We were testing the track at Boondocks and living the Go-Kart dream. It got us thinking… where did this idea of Go-Karts come from? At that point, we went down the rabbit hole of research. We’ve spent 83 days learning everything about Go-Karts so that you could have this simple blog to learn it all (that may not be true, but don’t judge).

Humble Beginnings

Sometime in the 1930s, there was a decision that normal size cars were too much. People craved smaller things! The open-wheeled race car was miniaturized and raced around oval tracks. Unfortunately, this lifestyle was only enjoyed by the elite upper class. Unless you had the money, you weren’t able to take in this up-and-coming sport. But a change was on the horizon…

The first “Go-Kart” was created by Art Ingles in 1956. Apparently, the free-wheeling Los Angeles lifestyle wasn’t enough for Art and he and others put their homemade Karting inventions to the test. And what better place to have a race than the parking lot of the Rose Bowl? These lightweight Karts were made out of tubular steel with no outer shell or “body,” one seat with a gas engine behind it, and itty-bitty tires. The racecourse was either a short, paved course or a parking lot taped off with lines and rubber cones to create a track.

Throughout this time, Go-Karts were a novelty fun ride for kids, but all of that changed when Elwood “Pappy” Hampton redesigned and refined the Go-Kart to improve its performance and take on a more “adult” approach to the sport. “Pappy” began racing Go-Karts on different speedways, including running the Go-Kart Indianapolis 500.

Today, the tradition of Go-karting is alive at well at Boondocks! Whether you’re a teen yearning to race or an adult looking to relive their youth, Boondocks is the place to go… kart.