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FUN TIMES

GO KARTING – FAD OR FUNOMENON?
By Darrell Sitarz

Where and when did GO-KARTING begin?

In 1956, a string of events caused thousands of surplus 2-cycle engines to materialize on the market and it was a matter of time until someone would find a use for them. The use: a miniature car, and the man credited with the first adaptation: Arthur Ingles.

Ingels was familiar with racing, as he was an old time “hot rodder” and an employee of a then-famous racing chassis manufacturer in Southern California. He was involved with Indy car design and production from 1951 to 1958.

Late in 1956, Ingels acquired one of the surplus engines, a 2.5-HP lightweight West Bend brand. Soon thereafter, he designed and built a simple tubular steel chassis, added some semi-pneumatic tires, a scrub brake and a bicycle chain and the first “go-kart” was invented.

He was amazed at what he had built and how quickly it moved across the “test track” parking lot, but did he know what he had started? No, not yet! He just had a fun machine that he, his wife, family and friends could enjoy.

As you might imagine, Art was besieged with questions when he drove the little vehicle through the parking lots and alleys in Glendale, California. “Where can we get one?” “How much does it cost?” and the like. Because of the interest in the little car, Art foresaw potential sales for the unit as he felt he could produce and sell them for about $150.00 each.

But wait, there’s a twist!

In 1957, another auto racer from the same area, Duffy Livingstone, built another version of the Ingels’ miniature car. After experiencing the same enthusiasm in the Rose Bowl parking lot in Pasadena that Ingels did during his “test” period, he and a partner investigated manufacturing the vehicle and marketing it.

But still the tiny vehicle had no name.

Late in the summer of 1957, “Rod and Custom” magazine heard about the little miniature car and wanted to do an article on it. At that time, there were now approximately 30 cars in existence. After writing the story, the “Rod and Custom” editors needed a title, so they elected to call the tiny creations “Go-Karts” after the name go-cart, originally defined as a baby carriage as far back as 1689.

The term stuck and go-karting was off and running. Soon thereafter, Livingstone and his partners formed the Go Kart Manufacturing Company and began shipping do-it-yourself kits.

Watching sales soar at Go Kart Manufacturing Co., Ingels and a partner, Lou Borelli formed a partnership and built their own karts which they named Carettas”. The sport was on its way!

But what’s goods a go-kart if you can’t race it?

Go-kart racing began shortly thereafter and it was soon realized that some governing body must be organized to set standards for chassis design and set racing rules. All different shape and sizes of karts were being built out of various materials. Some were built from water pipe, some with three wheels, some with huge wheels, some with tiny ones. There were go-karts with wheelbases and tread dimensions nearly equal or very long and narrow. Every manufacturer had what they thought was the best design, whether safe or not.

In December 1957, the first kart club in the world was organized, the Go Kart Club of America. Chassis requirements were set, classes organized to pit equal against equal. Safe, organized kart racing had begun.

Go-Karting explodes onto the scene!

By 1960, a few short years later, there were over 100 kart manufacturers in the United States along with countless others in Europe, South America, Australia, etc. There were all shapes, designs and materials used to build karts or “go-karts” as they were still know then.

Here are some examples of what was on the market beck in 1960 with some of their “features”.

ACER RACER: this popular kart featured both single and duel engine setups, full circle steering and a square-tube chassis.

HOT CART: (This company didn’t choose to use the “K” spelling) This unit was available with one of the then-popular Clinton engines along with a single steering support to allow for comfortable access.

LEECART: (There’s that “C” again) This kart had the popular new “live” axle design (wheel attached to a solid axle allowing two-wheel drive and braking), a neat one- spoke steering wheel and a hot 2.5-HP engine.

VIKING: This one was from a manufacturer in Des Moines, Iowa and featured a fold down seat back and front steering hoop to ease transport.

RACER-KART: This one was sold be Sears, Roebuck & Company. You had a choice of two different engines – single or dual. This unit was one of the first karts to introduce “nerf bars” as standard equipment as they were part of the frame design itself.

There were scores of others with names like Swoopster, Blue Streak, Ala-kart, Percival and one of my favorites, the Putt-nik (remember the Sputnik, the USSR’s first satellite?) They may have had unusual designs, unusual names and the like, but they all had one thing in common… they were all there are the beginning of the fad, no the phenomenon (or should I say “Funomenom”) call go-karting. The affordable motor vehicle has brought enjoyment and pleasure to million the world over and continues to do so today some 46 years later!

Footnote: Art Ingels produced go-karts in quantities of six. The first go-kart ever produced is still in the possession of Art’s widow, Ruthie, who still lives in Southern California. And no… it is NOT for sale! Another one of the first batch of six is owned by Alan Burgess, owner of “Karting Magazine” in Great Britain.

END

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