That time the wheels fell of my racing career

My love of motor racing started early in life, around the age of nine. I can recall sitting with my grandfather watching the Formula One World Championship on TV with the likes of Mario Andretti, Carlos Reutemann, Nelson Piquet, Gilles Villeneuve, Jochen Mass, Derek Daly, Keke Rosberg, Australian Alan Jones and many others racing around tracks that were far too dangerous at speeds that were far too fast. It was a very dangerous sport with many drivers dying in their cars, but I loved it. Those races fuelled my passion for motorsport.

The year was 1979 and yours truly, as a nine year old, knew I just had to emulate my heroes and start racing as soon as possible. My parents had no money though and so it went on the back-burner.

Fast forward seven years to 1986 and I got my first race car. OK, that's a lie. I got my first car which was in fact anything but racy. I'd just got my license and bought myself [with my own money I'd saved] a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle for $450. It was as shitty as that sounds too. Rusty, noisy, slow, no heater, rusty, no air conditioner, rusty, hole in the footwell so I could see the road beneath my feet when driving...Did I say rusty? But it was mine and I loved it. Alas, it wasn't a racing car though.

Fast forward three years and I'm nineteen, working at the GM auto-plant making piles of money, two years into my relationship with Faith, [my wife now], and...Still pining to go racing.

I knew I couldn't afford a race car so ended up opting for a go-kart. Go-kart racing is where most professional drivers start their careers as it is cost-effective, extremely competitive and an environment in which the best of the best rise to the surface and move on into different categories. Anyway, I got a go-kart.

It was fast. Not as fast as its equivalent would be now due to better technology but it went pretty well. I was clocked at 114k/ph in it and it would accelerate to that speed very rapidly. Not bad for a 100cc engine.

I'd work on it, tweaking the chassis here and there to make it handle differently depending on what track I was racing on. I'd work on the sprocket choices, the gearing, to give me greater top-end speeds for the long flowing tracks or greater torque out of corners for the shorter more twisty ones. I'd work on tyre-pressures, air-fuel mixtures, the carburettor and any other thing I could tweak myself. It was fun and I had a great time doing it.

The problem is that motor racing, even at this grass-roots level, is costly. Each race meant new tyres to be competitive and there could be three races in a weekend. I had to practice too - More tyres. I also needed multiple wheels to mount the tyres so I didn't have to waste time between races getting them mounted by the tyre people before I could fit them to the kart. Sprockets, chains, engine parts, balancing and blue-printing, the trailer to tow the kart to races, the tools...It was getting a bit out of hand.

My racing career wasn't looking so hot. Not because I wasn't any good...I actually was good...More because it was getting out of hand financially and as a responsible dude with a lovely girlfriend I wanted to spend my life with...Well, I had to be sensible. What did I do? The only possible thing I could...Throw MORE money at it and kept going!

Yeah I know right? You didn't expect that did you.

I was twenty two years old, the year was 1992 and something clicked in my mind. It was time to stop racing. Just like that I made the decision. I sold my kart and all the other bits that went with it and pocketed a chunk of money. I have to admit that at the time I expected to get back into it, or with an actual race car at some stage...But that wasn't ever to be - Not to date anyway.

What changed? Well, I decided that Faith was more important than my racing career and I had it in my head to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me, as my wife. The only problem was that I didn't have enough money for an engagement ring. Not that she is materialistic and would have wanted something huge, but I wanted to do the right thing and being romantic and all...Well, I wanted to make a statement.

I found a ring, which I have actually written about previously, and realised I couldn't afford it. So...Bye bye go-kart.

I don't regret it. Not one little bit. At the time? Hmm, nah not even then. I mean Faith was my future and my focus; The go-kart couldn't come close to matching that...And I fully expected to get another one.

She said yes of course - And then realised why I sold my go-kart when she saw the ring. It makes me smile now just thinking about it. It's a funny story really, the ring purchase and proposal I mean - Maybe one for some other time, and then maybe not. She said yes though and the rest is history...Just like my burgeoning racing career. History.

Could I go and buy a go-kart right now and start racing? Sure could. I mean I'm much better-situated financially, have time on my hands and technical skills - Some anyway. I could go and have a lot of fun for sure. I haven't though, which indicates to me that I'm not that interested. Sure, I love going go-karting at the hire-track with mates and friends but that's about it. [By the way...I take no prisoners on the race track! I sort of see red and lose myself - It can be quite a spectacle as I'm not one who likes to lose on the race track. I'm not dirty, just hard when racing.]

So, the wheels fell off my racing career and in-turn I gained a life-long partner. I'm content with that, happy with my go-kart memories and my [almost] glory days.

I was prompted to write this as the other day, when in New Zealand, my wife and I celebrated our twenty sixth (26th) wedding anniversary and she asked me if it was worth selling my go-kart for. I paused to think. Counted to ten. Paused some more. Put on my best thinking face...And said yeah! I told her though, if she ever left me I'd say..."I KNEW I should never have sold my go-kart for that engagement ring! "

Just kidding. A little. Sort of serious. Not really. Yeah really. Not. Yeah. Nah. 😂

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