I don’t think I’ll be challenging Tony Stewart or Dale Jr. to a race any time soon after my humbling turn as a kart driver this past weekend at Iron Rock Raceway. The friendly folks at IRR were hosting their Austin Grand Prix (with a 5K purse) and kindly invited yours truly to take part in the Sponsor Showdown – 11:30am, Saturday, Aug. 16. Being one to never turn down a sporty challenge, I eagerly accepted. I should have stayed home. I was one of 14 drivers in the SS and I knew I was in trouble when we were randomly picking our karts and all the other drivers seemed to know which ones were the fastest (and slowest). After donning my racing jacket, gloves, helmet, and neck brace(!), it was off to the track. The course was a winding three-quarters-of-a-mile long and we were to make 20 laps around the back-breaking raceway.
After first embarrassing myself during the two practice laps by holding up the entire field behind me, it took all of one lap for me to fall into last place; where I remained for the following 19 laps. Race-car drivers of all levels earned much respect in my book as most every muscle in my body was sore from trying to navigate my kart – that goes up to 50 mph, the souped-up ones go up to 100 mph – 20 times around the curvy track. I was all tuckered out halfway through but managed to survive till the end. Following the race everyone was kind and somehow resisted teasing me on my sad showing. Regardless of how badly I performed, it was fun to try something I’d never done before and I recommend a trip out to Iron Rock to all readers of the Score looking for a new and fun challenge.
This article appears in August 15 • 2008.