There's a post that I've been meaning to write for a long time. Often, the question gets posed to me that, "If and when you're a father, will you expose your son or daughter to karting?" The implication being that I would be supportive and encouraging if the peanut wanted to follow in his or her old man's racing boots. Well, as procrastination has often benefitted me, this topic couldn't be more appropriate, as I'm now the proud poppa of a little boy. So the answer to the question:

Yes.

Okay, okay, I'm not really going to let that be the end of if, mostly because the folks asking the question won't let that lie. There are usually at least two requisite follow-up questions. One being, "Will you still if you have a girl?"

Of course I could just side-step that one, as I had a boy, but WHAT?? Listen, I've been karting for a long, long while and the operation of my kart has never involved plums and a maypole and never more upper-body strength than my tiny arms can muster. Though it is true that James Hunt did once say that the secret to his speed was his big balls. I'm sure that, even for him, this was a figure of speech. Well, I'm pretty sure.

"What about getting hurt, or worse?" I have a good perspective on this. In my career, I have seen or cared for children who received all sorts of very serious injuries from all the sports that use a ball. Included in that list are fractures that require long-term rehabilitation, concussions, partial loss of sight, and opportunistic heart issues that rise up to smite young athletes on a hot, trying day. Have I seen serious injuries in karting? Sure, a few. Have I seen worse? Yes, once. It was tragic. Is karting safer than other sports? No, of course not, but the point is that just because your kid is in a sport that uses a ball instead of a motor that hurls its driver at nearly 100 mph, don't be under the illusion that he or she is any more safe.

So, keep your kid in a bubble, right? Sure, if you want your kid to have the social skills of a rock. Athletics and sports can be valuable for what they bring to your life. Fortunately, I found karting as a kid, as I was a hopeless cause with everything else. I gained the knowledge of the importance of hard work and sacrifice. I had and still have the opportunity to regularly apply tons of mathematics and problem-solving skills, you know, the kind of skills that most kids wonder aloud if they'll ever use. Mostly, there is all the time I have with my dad. Without karting, there is no doubt that we wouldn't be as close.

So, again, yes.

other things worthy of mention

The Grattan Raceway event for the Championship Enduro Series is coming up on July 12th and 13th. If you're a karter and can make it, well, you should. Any track that has a blind, down-hill, off-camber turn which exits to being up-hill and on-camber should be on any karter's calendar. Bring me a beer after the trailer drop and we'll walk the track and bench race for while and chill.

Oh, I did go to the Chicago Auto Show, but never got the chance to write it up. It was great, as it always is, though not a lot of big changes from last year. It's definitely a good time, especially if you get to go as a member of the press. HA!

Cheers, be safe, go fast, yadda.