 years old at national level. Powered by traditional EMR-approved Bambino Service Centre-sealed C50 engines re-engineered for best reliability, Bambino class will have a novel engine buy-out/buy back system in place to ensure parity.

 

“For 2019, Bambino will feature an engine claim system to any rival to purchase the winners engine exactly as raced at the end of the day’s racing,” Ed Murray explained “So if a kid believes he or she is losing out on power, their team or parents can pay R15,000 — the price of a blueprinted new engine and a R1,500 fee (to pay for running in etc), to buy the winner’s engine, even if the winner claims to have spent a million Rand to tune that engine up. “That effectively puts an end to competitors spending silly money on engine tuning because anyone can now buy your engine through a rule set to bring competitive peace of mind.”

 

Other changes to ensure a level Bambino karting playing field include a change to class age rule to allow older (9 years old) but smaller-statured kids to race an extra season without the pressure of being pushed up to the significantly quicker Micro Max class too soon, while larger kids will likewise be allowed to progress up earlier than before. 

 

Cost saving is another Bambino mantra — Bambino entry fees are reduced for 2019; new tyres are not required and using one set of durable tyres, can race a whole season and all drivers qualify for a year-end raffle to win either a complete new Bambino kart or a Rotax Micro Max engine for their use in the following season, either prize valued at R35K, to keep the emphasis more on competing rather than just winning.

 

So there you have it — relevant, affordable, reliable and fair, Bambino is the ideal racing starting point for any driver and while many may wonder about a bunch of go-karts rushing about a little track, rest assured that kart racing is a highly professional and serious sport. Lewis Hamilton, for example commands a R4-billion net worth and he started in Bambino.

 

Karting is tightly regulated and controlled both locally and internationally; its structures lead drivers up through the ranks with SA Rotax Max karting champions invited to the World Finals every year. Bambino will run as part of the 2019 South African Rotax Max Challenge starting in Cape Town before moving on to Port Elizabeth, KZN and then the Pretoria final, while the African Open will race at Vereeniging. Regional championships will also run at those tracks.

 

Karting is a racing rollercoaster that will not only keep your kid fully focussed and committed to win, but it is also an incredible father/mother and son/daughter activity that will deliver incredible highs, as much as it will teach your kid about the lows life can bring and cause him or her to deal with that at a far more tender age than most ever have to deal with such matters. Karting will prepare your child for life like little else can. 

 

That said, karting offers an incredible family activity; the kids fall into a large and friendly group of play pal peers and heroes in the bigger classes and new karting friends will inevitably one day become highly beneficial old acquaintances. Sound enticing? Find out more at www.kart.co.za — there’s a Bambino kart waiting for your lightie to test and experience near you right now...