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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The photographs are reproduced throughthe courtesy of: pp. 5, 24, 25, Barb Pendleton; pp. 6 (top andbottom), 7, 8, I , Duf fy L iv ingstone; pp. 13, 19,22,26, 29, 33,35, 36, 41,42 ( top and bot tom), 43, ( top lef t and top r ight) , 45,46,47, the Internat ional Kart Federat ion; pp. 14, 16, 17,20, 28,37 ,43 (bottom right), Jerry O'Brien, Editor, World Karting Magazine;pp. 21, 3O, the Daytona Internat ional Speedway; p. 32,TNT Kart-ways; p. 39, Ron Pearson; p. 40, Aurora Speed; p. 43 (bottomlef t ) , Mrs. Randy Thompson.Logos and maps are reproduced through the courtesy of pp.11 ( top), 38 ( top), the Internat ional Kart Federat ion, 416 SouthCovina, Cal i fornia 91724' , pp. 11 {bot tom), 38 (bot tom), the WorldKarting Association, P.O. Box 2548, North Canton, Ohio 44720.

Go Kart is a registered trademark of the Fox Corporation,Janesvi l le , Wisconsin.

efryLerner Pub l i ca t ions Companv r M inneapo l i s , M inneso ta

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LITTLE GARSROSEMARY G. WASHINGTON

The author wishes to thank the following people for their assistancein the preparat ion of th is book: Ron Black, Pat Davidson, LynneGi lman, George Kugler , Duf fy L iv ingstone, Jerry O'Br ien, BarbPendleton, Doug Stokes, Terry Traeder. The author a lso wishesto give specia l thanks to Sarah Tucker. Edi tor : Mark Lerner

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Washington, Rosemary G.Karting.

(Superwheels and thrill sports)SUMMARY: An introduction to karting, in-

cluding its development, different types of kartsand races, professional karting, and champions ofthe sport.

1. Karting-Juvenile l iterature. [1. Karting]I. Title. II. Series.

GV1029.5.W35 1980 796.7 ' ,6 80-12385ISBN 0-8225-0435-9 (lib. bde.)

Copyr ight @ 1980 by Lerner Publ icat ions Company

Al l r ights reserved. Internat ional copyr ight secured.No part of th is book may be reproduced in any formwhatsoever wi thout permission in wr i t ing f rom the publ isherexcept for the inclusion of br ief quotat ions in anacknowledged review.

Manufactured in the Uni ted States of America.Pub l i shed s imu l taneous ly i n Canada by J . M . Den t & Sons(Canada) L td . , Don M i l l s , On ta r io .

Internat ional Standard Book Numbbr: O-8225-0435-9Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 80-.12385

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I I 10 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 5

THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OFKARTING 8

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF KARTRACING 11

KARTING CLASSES 27

SUPER KARTS 28

KARTING SAFETY 31

CHAMPIONSHIPS 37

CHAMPIONS OF KARTING

PROFESSIONAL KARTING

CONCLUSION 47

39

44

A champion kart with its driver's sporty helmet on the seat

INTRODUCTION

Tinkering with a lawn mower engine andsome metal tubing, Art Ingles was trying tofashion a new toy. As Ingles was a race carbuilder by trade, it was not surprising thathis toy should be something like a car. But

Ingles' toy would be smaller than a car, sohe called it a "little car." Soon he had fittedfour wheels to the metal frame, attached asteering wheel, installed a seat, and adapteda chain to connect the engine and rear wheels.

The year is 1957, and Art Ingles is driving around theRose Bowl parking lot in the first kart ever built.

In late 1957, these karts were the only ones in theworld. ln almost no time, though, karts becameinternationally popular.

6

Ingles, excited by his creation, took thelittle car to the Rose Bowl, the famous sta-dium in Pasadena, California. There, in thespacious parking lot, he zipped around on hisnew toy. The spectators at the Rose Bowlcouldn't help but notice Ingles in his tinycar, and they watched in amazement.

Duffy Livingstone, a friend of Ingles, wasalso excited by the little car. He was so capti-vated that he quickly built one

' ' is own.

Requests for the little cars from friends andRose Bowl spectators flooded Livingstone,Ingles, and fellow race car maker Lou Borelli.The little-car builders worked fast, and al-most overnight a dozen of their products werebuzzing around the Rose Bowl. Racing thelittle machines was instantly popular.

Speaking of the first little cars, Livingstone

said, "We built them for fun, and they just

took off from there. We didn't have the fog-giest idea of what would happen."

Today Ingles' little car has been developedinto a highly sophisticated machine that israced by all kinds of people. It is easy tosee why the popularity of these little carscontinues to grow. They offer the same thrillsand challenges as big race cars do-and ata fract' of the cost. Because they are in-expensive and easy to maintain, the little carsappeal to people of all ages. Aspiring race cardrivers, or those too young to drive cars, canpractice their driving skills with the littlecars. Fast drivers can race them at dizzyingspeeds far more safely than they can drivetheir cars and motorcycles. With their lowcenter of gravity and sturdy construction, the

little cars are easy to handle and controleven at speeds as high as 140 miles perhour (-ph).

People everywhere now know of the plea-sures of the little cars. The tiny machines thatbegan as toys in southern California's parkinglots did not remain there long. They spreadto all parts of the world, and with them theirowners created an entirely new sport, that ofkart racing, or karting.

Karting pioneer Duffy Livingstone drives an early kart.

THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OFKARTING

From his muffler shop in Los Angeles,Duffy Livingstone began manufacturing andselling the little cars. Livingstone, along withpartners Bill Rowles and Roy Desbrow, hadseen the great demand for the little cars. Inalmost no time, the mufflers were gone fromthe shop, and the three partners were spend-ing all their time building more little cars.

All the while Livingstone and his partnerswere .building, selling, and promoting theirlittle cars, they were without a name to callthem. Lynn Wineland, an advertising manwho worked with Livingstone, provided onewhen he coined the term "Go Kart. " ("ZipKart" and "Dart Kart" were names Winelandconsidered but rejected.)

8

The growing family of little-car driversnow had a name for their machines. All theyneeded was more room to race. SouthernCalifornia's parking lots had become conges-ted with karts. There were even complaintsthat karting was a public menace.

1 , r. \

The first kart built by Go-Kart Manufacturing

To relieve the problem, Livingstone,Desbrow, Rowles, and Don Boberick built thefirst kart track. Its name was Go Kart Race-way. And the place chosen for it was lrwin-dale, California, just outside Los Angeles.

But even before people set aside specificpublic areas for karting, they wanted to controlother safety and technical aspects of thesport. With so many karts around, enthusiastsneeded a uniform set of official rules. Inresponse to this need, the world's first kartingorganization was formed in 1957.

Again, Livingstone played a key role. Firstcalled the Go Kart Club of America, theorganization later became known as the Inter-national Kart Federation (IKF). Today it is

An aerial view of Go Kart Raceway in lrwindale,California. This was the first track built especially forkart racing.

the world's largest governing body for the

sport of karting.The IKF grew very rapidly from the hand-

ful of organizers who formed the group in1957. The list of members increased almostdaily, until today the IKF has about 5,500

members, mostlv in the United States andCanada.

The IKF's main purpose is to promote safeand fun karting. In competitive karting, theorganization determines the rules and regula-tions for kart equipment and race procedures.On November 21, 1957, the IKF publishedits first set of rules for competition. Theserules have been constantly revised and up-dated since then. The IKF sanctions, or givesits approval to, only those races that complywith its established guidelines.

The IKF provides other services to itsmembers as well. Always concerned withsafety, the organization examines kart-trackfacilities each year and certifies those thatmeet its approval. The IKF also publishesa magazine calle d Karter News, which givesmembers the latest information about kartequipment, manufacturers, race schedules,rule changes, and meetings of the board ofdirectors. The organization even offers itsmembers an accident insurance program.

10

The success of any organization lies inmaintaining open communication between itsgoverning board and its members, and theIKF is no exception. Individual karters electdistrict representatives, called governors, andmembers of the national board of directors.This system of communication served allkarters well until L971, when a rift developed.A group of members became dissatisfied withthe administration of the IKF and their safetypolicies. Finally they split away and formedthe World Karting Association (WKA).

In order to compete in as many races aspossible, many karters belong to both theWKA and the IKF. Usually dual membershipdoes not lead to conflicting interests, for themain objective of the two organizations isthe same-to promote safe and fun karting.Indeed, many karters feel that the differencesbetween the WKA and IKF are not great atall. These karters hope that one day the WKAand the IKF will come together and onceagain form one large karting body.

WORLDKARTINGASSOCIATION

The World Karting Association (WKA) logo

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OFKART RACING

Over the years, karting has grown andchanged from a "parking lot" recreation to afull-fledged sport. In the process, several typesof kart racing have evolved. The differentkinds of kart races are run on different kindsof tracks and under different race procedures.The three major types of karting competitionare: spnnt racing, road racing, and speedwayracing. In addition, other types of kartingcompetition have developed, including iceracing, Formula Kart Expenmental racing,and Super Kart racing.

1 1

The International Kart Federation (lKF) logo

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SPR'NT RACING

Sprint racing is the oldest type of kartracing. As its name implies, sprint racingcombines high speed and short distances.Sprint races are run on asphalt tracks ofthree quarters of a mile or less in length.The tracks have several twists and turns,which make driving them a true test of skill.

The kart used in sprint racing resemblesIngles' early kart. A sprint kart can be im-mediately identified by its "sit-up" driver'sposition, which is designed for greater controlon the twisty sprint courses.

A sprint race includes three separate, shorterraces called heats. A heat is usually t0 lapsaround the track. Contestants try to completethe l0 laps of each heat in as little time aspossible. Each karter is awarded points onthe basis of his or her performance in theindividual heats. The final winner of a sprintrace is the driver who has the highest totalpoint score from the three heats combined.

Running a fast heat wins a karter more

12

than points. It can also improve the driver'sstarting position in the next heat. At thestart of each heat, the karts line up in tworows. The fastest karts line up in the front,and the slower karts start in the rear. Forexample, the kart that wins the first heatwill start at the front of the grid, or lineup,in the second heat. And the kart that finisheslast in the second heat must start last in thethird heat. Those karts near the front of thegrid, of course, have a head start over thekarts behind them. For that reason, driverstry to win one of the front positions in asmany heats as possible. A driver with a poorshowing in one of the early heats not onlyloses valuable points, but also has to start atthe back of the grid in the next heat.

To establish the grid in the first heat ofa sprint race, officials run time tnals. In atime trial, each kart races against the clock.The drivers with the fastest times are awardedfront positions for the first heat.

Sprint karts whip around a curve.

Sprint drivers must maintain their gridpositions during the starting procedure foreach heat. Most races use rolling starts, inwhich the karters take a warm-up lap or two,slowly traveling behind the lead kart. Duringthis time, all karts must remain in grid for-mation. If the official starter is satisfied withthe speed and formation of the karts as theypass the starting line, they are given thegreen flag. That signals the start of the race.

From then on, karters may pass each otheras they speed toward the finish line.

Although quickness is necessary to win,the many turns and curves in a sprint courseprevent karts from reaching maximum speedlimits in competition. Drivers must combinestrategy and skill with quickness in order tomaneuver their karts to a winning finish. In-deed, the thrills of sprint racing attract morepeople than any other type of kart racing.

1 5

Before the race actually begins, sprint karts warm up with a rolling start.

The official starter (right) waves the green flag and the race is on'

ROAD RACING

Road racing, another type of kart racing,evolved from sprint racing. Early karters,seeking new ways to race their machines,began to run greater distances. Graduallythey modified their karts so that they couldrace for longer periods of time.

The road-racing kart that resulted, alsocalled an enduro kart, was quite differentfrom its sprint-racing ancestor. One of thekart's first structural changes involved itsfuel-carrying capacity. In order to holdenough fuel to power itself over long dis-tances, the road-racing kart had a large fueltank mounted onto one or both sides. Otherstructural changes soon followed. Driversnoticed that at high speeds, wind resistance-caused by air pushing against the driver andthe kart-produces drag. Drag tends to slowdown the vehicle and lower its gas mileage.By exposing less surface area to the wind,

1 8

drag can be reduced. Karters discovered thatthey could reduce wind resistance on theirchests and abdominal areas by driving theirmachines from a "lalz-down" position. As aresult, drag was reduced and drivers' kartswent faster and got better gas mileage. Withthese changes, the road-racing kart developeda sleek, road-hugging look all its own.

The road race itself also differs from asprint race. The lengthy course-often asports car track-has long stretches and avariety of turns. And, instead of judging arace by laps or heats, officials measure thelength of a road race by time. Most roadraces last one hour, though some are only45 minutes long.

To start a road race, the drivers line upGrund Pnx style, or side by side, with atleast two feet between karts. Unlike sprintkarts, road-racing karts take off from standing

flFF. o

Road-racing, or enduro, karts have large fuel tanks and long,

stafis. This means that drivers take no warm-up laps, although they may start their enginesone minute before the race begins. Once theflag drops to signal the start, the vehiclescannot be pushed. After one hour. the racers

drive out their final lup to the finish line.The kart that has completed the most lapsis the winner. If two or more karts tie forthe most laps completed, the first kart tocross the finish line wins the race.

1 9

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Roadworld'stracks.can feel

20

An enduro kart in act ion at the Indianapol is Speedway

races are often run on many of themost famous professional sports carRoad-racing karters, young and old,the excitement of speeding down the

tracks at Daytona International Speedway,Indianapolis Raceway Park, Ontario MotorSpeedway, Watkins Glen Grand Prix, and

other motorsport circuits.

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The crowded start of an enduro race at the Daytona International Speedway

Dirt sprays out from the tires of this speedway kart.

22

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SPEEDWAY RACING

More commonly known as dirt-track racing,speedway racing was started to provide aninexpensive and fun type of kart racing inareas that did not have asphalt tracks. Butthe thrill of dirt-track competition is makingit one of the more popular forms of kartingin all areas of the country.

Speedway races use sprint karts and arerun on dirt tracks of a quarter mile or lessin length. Like a sprint race, speedway com-petition consists of three separate heats-twol0-lap heats and one 20-lap heat. The secondheat, however, is run from an inverted start.In other words, the drivers who led the firstheat have to work their way up from theback of the pack during the second heat.Drivers line up for the third heat accordingto the number of points they received in thefirst two heats. As in sprint racing, the over-all winner of the speedway event is the driverwho has accumulated the most points in allthree heats combined.

ICE RACING

It used to be that karters in the northernregions had to put their karts into storageduring the snowy, winter months. But severalinnovative drivers conquered the forbiddingterrain and discovered the sport of ice racing.

Both sprint- and road-racing karts can beraced on ice. The basic materials of the ma-chines remain unaltered. The tires, however,are modified to gain traction on ice. Severaltypes of studded tires have been designed toprovide adequate grip on the icy track. Somekarts have chains wrapped tightly aroundeach tire. Others use a combination of thesetwo types, setting inch-long nails betweeneach link of the chain.

Driving these machines around an ovalof ice is a challenge to even the most ex-perienced karter. The races are conducted inthe same manner as those on the more tradi-tional asphalt surfaces. Though the top speedsof the karts are reduced, all the thrills ofhigh-speed competition are still there.

23

Studded tires enable the kart to race on an ice

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Drivers hope for traction as they battle each other on a frozen course.

Young drivers waiting to race

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KARTING CLASSES

Each of the major types of kart racing-sprint racing, road racing, and speedway rac-ing-has several competition classes. Theseclasses are determined by three factors: thedriver's age; the combined weight of the kartand driver; and the engine size and type.

ln national competiton, a driver must beat least 9 years old for sprint and speedwayracing and 12 years old for road racing.Generally, kart races have several junior

classes for drivers under 16 and a number ofsenior classes for drivers 16 years and older.

The type of engine in the kart also deter-mines several competition classes. Engine

size is the chief factor, but there are otherconsiderations as well. Additional classes

separate single engines from double engines,

engines with reed valves from those withrotary valves, and stock-appearing enginesfrom modified engines. Stock-appearing en-gines come straight from the box and have

not been altered at all. Modified engines are

allowed some changes. Finally, there are openclasses, which place no restrictions on thetype of engine used.

A special class included in road racing is

the Formula Kart Experimental (FKE) class,

which began in L967, The FKE class is one

27

A Formula Kart Experimental (FKE) class kart glidesdown the track.

of only two classes in karting to have kartswith bodies. Generally, FKE, or Formula,karts have no limitations except for engines ize. As a resu l t , these kar ts show morevariation than other karting classes do. MostFormula karts are hand-built, one-of-a-kindmachines. They have metal or fiberglassbodies, and many sport colorful paint jobs.

28

SUPER KARTS

More than any other type of kart, theSuper Kart resembles the big race cars com-peting at the Indianapolis 500 and in otherfamous auto races. The Super Kart's powerful250 cubic-centimeter (cc) engine is actuallya motorcycle engine. Like its large race carcousin, but unlike any other type of kart,the Super Kart has a six-speed transmission,which is engaged through a pedal-operatedclutch and a hand-operated gearshift.

Super Karts, among the fastest of all karts,resemble race cars in another obvious way:their bodies. Super Kart bodies, Iike thoseof the FKE class, are made of fiberglass. InSuper Kart bodies, however, drivers are ex-posed, not enclosed, as they are in the FKEbodies.

1 t' l

Stiper Kart competition came to the UnitedStates in 1979. For several years before then,Europeans had been racing this unique typeof kart. Perhaps because of their Europeanorigin, Super Kart races in the United Statesare run under the Fbd|.ration lnternationalede l'Automobile ( FIA) racing procedure.Under this procedure, Super Kart eventsare divided into four l5-minute heats. Thehigher a driver finishes in each heat, thefewer points he or she receives. After allfour heats, the driver with the fewest pointsis the winner.

Since 1979, the World Karting Associationhas taken the lead in sponsoring Super Kartevents. It sanctions races on both the ovalroad-racing tracks and the twisting sprint-racing courses.

30

Super Karts competing at the Daytona InternationalSpeedway

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KARTING SAFETY

As karting has grown, so has its emphasison safety. Today, all drivers and karts enteringofficially sanctioned events must comply withthe rules established by the karting organiza-tions. In case of injury, drivers also carryaccident insurance, which is paid for throughtheir IKF or WKA membership dues.

THE PRE-RACE TECHNICAL'NSPECTION

One of karting's most important safetyprecautions is the pre-race technical inspec-tion. The purpose of this inspection is toinsure that the karts operate safely whileracing. A kart is eligible to compete onlyafter meeting all of the safety standards.

Before the karts are allowed out onto thetrack, they must report to a special inspectionarea. There karts are checked for faulty con-struction and defective equipment that couldbecome ahazard to the driver or other drivers

during a race. For example, the inspectorsmake sure that the tires are free of flaws,that the brakes perform well, and that thethrottle closes automatically upon release.

Inspectors also check the overall construc-tion of each kart to see that it gives the driverthe greatest possible protection. The driver'scompartment of an enduro, sprint, or SuperKart must have side rails or other side support.No part of the driver can extend beyond thelength or width of a kart. Safety regulationsalso require that any part of the kart extendingbeyond the body that could puncture or in-jure other competitors must be fitted with asafety guard.

The FKE vehicle must include other spe-cial protective devices for its driver, who isenc losed in a meta l or f iberg lass body.Fire walls must separate the driver's com-partment from the engine. Seat belts, a fireextinguisher, and a special roll bar for thedriver, which must be positioned directlyabove his or her helmet, are also required.

31

Even with i ts emphasis on safety, kart ing has i ts share of accidents as these unlucky dr ivers found out.

3 2

SAFETY IN COMPETITION

The strong emphasis on safety does notend with the pre-race technical inspection.Safety is of prime importance during therace, too. The race tracks must provide anambulance, a first-aid kit, and a qualifiedmedical person at every racing event to han-dle a possible emergency. The track mustalso set up protective barriers along the race-way to prevent bystanders from being struckby u kart.

Drivers, too, have to follow certain safe-ty standards during the race. Ary driver inviolation of the safety rules is immediatelydisqualified. At the start of each race, eachentry must have on hand a dry-powder fireextinguisher as a precaution against fire onthe track. Competitors are required to wearprotective gear to prevent burns and otherinjury. This gear includes a helmet, gogglesor face shield, long pants, and a leather orheavy vinyl jacket. FKE drivers, who are en-closed by the body of their kart, must wear

A driver wears protective clothing, including helmet,face shield, long pants, and iacket.

33

clothes made of fire-resistant material. Manykarters also wear ear plugs to guard againsthearing loss from loud engine noise.

Safe driving methods and competition tech-niques also reduce the possibility of accidentsduring a race. Drivers are licensed and, in ad-dition, have to demonstrate their driving skillsto the satisfaction of race officials before thevare allowed to compete.

During the actual race, drivers must giveconsideration to their competitors. Bumpingand blocking another kart is not allowed.Drivers use a system of arm signals to warneach other of impending danger on the trackcaused by mechanical failure, a pileup, orloss o f cont ro l . When a dr iver is be ingovertaken by a faster kart, he or she mustraise one arm to indicate the safest side forpassing.

Flag signals by officials along the racewayalso warn drivers of changes in the conditionsof the track. A yellow flag tells karters toslow down and hold position because the

34

track is partially blocked. A red flag indicatesthat the track is unsafe for racing and thatall karts must stop immediately. A blackflag waved at a particular driver may meanmechanical problems or disqualification forbad driving practices. A racer who has been"black flagged" must finish the lap at reducedspeed and stop at the race official for in-struction before resuming competition.

TH E POST-RACE'NS PECTION

The outcome of a kart race is not officialimmediately after the race is over. Before anywinners can be announced, the drivers mustpass a post-race inspection. The purpose ofthis inspection is to check the legality of thekarts and to make sure that the karts andtheir drivers meet the class weight require-ments. The post-race inspection guaranteesthat the race was run fairly.

Immediately after their final laps, all par-

A flagman explains flag signals. Before racing, alldrivers must know what each flag signal means.

ticipants must drive their karts directly tothe inspection area. They are not allowedto stop because they could possibly makechanges on their vehicles at that time.

In the first step of a post-race inspection,a kart and its driver are weighed together ona Iarge scale. The racer is weighed in the

clothes that had been worn during the race,including helmet, shoes, and jacket. The com-bined weight is set for each class before therace. Karters who know before the start ofthe race that they may have light karts oftencarry ballast, or heavy weights, during therace so that they will be sure to pass the

35

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post-race inspection. A.ty karter who is below

the class weight is disqualified.Next, the karts are checked to see that they

do not exceed the maximum size set for each

race. Each type of competition kart must meet

length, width, height, wheelbase, and tread-

width specifications. Those that do not meet

36

these standards are disqualified.Finally, the engines are inspected thor-

oughly. They are checked for illegal additions

or modifications on standard parts. When a

kart passes the engine test, as well as the

other post-race inspection tests, it is eligible

for anv awards it mav have won on the track.

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A driver and kart about to be weighed during the post-race inspection

, . . , r , . , . .

The 1979 WKA Winter Enduro Nationals at the Daytona'lnternational Speedway. With 946 karters competing,

th is was the biggest kart ing event in history.

CHAMPIONSHIPS

- f he I )a t ' tona In ternat iona l Speed\ ,vay

hosted kart racing's biggest event ever-the1979 WKA Winter Enduro Nationals. AtDaytona, 946 karters from around the worldcompeted in 19 different classes. The WKAWinter E nduro Nationals are held everyDecember at Daytona Beach, Florida. Thisrace is one of the four major events of thekart-racing year. The others are the WKAWinter Olympics in Barnesville, Cecrgia,eve ry March , and the IKF Road-Rac ingGrand Nafionals and rhe IKF Sprint CrandNationals, which are both run annually atdifferent tracks during the summer. Thewinners of these amateur races receive hand-some trophies and valuable prizes, as wellas the prestige that comes u'ith being akarting champion.

While the grand national championshipraces highlight the kart-racing season, na-tional championship events are nearly asprestigious. Among them are the Central

37

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Sprint Winternationals and the Eastern SprintWinternationals, both of which are sanctionedby the IKF. Just below the national level ofcompetition is the divisional level. Regionalraces are run in each of the nine WKA di-visions in the United States, and champion-ship races in each of the ten IKF divisionsacross the United States and Canada. Inaddition to the grand national, national, anddivisional races, there are hundreds of localraces held throughout the year. At these races,drivers new to karting, or those who cannotafford to travel to the big races, competeagainst each other. The IKF and WKA sanc-tion local races and award points to the topfinishers. At the end of the kart-racing season,both karting organizations name the year'shi-point champion in each class.

Major kart races are also held outside theUnited States and Canada. Karters from allover the world travel every year to the HongKong International Karting Prix. In Europe,the World Championships of karting takeplace every summer. Drivers from SouthAmerica, Japan, Canada, and the United

38

The divisions of the International Kart Federation (top)and the World Karting Association (bottom)

States compete against the finest Europeandrivers. Because a country may send onlyfive drivers to the World Championships, thisinternational event has the strongest compe-tition of them all.

!?t " Speed drives to victory in the 1g7g Wortd

Championships at Le Mans, Frince.

CHAMPIONS OF KARTING

In 1978, Lake Speed proved what manypeople had believed for a long time-thathe was the best kart driver in the world.Lake did this by winning the karting WorldChampionships at Le Mans, France. Beforehis international victory at Le Mans, Lakehad won nearly every important race in theUnited States at least once. Three times hehas claimed a sprint-racing national cham-pionship title in the B-Open class, and, inI97 5, he was the C-Open class champion inboth sprint and road racing. All tolled, thekart shop owner from Jackson, Mississippi,who has been racing since 1961, has wonover 20 national championships.

Lynn Haddock, Lake's friend and mechanicat Le Mans, has won perhaps more titles thanany driver in karting. Lynn started racing in1958, when he was eight years old. Sincethen, he has captured over 20 WKA titlesand almost as many IKF titles in both sprintand road racing. In IgT7, Lynn proved his

39

Karting champions Lynn Haddock (far left) and Lake Speed (second from right) inspectkarts during the 1976 World Championships at Hagen, West Germany.

versatility as a driver by winning the ReedOpen and B-Limited class national champion-ships in both the sprint and enduro competi-

40

tion. The Chattanooga Choo Choo, as- thisengine builder from Chattanooga, Tennessee,is known, gained international recognition

-ith his victory in the l25cc class at theI975 Hong Kong International Karting Prix.

Often called the "Queen of Champions,"Kathey Hartman has shown that success inkarting may come to women as well as tomen. Kathey is one of the most successfuldrivers in karting history. Competing in asport dominated by men has not preventedKathey f rom winn ing 15 nat iona l and 3grand national titles. In fact, no other driverhas won two grand national championshipsin a row, as Kathey did in I97L and 1972.Whi le compi l ing an impress ive l i s t o fsprint-racing victories, Kathey has been mostouts tand ing in the enduro compet i t ion .Kathey would quickly admit that her achieve-ments in karting must be shared with her hus-band, John, chief of Hartman Engineering,which introduced the first lay-down endurokart in 1963. Kathey Hartman, the "Queen of Ghampions"

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Kyle Adkins, the "California Flash"

Other top karters who deserve mentionalong with Speed, Haddock, and Hartman in-clude grand national champions Kyle Adkins,Bob Pruitt, Gary Emmick, Linda Emmick(Gary's wife), and Howard Combee, whohas also won the Hong Kong InternationalKarting Prix. Veteran drivers Mark Dismore,Dave Knapp, and Terry Traeder have wonkarting honors for many years, while brightyoung stars such as Texas state championin Junior I and II classes Adam Thompsonand 1979 Barnesville Winter Olympics cham-pion Denise Johnston promise to be big namesin karting for years to come.

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Linda Emmick and a young fan

Top drivers Howard Combee (left), a Hong Kong lnternational Karting Prix winner, and Mark Dismore (right),winner of many national championships

PROFESSIONAL KARTING

Karting reached a milestone in L97 4 whenthe first professional race was held. Therace took place after much promoting and or-ganizing by experienced karters such as LakeSpeed and Lynn Haddock. They felt thatkarting had to advance beyond its amateurstatus in order to provide better competitionfor the best drivers in the sport. A pro classwould set the drivers who saw karting asa daily activity apart from those who racedkarts as a weekend hobby. Speed and otheradvocates of professional karting believedthat a pro class would also benefit karterswith little competitive experience. Withouta pro class, the same people would win almostevery race, and new drivers would becomefrustrated bV having to compete against the"hot shoes," or top drivers. In the long run,this would not be good for karting, as driverswould become discouraged and eventuallyleave the sport.

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So the pro class was born. Quickly, itdeveloped its own set of rules, as well asanother name- the Expert class. Professionalkarting was set up as an open class withonly a few restrictions. Engines were requiredto have a 6.I cubic-inch displacement, andkart and driver were required to weigh atleast 300 pounds at the end of the race. Afew years after the first rules were set, re-strictions were placed on the drivers. Driverswho won three grand national titles in theirclasses in amateur racing were to be con-sidered experts, and drivers who won moneyin pro events would not be permitted to racein amateur competition.

Dave Knapp won the first pro race, earningmost of the $1,000 purse that the Memphis,Tennessee, track offered. The following year,

Lynn Haddock was acclaimed Pro Championby winning the $3,000 First Annual Pro Raceof Champions, run at the TNT Kartways in

Dave Knapp, winner of the first professional kart race

Quincy, Illinois. In 1977 , Kyle Adkins becamethe first driver to win two pro races in suc-cession when he defeated the best in kartingat the U.S. Open in Barnesville, Georgia, andat the Second Annual Pro Race of Championsat Quincy, Illinois.

Five years after the first professional kartrace, the Professional Karting Association(PKA) was formed by Terry Traeder ofQuincy, Illinois, and Jim Reed of Edison,California. Its goal was to promote the proclass and to serve as a membership body for

45

the best drivers in karting. In 1979, the PKA,with the Bridgestone Tire Company as spon-sor, organized the first professional series. Itwas called the PKA Bridgestone National ProSeries. The series consisted of three events.Lynn Haddock won the first, held at Quincy,Illinois. And he also won the second, runin Jacksonville, Florida. Each race earnedLynn $2,500. The final event of the 1979 pro

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Lynn Haddock, the 1979 Professional Karting Asso-ciation high-point champion, has won over $20,000in pro karting.

series took place in Medford, Oregon, withRick Gifford of Norco, California, driving hisway to victory and $2,500. The PKA nationalhigh-point champion, or the driver with thebest overall performance in the three races,

was Haddock. As PKA national high-pointchampion, he received $3,000.

Professional karting is the fastest growingof all karting classes, and with its growthmore and richer PKA events will surelv follow.

Terry Traeder waves two checks as he celebrates apro-race victory.

CONCLUSION

To those who participate in karting andwho know how exciting and challenging itis, the sport's tremendous growth is not sur-prising. And with the ever-growing popularityof karting, the future can hold nothing butmore races and greater competition for thesport's new and old drivers-all of whomwill continue having fun and thrills withracing's fast little cars.

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