So Your Child Wants To Race Go Karts?

To those of you who are considering joining the exciting world of go karting for your child/children, you can't just ask the question: Is go karting for your child? You have to ask: Is it for YOU and YOUR CHILD? For as much as it is your child that drives the go kart, YOU are the Crew Chief, the Mechanic, the Organizer, the Financer, and whatever else.  It takes just as much commitment, if not more, from YOU to get involved in go karting as your child, mainly from the dads.

Go Karting is NOT for Everyone but IT CAN BE for Everyone. Go karting is for the young and the old, boys and girls and men and women. Karters range in age from 5-99! (Honestly, there was this one driver at the Enduro race at Blackhawk this year who someone said was 100-years old! I saw the guy. I don't think he was that old but he might as well be! He looked pretty old but he was bending on his knees, mending his own go kart and driving it!) Then there are the five-year olds who looked very cute in their racing suits, sometimes bumping into each other and nonchalantly too! (Tommy could not wait to be five-years old so he can drive his own go kart--or so he thinks!) There are families at Badger with every member driving in different classes!

Go Karting is a Family Affair. For us, anyways--and at Badger Kart Club (BKC). (I hope it's the same for others.) I've seen some karters without both parents on race day and that's fine; that's their deal. Tommy and I don't go to practices but we certainly are there during race days. I usually am the photographer, the one who makes sure they eat and drink plenty of fluids, the one (with Tommy) who cheers them on the sidelines, among other things.

Family Friendly Atmosphere. Briggs and Stratton Raceway Park (BSRP, formerly Badger Raceway Park) has a family-friendly environment. There is a free camping facility for families who want to camp on back-to-back race weekends (us) and for those who are from out of town camp on practice Saturdays and into race Sundays. People can bring their pets; the kids can ride their bikes/scooters after races. No engines or motors can be started before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. (It's one of the stipulations in the contract between the village of Dousman and BKC). There is a concession stand where coffee is served (and sometimes breakfast) and lunches for sure. There is also a playground for the kids to play in and nice restroom facilities.

Families Help Each Other.  During our first few appearances at BSRP, we had no clue what we were doing. We didn't even have a starter for our go kart! Someone loaned Tom a starter and someone is always willing to lend a hand in lifting the go karts onto and off the stands. People are always willing to give you a hand or advice on what to do or direct you to someone else who knows.

Parts/Equipment Store. Missing a bolt, broke a part of your go kart or ran out of fuel? Not to worry. The Franklin Motorsports (http://www.franklinkart.com/) and 4-Cyle Central trailers (http://www.4cyclecentral.com/) are there for all your karting needs. From fuel to bolts to go karts! Pretty much whatever you need to get you driving your go kart in no time. They have handy mechanics too.

Fun for Kids. Go karting is all about safe fun for kids--and adults too! When the kids are not racing, they are playing with each other. No matter how competitive they are on the track, off the track, they are just kids! They want to play and chase each other or share something cool with each other. As long as the kids are having fun, then it's all worth it!

 Before You Join:

Visit the Track. A year before we joined BKC, we spent a day at BSRP and watched the races. We soon found out that Connor was not interested in watching other kids race. He wanted to be in the race himself! Sure, he would watch NASCAR and other races on TV, and once in a while we'd make it to see the actual races, but the drivers in those races were not kids, they were professionals!

Go to the Swap Meet. The next thing we did was go to BKC's Annual Swap Meet at David Hobbs Honda on the north side of town. The club has its annual swap meet in February. We went there to price used go karts and accessories and to have some kind of idea how much we would need to spend if we were to pursue go karting. Members can buy and sell used equipments.

Join Badger Kart Club. BKC owns BSRP. But one doesn't have to be a member of Badger Kart Club to race there but it is cheaper if you are a member. Depending on how often you want to race, you might want to consider becoming a member. For information about the club, visit http://www.badgerkartclub.com/

4-Cyle or 2-Cycle Engine. Okay, I'm not going into details with this for my knowledge is limited to say the least. But I know that my boys have 4-cycle Briggs and Stratton engines. Don't ask me the difference besides the numeric ones for I cannot answer. I do know that both engines have distinctive sounds. I can tell when a kart has 2 or 4-cycle engine. I also know that these go karts run on methanol and they are available for purchase on site and at go kart stores. It's about the same price as gasoline. Just before every features race, the fuel is siphoned from the go kart and put into a collective tank. Then on the other side of the same tank is where you can get fuel back into your go kart. This is a measure to make sure everyone is using the same fuel.

Race Class. Each group of drivers is called a class. There are at least 15 classes at Badger. It depends on what engine your go kart has (2 or 4 cycle) and the age of the driver. Right now, Connor and Colin are in the Animal Sportsman class with ages ranging from 8-12-years old. Next year, Connor will be moving up to the Animal Junior class with drivers' ages starting at 13-years old. Tommy, if he races next year, will be in the Kid Kart Novice class with drivers' ages starting at 5-years old.

Fees. 

Spectators. There is no admission fee for spectators. So everyone and anyone can come out and watch the races any time of the day or all day long!

Membership. There is an annual membership fee to join BKC. Right now, it is $75 per individual or family per year. Additionally, there is a Competition Driver Fee of $10 per driver per year. (So this year, we paid $95 since we have two drivers.)

Practice. Right now, practice fee per driver is $10 and $10 pit pass for the crew. (Usually, we pay $30 per practice, $10 for each of our two drivers and $10 for Tom because he needs to be in the pits.)

Race. It's $20 per driver (I believe it's $40 per driver for non-BKC-members) on race day and $10 for anyone who wants to be in the pits. (We pay $50 per race day. $20 for each of our two drivers and $10 for Tom.)

Volunteering. Each driver is required to put in 3 days worth of working for BKC. This could range from running the track at BSRP, manning the booths at fairs (State Fair) and shows, being a part of the club on parades (St. Patrick's Day Parade), etc...We have two drivers this year so we are required to put in six days of volunteering work for the club. So far, we have two days down, four more to go.

Fun Fact. If you are a NASCAR fan, you probably know who Danica Patrick and Jamie McMurry are. Yeah? They raced go karts at BSRP when they were kids!

We never thought we would be this much involved in go karting. At first, it was just something for Connor to do. We didn't plan on running all the points race last year. We were just going to do the ones we felt like it. But when we saw his potential and his passion, it became a commitment from us. We were also going to use the same go kart for Colin but because both boys have different height and weight, it was too much work for Tom to adjust the go kart for each child on the same day! So we decided that Colin could ride the go kart during practice but only Connor could race. This year, thankfully, we were able to afford to buy another go kart for Colin to race in.

Because we did not plan on running all the points race last year, we've budgeted way less than what we ended up spending. One thing for sure, go karting is NOT a cheap hobby! You have to buy the go kart, the accessories, the safety gear (helmets, chest protectors, neck braces, race suits, gloves, etc...) Not to mention broken or worn out parts that need replacing!

It also helps to have someone in the family who's mechanically inclined. I cannot believe all the work Tom had to do every single race--not to mention days before a race! Prep the tire, check the alignment, the gear, cleaning the carburetor after every race, measuring, tightening, loosening something, making sure the engine sounds just so, just to mention a few!

We do have drivers who show up only once in a while for either they are running other race series or they live out-of-state or they just do it when they can like we initially planned. But if you're only going to spend all that money, you might as well make the most of it. It takes money, time, commitment and a lot of each to race go karts. For us, a typical race day usually means we are out of the house by 8 a.m. and don't usually get back until after 6 p.m. And on back-to-back race days, we just camp at the track. So far, it's been all worth it!

So, is go karting for YOU and YOUR CHILD?

Two Weekends of No Racing

Two weekends of no racing meant rest for Mom and Dad! Maybe. That didn't stop Tom from working on the go karts though and it just meant I had time to catch up on tasks that were put aside during the days spent at the race track.

June 9th, we were able to go visit our late Auntie Evie's grave with Grandma Dot and Grandpa. Then we had lunch at Balestreri's Pizza on 6th & Wells then had dessert at Gille's Frozen Custard on 76th & Bluemound, a treat for all of us!

June 15th, Connor and Colin did a fundraising at the Annual Filipino-American Association of Wisconsin (FAAWIS) Picnic. Their go karts were on display and they sold candy bars and gift cards. Daddy was there to anwer questions about go karting, Badger Kart Club and Briggs and Stratton Raceway while I handed out copies of the Briggs and Stratton Raceway Schedule for this season. The interest was great. People swarmed our tent at one point to look at the go karts and ask questions. The boys made enough to pay for one day of racing at Briggs and then some. Thank you to all who showed their support! (We are still looking for sponsors! ;>)

Connor and Colin fundraising at the Annual FAAWIS picnic.

On Father's Day, June 16th, Tom ran the Briggs and Stratton Raceway Park from open (10 a.m.) to close (6 p.m.). Connor and Colin went along with him and they were able to practice while they were there. This was Tom's second day of volunteering as per driver is required to have three volunteer work days. Having two drivers mean we have to work six volunteer days. Two down. Four more to go. State Fair is our next opportunity. Tom plans on knocking down two days at the Fair.

A pose for Father's Day.

Points Race #5 will be on June 23rd at Briggs and Stratton Raceway. Connor and Colin can't wait to go out and race again!

Blackhawk - Point Race #4

Unlike last year, we arrived at the track early on Saturday so that Connor could attend the driver's meeting and do some practice laps. We brought our travel trailer so we could stay and camp the night. This was our first time camping this year and without electricity too! The facility has electricity but they were all taken. We never get there early enough to get the coveted spots and besides, Tom and I think that those spots were reserved for the CES racing teams, which was also running that weekend. But, lucky for us, we have a generator that we always take along to sites where we know electricity was not available for us. Unluckily for our neighbors, our generator is a bit on the noisy side. It's not one of those expensive quiet Honda motor ones. But we try to run it only during the day for the microwave when race cars were on the track to drown out the noise and only for short periods of time. Though not hooked up to electricity or water (our trailer does hold 25 gallons of water), the great thing about camping at Blackhawk is the showers. They are new, big and clean. I look forward to taking my showers when we camp there. (Oh, the simple pleasures in life! :D)

On the exact same spot we had last year.

The boys were excited being at Blackhawk and about camping. They also got excited when they saw Jacob J., from Badger who was in Connor's class last year but moved on to another class this year.

 Practice was during the day and we watched the races in the afternoon. Connor and Jacob had fun drafting and helping each other out on the track. We only took Connor's go kart; Colin was not participating in practice or the races here. After the races on Saturday, we walked the track like we did last year. This time, Jacob J. came to walk with us too.

Lining up.

Start.

Racing hard.

Connor's race the following day was done in waves, very much like last year. He was the only one from his class from Badger Kart Club but there were five others in his race that day but they were not Badger members. The drivers were timed 25 minutes and whoever got the checkered flag at the end of the 25 minutes was the winner. Connor finished second place.

Kart and driver being weighed after the race.

 

Connor's 2nd place plaque.

Colin and Tommy in the trailer.

The boys, wearing their brand new Blackhawk shirts courtesy of Grandpa.

Points Race #3

 Today was the warmest day so far since the track opened. My dad came with us and he got to go in the pits to help Tom with lifting the karts to and off their stands. He also went out to the track with the parents when Connor and Colin's class practiced or raced.

Our new color--RED!

Connor felt good after practicing yesterday which gave him a lot of confidence going into today's race. The new tires on his go kart finally broke in and had enough miles on them that the go kart is running much better than it had in the last two races. He did well during the first practice while Colin spun because Daddy forgot to put a washer on one of the wheels which made him loose.

Tom almost went crazy looking for the three of them afraid that Connor and Colin would be disqualified for not attending the Driver's Meeting. Little did he know, they were cozy up at the Media Tower attending to the meeting, standing right behind the speaker. :)

 Today's format was the same as last weekend: 2 practices, one qualifying run, a pre-features race and then finally the features race. At qualifying, Connor qualified first with a run time of 44.58 seconds so he got to start the pole for the pre-features race that he won.

Lolo's presence was a big difference today! Thank you, Lolo!

There were nine racers in the Animal Sportsman class today, the most we had so far this season. Connor's goal for today was 1) to win the features race and 2) to lap Colin (which I wasn't too crazy about but he said, he was not trying to be mean, he just wanted to do it to somebody and since Colin was the slowest of the pack, it had to be him), both of which he accomplished. He was second for the first eight laps of the features but he took the lead right after that and held it to the checkered flag. In addition to his two accomplishments today, he added another one by setting a track record for fast times at the track in his class. He clocked at 44.297 seconds during the features race. Click link to see record fast times. http://www.badgerkartclub.com/2013fasttimesandrecords.htm As far as points go, Connor was running second for the first two races. The points results are not up yet and we're not sure if this would bump him up to first, remain in second or make it a tie. Click link to see Points. http://www.badgerkartclub.com/2013points.htm

Connor trying to catch up to #23 during practice.

 Animal Sportsman was the fourth class to race thus we were done earlier than the rest of the classes and would have been able to pack up and leave but because Connor won, his go kart and the crew chief (Tom) had to stay at the tech area for the go kart engine to be taken apart and inspected.
It was a good day for Connor, especially that his Lolo was there to help and watch him race. Colin had fun, as usual just being able to drive his go kart and be part of the whole experience on the track.

Colin exiting the track and entering the Pits.

Next race is at Blackhawk Farms Raceway (http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/) in South Beloit, Illinois on June 2nd. For the schedule of the remainder of the season, click http://www.badgerkartclub.com/documents/2013_schedule.pdf

Points Race #2

With all the stuff we had going on since the start of the weekend, the boys were not able to go to practice at the track yesterday and Tom hardly had time to get the go karts ready today though he had been working on them everyday last week, save for Friday and Saturday.
 Today being Mother's Day, the mothers got free passes to the pits. Normally, anybody who is a non-driver pays ten dollars to get in the pits while the drivers pay twenty dollars on race day. Otherwise, it's ten dollars per driver and non-driver to go in the pits on non-race (practice) days.
 Today's run was also different from the previous ones (though there had been one time last year that the run set up was the same as today's). The drivers still had two practice runs on the track but the heats were replaced by a qualifying run and a pre-feature race. The pre-feature race determined a driver's position in the features (final) race (as I understood).

Colin on the grass at Qualifying.

At qualifying, Colin went on the grass and Tom had to come to his rescue and push him out of there down to the pits.
 During the pre-feature race, Connor started second but spun at least twice leaving him to finish 5th and Colin finishing 6th. This was how they started in the features race but Connor finished in second place. Connor almost did not make it to the final race for Tom found a leak on his gas tank and he had to quickly repair it. The Animal Sportsman class was already called to line up on the grid when Tom was still fixing it. Colin finished at the end of the pack.

Connor's #21 with new body and colors.

Connor and Colin with their karts.

Next points race is Sunday, May 19th. The boys should be able to go practice on the track on Saturday as next weekend would not be as hectic as this one had been.

Season Opener - Points Race #1

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Le'ts go racing, boys! Go kart racing that is!

Such happy dispositions my kids had today! I could only attribute it to their excitement to race! They were up and at 'em, bright and early. I didn't have to urge them to do anything for a change. They were the first ones out in the car, ready to go. In the car, they were singing, "Nugget in a biscuit, dip it in mashed potatoes?" Whatever. They even had time to appreciate the scenery driving down Sunset Drive--"What a beautiful view!" Tommy had exclaimed; their conversations were nothing but lively; and for once, there was no bickering during the half-hour drive to Dousman. It was Tommy's first time out to the track this year while Connor and Colin had been out there a couple of times to practice and once to help clean and set up the track.

Connor, #21, Colin, #12 and Crew Chief Dad on the grid.

 Connor and Colin were antsy to race. They've been antsy since the track opened for practice the first week of this month. The fact that the track was closed last weekend, which was supposed to be the first race of the season, due to the wet conditions on the track and the fields, only compounded the restlessness.

The day started out cold but it warmed up during the day and the sun finally came out.

The two practice sessions were uneventful, as they usually are. It's a chance for the drivers and machines to warm up before the actual races. It's when the drivers try to feel their go karts to see if changes or adjustments need to be made.

Lining up for the green flag.

 During the first heat, Connor would have finished second had he not been mistakenly asked to pull over by his dad who thought it was his go kart that blew off an exhaust when in fact, it was Colin's. Instead, Connor was instructed to pull over to the pits on the very last lap preventing him from finishing and for which, he was not too happy.

Connor

 During the second heat, Connor started second but as soon as the green flag was waved, he took the lead and held it to the finish while Colin finished in the back of the pack. This was Colin's first race and he is considered a novice and will be playing it safe for a while by starting in the back of the pack, which was where he usually ended up finishing during the heats. He is a little more cautious, and definitely, not as aggressive and not as fast as his older brother. But he's having fun.

Colin

During the final race of the day, Connor finished second and unfortunately for Colin his engine blew even before the green flag was waved so that he never got to start in the final race.

I forgot how exhausting an entire day was spent at the track but the boys had fun, especially Tommy since it was his first time back there this year, playing and chatting with their old friends. Some of the kids from Connor's class moved on to different classes so that there are only four of them who are original members of the Briggs Animal Sportsman class from last year. Colin is one of the new additions but he is not a stranger to all the other kids from last year.

Points race #2 is scheduled for Sunday, May 12th, to Tom's relief and Connor's dismay. That's three LONG weeks--for Connor. But that's three weeks of rest for the mechanic and crew chief that's Daddy.

For more info about Badger Kart Club or Briggs and Stratton Raceway Park, or to see the 2013 Race Schedule, please go to  http://www.badgerkartclub.com/

Getting Ready for a New Season

Tom's been working on the boys' go karts for a few weeks now. Both Connor and Colin are racing this year and each has his own kart. Connor's go kart is getting a new motor, body and number colors as well as Colin's. Connor will still be #21 while Colin chose #12. (Then I suggested the #121 for Tommy's go kart next year to incorporate both #s 12 and 21.) We will not be wearing green this year but red, the numbers color that both boys picked.
Much to Tommy's dismay, he would still just be a cheerer on the sidelines. Hopefully, he'd have his own go kart to drive next year when he will be eligible to drive at five years old.

Go Kart 1

Go Kart 2

Front Body

Right now, Tom, Connor and Colin are at the track helping clean and set it up. Badger Kart Club's Briggs and Stratton Raceway Park will officially be open for practice tomorrow. There are a few changes this year. There is no longer a Briggs Sportsman class but Connor and Colin still belong to the Animal Sportsman class like last year which means they will be racing against each other. There has also been a change in the kart and driver weight limitations. This year will be Connor's last in the Animal Sportsman class. He will be moving up to another class next year for his age.

Connor's Number Decals

Colin's Number Decals

Driver's Names Decals

For more information about Badger Kart Club, Briggs and Stratton Raceway Park or racing schedule, pleave visit: http://www.badgerkartclub.com/