Start Your Engines!

Steve Cordle
ECB Publishing, Inc.

When I was growing up, there was a track where we would go to ride go-carts. We would pay to rent them (Actually, Dad paid the fee, but who's counting?). The carts were little two-stroke engines that could attain breakneck speeds of about five miles per hour. I only went to the track one or two summers before moving on to other activities. Over the years, I've seen many go-carts driven by teens and some pre-teens, but not many driven by adults. Last week, I paid a visit to Monticello Karting and Motor Club (MKMC); it was not at all what I expected. To start with, your humble reporter (age, somewhere on the wrong side of 50) was fit in age wise many were retired.

The story of MKMC begins in 2006 when Jean (JC) Courreges opened the track. Courreges is a native of France who married a woman from Tallahassee, and that is where they decided to raise their family. Courreges is also a former Formula 3 racer and friends with Pablo Montoya, father of Indy 500 champ Juan Pablo Montoya. Pablo Montoya designed the track's mile-long circuit, which features19 turns, and can be run in either direction. In 2012, MKMC's track was voted one of the ten "coolest tracks" in the world by complex.com and in 2018, was featured in an episode of WFSU's Local Routes.

Like NASCAR or the Indianapolis Racing League (IRL), there is a schedule of races that run regularly. There is at least one race a month held at MKMC's track, and, for the remainder of 2020, they have scheduled sprint races for Oct. 10, Nov. 11 and Dec. 5. Like the professional racing circuits, there is a point system and several classes of drivers beginning with "Kid Kart (5-7 years old), advancing to Cadet (7-12 years old) and then into the teens and adult classes. Kart races require qualification to enter Track manager, Andrew Scott, pointed out a local race series, with trophies awarded to the top three finishers. There are also regional race series and state series. Florida also has a winter tour that runs from January to March and some races might draw IRL class drivers who want to stay in shape in the offseason. There will be a race on Saturday, Oct. 10 starting at approximately 12 p.m. with a drivers' meeting, followed by qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and the race starting at around 2 p.m.

Karting has some similarities to professional auto racing, but there are also some differences in the two sports. One difference is the prohibition on changing tires. In IRL or NASCAR, pit crews frequently change tires for their drivers, but karting is different. "At the beginning of the day, when you go into qualify, the tires you qualify on are the ones you race with for the rest of the day," said Scott. If a driver changes his tires, he moves to the last starting position, even if he qualifies for the coveted [pole position].

In its 16-year history, MKMC has a stellar safety record. Safety is taken very seriously as evidenced by the stringent regulations on the track. At MKMC, all new drivers operating MKMC club owned karts are required to attend driver's training school at the track. The school includes a driver training session where
drivers learn about the karts, equipment, track and wheel-to-wheel racing rules. Also contained in the course is 20 laps on the club's kart track. Like pro-auto racers, kart drivers must wear helmets, gloves and neck socks. Similar to IRL or NASCAR, karting has a flag system to alert drivers to the track's problems, such as the yellow caution flag, which normally signals an accident, requiring drivers to slow down. Red indicates an emergency on the track that requires drivers to stop immediately on the side of the track or proceed to the nearest racing marshal when directed to do so.

After the 2018 death of a teen racer in central Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture moved to regulate karting in the state, especially for rentals. must be at least 16 years-old with a valid driver's license, or at least 18 years-old, for those lacking a driver's license to drive the carts. Drivers who have their own equipment do not have to meet those requirements.

Since MKMC is an outdoor activity, COVID-19 has not hurt them as bad as some other business. They had to close for a while at the beginning of the pandemic but allowed racers who owned their equipment to venture out to the track. In some ways, COVID-19 has helped MKMC. Scott said that most of the clientele that wanted to get into racing lacked the time. With the arrival of COVID-19, that has changed. Scott told of a racer who lived in Thomasville, GA and commuted to New York to work as a futures trader; now that he is home more, he has the time to drive and spends more time at MKMC.

Like any activity, karting requires a financial commitment. Scott stated that a three-race series could cost as much as $125,000 much of which is not recouped in prizes. A race might advertise prizes of $50,000 but that is typically spread across all the classes in the race. "Somebody might get a new chassis, while someone else gets cash, but enough to cover all the costs. That just goes to prove the old adage that the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys! MKMC is located at 1765 Big Joe, in Monticello and can be reached by phone at (850) 510-4188.