What was the first track you ever drove a kart on?

Andy Seesemann · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:24 pm Post subject:

First track I ever went to was the River Valley Kart Club track in Gilberts, Illinois in 1976 or 1977. First track I ever drove on was the original Gulf Coast Karters track in Katy, Tx at the end of 1982. Second track was Gulf Coast Speedway in Alvin, Tx in 1983. 1/8 mile dirt oval.

A
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Jimmy McNeil · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:02 am Post subject:

Buttonwillow kart track in Ca, 2006. The kart was a 2002 TopKart Flash with a Pavesi. I spun out about 5 times that day but had a blast.

Kerry Matthews · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:07 am Post subject:

Spent some time as a teen running at a rental track in suburban Chicago in the late 70's.
First "real" karting experience was in an 80 shifter belonging to Dave Schilt up at Desert Park Raceway in Stead, Nv. in the mid 90's. I barely fit into Dave's kart, and as I kept spinning it out I was thinking "This is SO MUCH FUN!!!" That track was a blast, and to this day it is my favorite sprint track.

That memory stayed with me until 2007 when I bought my first kart, a Birel with a TaG motor. First road racing track was Thunderhill later in 2007. I've been hooked on road racing since.
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Jeff DeMello · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:03 am Post subject:

John Salsbury · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:15 am Post subject:

Andy,
Thats amazing..... I was going to update my entry with almost the same thing yesterday. I ran the Katy track for about a year or so around '82 with an outdated Margay Concept and Mac 91b1 that I had picked up used. It would bicycle so bad......especially on the tight rt hander. I remember a guy named Bob Vance was the fast guy in 100cc at the time.
The Andersons - owners of the local Kartshop in Houston - said they were going to race on the dirt in Alvin and thought the Margay would work better there so I tried it the following year. I did manage to win a heat that year and had some decent feature finishes... During the year, I saw that the Yamahas were taking over so I decided to get one myself. An "old-timer" came over and bought all of my Mac stuff. At the next race, I had my new Yami on with a new clutch and all..... that guy blew by me so fast with my old Mac - I could hardly believe it!!! Laughing

Anyway.... we may have raced with each other 30 years ago !

Kris Courier · Joined: 01 Oct 2012 Posts: 7

First time in a legit kart was yesterday at Andersen Race Park in Palmetto. First of many trips to come.

Debbie Kuntze · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 4:13 pm Post subject:

A small trackup 9 mile hill in Albuquerque across from the Unser shop. I wa bout 10. Then a bazillion (but only 25) years later Amago Cool

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Jim Maxson · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:01 am Post subject:

Jeffrey Clark · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:20 pm Post subject:

First one was Pats Acres in Canby OR, got hooked on karting there. Will begin my first season when the weather gets better.

Jeffrey May · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:36 am Post subject: First Track

My first track I raced on was a small dirt track near my home when I was 16. Growing up I would always hear the "buzzing" of the early 2 strokes. My parents would never take me there.
Once I got my drivers licenses it was "game on" for karts. Played on that track for a year and started racing with a Dart kart and a Mac 91B.
Next year I started racing at a dirt track outside of Gettysburg, Hunterstown, PA. Ran there for years. Then I discovered enduros and blacktop. I think I went back to one dirt race after going to enduros.
Oh yea, started in 1970... Very Happy

Chris Livengood · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:34 am Post subject:

Shumaker's track in Crooked Creek, PA. 92/93

I believe it's gone now, replaced by a motorcross track. Coincidentally owned by my 9th grade science teacher, i think.

Edit: comply with Clark's request.
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Mike Goebel · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:46 am Post subject:

Whiteland Raceway Park
654 N. Front St.
Whiteland, IN 46184

Drove there in about 1998. Bought first kart in California it was a Tony Esprit KT100 in 1999.

Retired from racing in 2010 Laughing

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Clark Gaynor · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:48 am Post subject:

I'm curious at the dates of some of these places.
When you make a post, give an approximate date too. I'm just interested in how long folks have been doing this and where!!!

John Kuntze · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 10:55 am Post subject:

1977 Azusa kart track in a Bug Stinger with a MC-49. First race Riverside Int'l Raceway 1980 in a Van-K Yamaha enduro 14 years old.
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Paul Lyda · Joined: 22 Sep 2008 Posts: 15

Dusty Valley Kart Club, New Athens Ohio. Built and run by Mr. Bob Bowers who with his son Nick built some mean MACs.

My first event was in 1980 on a Lancer (old kart then that we dug out of some guys basement) with a Flat Head Briggs (literally my Dad's old rototiller motor). Of course we got smoked. That winter we ordered a Bug Black Widow and my old Friend (shop teacher at that time) John Stephenson helped me blueprint that old motor. The next spring everyone wanted to know where we came from and that old motor got 'claimed' in the second race of the season!

I then raced in and around Ohio until graduate school (about 1992) mostly with the old Kingdom of Outlaws series. Many great memories there!! Got back into karting in 2004 when i bought my oldest son a DAP Kid Kart. Now I have 4 boys racing (3 Birels with Yamahas) and the youngest will be going into his last year of Kid Karts on that very same DAP chassis.
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