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On the 13th of July, 1960, 32 interested people gathered in the Mt Gambier Cycling Club rooms at Vansittart Park to form the Mt Gambier Go-Kart Club. Racing was conducted at the old Starline drive-in Theatre, which is now a housing development near the corner of Wireless Rd East and Gladigau Rd. The money raised from these race meetings and other fund raising activities was used to purchase the block of land that the track is built on today. The cost was 126 Pounds ($250) per acre.
The first race meeting was held at the Glenburnie track on the 10th December 1960. The original track, parts of which can still be seen today, consisted of a Limestone base (all laid by hand) with a coating of coltar spread over the top. Because of the ‘poor quality’ surface, it required continual patching and repairing. The Club continued until December 1968 when through lack of numbers and enthusiasm, it went into recess.
In April 1970, the Club was reformed with ten members and renewed enthusiasm. By 1980 there were 19 members, by 1982 there were 90 members and by 1992 there were 156 financial members. In May 1993, the track was resurfaced to 7 metres wide and lengthened by 75 metres by extending the main straight up over the hill, and the infamous “hairpin” was removed. In January 1996 lights were erected on poles in the centre of the circuit and the first twilight meeting was held on February 10, 1996
Since that time, the track has once again been resurfaced and widened with the old “Shell’ control tower being dismantled and replaced with the current structure in preparation for the Australian National Sprint Kart Titles which were held at this track over Easter, 2000, in addition, two and a half acres were purchased on the Eastern boundary (for approx $25,000) and that land is currently used for the new grid and pit complex.
