Wed 02 Dec 09

Sport England award grant for BSKC

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) – governing body of UK motor sport – has secured a grant from Sport England to help promote the British Schools Karting Championship and develop karting as a sport within British schools.

The grant represents the first ever funding secured for motor sport from Sport England and recognises the recent progress made by the MSA which included the development of a Whole Sport Plan for motor sport earlier this year. Significantly, the grant – which was secured in partnership with the CCPR – also serves to recognise motor sport as a bona fide physical activity and the social benefits and opportunity that it can bring.

In just three years the BSKC has grown from a handful of schools in the London area to include 193 schools across 27 different regions in the UK. The Sport England award will help to grow the championship further and increase the opportunity for thousands of young people to take part in this exciting sport.

It is anticipated that the grant will enable the number of participating schools to pass the 300 mark next year, thanks to the provision of additional marketing resources and the possibility of financial assistance through the form of bursaries for schools from economically deprived areas.

Colin Hilton, MSA Chief Executive said:
“It is highly significant that we have been able to make a successful application to Sport England for funding and we are grateful to the CCPR for their assistance. The BSKC has great potential to reach a whole new audience of motor sport enthusiasts with a cost-effective and well organised offering and ticks all the boxes in terms of social inclusion and accessibility. We look forward to working closely with Will Tew to achieve his targets.”

Will Tew, founder of the BSKC, commented:
“I am delighted that through working with the MSA we have been able to secure substantial funding from Sport England. I setup the BSKC because I know how much I wanted to race karts when I was younger but I never had the chance. It gives me great pleasure therefore to think how many more young people will get the chance to take part in this fantastic sport because of the award from Sport England and the hard work of the MSA.”

To find out how to apply for the bursary please go to: www.bskc.co.uk/register/bursary

For further information on the MSA please visit: www.msauk.org

The deadline for registration into the 2010 championship is December 23rd 2009.

Thu 18 Jun 09

BSKC Drivers Invited to Race in National Karting Championship 09

The organisers of the British Schools Karting Championship are delighted to introduce the 2009 National Karting Championship, the biggest and most exciting competition of its kind anywhere in the UK.

Run in conjunction with the National Karting Association (NKA), the championship will see members of the public pit their driving skills against one another in a bid to win an MSA race license, a high-performance 2-stroke EasyKart and free entry into the 2010 EasyKart UK Championship. And as if that wasn’t enough, the National Karting Championship will be supporting BBC Children in Need and offering an equally fantastic prize to the competitor who raises the most money for the charity.

Over the next two months participating NKA karting circuits will play host to the qualifying stages of the championship. Participants must post their fastest lap times before the chequered flag brings qualifying to a close on August 24th and the serious competition begins. Quarter finals and semi finals will then see participants whittled down to the UK’s top 50 drivers before the smell of burning rubber signals the start of the November finale.

“For most people motor racing is a spectator sport,” said National Karting Championship Coordinator, Will Tew. “But you can’t help dreaming of being in Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton’s shoes for a day. With the National Karting Championship we aim to recreate the excitement of top-level motorsport and hopefully progress some drivers into the professional ranks of participation.”

The competition is open for everyone at all levels, with three age classifications splitting up the competitors to ensure a fair shot at victory for all. Future, upcoming and previously overlooked Jenson Buttons are invited to enter at Cadet (8-11yrs), Junior (12-15yrs) and Senior (16yrs+) level.

Tew adds: “What is unique about this championship is that everyone is on a level playing field. Forget chequebook racing, this is about how good you are behind the wheel. It will be a lot of fun, and we’re delighted to be supporting BBC Children in Need at the same time.”

For more information and to enter this illustrious competition, prospective racers should visit http://www.nkachampionship.co.uk, where they can register to qualify at their local circuit.

Wed 01 Apr 09

Whitcliff Mount Win the BSKC 2009

As the sun set over Melbourne’s Albert Park following Jenson Button’s fairytale victory in the opening Grand Prix of 2009, a similar drama was beginning to unfold ten thousand miles away on the Daytona International Circuit in Milton Keynes. The British Schools Karting Championship had arrived in town and the Buckinghamshire venue was playing host to the national final, which would see the competition go down to the wire between 34 teams from all over the UK.

The event marked the culmination of a championship fought out between 500 teams over 50 regional qualifying rounds, with 1,500 students representing their schools and colleges in a bid to become the fastest educational establishment in the country. Former karting ace Button would have felt right at home as the atmosphere grew ever more electrifying in the run up to the morning’s first practice session. Before the karts took to the track, however, race officials were responsible for ensuring all 102 drivers attended the all-important safety briefing. After all, competition would be fierce between the finalists, and with identical 60mph pro-karts across the field the racing was guaranteed to be close, fast and frantic.

Each team would contest six heats – with each of its three drivers competing in two of those races – and the squad with the highest points tally at the end of the day would be crowned champions. It was a tantalising prospect for all participants as the randomly ordered grid formed for the first ten-minute sprint to the chequered flag.

It was an exciting prospect, too, for the crowds which had slowly but surely gathered at the trackside in anticipation of some thrilling wheel-to-wheel action. Family and friends arrived in their droves to cheer on the competitors and to support each and every team taking part. Among the spectators were Motor Sports Association (MSA) chief executive Colin Hilton, and Carolynn Hoy, organiser of the Bernie Ecclestone-endorsed Formula Kart Stars series.

Hoy was effusive in her praise of the BSKC: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce the sport to kids, and at a ridiculously cheap cost. I watched the racing and it’s of an extremely high standard. I’m really impressed!”

Not only was the racing excellent; it was unpredictable, too, with several teams appearing to be in contention right from the outset. Hot favourites St. Cyres, from Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, had dominated their regional qualifying rounds, but strong showings from last year’s podium-finishers Peebles RSC and Manchester’s Wellacre College ensured that victory in the final was far from a foregone conclusion. Indeed, by the midpoint in proceedings the Wellacre team was top of the standings with two race wins.

But as if to emphasise the unpredictability and closeness of the competition, it was underdogs Whitcliffe Mount School, from Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire, who took the next few heats by storm, setting up a final race in which any one of three teams could take overall honours. It was a nail-biting affair, and to add to the tension the three contenders would all start from the middle of the pack. Who would have the skill and determination to charge through the field and take the title?

After a thrilling chase to the chequered flag it was Whitcliffe Mount who sealed the championship with a brilliant final performance. Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School was just five points shy of tasting victory, while early-leaders Wellacre College secured an admirable, but ultimately disappointing, third place overall.

“That was the beauty of this event,” claimed BSKC organiser Will Tew. “Every driver and team wanted to win so badly that it was never going to be easy. I must congratulate Whitcliffe Mount for such a fantastic result. They fully deserve their victory.”

Few who witnessed the event would disagree. It later transpired that Whitcliffe brothers Jordan and Ryan Fletcher were competing on an outdoor kart circuit for only the second time, making their success all the more impressive. Teacher and team manager Richard Hirst remarked: “When I originally entered the boys, I didn’t think they’d do so well. I’m very proud and shocked!”

As a series that rewards talent and teamwork above the size of your cheque book, the British Schools Karting Championship has already enjoyed enormous growth since its inception in 2007. Not only is it opening up the world of competitive karting to a new and wider audience, it is also providing aspiring young racers with a cost-effective opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Wed 18 Mar 09

The final is nearly here!

500 teams competing all over the country, across 27 UK regions, culminating in a big 34 team final at Daytona Milton Keynes.

It is going to be awesome. Awesomely tough!

The competition has been tough all the way with 1500 students representing their schools in some fierce and close racing.

We’ve had drivers practising in 3408 practice sessions and 3816 races so far, a total of 1204 hours worth of karting!

And there’s more to come….

The final is on Sunday 29th March, with arrival at 8.30am. Most teams are staying the night before at the Premier Inn, Milton Keynes South West (Furzton Lake).

Daytona are also opening up a practice session on the Saturday for those interested.

For full details of the final and all the arrangements please go here

Mon 19 Jan 09

BSKC2009 is go!

The British Schools Karting Championship has kicked off in earnest with exactly 500 teams (1500 students), from 193 schools set to battle it out on the kart-track over the coming months.

The championship has more than doubled in size since this time last year when 228 teams competed in the first ever arrive-and-drive karting championship for school and college students. The 2008 championship was eventually won by Bosworth Community & Sports College, Leicester.

The BSKC 2009 has grown massively since then to cover 27 UK regions, feeding into 7 large regional finals and then on to one big national final at Daytona Milton Keynes on Sunday March 29th.

Practice sessions up and down the country kicked off on Monday 12th January as teams prepare themselves to for the semi-finals held at each of the 27 regions.

The aim of the BSKC is to give the opportunity to every teenager in the country to take part in the incredible world of motor racing. The core philosophy to the championship is to keep the costs to a minimum by making use of the fantastic array of professional karting facilities all over the country. All equipment is provided for so there is no element of cheque book racing. It is up to skill and team work to make the difference.

Championship organiser Will Tew is delighted with the growth of the BSKC over the last 12 months:

“I’m really pleased that the championship is being contested by more than double the number of schools this year. I had this desire to race karts for my school some 11 years ago so to see the BSKC grow so quickly, to see 1500 students get that opportunity that I wish I had is hugely satisfying.”

“It’s not just about the fun and the competition though! It’s really exciting for me to hear of the educational possibilities that the championship has generated; from teaching about health and safety (which must be a difficult subject to teach I imagine) to providing real-world race-data for students to manipulate and think about. There’s lots of good stuff coming out the competition.”

Wed 02 Jul 08

BSKC 2008 Winners at Wiliams F1

Bosworth Community and Sports College, the winners of the BSKC 2008, were invited as part of their prize to the Williams F1 museum in Grove, Oxfordshire recently.

BSKC 2008 winners: Dean Burbank, Jake Parsons and Scott Robertson

The special day, donated to the championship by the Williams F1 team, was a chance for the winning team from Bosworth to get up close to some of the most amazing racing cars ever built.

The engineering behind the cars was also on display to give the visiting champions the chance to see exactly the incredible design of the modern day F1 car.

Many thanks to the Williams F1 team for the magnificent tour around their F1 museum and congratulations once again to the deserving champions from Bosworth Community and Sports College.

Sat 14 Jun 08

BSKC at Formula Schools

The British Schools Karting Championship took a trip to Silverstone on 12th June to present a prize to one of the winning teams of the Formula Schools competition.

Formula Schools is a fantastic nation wide engineering programme where students design and build their own radio-controlled cars. The teams then prove the performance of their cars by racing them against other schools at the Formula Schools Race Day which was recently held at Silverstone.

The British Schools Karting Championship was on hand to present a prize to the Best Individual Team in the Building Bridges class. The prize of 3 team entries into the BSKC 2009 was won by Warriner School from Bloxham, Oxfordshire who are no doubt looking forward do racing in the BSKC next year.

Congratulations to Warriner and all the other schools at the Formula Schools Race Day. There were some truly impressive cars out there!

Did you know?
Lewis Hamilton started his career to F1 stardom by racing radio-controlled cars!

Mon 25 Feb 08

Bosworth Community and Sports College win the British Schools Karting Championship 2008

Three teenage students from Bosworth Community and Sports College, Leicester, took 1st place at the final of the British Schools Karting Championship 2008 on Saturday.

They were competing against 19 other school teams at Buckmore Park near Chatham, Kent, and were crowned BSKC 2008 champions after almost 5 hours of racing against some of the best school teams in the country.

The winning team from Bosworth, consisting of Dean Burbank (15), Scott Robertson (14), and Jake Parsons (16), claimed the title by 5 points ahead of Ravens Wood School A, from Bromley, South London. Ravens Wood were just 2 points ahead of Peebles High School A, from Peebles, Scotland in what was a closely fought battle between the top 3 teams throughout the afternoon and into the last race.

photo courtesy of Enver Meyer

The final at Buckmore Park, was the culmination of 2 months of hard racing by school teams across the length and breadth of Britain. 228 teams from 82 schools took part in the championship which was hosted in 9 different regions across England, Scotland and Wales. Championship Director, Will Tew, says that the championship has grown tremendously from last year:

"This is the first year the championship has gone completely national and the response has been amazing. We’ve had almost 700 drivers compete in the championship this year, which is a factor of 10 more than last. It’s now my plan to work closely with schools, councils, the Government and the MSA to ensure that motorsport as a sport is on offer within all the schools and colleges in the UK. So many young students have had so much fun taking part this year, and I can’t wait to offer the championship to thousands more for 2009."

we’ll be using 2-strokes karts at the final next year

Will also had this to say about the new champions of school karting:

"They definitely impressed me the most. Not just in their driving, which at times was truly brilliant, but also in their professionalism. They made the most of their talents, and worked out how best to minimise their weaknesses as a team. I was very impressed. They are deserving champions so many congratulations to them.".

Carolynn Hoy, BRDC Stars Director, was on hand to present medals and Stars DVDs to all the finalists aswell as presenting trophies to the top 3 teams: Bosworth, Ravens Wood and Peebles. Carolynn also donated a test in a Rotax Max to the top 3 teams. Bosworth Community and Sports College will also be invited to a tour around the Williams F1 Museum later in the year.

Full results

Pos	Team	Points
1	Bosworth College A	92
2	Ravens Wood School A	87
3	Peebles High School A	85
4	The Berwickshire High School A	75
5	Woodlands A	74
6	Judgement Day A	67
7	Warwick School A	66
8	Sexey’s School A	63
9	Ravens Wood School B	63
10	Bushey Meads C	59
11	Priory Boys A	32
12	Hulme Hall Grammar School A	31
13	Peebles High School C	30
14	Thomas Mills High School A	29
15	Deanery CE High Schoool & Sixth Form A	28
16	St John’s Senior School D	26
17	Seaham H	25
18	St George’s A	20
19	Seaham F	19
20	Peebles High School B	10

Photos
Click on the photos for a high-res version

All photos courtesy of Enver Meyer: www.envermeyer.com

Contact
Will Tew
3T Racing Ltd
British Schools Karting Championship: www.bskc.co.uk
British Universities Karting Championship: www.bukc.co.uk
Tel: 0845 2990 213
Mob: 077 305 26 305
Email: will@bskc.co.uk

25th February 2008

-ends-

Thu 31 Jan 08

Streatham Kart Raceway in London are inviting BSKC competitors to get some extra practise before the semi-finals this weekend by taking part in their prestigous Playscape Champions Academy.

The Playscape Champions Academy operates on the first Saturday of each month and has been running for many years, producing many stars of British Motorsport such as:

• British Formula 3 Race Winner Sam Bird
• World Karting Champion Colin Brown
• World Easykart Champion Barnaby Pittingale
• and British Touring Car race winner Gareth Howell

Playscape even sponsored Lewis Hamilton in his early days of karting back in 1995!

The Championship

Each round will include a safety briefing, a practice session, qualification heats and finals and is split into categories:- Cadets aged 8-12 and Juniors aged 12-18 years old-subject to height and weight restrictions.

Both championships are held over 11 rounds with your 8 highest scores counting towards your final championship position. An Awards Presentation will be held at the end of the year.

The Itinerary

10.30hrs Driver Registration

11.00hrs Driver Briefing

11.15hrs Practice (7 Laps)

11.25hrs Start of Heats (4 Laps)

End of Qualifying Heats

C Final (5 Laps)

B Final (5 Laps)

A Final (10 Laps)

Results & Trophy Presentation

14.15hrs Guest Departs

Cost: £40.00 Inc. VAT per driver.

All events will be featured in a monthly report in the South London Press.

Membership

All drivers must be Playscape Academy members and will require two signatures on their membership card, either through the tuition night or practice sessions and must be able to lap their 450 metre circuit in a time below 29 seconds.

The Playscape Academy membership pack will include:

• Your Membership card


• 2008 Playscape Academy T-Shirt


• 2008 Playscape Academy Badge


• 5% discount on all Academy Tuition nights, Practice sessions and student Parties. Rules & Regulations.

You can apply for membership by contacting Enver Meyer on 020 8677 8677.

Tue 27 Feb 07

Bacon’s City Technology College sweep to victory in the inaugural British Schools Karting Championship

A team of young school students from Bacon’s City Technology College raced their way to victory in the final of the first ever British Schools Karting Championship held in Streatham, South London on Monday evening.

photo courtesy of Enver Meyer

The championship has captured the imagination of hundreds of school children across the capital as well as influential figures in the motorsport industry. Vauxhall’s British Touring Car squad, the Williams F1 team and the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow karting championship, where British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton was found, have all donated prizes to the winning teams. The initiative has also received support from Jenson Button:

"The British Schools Karting Championship is a fantastic way for more young British kids to get into motorsport," the Honda Formula 1 ace commented. "Some of the best memories in my career come from the time I spent racing in karts. It is so much fun and definitely the best way to get in to motorsport and enjoy yourself at the same time."

Gareth Lewis, a PE teacher at Bacon’s City Technology College in Rotherhithe, South East London, says that the championship has been a fantastic opportunity for the young students.

"The championship has been a lot of fun. The kids have had an opportunity that they’d never have in a normal school environment. It opens door ways, it really does. They’re not massive on the sports scene at school, they’re not footballers, they’re not rugby, not hockey, there’s nothing else for them to do, but here in karting they’ve suddenly shone. Their names have been mentioned in assemblies, their trophies are up in the cabinets with their names on so it’s been really great for them and the interest at school is huge."

The team from Bacons CTC, consisting of Oliver Clarke (14), Aaron Adams (16), and Serkan Erdem (15), dominated the final winning half of the 6 races and finishing second in the rest.

photo courtesy of Enver Meyer

Championship director Will Tew said that his aim is to make motorsport as accessible to young people as possible.

"I’ve loved motorsport ever since I was a kid. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to go racing when I was at school, but there was nothing in place to allow that to happen without spending thousands of pounds."

"The British Schools Karting Championship changes all that. It’s just fantastic. The kids have had a great time and all the teachers are very happy. Congratulation to Bacons City Technology College, they drove brilliantly throughout the championship and are deserving champions."

Although motorsport is often regarded as a sport for the rich and fortunate, the British Schools Karting Championship has taken an ambitious step to change that. With all karts and equipment provided, costs are kept to an absolute minimum, eliminating one of the main barriers for young people wanting to participate in competitive motor racing. The entry fee of £42.50 per driver for the whole championship – practise, semi final and final – is low enough to allow most youngsters to take part, and many schools have helped out financially by subsidising the entry fees to make it even more affordable.

"That’s one of the nicest things for me. To see some kids race who might never have had the chance to try out a sport so exciting and exhilarating. I’m really happy," said Tew.

Teams from Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire secured second and third places in the championship. The top three teams had their prizes and trophies presented to them by Vauxhall’s 21 year old British Touring Car driver Tom Chilton.

photo courtesy of Enver Meyer

These teams will now be invited to a day at Brands Hatch courtesy of Vauxhall and a special test in a high performance outdoor kart kindly donated by the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series. Thirty lucky students from Bacons City Technology College will also be treated to an exclusive tour around the Williams F1 museum in Grove, Oxfordshire later in the year.

Full results
1st – Bacon’s City Technology College (57pts)
2nd – Bushey Meads School A (48pts)
3rd – Bushey Meads School C (45pts)
4th – Campion School (37pts)
5th - Latymer Upper School (37pts)
6th – Heathland School B (31pts)
7th – St George’s School (29pts)
8th – Heathland School D (20pts)
9th – Bushey Meads School B (15pts)
10th – St Joseph’s Academy (11pts)

Photos
High res photos can found at www.bskc.co.uk/press

All photos courtesy of Enver Meyer: www.envermeyer.com

Contact
Will Tew
3T Racing Ltd
Tel: 0845 2990 213
Mob: 077 305 26 305
Email: will@bskc.co.uk

British Schools Karting Championship: www.bskc.co.uk

28th February 2007

-ends-

Thu 11 Jan 07

Championship to showcase at Autosport International

The British Schools Karting Championship will be exhibiting at Autosport International, the worlds largest motorsport exhibition, from Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th January.

The stand is part of the larger BRDC Stars of Tomorrow exhibit which is one the main focuses of the show this year with an emphasis on how drivers graduate from karts to cars.

The show is being opened up by former British F1 Champion Damon Hill who, as president of the British Racing Drivers Club (who organise the British Grand Prix), is supporting the developement of young drivers’ careers from karting and through into single seaters.

The British Schools Karting Championship can be found in Hall 6, stand K520 next to the yellow BRDC Stars of Tomorrow lorry.

More info:

 

• BRDC Stars of Tomorrow
• Autosport International

 

Fri 01 Dec 06

Winning teams to test with Stars of Tomorrow

The British Schools Karting Championship has teamed up with the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series to offer a fantastic prize to the top 3 teams in the championship this year.

Those 3 teams will be given the chance to test a high performance outdoor 2-stroke racing kart courtesy of the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series.

The BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series is a high performance karting championship that visits many outdoor circuits across the country and has seen many of its graduates go on to great success including newly appointed British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton who won the Stars of Tomorrow championship multiple times in the late 90s.

Carolynn Hoy, Stars of Tomorrow director, commented: "The British School Karting Championship is such a fantastic way to get in to motorsport at a young age, and we are very pleased to offer a test in a Junior Max kart to the winning teams this year. It would be great for new talent to be discovered in the British Schools Karting Championship and we wish all competitors the best of luck."

More info:

 

• BRDC Stars of Tomorrow

 

Sun 26 Nov 06

Jenson Button backs new schools initiative to produce future British Formula 1 Champions

Honda F1 driver Jenson Button has given his backing to The British Schools Karting Championship, launched today by 3T Racing. With most of the world’s top racing drivers starting their careers in karting, it is hoped that this new championship will widen access to the sport and produce an exciting new breed of British motorsport champions.

Commenting on the launch, Jenson said:
"The British Schools Karting Championship is a fantastic way for more young British kids to get into motorsport. I started karting at the age of eight and it is so much fun. Some of the best memories in my career come from the time I spent racing in karts. Most of the current F1 drivers also started out in karting and it is definitely the best way to get into motorsport and enjoy yourself at the same time. Best of luck to everyone who takes part in the championship."

About The Championship:
For the first time in motor racing history school students will be able to race against each other in a championship specifically designed for them. Drivers will be grouped in to teams representing their individual schools. With all karts and equipment provided, costs are kept to an absolute minimum, eliminating one of the main barriers for young people wanting to participate in competitive motor racing. Indeed it is hoped that the championship will widen access to a sport that has traditionally had limited participation.

The championship, open to all 13 – 18 year olds, will comprise a number of regional finals. The first of these finals will be open to state and private schools in the Greater London area. The action kicks off in January 2007 at the Streatham Kart Raceway where Mclaren Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton learned his trade. The event culminates in the showpiece final on 26 February where perhaps the next British F1 Champion will be discovered.

Will Tew, Managing Director, 3T Racing Ltd, commented: "I am delighted to be able to announce the launch of the British Schools Karting Championship. As a teenager I was extremely keen to participate in motor racing, but found the high costs and limited opportunities incredibly frustrating. I can’t wait to give school children across the country the chance to race against each other. It is my hope that by increasing mass participation in motorsport, Britain will produce a far greater number of successful racing drivers"

For more information please go to www.bskc.co.uk

23 November 2006

ends

Press Enquiries:
You can find further information and high definition photos at www.bskc.co.uk/press or contact:

3T Racing 020 8274 1856 / 07730526305
Will Tew Managing Director
Tom Carroll Marketing Director

About 3T Racing:
3T Racing was launched in November 2003 to further the expansion of the British Universities Karting Championship. Set up by Will Tew and Tom Batho, keen motorsport enthusiasts and graduates from Imperial College, London, the company is on a mission to revolutionise access to motorsport.