NATIONWIDE SCHOOLS GEAR UP FOR GRAND KARTING FINALE

News from from MSA Go Motorsport

Just hours after Sunday’s opening Formula One Grand Prix in Australia, 33 teams representing their schools will be racing to win this year’s British Schools Karting Championship (BSKC) plus a chance to visit the World Championship winning Red Bull Racing F1 team.

After more than 100 karting events across the country and 10 hard fought Regional Finals the finalists will be lining up at the Daytona track in Milton Keynes on 27 March. The MSA’s award winning Go Motorsport initiative has worked closely with the BSKC with its Regional Development Officers attending many of the heats in their areas and promoting the Championship as part of their nationwide School Visits programme.

This year the BSKC is proud to announce that Red Bull Racing and Arden International Motorsport – a successful team that race in the F1 support categories of GP2 & GP3 – have been kind enough to offer fantastic prizes for the BSKC overall winners. Red Bull Racing will reward the Champions with a VIP factory tour of their Milton Keynes facility and Arden International Motorsport have offered the overall Champions a day of driver training in their state-of-the-art simulator. The Championship is indebted to Red Bull Racing and Arden International Motorsport for their support.

The 2011 BSKC has been contested by more than 450 teams. In excess of 1350 students have battled it out in ‘arrive & drive’ karts from Glasgow to Exeter and Belfast to Ipswich. To find more about how to ‘Race for your School’ please visit www.bskc.co.uk

“The BSKC has given a fantastic opportunity for the students at Bradley Stoke to shine in a sport that is not promoted within school!” said James Male, Mathematics Teacher, Bradley Stoke Community School.

“The BSKC enables families to experience what karting is about and is something different to the usual school sports. I think this championship can only get bigger and better in the next few years. It holds amazing potential for thousands of school children in the future,” enthused Zoë Wenham, Team Captain and driver, Prince Henry High School.

“The BSKC has given a chance of success to individuals who may not have the opportunity to shine in other disciplines, be it sport or academia,” added Jean-Claude Danti, Teacher, Dumbarton Academy.

The BSKC is now run by one of the oldest clubs in motor sport, the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), who also run the British Touring Car Championship and a host of the most recognisable UK race series. The BSKC is in its 5^th year and has grown quickly giving schools access to a competitive yet cost effective arrive & drive karting format.

The nationwide Championship aims to get karting into schools, allowing young drivers to experience the thrill of competitive motor sport and take the motivation and enthusiasm of the racing back into the classroom. The team based Championship attracts all levels of skill from complete novice drivers to those competing in national and international kart racing.

2011 British Schools Karting Championship Finalists

North West
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Wellacre Academy
Rainford High Technology College

Midlands
Kenilworth School & Sports College
Bosworth Community & Sports College
Lutterworth College

East
Sawtry Community College
Hartismere High School
Felsted

South
The Bulmershe School
Bushey Meads School
Felpham Community College

Scotland
Hutchesons' Grammar School
Dunbar Grammar School
Dumbarton Academy

North East
Gateshead College
Richmond School
Bruntcliffe School
The Armthorpe School
Royal Grammar School

Northern Ireland
Regent House Grammar School
Campbell College, Belfast

West and Wales
Prince Henry's High School
Bradley Stoke Community School
Winterbourne International Academy

South West
Dorchester Learning Centre
The Hurst Community College
The Winton School

London and South East
The Bishops Stortford High School
Caterham School
Colchester Sixth Form College
The Leigh Technology Academy