The Portland District Karting was formed in the 1960s, building a track at Portland’s Yarraman Park, where the club has been located ever since.
The original layout; 560 metres long 4 metres wide and spray seal still forms the basis of the existing track, although it has been extended to 752 metres, widened to 8 metres and hotmix surfaced.
In 1997 the Club promoted the first Portland Street Grand Prix which is now recognised as Australia’s best street meeting. With the 2001 involvement of Ford Racing Australia as naming sponsors and the AGP Corporation as a major sponsor, the meeting is poised to develop further.
At a time when karting has struggled to maintain numbers, the street meeting provides the sport with a significant boost in profile through a state-wide TV advertising campaign and a heavy print and radio media campaign within the region.