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Conley Media • April 2018 • RACING INSIDER • 9 PRESERVING RACING'S FUTURE By DAVE RADCLIFFE Conley News Service When well-known Wis- consin racing venues like Road America and Slinger Super Speedway are brought up, go-karting isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Racing fans tend to fre- quent Elkhart Lake to watch IndyCar or the NASCAR Xfinity Series make their annual stops at the famed road course. Slinger is billed as "The World's Fastest Quarter- mile Oval," home to weekly races on Sunday nights throughout the summer and the occasional big- named driver making an appearance, like at Slinger Nationals. Where many of those drivers get their start, how- ever, is in go-karting, a type of open-wheel car that comes in all shapes and sizes, which also varies in speed and how it is powered. It's a popular option in Wisconsin, with locations ranging from Plymouth, to Beaver Dam, to Slinger and to Dousman, among several other locations in the greater Milwaukee area. "Karting has been going on at Road America since just past the mid-90s," said John Ewert, the communi- cations director at Road America. "We have a CTECH Manufacturing Motorplex. The course can be configured in a multi- tude of various lengths and difficulties. "A lot of up and coming racers have cut their teeth here. Josh Bilicki (from Richfield), he's been racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He's one of the guys that kind of came up through our motorplex." And even though Bilicki hit it big and is just one step away from racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, he could con- ceivably still drive go-karts if his heart so desired. "A lot of people think karting is only for kids," Ewert said. "That's not so. It goes from as low as 5 years old to ... we have guys in classes 40 and over, even 50 and over who will race shifter karts to other levels of karts." The asphalt was recently re-paved at the go-kart track which is between turns 7 and 8 at Road America, which will only enhance the racing experience. "We had a complete re- pave in 2017 and we're look- ing forward to the 2018 sea- son," Ewert said. "It's a chance for everybody to get out and experience the re- paved surface." The Road America Karting Club offers week- night go-karting as well as a summer series that features dozens of participants from throughout the state — and country. "People come from all over the country to race at our motorplex," Ewert said. "People from Chicago, Indianapolis, Michigan, Iowa will come in during some of the actual karting events." There are several different options for those interested in karting, whether it's competitive or non-competitive. Road America offers a weeknight series, a weekend series day race and a week- end series night race. The weekend series, which has 2- and 4-cycle sprints, runs from April through Sep- tember, while the weeknight series is 4-cycle sprints and runs between June and August. "We have 12 Tuesday night races during the sum- mer, nine races for the week- end series, and then we have two championships series events, so it's very, very busy," Ewert said. "Children who want to move up in the sport or just from a casual hobby standpoint, we have a karting club where people can learn all about karting. "We also have open kart- ing, so people can come up here during major events or on a weekday or off days with family and friends. We have groups come up here as low five people all the way up to 50 to go karting on the motorplex." How go-kart racing began at Slinger Speedway is a somber tale, but one that has inspired many and brought out the best in the surround- ing communities. In 2007, a 13-year-old boy named Parker Klumb was struck and killed by a hit- and-run driver while riding his bike. "He had a dream to build a go-kart and race it," said Kathy Fies, the president of Memorial Go Karts in Slinger. "His friends brought that dream to my attention and I brought it to the com- munity. That is the inspira- tion for what we created. "Go-kart racing and what we do over there is inspired by this young boy. We sup- port families with young children and support teens with events that are educa- tionally based." Racing is held at Slinger and has caught on with the community over the last decade. "Each of the karts are sponsored by a business in the community," Fies said. "There are a couple of sce- narios where the business owner is also a racing mentor. Each race is spon- sored by a business in the community." Teams are formed and they must weld and fabri- cate the karts from a kit. From there, it's keeping up with repairs every spring and fall. "When kids get on a team, they become the pit crew," Fies said. "They do all the fixing themselves. They do the weight meas- urements, tire measure- ments, and they do it under the supervision of a race car mentor. Race car men- tors are people from the community that volunteer their time." Slinger Speedway has been supportive since day 1, said Fies, allowing Memorial Go Karts to rent the time and space they need on a yearly basis. "They understand and see the benefit in keeping racing alive by supporting something like this, so it's a really good thing," Fies said. Not only is go-kart rac- ing thriving at Slinger, but there's a waiting list for adolescents looking to be a part of a team and race. Fies said there are between 75-90 kids participating and a total of 21 teams that con- tinue coming back year after year. "There are a lot of kids that started out racing in 2008 and now volunteer, so they graduated from the racing but still volunteer," Fies said. Kids race in five divi- sions from age 7-18, but competitors can move up and down regardless of age based on their level of expe- rience and at the mentor's discretion. Memorial Go Karts then holds its annual tribute event in August after the conclusion of the five-race season. "That's our fundraising event where we support families who lost children," Fies said. "We'll hold silent auctions, 50/50 raffles, that kind of thing. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds go to scholarships. This year we're giving away $8,700, and up to this point we've given away $45,000 in schol- arships. They focus on the trades, auto body, auto mechanics and welding." Road America and Slinger Speedway are as well known as any racing venue in the state. Another that has perhaps flown under the radar is Badger Kart Club at Wolf Paving Raceway in Dousman. "It's so weird because some people don't even know it exists, which is unfortunate because it's in a beautiful location," said Lisa Brux, a volunteer at Badger Kart Club who is also in charge of event credits. The idea of karting in Dousman was planted more than 50 years ago. Badger Kart Club has existed since 1960. For several years, races Go-karts are for all ages, skill levels and dreams Jon De Master/For Conley News Service The go-kart track at Elkhart Lake's Road America was repaved ahead of the 2018 season. Dave Rinker/Rinker Photography Go-kart racing by the Badger Kart Club at Wolf Paving Raceway in Dousman has been going on since 1960. Please see GO-KARTS/10 "A lot of people think karting is only for kids. That's not so." – John Ewert Communications director at Road America