European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse By. Kin Cruger Mediterranean Bureau the prohibitively High Cost of most forms of motor racing has Given a powerful boost to go cart racing at naval station Rota Spain. Rota s cart track was built in the Early 60s, and interest in racing alternately has zoomed and stalled there. Currently interest is running full tilt according to Wayne Allard a 35-year-old Load master on Navy c-130 aircraft and one of the Rota go Kart association s most avid and skilled racers. For the thrills and Competition it offers it is probably the least expensive motor racing there is said Allard a native of Bangor Maine. This is real cheap compared to the Stock car racing i did when i was living in the association has 40 members and roughly a score of race ready cars. This year Spanish cart Drivers Are racing weekly with the americans at Rota. Go cart racing is highly popular in Spain and some spaniards make their living racing professionally. The racing has become much More interesting now that we Are competing regularly with the spaniards Allard said. Allard and a handful of other association members race regularly on the Spanish carting circuit. Spanish officials frequently Block off City streets in order to stage High Speed Road races for carts. It in t unusual for Road races to draw 5,000 to 7,000 spectators Allard said. The big event in this area is the racing through the streets of Rota on May 14 and 15. We should have about 100 carts the speediest carts powered by water cooled 250cc engines and outfitted with six Speed transmissions can reach an incredible 180 Mph. Those carts Cost $7,000 to $8,000, but the used carts most association members buy Cost Only about $1,000, said Ken Culver 36, the association president and a Petty officer first class who works on ground support equipment for aircraft. The club owns tube bending machines and they enable us to build our own Chassis said Culver. This is much More fun than the drag racing i used to do added Culver a resident of Bandon Ore. I had a 1956 Chevy that would do 9.6 in the Quarter mile but i had $20,000 sunk into that car compared with the $2,000 it Cost me to race carts competitively in although racers can Wear out More than $1,000 in tires during the association s 10-month-Long racing season the Cost of cart repairs is relatively Low. Rebuilding a blown engine runs about $200. Allard said the typical association cart can hit 70 to 80 Mph in a Road race. That May not seem terribly fast but it seems even quicker when zooming along in a cart that s Only about an Inch off the ground. The association s track is a half mile Long serpentine affair providing Drivers with plenty of challenges. You have to know How to drive to win on this track Culver said. Merely going fast just won t do the practice Allard has gotten on the Rota track has served him Well in Spanish competitions. Last year he won nine out of 15 races and finished third in his class in the championships for Southern Spain. Allard said someone can get involved in cart racing for several Hundred dollars. The Cost of a used cart can be As Little As $250 and the Only other equipment required Are gloves a racing helmet and a padded neck Brace to protect against neck injury and to Lessen some of the jarring. You really Bounce around on the track but the sport is geared toward safety said Allard. We be never had anything More than a few cuts and scratches at this track but Road racing can be fairly dangerous for Drivers and Mathew Dezell 17, finds the no. 99 cart a Good fit As he Maneu vers through the Rota course. Ii -. A Awaa Aja Taij is i Fly a a pair of 3-year-old spectators Trey Moody left and Kyle Allard yield to the lure of the carts. February 23, 1989 stripes Magazine 11
