Lucas Punkari
If you look into the background of race car drivers throughout the top racing series in the world, you’ll find that nearly all of them began their career behind the wheel of go-karts at a young age.
While it’s hard to say to where exactly those cruising around the Emo go-kart track are going to end up in the long run, they are learning first-hand the art of racing every Friday night.
And most of all, they are having a good time.
“The races that I get to run in, and all of the friends that I get to meet, make this lots of fun,” said 11-year-old novice driver Jyllian Westover.
“I thought that running these karts that they would be fun and fast, and I got to get that need for speed,” enthused Wyatt Boyum, a 13-year-old advanced competitor.
This season has seen about a dozen karts run on any given Friday over the last few weeks around the small dirt oval, situated in the infield at the Emo Speedway, with drivers running in either the novice and advanced class based upon their overall experience and how fast they are going.
“If someone is lapping the entire field in the novice class two or three times during a race, then we have to move them up into the advanced class just to make sure things stay competitive,” explained Ron Westover, who helps out at the go-kart track on a regular basis and also helps to prepare the vehicle of his two kids, Jyllian and Raice.
Besides the steady car counts during the season, which runs from June until September depending on the weather, Borderland Go-Kart Club member Kim Williamson has noticed an increasing interest among those looking to get started in racing.
“There have been a lot of people who have been finding karts and getting them fixed up to meet our specifications,” said Williamson, whose son, Tanner, races in the advanced division.
“I know they are planning to start a track over in International Falls, as well, so there are some karts that are starting to go up for sale there and hopefully we can get some drivers coming from there, as well,” she added.
For the young drivers, there’s nothing quite like that first time out on the track, with the experiences for them being wide-ranging.
“It was kind of scary when we were out hot-lapping,” admitted Jyllian Westover. “But when we started to race, it was fun.”
“For me, it ended up hurting a little bit because I spun out and my sister ended up hitting my car and breaking my tie-rod,” recalled Raice Westover.
“The first time out for me was a real adrenaline pumper, but I actually found it easier than I thought it would be,” noted Boyum.
“I raced snowmachines before, though, so I kind of knew what I was getting involve with,” he added.
For the parents, just watching their children race can be a wild ride, especially for Ron Westover, a long-time driver on the big track for many years.
“It’s a lot more nerve-wracking when you are watching instead of racing,” he stressed.
“But I wish I would have came out here years ago, when some of the younger kids were racing at that time, as last year was our first year to make an attempt at coming out to do this,” he added.
“I’ve been missing out on a lot of years of fun.”
While the young drivers currently are enjoying racing in their go-karts, some already are starting to set their goals for further along in their careers.
“I want to race all over the place and end up being just like my favourite driver, Steve Arpin,” Boyum remarked.
“My dream goal is to run in a sprint car and beat [20-time World of Outlaws champion] Steve Kinser,” Raice Westover enthused.
“For me, I just want to race against my dad in stock cars and beat him,” her sister, Jyllian, smiled.
Go-kart racing at the Emo track starts around 7 p.m. every Friday, with the exception being Fair Week when the races will occur on Thursday.
There is no admission charge for those wanting to attend.