Karting’s rich history is not celebrated enough in my opinion. It’s very interesting and super cool.
I’d like to highlight a project by @ScottElkes. Scott has been acquiring vintage karting magazines from various sources and scanning them page-by-page. Kartpulse in turn has been backing these up on cloud storage.
Figured it would be cool to feature images from these magazines each week… We’ll be featuring the images on Facebook and Instagram also to reach a broader audience.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Also welcome images from the community here too.
Can you imagine it?! Laying down in a twin 100cc kart at Road Atlanta with 30 others? What a time to be alive! This is from the WKA Formula Pro-Kart Race 1987, H/T Mike Curry for scanning this one.
Ha, so cool. What’s funny about Karting is that it’s pretty similar to what it was in its inception. Yeah we have sidepods and better tires, but it’s still big people in little vehicles. It’s sort of silly looking (until you get behind the wheel, and then it’s the best thing ever).
Looks like turn 9 on the back straight of Road Atlanta. I spent all of my teenage years growing up around that track. Lucky to see several Pro Races there as well as Club. They have since changed the 9 - 10 complex to two 90*. Before you could take it almost flat out. If I remember correctly the track owner was trying to get some FIA races and had to make some changes including adding curbing and the kink to slow down the cars before going under the infamous turn 11 bridge. I can only imagine in a lay-down with twin 100’s wound out to near 20,000 rpm with your back less than an inch off the ground. Must have felt like 200+ mph…lol.
On a side note, my Dad and Uncles grew up racing karts. I can ask if they have any old photos. Would have been late 50’s to mid 60’s. If they have any, I will scan them in and post here.
Gents, I have a good one for you all - picture of the very first race ever In my home town of Koprivnica (Croatia) back in 1966. The fellow from Trieste - IT won the race.
One of our members from Serbia has shown me video of him racing at a number of nice rental facilities in Serbia. Seems like there’s plenty of amateur racing.
I raced one incomplete season in 1981. My son (17) and I decided to Kart so he is learning in LO206… already raced once locally here at Alan Rudolph’s SRP facility in New Caney TX. When Rocco goes to faster things I will inherit our old Tony Kart and try club racing in LO206 class next season. Ha, only a 40 years delay.
Sounds like fun. Though 81’ is a ways back, it’s a lot like riding a bicycle. You don’t seem to forget. LO seems like a hoot and I wish it was popular in the Northeast as well.
