The Kosmic Racing Australia team will become the first all Australian team in almost 20 years to compete in CIK-FIA World Championship event later this year when they line up on the grid in Macau in October.
Over the past two decades there has been numerous Australian drivers compete with the Italian factory teams, most notably being James Courtney, Ryan Briscoe, Ben Horstman and Michael Patrizi, but not an all-Australian team such as is planned by the Kosmic Racing Australia outfit.
Kosmic Racing Australia Team Manager Peter Galvin will lead the team with three-time Australian Champions Cian Fothergill and Matthew Waters competing against the world’s best drivers in the KF1 category in the October 19-21 event.
“It is a very proud moment for me to be leading an all Australian team to compete in the World Karting Championship. We will have the best equipment at our disposal as we will be working very close with the Kosmic Factory team from Europe to provide our drivers with the best opportunity of a top result,” said Galvin.
“We’ve been working on this trip for some time and finally it has become a reality. It must be said that our own domestic CIK Stars of Karting Series has had a major influence in opening more avenues for Australian drivers, and now a team, to compete at the very highest level of the sport.”
For Fothergill, this will be the second time in less than 12 months that he has competed in an overseas event having contested the Asia-Pacific Championship at Suzuka in Japan last November.
“I raced KF2 in the Asia Pacific Championships last year in Japan but had a mechanical issue in the final which stopped me from achieving a good overall result, considering that, you could certainly say that I’ve got some unfinished business on the international level,” said Fothergill.
“I’m really looking forward to racing against the world’s best drivers in Macau, it’s going to be an amazing experience – especially considering the fact that I’m doing it with an all Australian team.”
After enjoying success at the CIK Trophy of New Zealand earlier this year, Waters is excited about the prospect of being a part of the all-Australian team in the World Championship event.
Joining the pair as a part of the team at the event will be Townsville teenager Josh Smith, who will be competing in his first event on overseas soil when he contests the Asia-Pacific KF3 (Junior) Championship.
Both Fothergill and Waters will line up on the grid next Saturday night (August 25) in the Yamaha Karting Showdown at the Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway. All three drivers will then join with their Kosmic Racing Australia team-mates for the final round of the CIK Stars of Karting Series presented by Castrol EDGE in Melbourne on September 22/23.
