We started this sport with a kart that was old as dirt, as well as it being outdated. We were fortunate to win races with this old thing. Then we found a Trick Formula Extreme, which we purchased in 2005. This kart went under five feet of water when Hurricane Katrina hit our area.

 We took this kart, salvaged it, and sent it to Randy Schjott, with Thunderbolt Performance Products, in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, to refurbish it and get it race ready. We also couldn’t have made this possible without the diligent help of our great friend, Wayne Martin at Martin Motorsports, along with his wonderful family. We raced this kart for approximately two years.

We are currently running a Trick Riddler, powered by Excalibur Race Engines, wrapped with an Aerotech Slipstream Jr. body. Unique Graphics in Carriere, Mississippi, designed our graphics.

Kart racing is not just going out and purchasing a yard kart and racing it. It is a very technical and involved science. There are a lot of numbers you have to juggle. The kart has to be scaled to get correct weight percentages, front-end settings for correct front-end geometry, and prepping tires. All of this is done before you ever get to the track. This is usually an all day affair, or at the very least, working late nights in the shop during the week.

Once at the track, you have to adjust for track conditions and gear selection, and adjusting tire pressures. Racing these karts takes time all throughout the race making necessary adjustments. (And hope at feature race time that you made the right choices.)

 There is also checking the fuel levels, changing oil, not regular motor oil, and making sure that everything sounds good when you crank it up.

 One thing I can truly say is that you meet a lot of helpful people and make lots of new friends in karting.

Supply Guys 

Mr. Randy Schotz and his brother, Danno, are the best.  There have been times when we first started racing and didn’t have the money to buy oil, fuel, or whatever, and they helped us out any way they could.  They have not just helped us; they have helped many at the tracks that we race. I would like to give them a big thanks. They have just about everything you might need from batteries to fuel, oil and beyond. We could not do it without them.

Tech Men, Flag Men, Track Officials, and Concession Workers

There are times when races don’t always go your way, but these guys our out there doing their best to make the best calls, keeping our driver safe, and checking those karts to make sure that no one is trying to get by with an unfair advantage. I would like to thank all of these guys for doing their best. I appreciate the work that they do.

The concession workers are fantastic. They are on top of their jobs providing us with burgers, snacks and drinks. Everything is ready when we get there, and we appreciate them helping us to fill our bellies with the great meals that they help to provide. 

We had a situation this weekend wherein we had just purchased a new motor and put it on the kart and raced it. We assumed that it was race ready and within the WKA rules, however, we found out the hard way that things aren’t always what they seem.  Billy went out and qualified up front, won his heat race, and led all of his laps, fighting hard to say out front. He started his feature race, and led all of his laps and won the race, or so we thought. The kart went through tech, and we found out that the blue restrictor plate that was put on the kart had been off by .001 off of what the restrictor plate should have been. Even though it was an honest mistake by all parties involved, it was so very disheartening to know that we had been disqualified from one of the best races that Billy has ever run, in my opinion. There were fourteen karts in his class to race, and he beat all of them. He will always be a winner in my book, and he did win that race. He just did not take home the prize money. Sometimes things don’t go in your favor. Did we try to cheat—no, we assumed, and you can’t take anything for granted. You better believe, the next time we get a new engine; the restrictor plate will be checked before we put our son out there. When he wins, there will be no doubt that his kart will pass tech.

Track Owners

I want to personally thank all of the track owners, from Darrell and Rose Miley to Ronald Parker and his, as well as other track owners across the country, for providing us a place to race these karts, have family entertainment, as well as making new and lasting friendships. These track owners work untold hours at these tracks getting them set up and ready for us to come out and participate in our sport, and I am not sure if they are thanked enough, so I am sending them all a big thank you for your timeless efforts for the little guys and gals to the older guys and gals to have a place to enjoy their sport.