September’s Karting Australia New South Wales State Kart Championships held in Port Macquarie has been crowned a finalist in the New South Wales Sports Awards Event of the Year which will be awarded at the end of November in Sydney.

The event drew nearly 300 competitors to the coastal mid-north coast town. With families, support crews and leadup events to the State Title, it is estimated that the financial benefit to the region would have approached $1 million.

Organisers were able to draw financial support from the Port Macquarie Hastings Council’s Destination Marketing team – along with major New South Wales wine producer, Dee Vine Estate. Both competition days were livestreamed with viewers recorded through Australia, some parts of Europe and Asia, the USA and New Zealand.

The significance of the short listing is such that the KANSW State Kart Title sees the event one of just two finalists being held in regional New South Wales – the other being Swimming NSW’s ‘Swim Sampler’ weekend in Wagga Wagga.

Other finalists include the Football NSW Coaching Conference, the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame Gala and the Riding for the Disabled Dressage, Mounted Games and Gymkhana equestrian event – all held within or around Sydney.

The KANSW State Title is the only motorsport recognition among the NSW Sport Awards whether events, in administration or among athletes or coaches. The event attracted Bendix Brakes/MSR Supercars star, Nick Percat and his JND Racing team, Ayce Buckley – the son of Collingwood AFL legend, Nathan and no less than six Australian Champions across the race categories.

Other NSW Sport Awards to be handed out in Sydney feature superstar teams and personalities such as Olympic Gold Medallists Jess Fox and Saya Sakakibara, NRL Premiership coach Ivan Cleary, the Penrith Panthers and Central Coast Mariners among many other achievers at all levels of ability and sport in New South Wales..

“The quality of Award category submissions this year highlighted the extraordinary depth and breadth of sport in NSW,” said Stuart Hodge, CEO, Sport NSW.

“These worthy finalists in each Award category have excelled at the highest levels and they join an illustrious alumni of great NSW Sports Awards finalists who have served themselves, their sport and the state with distinction.”

The 12 NSW Sport Awards winners, along with NSW Sport Hall of Fame inductees and a Legend will be crowned at the Sport NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at The Star, Pyrmont on Monday November 25.