Flying on the ground: At speed in a pure bred racing machine
The sinuous ribbon of road lies before you. You’ve been invited to test a purpose-built race vehicle, and you are up for this challenge. Your posterior is but an inch above the concrete, and you fit into a tight bucket seat with the steering wheel up close and personal, and gas/brake pedals are right under each shoe. It fits like a metal glove. The engine barks to life, and as you pull out onto the track you are immediately struck by the rudeness of the steering. It is as if it goes where you are looking. You start to accelerate and the engine sound behind you builds with the speed, matched by the din of the wind.
You quickly settle into this vehicle, and by the third lap of the circuit, you’re ready to stand on it. The machine now wants to work with you as the racing tires heat up, and the engine is up to optimum temperature as you lean on it. You set up for the first very tight left-hand 150-degree angle corner and you feel the g-forces on your body, and the steering is now heavier and it takes more muscle to fight the g-forces. This is work. Hard work. You power through left/right “esses” and take a left-hand corner to set up for the secondlongest straightaway on this circuit. The scenery rushes up to meet you.
You aim toward the apex, and demand as much horsepower as there is to have to carry maximum speed through the corner and continue accelerating on that straightaway. You are carrying speed now and have to tap the brakes for the left-hand corner, clipping two apexes as you sail onto the longest straightaway. The wind is buffeting your helmet and protective clothes with the engine screaming through the power band as the hard left-hand hairpin corner is approaching so quickly you have to stomp the brake, knowing that only two corners are left and the clock is keeping score.
You attack the next tight right-hand corner and then the last left hand corner, drifting onto the front-straightaway with the start-finish line and you have the loud pedal nailed. You have been told you have ten laps to hone your times, and after those laps your neck and shoulders are already sore and your arm muscles and other parts of your body are strained from the g-forces. Where are you? You have just experienced driving a competitive go-kart on the Hill Country Kart Club Sprint Track in the counterclockwise direction and you love the performance, but start to wonder what it would be like with a swarm of 10 to 15 other karts racing closely around you at high-speeds, all trying to roust you out of the way. Welcome to racing. A real challenge for anyone, and for those who are willing to commit, a truly rewarding experience.
The HCKC spokesperson, Jennifer Murphy, says “The Hill Country Kart Club offers exciting racing action on our half-mile textured concrete sprint kart track with up to 10-turns, a nearly 525feet of length on the back straightaway and a challenging infield section that promotes plenty of side-by-side passing. This is a club-member run, not-forprofit facility that has been racing in New Braunfels for over 30-years with features including three spectator grandstands, kart shops during events, restrooms, picnic tables, and friendly racers willing to show anyone the sport of karting. Every finish is a close race, based on the drivers’ skills, thanks to the factory sealed engines to prevent tampering and a tight rules package that minimizes tinkering. Our circuit is at 3838 TX-337 Loop, New Braunfels, TX 78130, our telephone number is (210) 560-0127, and our website is www. hillcountrykartclub.com.”
This is hard core, wheel-to-wheel racing demanding developed skills, good conditioning, exceptional seat-of-thepants vehicle control and high-dedication motorsports competition all season long. We proudly present the top three finishers in the 2022 HCKC racing season classes. JUNIOR 1 CLASS: 1st place, Benjamin Keith, Hutto; 2nd place, Cadroe Milbrandt, Austin; 3rd place,
Patricio Medina, San
Antonio. JUNIOR 2 CLASS: 1st, Westin Criddle, Leander; 2nd, Dallas Dunlap, Austin; 3rd, Joaquin Flores, Canyon Lake. SENIOR LO206 CLASS, 1st, Mikey Bowlin, Bastrop; 2nd, Garrett Weaver, Canyon Lake; 3rd, Taylor Roddy, Portland. MASTER LO206 CLASS: 1st, Marshall Steves, San Antonio; 2nd, Mike Mayberry, Seguin; 3rd, Kyle Short, San Antonio. SENIOR KA100 CLASS: 1st, Taylor Roddy, Portland; 2nd, John Mueller, Schertz; 3rd, Michael Lewis, Fair Oaks Ranch. MASTER KA100 CLASS: 1st, James Woolson, Llano; 2nd, Edward Gillette, San Antonio; 3rd, Joseph Kouzez, New Braunfels.