TORONTO, ONTARIO, June 19, 2018 – Canadians are invited to join in on the fun at the race track this summer as kartSTART Presented by Toyota celebrates its eighth year providing hands on drivers’ safety education to kids across Canada.
Led by retired professional race car driver, Russ Bond, and sponsored by Toyota, the ASN Canada FIA safety endorsed program has helped over 6000 kids establish an early foundation for safe and responsible driving using a car just their size – a go-kart!
Beginning June 30, kartSTART will visit 10 cities across Canada, including a new stop added to the tour in Ottawa, Ontario. By popular demand, the program will also return to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where it last visited in 2015.
“What’s great about the kartSTART program is kids are not only given the opportunity to experience being behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle (many for the first time), but they’re becoming familiar with driver safety well before they can get a license,” said Cyril Dimitris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Toyota Canada Inc. “kartSTART is helping create a better, safer future for the drivers of tomorrow.”
Mobility for all: kartSTART introduces new, accessible go-kart
New to this year’s program is a professionally designed go-kart made accessible for kids with physical disabilities so that they can drive too! The accessible go-kart looks the same as the other karts, but with hand-controlled throttle and braking incorporated into the design of the steering wheel.
As a mobility company, Toyota is committed to supporting the creation of a more inclusive society where every individual has the freedom to move.
Jonak Motorsport, one of Canada’s leading racing fabrication and restoration companies, was tasked with designing, building and testing kartSTART’s accessible go-kart. The company specializes in high-end projects, from restoring vintage Formula 1 cars, to building safe, racing quality go-karts. Jonak Motorsport has been a partner of kartSTART for eight years and has been instrumental in developing a specialized fleet of karts for the program.
“I’m thrilled about this year’s additions to the 2018 kartSTART program,” said Russ Bond, founder of kartSTART Presented by Toyota. “With the new accessible go-kart, we now have the ability to create a more inclusive environment, where mobility is no longer a barrier for children with physical disabilities affecting the lower limbs.”
2018 kartSTART Presented by Toyota National Tour Dates
- Chilliwack Area – Greg Moore Raceway – June 30 to July 3 – Chilliwack, BC
- Red Deer Area – Westerner Park – July 6 to 8 – Red Deer, AB
- Saskatoon Area – Martensville Speedway – July 13 to 15 – Saskatoon, SK
- Winnipeg Area – Red River Exhibition Park – July 19 to 21 – Winnipeg, MB – (July 19 -evening)
- Hamilton Area – Flamboro Speedway – July 25 to 27 – Millgrove, ON – (July 26 – evening)
- Toronto Area – Sunset Speedway – August 5 to 8 – Innisfil, ON
- Ottawa Area – E Y Centre – August 11 to 13 – Ottawa, ON
- Montreal Area – Autodrome – August 15 to 17 – Saint-Eustache, Québec
- Trois-Rivières – SC Performance – August 20 to 22 – Saint-Célestin, Québec
- Halifax Area – Scotia Speedworld – August 25 to 27 – Goffs, NS
For more information, and to reserve a spot in the 2018 kartSTART Presented by Toyota Nationwide Tour, please visit or contact:
Website: www.kartstart.ca
Facebook: kartSTART.ca
Telephone: 647-401-5153
Email: info@kartstart.ca
About Toyota Canada Inc.
Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has sold over 5 million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability in the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive. TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver. Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than seven million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid.
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