Where Have All the Go-Karts Gone?

Go over to rearenginekarts.com and join the forum there. Just cause the local track isn't doing this stuff, it is out there. We run the "modern stuff " right now, raced the Cotton Bowl a couple of months ago. Definately keep my eye out for that vintage stuff cause it's soooo cool.

 

Always wanted to get into those as a kid, but it never happened

 

Its a little late, but they are having the 11th annual Vintage Kart Olympics at
TNT raceways in West Quincy, Mo this weekend. http://www.vkavintagekarting.com/

 

Ok who's got the balls to take this one for a ride?

 

I feel your pain. I have a Dart kart with a Mc 49 and a Margay pro x with a Mc101. No where to run them, the nearest track to me (north Texas karters) 45 minitus away, only runs the new stuff. So in the summer when schools out I get in a couple of minutes in the parking lot.

 

Yes, Quincy, Illinois is a well known venue for Kart racing since the late '50s.........Gus Traeder has been a long time promoter (now 87 and still going strong) and his son, Terry, a two time (at least) National Champion!

At this very moment we have people in Quincy from California to Florida for the Vintage Kart Gran Prix or Olympics or whatever the exact title is. According to Gus, this event is the best attended of the several annual vintage kart meets in the U.S.

I didn't live in Quincy at the time, but I built a kart in '58 (I was 14 at the time) using the ads and event coverage in Rod and Custom (the little pages) for inspiration. While my frame was contemporary, I was lacking money and my wheels, tires and engine were not quite up to the standards of the day's factory produced models. But I built it myself, with welding assistance from the guys at the garage/body shop where I hung around, and it ran well enough for it's intended use.

I currently have a pair of much newer karts, with 5hp Briggs "Raptor" power, up in the loft at my shop. Was just looking at them a few days ago, thinking I should get them down and run them.





Ray

 

We used to race at a track on Airline Road. This was a WHILE ago and years later, I know that a local club ran a track out near Katy on the north side of I-10.
There seems to be a GLITCH in how IKFs insurance works concerning vintage karts that has to be worked out by the club or track. Has something to do with only insuring classes (karts) listed in current rule book. Be prepared to have to work with them on this one, if the track has not already made this application, and received approval to insure these types of karts.

 

Chainsaw - if I only knew....still working an early mc-10 deal with an old school buddy.....we use to set off the building alarms back in the day when we would take over the parking lots after hours with all our mc's running around....use to be Wizzard up on I35...not sure if it's still there...

 

Capt. Jack would laugh at it!

 

i think i smell a hamb kart rumble! COME ON RYAN JUST WHAT YA NEED ANOTHER PROJECT! DAM IT WOULD BE FUN AND ALITTLE MORE AFORDABLE! EXCEPT WE WILL NEED A BANDADE SPONCERSHIP. THINK ABOUT IT! IM IN KARTS HANGING ON THE WALL, JUST NEEDS A DUST OFF!

 

"Kingston Trio", P,P & M did a remake!!lol
JimV

 

Whizzer is gone , but not forgotten!! It was closed in late 80s-early 90s. You can see it on historicaerials.com . Select 1970 something and look along the north side of I-35 between Sandy Lake Road and Lewisville. Once you find it, you can change the year and see "progress".
North Texas Karters built a new facility north of Denton, on the west side of I-35, behind the classic auto ranch and North Texas Dragway.

 

Whizzer sat empty for a long time before they put the shopping center over it. I used to live in Arlington and drove the 45 minutes to race there in the 80's. We moved within 15 minutes of the track after it was closed. Used to "practice" alot, never got run off. But now no more.

 

Thats a cool site, keep scanning up I-35 and you can see Dallas international, Then scan up to Denton and you can see the North tx. karters track behind the dragstrip.

 

by the time my older brother/we got dad to let us race the old Cates/91A UP AT Wizzard around maybe 1969 or so the laydown downs were taking over with the Komet motors - I think that's what they were....we were spanked pretty bad....we had bought both the Mc49 and 91A from Ward Guys over on Harry Hines....he was still there in the 80's went I was looking to freshen up the 91A....

 

Here's a before and after pic of my old Rupp Lancer GT that I recently restored. I put an old Briggs 5HP flathead on it because the old motor was long gone.

 

HAMB cart races! I would be down to come out and run with you guys.

 

Came across this cool circa 1961 video promoting McCulloch products, with Don Knots!
Enjoy!
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Kg_6ffiMYhc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
.

 

Vintage kart pix, video and some music on my YouTube channel

http://www.youtube.com/<WBR>wrenchhead944

Brian

 

or you could do what I'm doing and turn it up a notch to make your own shit happen.

http://www.kartrods.com

 

I had these hanging in the rafters for 30 years till I took them down to sell but the guy backed out..Then I sat in the Yamaha..Brain lights up and says it was fun 30 years ago and would be fun now...Been looking for a place to run and have collected engines and still have the old 5hp Briggs I built [30-30 cam]...Best place I have come up with is a guy has a four acre lawn around his house, could be exciting till we get the grass torn up!!!..Blue one is mid sixtys' Rupp/Dart with adjustable two piece frame, red one is late 70's early 80's Yamaha..

 

I really enjoyed the early video with Don Knotts,,thanks for posting. HRP

 

They got a outdoor track here in Indiana in the summer with some older stuff.

 

Never knew whizzer back in the day but heard rumor of a "lost go-kart track" and went looking for it. It was indeed gone but look at this little gem I found just south of there. An abandoned mobile home park. Perfect place for a North Texas scramble eh??

 

Are the no tresspassing signs up there ? If not, lets do it.

 

There are, but, it's just sitting for sale. I thought about getting the mowing contract on it for access. Would be a great place to hold an event if they'd rent it but that's getting too involved.

Think I'll move this discussion over to the Go-Kart Social Group before the mods get twisted

 

Do as you wish, but if you are caught realize that; while there may be exceptions somewhere, signs or not, trespassing is trespassing. Basically, individuals are required to avoid being on property they don't have permission to be on.

 

Hey gang, Happy to see that this thread popped back up today. I was just thinking - if I put on a Go Kart afternoon around my joint, would anyone want to come down and play?

The deal is this. For those of you that know me, know that for the last couple of years I have been sort of the local mini bike "pied piper". I have been having mini bike evening get togethers down at my place in downtown Phoenix where we can ride for miles in the evening desserted office areas and it has always been a blast! What I'm thinking for Kart days, I have a paved alley behind my shop that features a small doctors office parking lot at one end, the 1/4 mile long alley and turn around at the other end. This has always been a sort of Go Kart and mini bike time trial track down here, and we could take turns doing timed runs. I mentioned in my original post on this thread that the first couple of years that I had my kart, everybody that came to the house lapped it and had a time written down. It gets kinda old with just one Kart doing the deal and I haven't driven mine in a bit. How about dragging yours down and let's see what it does! I'd like to keep this to traditional "yard carts" with say flathead engines, but if some one would show up with a real deal vintage racing two stroker, well, hell, all the better!!! What do you guys think? sound like fun? If we get this going and it catches on like the mini bike thing has around town, I could see this going to maybe the South Mountain 1/4 midget track, or maybe finding another local Karter that has some land to put together a minimal dirt track.

What say you guys?!

 

Last weekend at Adams Kart Track in Riverside we had our annual Vintage Kart event. 117 karts.

Had a fun time.... We had Bud Evens, Bob Airheart, and Linda Vaughn show up. The next day a free lunch at the track with Tom Medley (Stroker Ace), and talked about his restored Rod, and the early days of Hot Rod Mag.

I brought out my C-Open Invader Kart.
Two engines, 270cc, 100% Alky, 13,500rpm, 80+hp.

 

Caretta's a pair.