SA Kart Racing Academy members meet Bernie Eccelstone
24.06.2009
Two of the South African Kart Racing Academy (SAKRA) board members Joy Dolinschek & Jackie Sedibe have just returned from a visit to the UK, where they meet with SAKRA’s founder Mr. Alan Curtis, Mr. Bernie Eccelstone from F1 as well as Mrs. Carolynn Hoy from Formula Kart Stars.(FKS)
The SAKRA program is the brain child of Mr. Alan Curtis OBE who solicited the support of Mr. Bernie Eccelstone (FOM).
SAKRA is as much about motorsport as it is about providing opportunities to young South Africans to better themselves. SAKRA offers a holistic approach using motorsport as the facilitating mechanism to improved life skills, offering support in the fields of academic, medical, nutrition and mechanical training as well as professional driver training.
The driver students are aged between 8 and 16, while the technical students, drawn from a partnership with Cape Peninsula University of Technology range from 1st year to those in the final throws of completing either a B-Tech or M-Tech degree. Currently 47 young people enjoy the benefits of the program.
During the meeting, Mr. Eccelstone is cautiously positive about a possible SA F1 Grand Prix in the future. Mr. Eccelstone encouraged SAKRA and FKS to find common ground in preparing youngsters from the junior forms of motorsport to eventually participate in the pinnacle “F1”
FKS runs a championship series in the UK, which includes an annual exchange program with the United States of America. It is envisaged that South Africa may be included in this program as early as July this year when it is proposed that 4 young karters may travel to the United Kingdom to participate, while UK competitors will participate in the South Africa leg during September of this year.
A week before our visit SAKRA had sent Mr. Eccelstone a review on a young South African lady karter. He is keen to see her progress to GP2 as soon as possible. Carolyn Hoy & Joy Dolinschek have been tasked with the logistics to allow her to compete in the UK, with a vision to placing her in Formula BMW as early as next year.
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