Whether at the track or in your backyard, go karting will bring the entire family together. You will make memories and experiences you will never forget. Stories you will tell for the rest of your life!
Karting a Family Sport
Family is one of the most important parts of your life. You always need to be there for your family. Go Karting may seem like a one person show out on the track but the amount of work behind the scenes is what really matters.
I started racing when I was eight years old. We started at a local track in Bel Air, Maryland called Sandy Hook Speedway. Also at another track in Chestertown, Maryland called Nicholson Speedway. My brother started a year before me so we knew very little about racing and how to make this go kart actually go.
Through a network of friends we made at the track we eventually made some progress. It takes time to learn the ropes when you’re starting out. As a family my Dad, my brother and I went to the track every Sunday and we raced.
As a kid we relied on my parents to get the karts prepped, to the track, and fund the entire experience. As we got older we learned our way around the Kart to contribute and to do our part.
Some of the best experiences as a young kid came from being at the Go kart track. As a Family we bonded and became closer
Successes
In racing they say winning fixes everything. That does hold some truth. Winning does glaze over any troubles you are having. It will make you feel the highs of the highs. When you win though, you can tend to forget the struggles that it took to get you there. Winning a race does not define success. As a new racing family you cannot look at winning as the only factor of success.
You will need to set goals. Actual obtainable goals that you can reach. Reaching these goals will be a success in itself. As a family when you reach these goals you build confidence in each and trust.
Failures
We do not have to put such a negative connotation on “failures”. Some failures improve us more than winning does!
The struggle you will go through as a new racer can be very frustrating and you may even feel like a “failure”. I put failure in quotation because you are not a failure as a new racer. You have overcome a lot of obstacles to get where you are today. Every mistake made is an opportunity to learn and improve. When you do not reach a set out goal take a step back and analyze where you fell short, Make adjustments and set a new goal. Go karting is supposed to be fun! Do not over think this sport as you will take the fun right out of it.
Similarities of Successes and Failures
The two topics may seem like polar opposites. But they have more in common than you think when speaking about Family. As an adult I’ll always look up to my parents. I thought as a young kid that they knew everything. As new of a sport as go karting was for me, it was very new to them as well. We all make mistakes. We were learning the sport together and growing together. Learning and growing means there were a lot of successes and failures that brought us even closer.
Racing family
By the heading Racing Family you may be thinking of your own family. This is a different kind of family. This is the family you build at the track. Like I said, racing is fun. We race because it is fun. At the end of the day everyone wants to win but it is about going out there and having a good time.
I know for a fact my parents wanted my brother and I to win. For the most part we were in separate age brackets so they cheered for us to win our respective class. Once we were older we raced against each other. I would like to think my parents cheered for me a little more!
Regardless they wanted us to go out there have fun, be safe and do our best. Every parent at the track wants the same for their son or daughter. When someone crashes, kart fails, spins out, or just needs help no one hesitates to jump in and help out.
The racing family is a community and a group of friends that you will have the rest of your life.
Time Goes as Fast as the Go Karts
When you are in the moment, time feels like it is at a stand still. Especially when you are a kid. All you want to do is make it to the weekend so you can go race again. Cherish this time. These days will fly by. Some days when I think about go karting I wish I could go back and race again with my family and friends.
As a new father I am so excited to see if my boys will take a liking to go kart racing like we did growing up. I am looking forward to being on the flip side of the spectrum. From the experiences I had growing up I am confident go karting will leave a strong impression on them as well. Even more exciting, my parents who brought the whole world of karting alive for me will get to live it all over again!
Check out some other articles on my site to see even more reasons why go karting is the best!
