Kart sports fast monikers | Rockhampton Motorsports | Car Racing, Rally Driving, V8 Supercars in Rockhampton

NOBODY wants to crumple the bodywork on their shiny kart, but for 10-year-old Michael Baker there is a special reason for keeping his machine tidy.

Young Michael is a racing enthusiast and while he races in the rookie class with the Rockhampton Karting Club, he loves all categories of motor sport.

Earlier this year V8 Supercar drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes visited Central Queensland and for young Michael it was an opportunity to get the pair's autographs.

While other youngsters were content to get a picture of the race aces autographed, Michael went one better and got the signatures on his machine.

Michael's father, Peter, said his son has now been karting for two years and despite the costs involved, the whole family loved it.

“I can't stress enough how good it is for a family,” Peter said.

Just as well he enjoys it; Peter has to take the young karter to meetings and once there acts as pit crew.

“It's good fun as we have weekends away camping,” he added.

Although Michael does much of his racing on his “home” track at Fitzroy Park Raceway, even that is a big outing as the family live at Emerald.

“That's 300 kilometres each way,” he said.

At the moment the family are away at Brisbane preparing for the State Titles this weekend, just another step the young racer is taking in the sport.

Already the trophy cabinet at the Baker home is getting full as Michael was successful in winning the club Midget Championship before moving up to the Novice grade.

Peter admits that Michael didn't really get the racing bug from him; in fact, a couple of years ago the pair got into hired karts and had a demonstration race which Michael won.

Now Peter stops in the pits and watches as Michael gets up to speeds of about 90 kmh generated from the 100cc Yamaha engine in his kart.

Peter said it was great to see a 10-year-old dealing with situations that developed on the track and that could only be good for the future when he aims for his driver's licence.

“The sport has also given him life skills,” Peter said.

“He helps me with the mechanical work.”

So how does Michael's mum Shelly feel about her young son hurtling at speed around a race track?

“I think she prefers to hear about it rather than watch,” Peter admitted.

Following the State Titles the next big race to prepare for is at Rockhampton when Michael will compete in Round four of the Super Cheap series on August 4.

Recently Michael was one of a strong field of karters who took part in the regular club day at Fitzroy Raceway finishing second behind Connor Smith in the Novice section.

Club stalwart John Brydon said the meeting did provide a number of highlights, some of them unintentional.

Midget racer Kane Bycroft, he said, did a spectacular 360-degree spin without losing his position on the track. Kane finished third behind Mitchell Bennett and Joshua King.

In the 125 Light a former motocross rider, Jeffrey Neil, took to the track for the first time and won the section.

The news was not quite so good for media personality Mark “Chooky” Edwards in the Leopard Heavy.

“The chook had a bad day,” laughed Brydon.

“He lost a wheel at about 115 kmh.”

However, Chooky then sought revenge on the offending wheel and jumped from his kart, picked up the wheel and hurled it off the track.