The Central Queensland town of Emerald will come alive to the sound of high-revving kart engines when round three of the 2024 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship roars into life this weekend.

Presented by Castrol, the event will see more than 350 of Australia’s best kart racers take to the Emerald Karting Club circuit, reaching speeds in excess of 130 km/h.

This event marks the fifth time that a round of Australia’s highest-profile karting championship has been held at the venue. Thanks to a grant from the Queensland Government’s Resources Community Infrastructure Fund, this weekend’s round will feature the added excitement of evening races under a world-class lighting system.

“The Emerald circuit was already one of the best karting tracks in the country, but the new lighting system takes the venue to a whole new level. It’s going to be unreal to race there under lights,” said KZ2 Championship leader Josh Fife.

“The lights will make everything appear even faster, with sparks flying and a different element to braking points. The racing will be intense and a real spectacle.”

Eight different categories will be in action at the event, ranging from the youngest in Cadet 9 through to the elite drivers in the KZ2 Gearbox class. Practice begins on Thursday afternoon, with the action set to kick off at 10:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The finals will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night.

All of the racing will be streamed live on www.watchmysportlive.tv