Buckmore Park Karting Circuit is facing an uncertain future with the owners revealing they don’t have any immediate plans to reopen.

There has been some doubt as to whether the circuit near Chatham, that saw the likes of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton cut their teeth in motorsport, will open once again after being forced to close due to Covid-19.

Having been closed now for over six months, the track have issued a statement casting more doubt as to whether there will be kart racing there again in the future.

It reads: “As many businesses prepare to reopen their doors after this lockdown it is with great sadness to announce we won’t be doing so, for the time being.”

“Buckmore Park has been closed now for over 200 days since the pandemic began and like with many businesses in leisure and hospitality, that has caused us huge financial strain. We have been grateful for the grants available to us but as a larger venue we were ineligible for many of the early financial support that smaller venues were able to access.”

“On top of that we still have not received any insurance payouts for business interruption which we believe, and the supreme court believes, we should be entitled to. As a result we have had to dramatically cut costs and that has also meant saying goodbye to many of our amazing team, who without Buckmore isn’t the place it was.”

“We are aware of recent speculation around Buckmore Park’s future on social media due to the recent planning application we have made for the paddock. The decision was made that under the circumstances, we have to look for additional income streams to support the circuit and to rebuild our finances.”

“We have had a number of positive discussions with companies to utilise the area in the paddock that we own but very rarely use. By doing so we give ourselves a better chance of being able to reopen at some point in the future.”

“Thank you as always for your continued support.”

With Bayford Meadows Karting Circuit near Sittingbourne and Lydd Karting Circuit both looking to resume racing in the coming weeks, the future of Buckmore Park looks bleak, but fans will be hoping a resolution will see the popular track back in operation soon.