Meet Monash's National Kart Champion Jack Bell

Jack Bell crosses the finish line at the Australian Kart Championships in Port Melbourne this weekend. Photo: Pace Images. 

Imagine reaching speeds of 120 km/h, before taking a corner at a g-force of two in an open cockpit, all while siting a few centimetres off the ground on a fibreglass seat….

Welcome to the world of karting.

Monash engineering student Jack Bell has been racing for 13 years, after receiving his first go kart for his seventh birthday.

His karting career has taken him to Italy to compete, and on the weekend he added an Australian National Championship title to his name.

So how does someone get to this level in the sport of karting? Jack said it’s all about race fitness, which he has built up through mountain biking and years of racing experience.  

“Your neck muscles need to be really strong, because when you’re going around the corners it wants to pull to the side,” he said.

“[And you need] good core strength, because you’ve got to be able to stay stationary in the car, you don’t want to be moving around. And good arm strength, because it’s a real arm workout. There’s no power steering or assisted steering or anything, it’s all direct acting from the steering wheel to the road.

“The really good drivers are all really physically fit, so I try to do the same.”

After finishing his degree at Monash, Jack is hoping to find a career in 

Motorsport. Photo: Pace Images. 

Karting competitions usually involve four heats of around 12 to 16 laps, and then a 20 to 25 kilometre (around 20 laps) final, spread across two days. Each lap takes about 40 to 50 seconds, in a field of 30 to 40 karts.

Concentration is key in these long events. Jack said the most important strategy is to stay calm and keep a level head.

“The mistakes are what hurts you. Everyone is pretty close for pace, but the person who makes the least mistakes is the one who goes the best,” he said.

“I love the thrill of driving fast and racing close with people.

“I think when you start, I might’ve had a bit of nerves about the speed and the closeness of the racing and stuff, but I’ve been doing it for so long now it just feels normal. I’m immune to it.”

Jack may be accustomed to dealing with the nerves of racing, but the sport is still not without its risks.

The 20-year-old’s worst crash occurred at the same Port Melbourne track where the National Championships was held on the weekend.

“There’s a big hill at the start, and I came round there and there was a car parked in the middle of the road, and I couldn’t see them until I started to come over the crest. Then I’ve hit them and flipped,” Jack said.

“I think I flipped twice and then landed upside down.”

Jack still finished the day of racing.

The KA3 Go Karts hit up to 2 g around corners. Jack said the key to 

success is remaining calm. Photo: Pace Images. 

The engineering student said he also prepares for competitions by practicing on a simulator he built at home as a “personal project”.

“From when I first started to do it, to when I got it to its current state, it took over a year, because I would just buy something, have to save up to get the next thing, and then buy that,” Jack said.

“It’s all just rigid, but the steering wheel and the pedals give a bit of feedback back to me, which is what you need because when you’re driving on the road, when you turn the wheel you feel the feedback from the road when you’re steering.”

Coming into the final weekend of racing in this season’s National Championship competition, Jack was sitting in first place in the KA3 class, with a slight advantage of just three points over his closest rival.

Across the five races Jack placed 5^th, 6^th, 17^th, and 3^rd on two occasions; just enough to get him over the line to become the Australian National Champion in what he describes as his great achievement to date.

Jack said the support from his team makes his good results all the more

meaningful. Photo: Pace Images.

Jack’s prize is an ‘arrive and drive’ package at the 2019 IAME World Finals in Le Mans, France. He is currently seeking supporters to fund the trip.

“I am super determined to be there in October as this is a once in a lifetime experience,” he said.

“Unfortunately motor sport is a really expensive sport…. Cars have to come from somewhere, and then the actual running costs of tyres, and fuel…”

If you think you can help Jack get to France for the international event, contact TeamMONASH and we will pass on his details.

Written by Nell O’Shea Carre, Media Coordinator.