Ballarat Kart Club end of year social day was greeted with smiles, laughs and a BBQ!

Today we had the opportunity to thank our hard working volunteers with special mention to Mal Mason receiving a well deserved life membership award for his years of dedication to the club and karting. Mals family were on hand to celebrate, and we thank everyone for making today a memorable event.

Also awarded today was recognition of our club members of the year, Grant Johnson & Tony Potter, their dedication to canteen operations has been fantastic in improving the facilities.

Special thanks to officials:

  • Clive Howse
  • Anthony Taylor
  • Paul Feely
  • Kelsey Mason, first aid.


Ballarat Kart Club Pit Crew 2025 - Thanks to all!

Cadet 9 Club Member of the year: Charlie Hunger
Cadet 12 Club Member of the year: Archie Bristow
Junior Club Member of the Year: Troy Hollingworth
Senior Club Member of the Year: Ben Peverill

2024 Club Member of the Year: Archie Bristow!
The club's first national champion in over 60 years, and a great ambassador for the club with a positive attitude.
He join's his dad Matt on the honour board, who was club member of the year in 2021.
Unfortunately, Arch was not present, but we will catch up and present the plaque in person.

We also recognised the "Champions of the club".... our volunteers who keep the grounds maintained, the facilities clean, the canteen running and the race meetings officiated.
There is a lot more than these 10 who make all of this happen and we thank and acknowledge all of you.
We just wanted to specifically thank these 10 who have gone above and beyond this year.

Clive Howse
Grant Johnson
Tony Potter
Ray Douglas
Ray Dumesny
Kelsey Mason
Leeane Mason
Anthony Taylor
Michelle Shields
Bianca Kucina
 
As well as the very special life memberships:
Sandra Hocking
Noel Hocking

Congratulations to all members who have stepped up to take a bigger role in the club for 2024.
We particularly thank life member Michelle Shields as our long serving canteen manager.
That position is temporarily vacant as Michelle steps back, and we will be looking to transition the role.

President:                            Justin Malcolm

Vice President:                   Mitch Arrow

Secretary:                           Paul Feely

Treasurer:                           Daniel Findlay

Race Secretary:                  Bill West

Member Protection Information Officer: Justin Templar

New Member Liaison:         Mal Mason

Karting Victoria Delegate:  Ray Dumesny

Co  Delegate:                       Mal Mason

VCS Delegate:                      Daniel Findlay

Club Safety Officer:            Mal Mason

Canteen Manager:              Vacant

Trophy  Buyer:                    Ray Dumesny

 

 

2024 Committee:                                   


Justin Malcolm
Bill West
Mal Mason
Paul Feely
Ray Dumesny
Mitch Arrow
Daniel Findlay
John Page
Matthew Bristow
Justin Templar
Jason Carter
Jason Douglas
Charles Carnie
Grant Johnson

Junior advisors
Flynn Carnie
Dom Kucina

Congratulations to Sandra and Noel Hocking on being honoured with life memberships!
We did say there would be a special or announcement or two today, and we're so happy that many of you were there for it.







Full speech below:
Noel Hocking started racing back in about 1980 here at the Ballarat Kart Club and right there next to him was his wife, Sandra.
Apart from the normal volunteering at the club like in the
canteen, within 2 years Sandra had taken on the role of club secretary, and as shown up on our honour board she was club secretary for 3 years from 1982 through to 1984.
It wasn’t just these 3 years as club secretary that was significant at the club, but it was her many, many years of race secretary and lap scorer. I unfortunately can’t give you the exact number of years but I am sure both Sandra and Noel can give the specifics.
From one of my sources who left the club in 1984 and returned in 1996 Sandra was still the race secretary and lap scorer when he returned 12 years later.
Just to put things into context, this is well before the days of computers, CMS, KOMP or electronic transponders.
This involved both Sandra and Noel taking phone calls from up to 200 karters for a big meeting; recording names, class, which chassis and engine you are using, consolidating, and forming classes on paper.
The lap scoring was also done via pen and paper and I find it hard
to fathom how hard and the pressures this must have been to manage. I have heard awhisper that Sandra might have done lap scoring up to State and even Nation championship
level.
Noel was also representing Ballarat at the highest level where he was so close to winning an Australian Championship in the 1980’s where he finished second. (By 1 point)
Noel and Sandra stopped racing around the very late 1990’s and it was their nephew, Ray Dumseny’s decision to return to karting in the about 2017 that renewed the spark in Noel as
he returned as his mechanic/support.
I remember being grid marshal that first day and like I am to all the new karters on P platers I gave the encouragement to don’t worry if you get lapped. Little did I know the years and years of experience that was between those two as he finished very well in his heat.
It didn’t take long for Noel to get the bug again and to buy a kart and engine off his good mate Remo and to start karting again. Noel still has that passion today to race and I believe
still has ambitions to take the restrictor out and to race TAG.
But as you might not have noticed, Noel doesn’t hit the track as often as he possibly could, like today’s club day for instance.
The reason for this is that Noel has stepped up once
again and completed his officials training. Noel often sacrifices his racing even at club level, so we have enough officials to race a club day and is often the starter.
For those who don’t know, for the last couple of years Noel has been the started for most VCS rounds when he is not travelling, and at most of these rounds Sandra has been by his
side still supporting karting.
Noel is also known to turn up in his ute midweek by himself and to do a little tree pruning and shredding, keeping the place respectable but with very little fuss about what he has
done. It is noticed and appreciated.
When I talked to our club life member Kevin O’Donohue about the contribution of Sandra over the years, Kev immediately replied that he doesn’t think the Ballarat Kart Club recognised her contribution over the years, he went and opened a dusty bottom drawer and
pulled out a little shield he had made before Covid to thank Sandra for her contributions. This was obviously never presented to her but here it is today.
So as the current President of the club, I am proud to acknowledge and recognise both Noel and Sandra Hocking for their many years of service to the Ballarat Kart Club and would like to congratulate and to present them both with Life Memberships to the Ballarat Kart Club.
Justin Malcolm
President
Ballarat Kart Club

Congratulations and sincere thankyou to Daniel Findlay and the Findlay family.
Countless hours have been spent at the track, at the workshop, and behind a computer for the club over the past year.
Dan, Jess and the boys are regular sights at all club activities, with special mention going to the preparation for our 60th anniversary, the VCS trophies, and the track extension engineering.
Not to mention getting our new club logo and t-shirts over the finish line after many years of trying.

 

2022 club member of the year daniel findlay

  1. Life Memberships for Michelle Shields and Paul Feely
  2. 2020 Ballarat Kart Club Champions
  3. 2019 Club Champions
  4. 2017 club champions