Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Jack Larsen and his go kart, with his state championship trophy. Photo credit: Victoria Velton
The Blackrock boy of 13-years-old has been crowned the 2026 KA2 Queensland Champion after a dominant weekend at the state championships, where he claimed pole position in the qualifiers and went on to win the final by huge 5.7 seconds lead. And now, Jack Larsen is already looking beyond his recent Queensland karting title.
The result was even more impressive considering Larsen was bumped at the start of the 20-lap final and dropped back to fourth. But Jack had confidence in his skills.
“I passed them all in the second or third lap, then I just slowly gapped away,” Jack said.
His strong finish came down to more than just speed. With only one set of tyres available for the entire championship weekend, from qualifying through to the final, Larsen had carefully managed his tyres while other competitors pushed harder.
“I think other people burnt their tyres out because they were driving too hard,” he said.
“Then my tyres were better than the other guys because I saved them during the weekend, and I slowly pulled away.”
Larsen had started the weekend in the best possible position, qualifying on pole. The advantage was particularly important at the circuit, where being on the outside through a pair of right-hand corners could leave drivers running onto the dirt and losing grip.
It was only the second time Larsen had raced at the track and qualifying first was also the moment he began to believe he could win the State championship.
The KA2 field included some serious competition, including the driver who had been leading the Australian Championship before the Queensland round, as well as several other previous state champions.
“It was quite competitive,” Jack said. “There were definitely some difficult people to race. They’re good racers, but they’re difficult to beat.”
Larsen has been racing since he was eight and said the sport has given him so much beyond just the competition.
“Meeting new people, making friends, building relationships, and setting up my future to have the best outcome possible,” he said.
That future may eventually take him beyond karting and into cars. While his current focus is on an Australian title, Larsen and the team behind him are already looking at the next steps in his motorsport career, with Formula Ford being discussed as a potential future career goal.
“There are different steps,” he said. “The next steps are into cars, and you get to the step where you actually start making money in it.”
The path to that point will require plenty of hard work, with success often coming down to the smallest details.
“It’s finding very fine things that you need to fix,” he said.
While he is the driver, much of the work behind the scenes is a family and team effort. His father handles much of the kart preparation, while Jack helps with tasks such as changing tyres and cleaning the kart.
He also works closely with his team, analysing data to compare speed, acceleration and performance through different races.
His father, along with coaches including multiple Australian champion Cian Fothergill, Tom Williams Motorsport, and sponsors including JTH Asset Management, Joeflo Excavations, Ingham Express Transport, A & G Drone solutions, Bronte Ag, Cosca, ASM Eathmoving Company, HLD Constructions, Russo &Vella Machinery, have all played a role in supporting his racing.
Jack has also competed internationally, travelling to Malaysia, Thailand and Italy, where he won a trip to race after finishing second in Australia the previous year. With a Queensland title now added to his achievements, Jack’s aim is now national.
“I would like to try and win a couple of Australian titles and win the Australian Championship,” Jack said.
With his goal to continue climbing the motorsport ladder, for now, he is enjoying the perks that comes with his latest achievement, including the privileges and recognition of his new State Champion status.
“When you are a state champion, you get to have a blue background behind your number,” he said.
“Then everyone who looks at your kart knows you’re a state champion.”
Jack Larsen Racing can be followed for updates on his motorsport journey on Facebook.
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes. Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Life Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Life Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2026 Life Publishing Group Ltd.
