By Tate Papworth
Taylors Lakes racing prodigy Nick Schembri has capped off a remarkable year of kart racing.
The 16-year-old was crowned 2018 Superkart Driver Of The Year and 2018 Class Champion in the no gearbox light category.
Schembri said it was a terrific way to end the year.
“It’s been a really good year – I achieved so much more than I set out to do,” he said.
Schembri entered 2018 with a goal to record a number of wins in the non-gearbox category – which he achieved.
However he also had an ambition to try his hand at one or two races in the 125 gearbox category.
Although he expected to only take part in a handful of races, Schembri outperformed even his own expectations and won the state championships.
“I wasn’t expecting to even really be racing in the 125 gearbox category so to win the state championships was amazing,” he said.
“Next year I’ll look to do a bit more gearbox racing and hopefully I can win a national or state championship.”
Gearbox karts reach speeds of up to 190km/h and Schembri said he put in many hours of practice to adjust to the fast pace.
“The karts with no gearbox go at about 150km/h so there’s a bit of a difference,” he said.
“It does make a difference in driving, but that’s what I practice for.
“Some of the people who race have been doing this for years and they’ve been a really big help in getting me to this point as quickly as I have.”
