A Karting race on the streets of Bermuda is set to make a sensational return for the first time in five years.

Scott Barnes, president of the Bermuda Karting Club has revealed that exciting plans – in conjunction with the Corporation of Hamilton – are in place to stage a race in north-east Hamilton over the weekend of April 22.

It will mark the return of exhilarating kart racing to Hamilton for the first time since 2018, when an estimated 1,500 people turned out to witness the last such race of its kind in scenes reminiscent of more regular staging of street races in Dockyard and along Front Street throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

“We have permission from the Corporation of Hamilton, the dates are set and everything is looking good for us to go,” said Barnes who is relishing the opportunity to fulfil a longstanding ambition of his, with discussions to reintroduce a street race to the BKC calendar in place since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’ve not had any street races for five years and so it’s really exciting that it looks set to return.

“We’ve previously had street races on Front Street and in Dockyard but this will be a brand new circuit in north-east Hamilton. It will be a nice big track and a first for us to stage a race there.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic We had pushed for this sort of race to take place and the Corporation of Hamilton were on-board then. I then subsequently stepped down as president and talks of the race stopped. However, I have since come back into the position and, with this being my last year, I want to get this done before I go, that’s the aspiration.”

With the race given the green light, Barnes is adamant it will be an exciting spectacle for fans and drivers alike, as well as an ideal opportunity to help reignite interest in the sport on island.

“This race circuit will never have been done before and that is the exciting part,” he added. It will be really close racing right in front of your eyes so it should be a really exciting spectacle for spectators.

“It’s also an amazing opportunity and experience for divers as well because it is different to what we usually do around the track [at Rubis Southside Raceway in St David’s], so it should be a really amazing race for everyone to be involved in.

“We always want to improve what we are doing and it’s exciting that we could have thousands of spectators watching the race for free.

“It’s always a goal to have as many eyes on the sport as possible and so hopefully that is exactly what we will get.”