Racing Dreams: In Context

POV

14 years ago

Karting

The first auto races took place in Europe in the late 19th century (shortly after the automobile was invented), but kart racing didn't begin in the United States as a recreational activity until the 1950s. Spaces like shopping center parking lots, yards and airfields were used to stage informal races with go-karts that were sometimes made of nothing more than scrap metal and lawn mower engines.

While karting is still a hobby for many people today, it has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry and is viewed as a steppingstone to the higher ranks of NASCAR and Formula One. Professional NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and others started out racing competitive go-karts -- and Brandon, Annabeth and Josh (the three tweens featured in the film) dream of stepping up to the "big leagues," too.

Racing Dreams follows these three young racers as competitors in races organized by the World Karting Association (WKA) -- the largest national sanctioning body for karting in North America. The WKA alone boasts 10,000 active members (both youth and adult) and counts 120 tracks worldwide where competitive races are held. Other organizations regulating karting in the United States include the International Kart Federation (IFK) and the Karters of America Racing Triad (KART).

The film follows the WKA Pavement Series, one of the two annual WKA national series that race exclusively on oval tracks. A five-race national tour, the Pavement Series races on asphalt (as opposed to the other oval track series, which races on dirt) and is split into classes, with cumulative scoring determining an overall winner. In the film, Annabeth and Josh compete at the junior level, while Brandon is in his last season in the senior division.

For a list of WKA national touring series, visit www.worldkating.com

Organized karting events are open to drivers as young as 5 years old. Formal competitive classes with the WKA begin at the junior level (age 8) and typically run in three-year age groupings up to the senior level (age 15 or 16, depending on the series, and up). About 45 percent of competitive WKA racers are juniors.

While karting is considered a good way to get into professional car racing, karting can cost up to $5,000 per event at the World Karting Association level. Considering these costs (most of which are for equipment and travel), sponsorship has become commonplace in karting (even at the junior level), with companies willing to place bets on future racing stars.

Photo caption: Racing Karts.
Credit: Kent Smith

Sources:
» Aspen Motorsports Park
» Bardi, Joe. "Movie Review: Marshall Curry's Racing Dreams, Starring Annabeth Barnes, Joshua Hobson and Brandon Warren." Creative Loafing Tampa, May 21, 2010.
» Burke, Tom and Tony Kovaleski. "Parents of Girl Killed at Go-Kart Race Talk to 7NEWS." TheDenverChanel.com, May 18, 2011.
» "Go-kart Related Injuries & Deaths to Children, September 2000." U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Library.
» Holden, Stephen. "Too Young for Driver's Licenses, but With Full-Throttle Ambitions." The New York Times, July 8, 2010.
» Holder, Bill. "Kart Racing - Get on Track!" Stock Car Racing, February 2009.
» Sugar River Raceway
» Wolfkill, Kim. "Superkarts - Super Speeds - Racing." Road & Track, September 29, 2005.
» World Karting Association
» 8W

Karting

The speed of racing karts can vary widely, with "super karts" reaching speeds of more than 160 miles per hour. Recreational go-karts for the general public (those found at amusement parks, for example) typically go no faster than 15 miles per hour.
A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission documents 155 go-kart-related deaths of children under the age of 15 between 1985 and 1996. Only one of the deaths described in the report occurred at a racetrack. The majority of go-kart related injuries and deaths occur while children are riding homemade karts, riding on public streets or sitting on drivers' laps.
Each class of karting must adhere to a weight rule. For the beginner classes, the weight typically ranges from 150 to 350 pounds, which includes the kart and the driver.
Racing karts are typically designed with no enclosed cockpit, which means the driver will not be "pinned" in the case of a crash. A car racer, on the other hand, is strapped into the car, which makes fire retardant clothing necessary in case of fire.
WKA racers are required to wear full face helmets and gloves. Many racers also wear full-length, abrasion-resistant suits (similar to something worn by a motorcycle racer), neck collars, elbow pads, rib protectors and auto-racing shoes with no-slip soles.
"Karting" and "go-karting" are interchangeable terms, though serious racers typically refer to their vehicles as "karts," while "go-karts" are often thought of as recreational vehicles.
The WKA technical manual, published every October, contains the rules and regulations for the following year's racing season.

Photo caption: Director Marshall Curry
Credit: Trujillo Paumier

Karting

Annabeth follows in the footsteps of women trailblazers who have made their mark in racing. Though racing is still a male-dominated sport, women are now competing at various racing levels and the opportunities for them are growing. As of 2008, women made up approximately 25 percent of the 61,000 members of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), the largest sanctioning body for car racing (as the WKA is for karting). At the highest levels of NASCAR, however, representation from women is much scarcer. Since 1950, only 15 women have started cup races.

The first known female racers were active in France in the 19th century, but it wasn't until the 1940s that women appeared on the amateur racing circuit in the United States. In 1949, Sara Christian became the first woman to race in a NASCAR event, and Janet Guthrie made history in 1977 by becoming the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500. (The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where that event is held, had only begun allowing women in the pits and garages in 1971.)

In 2005, Danica Patrick became the fourth woman to race in the Indy 500 and went on to win the Indy Japan 300, making her the first woman to win an Indy race. Patrick has since become one of the most popular and successful female racecar drivers. In Racing Dreams, one observer calls Annabeth "the next Danica Patrick."

Patrick herself was a go-kart racer in the WKA and trained as a young girl with fellow racing pioneer Lyn St. James, who had 15 IndyCar starts in the 1980s and was the first female named rookie of the year at an Indy 500. She is now an advocate for training women to be top racers. Her organization, the Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation, brings together women from across the motorsports community at an annual event honoring female drivers.

NASCAR is also making an effort to train qualified female racers. In 2009, Annabeth became the youngest person ever selected for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity, a driver development program started in 2000 with the goal of preparing women and minorities to compete in both regional and national motorsports events.

NASCAR reports that more than 40 percent of NASCAR's 75 million fans are now women. According to Fox Sports, NASCAR is the televised sport with the second largest female audience, with only football attracting more female viewers.

Photo caption: Annabeth Barnes with her father Darren Barnes.
Credit: Kent Smith

Sources:
» Allison, Liz. The Girl's Guide to NASCAR. New York: Center Street, 2006.
» Bernstein, Viv. "Danica Patrick's Possible Impact Hard to Gauge." ESPN
» Bouzanquet, Jean François. Fast Ladies: Female Racing Drivers 1888 to 1970. Dorchester: Veloce, 2009.
» ESPN.com, Matt Willis Blog. "Danica Patrick Could Open Doors."
» Janet Guthrie
» Keating, Steve. "Motor Racing: IndyCar Land of Opportunity for Women Racers." Reuters, May 27, 2011.
» Racing Dreams. American Public Media: The Story, May 13, 2010.
» "Women in Racing: Why Should Boys Have All the Fun?" Coronado Speed Festival, September 3, 2008.