Way back when I was a kid my Grandfather who was a total gear head instilled this speed thing in me. His imprint on my brain and my fathers following in his footsteps led me to karting at a very young age.
I'm trying to recall the year but I'm thinking around 1963 or 1964 my dad acquired a twin MAC 9 powered kart and we used to go to a closed track on 16 mile and Van Dyke in what was then Macomb Township I believe. We'd run around in this insanely fast ill handling kart while he chased in a VW Bug. Back then the tires were as hard as a rock and it was a real chore keeping the thing going in a straight line.
Keeping both engines running at the same time was another issue all together.
Kart's in those days were so different and so flash forward to the last 10 years and that's where I will pick up the story.
Although I love motorcycles and I have a long term relationship on two wheels in both the dirt and on the street. My absolute first love is four wheels and I feel that I am able to find speed much quicker in the kart or Atlantic cars.
For all of the two wheel nay sayers who think it is easy I have only met a handful of motorcycle racers who are able to make the transition between the two and be fast in both.
I say that so that you understand that both disciplines require a skill set to achieve quality speed and the ability to win at either sport.
Around 1997 or so I began doing some indoor karting with my father and although the kart's we not that fast the tracks indoors are so tight and confined that it made for some fun and exciting racing.
I began running a few indoor sprint race series and began winning the majority of the races I was running. I also ran a few endurance series winning one of them.
At this point karting was just a way to get some speed during the winter months.
When we started Trackoholics Karoline decided that we would not only run motorcycle trackday events, we would also run an indoor kart series for our members during the winter.
This went extremely well for us and our customers had a blast.
Around 2002 Jim Boltz (SSC Racing and Cycle Barn owner) began pushing me to get back into outdoor karting.
I was so busy that I kind of resisted and held off until the Fall of 2005 when while on a trip to Las Vegas to work with Ti2TT Jim invited me sample the latest karting product from CRG and Rotax at his wonderful facility X PLEX.
To say that I was awe struck but the outright speed of the new kart's is an understatement.
Tuned chassis's with incredible brakes that featured full floating ventilated rotors with Brembo master cylinders. Awesome, sticky slick developed by Bridgestone. Seats that actually held you in place ala a true race car.
Hey that's all it took and I'm hooked!
If you have not tried karting here is my thoughts on why it is so awesome.
(1). Cost. Used kart's go for 1,500 to 4,500. New turn key packages around 6,000 to 8,000
(2). Tires. 200.00 a set.
(3). Track Time is CHEAP! 35.00 to 55.00 per day at just about any kart track (and there are hundreds of them across America).
(4). Driving gear. Compared to bikes, really cheap. Suit, gloves, boots, rib and neck protector and helmet for under a grand.
So, there is more to life than two wheels. Give it try. I think you might just get hooked. Also see me short write up on getting into karting CLICK HERE.
