Growing up, I had friends with go-karts that we would drive in their backyards. Twenty mph was so blazing fast, it seemed our hair was on fire.
Today, at the Santa Maria Karting Association’s racetrack at the Santa Maria Public Airport, there’s no kart doing less than 50. Some of these guys hit 60, 70 mph.
This is, according to association secretary Kirk Skaufel, the longest-operating go-kart track in the world. Kids and adults alike have been racing here since 1957.
Some of the kids here got their start racing because their parents couldn’t slow them down. Others, the parent will say unashamedly, got their start because their dad always wanted to race go-karts.
Chuck Wagner is one of those parents. He said his son enjoys racing so much, they regularly make the drive down from Paso Robles.
Chuck’s 6 1/2-year-old son Hayden informed me with a serious look that the “and a half” is very important. Duly noted. So what does he like best about racing?
“Trophies,” he said, and his serious look melted into a huge, orange Gatorade-colored grin.
Six-year-old Hudson Morrow and his dad, Chris Morrow, are from Westlake Village. Even though it’s a longer trip, Morrow would rather drive up to Santa Maria’s kart track than the one in Fontana.
“These are good ol’ small-time boys,” he explained. “Everyone is helpful and friendly. Even the Wagners help out with the mechanics because, honestly, I’m no mechanic.”
The little arch rivals were behind us while the dads talked—they were taking turns either pushing each other on a bike or grappling each other for it. Either way, they were both having a great time.
And that’s part of the appeal here, said the elder Morrow. Sure, people may be competing, but everyone comes to have a good time, and it shows.
And talking of competition, there are some participants who see kart racing as a less expensive way to compete on a track. Twenty-two-year-old Alan Musev said he’s tried rally racing, motorcross, and kart racing.
“I like excitement, but motorcross was just a little too dangerous,” he said. “Rally was fun, but the cost is really up there. You can do 10 kart races for the cost of three rally races.”
Costs, said former association president and kart builder Gerry Wilson, can vary considerably.
Wilson, who started racing go-karts in 1960 (“They were all chain-saw engines back then, I raced a Power Products myself.”) said he really got back into the sport when his son brought home a “pile of junk” and asked the elder Wilson if he would help him fix it up.
“We went out and bought a go-kart—figured it would be safer that way,” he said.
Today, Wilson figures someone can spend upward of $3,500 to $4,500. But someone just getting started doesn’t have to shell out nearly that much.
Go-karts without engines—called rollers—can be found for as low as $200. TaG (or Touch and Go) machines with electric starters and no gearbox start at around $500.
I was curious if this was the kind of sport in which competitors could … maybe not make a living, but at least get it to pay for itself, maybe offset costs by winning enough races. I asked some of the “crew chiefs”—aka dads. Can karting pay for itself?
Every single one of them laughed at me.
So, no, don’t expect to make your fortune racing.
In the midst of this activity, there’s an undercurrent of worry. For the last year, the association has been under the shadow of an FAA push to remove all non-aviation entities from airport property. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, though. Association members have been in talks with the Santa Maria Elks to lease property near the rodeo grounds.
Talks are still in the preliminary stage, but Bryan Feldpouch with the Elks said his group will be writing a letter of intent that the association can then present to the airport, showing that they have a plan of action to build a new track.
With this letter, Skaufel with the Santa Maria Karting Association is hopeful that the airport will allow his group to continue operating at the current track while plans for the new one move forward. Everyone, meanwhile, is keeping his or her fingers crossed.
Chris Morrow, who makes the drive from Westlake Village, hopes the track will remain open.
“I don’t know if people here recognize the benefit this track is to the community,” he said.
His son, however, isn’t worried about cost or if the track is going to close. The 6-year-old speed demon only has one thing on his mind: “Getting first,” he whispered.
Staff Writer Nicholas Walter is a slow demon. Contact him at nwalter@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 13-20, 2009.
