Sponsoring a Jr driver, Full ride?

Emc2

Member
Anyone ever sponsor a kid a full kart ride for an entire year? Not your kid, just someone you thought deserved it? U pay for everything? They drive , you bankroll it!
 
However you done it. Only answer if you’ve given a full ride to a kid. Not just a tire or a jacket. Your stuff, they drive. Every weekend, full year. How did it work out? Did the kid show up when they needed to? Any problems with parents?
 
Yes fully funded everything all my stuff the entire season and special races at other tracks, worked out just fine but you need to be ready to be a teacher first and a competitor second, plus it's no different than your own kid every once and awhile something in there family life will come up causing them to miss a race or 2.
 
A friend of mine did until....until the mom got so unbearable it was next to impossible, and then trailer and accessories got stolen (kart was in garage.) He said that the dad and kid were cool, but the trailer getting stolen was a mixed blessing because of the mom!! IIRC...
 
Did they pay their pit pass and race fees or did you cover that too? I’d have to keep the kart and trailer at my place. Wow!
 
Did they pay their pit pass and race fees or did you cover that too? I’d have to keep the kart and trailer at my place. Wow!
I had an advantage at the 1 track ( main track ) as my wife and I operated it for 16 yrs and ran it as a non profit, so there was no pit pass fees, to cover that the deal was the parent volunteered to help with something at the track, like selling 50/50 or helping in the food stand, when we went to other tracks sometimes I paid there entry and pass and sometimes parents paid.
 
A little dark humor with regard to a full ride - I did it for a buddy's kid for 3 years (they paid for his pit pass and entry fee, my machinery, tires and all maintenance work and expenses, including engines and overhauls), then he graduated from karts to an INEX Legend, which they paid for themselves; I just supplied scales and maintenance and setup knowledge and help. They got quite a shock at the total monthly bills when you went all the way down to shop rags, lol. Then came the first engine rebuild..... A little experience wises people up quickly, for sure, when they're paying the bills and doing most of the work.
 
I have thought about doing it with a local kid that shows a lot of interest in racing. I won’t do it unless his parents commit to get him here when it’s time to work on the kart. A wheelman that doesn’t work on the kart is useless, IMO. There’s a dozen people with a helmet willing to drive. They’ve got to show initiative to know how the kart works.
 
Yeah I’d like to see involvement also. If they can’t drive at least they can make someone else fast! I’ve seen it happen.
 
It's a nice thing to do and can be very rewarding as long is your main goal isn't to make yourself feel better for doing it. Do not lay expectations at his feet, expect anything from him in return other that his best effort. If you're like a lot of the rest of us you were going to have a kart out there anyhow, so go ahead and help the boy out.
 
I personally like to see the kids help work on the Kart. Do you want them just to learn how to drive or do you want them to be able to pass the knowledge onto their kids some day?
Many, but certainly not all of the wheelmen I've known/seen at the track were spoiled brats that yelled at dad if they didn't win. If it was my kid behaving like that the kart would see quite a few idle weekends until attitude adjusted accordingly.
 
Go karting with a kid is learning the basic fundamentals of a race car. Not all kids will move up to other series but some may. Give them the knowledge to set up a car and learn how it affects it.
 
I do, but it’s for my nephew. Me or sponsors pay for about everything and we use his winnings for entry and upkeep on the kart
 
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