Club History
With the closure of the Summerland Kart Club circuit in 1969 on the Tenterfield Road west of Casino local karters were without a local club or a race venue.
In February 1970 founding member Barry Fisher called a public meeting to seek interested parties to form a club in Lismore. As a result a new club was formed called the Northern Rivers Kart Club where Barry Fisher was elected president and given the charter of obtaining land on which a circuit could be established. With assistance of the then local member Mr Bruce Duncan it was suggested that there may be land available with the showground complex a meeting was then arranged with the show society president Mr Spencer Spinaze and an agreement and lease was formulated.
The club commenced with approx 6 members some being husbands and wife’s and to progress the circuit construction apart from giving up their weekends they also paid memberships on a regular basis to ensure there were sufficient funds available to pay for earth moving equipment hire to construct the circuit.
The original circuit was oil sealed dirt of approx 300m in length and the canteen was operated from an existing wrought iron building and a tent. The official opening of the circuit was in October 1979. In these early years the only classes the club were able to race were junior and seniors. 1979 also saw the NSW Dirt Track Titles held at the Lismore circuit with approx 140 competitors.
In approx 1980 the club grew and additional land was leased and the track was extended and the club hosted the Prestigious National Dirt Track titles in 1981 with some 200 competitors.
1982 saw the NSW Dirt Titles once again being hosted by the Lismore Club. In approx. 1984 the club self funded the sealing of the circuit with hotmix bitumen.
The club would like to acknowledge the following Life members for all the hard work and effort they put into building and making our great Club to what it is today-: Graham Armstrong, Thomas Armstrong, Marianne Baillie, Rodney Burley, John Dwyer, Barry Fisher, Allan Fry, Elwyn Garrard, Harvey Herne, Mark Kellie, Ritchie McLeod, Jodie Nommensen, Barry Riordan, Diana Smith, Russell Standing, Bruce Thompson, Graeme Thompson.
The Lismore Kart Club History page is for people to come talk and share pictures, stories and memories reflecting on the clubs 50 year history Be sure to upload your memory’s and submit them on our website www.lismorekartclub.com.au/contacts/
