And here is Part 2 of Susan and Kepler’s introduction to karting. Proud to know that Demaras Racing played a small part in getting there superstars interested in racing.
We took advantage of the earlybird pass available weekdays before noon. I was pleasantly surprised that the admission fee covered us both. I had expected to buy two passes.
The one thing that got me to Scene 75, a place I have driven by at least 100 times without ever going in was the go karts. Maybe I rode in a go kart when I was a teen, but not since then. The Demaras Racing blog had recently prompted some big enthusiasm in me.
I drove first because I figured Kepler would need an introduction before he took a turn driving.
Yes, the go karts hold two people but i think they anticipate the second person being the size of a teacup. However, we did fit, if only just.
Ten minutes of doing up seatbelts and they waved the proverbial flag. And we were off!
I am such a careful driver of actual cars. So it was fun to speed around the curves today like a daredevil and enjoy the carefree feeling it gave me to race around the track.
Once we finished our first turn we explored a few other attractions and then went back so Kepler could drive. He got in behind the wheel and an employee said, “He can’t drive this.”
“Why?” I asked. “Because you have to be 18.” “He is 18,” I replied. That employee absolutely did not believe me.
He called the manager over because I just wanted to understand why they told me he couldn’t drive, saying it was a safety issue. He was allowed to drive a single passenger cart but not the double.
I stayed calm and friendly even though I didn’t really understand what the issue was. Finally I just said ok.
Kepler had left the boarding area, so I left too and helped him process his disappointment. When I told him he could drive a single or ride with me in a double, he chose to ride.
While we waited in line I thanked the employee for explaining things and trying to keep everyone safe. From then on, he was very kind and friendly toward Kepler.
Our second ride was even more fun because I knew what to expect about number of laps and length of ride. We had a great time on our second ride and we were all smiles at the end.
We hope to go again a couple more times this summer. Maybe Kepler will decide to drive a single passenger kart, but I won’t mind if he just wants to ride around with his car racer mother.
You have international influence!