Mark,
I did the same thing. I took the GT-2 914-6 on an open trailer to second grade show-n-tell. I put a socket over the throttle stop so the engine wouldn’t free-rev over 4000. Boy did the class love that as they each got to sit in the seat and rev the engine. Of course that was just prior to a scheduled 25-hour maintenance overhaul.
Back to karting.
How old is your son? Most start in Briggs & Stratton or Comer 4-strokes and then graduate to age appropriate faster karts. For experienced racers an 80 cc shifter is appropriate at about 13. By 15 they can be in 125 cc shifter karts. The 125s are F1 performance at less than FV prices.
At age four we went to a fun kart place where they had karts that were walking speed. We went out with me holding one hand and he steered with the other. After a half lap (100’) he was off and running.
At age six Bobby Rahal let him sit in his Champ Car. That did it.
We first went to the tracks and rented competition karts at age 10. We used the slowest one possible at first. After a day he was ready for more speed. We went and watched the kart events. The first event he wouldn’t go in the paddock, he just wanted to sit in the grandstand and watch. After an hour or so, it was OK to come into the paddock. He is a careful kid who likes to know what he is getting into.
The first year (age 11) we bought a new Margay Briggs & Stratton powered kart and raced 27 events. The next year we bought a second identical kart, just different class, and raced 29 events entering two classes. Same for the third year. The forth year (age 14) we bought an 80 cc shifter kart, outrageous performance. And I now had a skilled driver. He raced the 80 and occasionally a 125 over the next years. Last year he got a ride with a team in a Spec Miata. The Miata is a lot slower than the shifter karts and forced him to go back and relearn momentum racing. Over all this he knows good sportsmanship and how to take care of the machinery – no crashes, no DNF, and still win. The first day he got in a Formula Mazda he was turning lap record times. Last summer he got some laps in a GT-3RS Cup car, guess what he wants to drive.
As I said, college starts this fall and racing will get tempered. Professional career race car driving is not in the plan. Down the road, he has to pay for his racing.
Another important issue is how your teen approaches street driving. My son had all the mechanical skills and we had been discussing street safety issues since age 12 or so. He worked his tail off to complete the AAA classroom requirements when he was 14. At 15 he could get a Learner’s Permit in Colorado. He had a full year (age 15) driving with us in the car. Now, just turning 18, he has no accidents, no tickets and is a responsible driver. He leaves racing for the race track.
Looking back over the past eight years, we both agree they have been the best ever.
Best,
Grady
gradyclay@hotmail.com