” It was a guy thing with shop classes and go karts and dirt bikes and a million other things.”
Yep. I grew up with this(early to mid 60’s)
I raced go carts at the Michiana Speedway complex. (We used West Bend & McCulloch 2 stroke engines back then). I had a REAL (Wren)mini- mini bike with a WB motor on it. Today, CPS would have removed me from my parents : )
My DAUGHTER installed a digital ignition on one of the ORC project trucks when she was 10ish for an article we did in like 99 or so.
Find me, out of 100 random ADULT MEN today under about 40, one that could do that.
We are all but gone Steve.
I had a Go-Kart brand cart with a West Bend 2-stroke. I bought from a kid with more money than brains who couldn’t make it run right. I gave him $50 and it was running just fine in an hour or so. Funny what a difference the correct spark plug will make. My brother and I used to blend some fuel for it that would make your eyes burn.
1965, that was. I enjoyed the crap out of it all that summer until Uncle Sam decided I was having too much fun and needed an olive green wardrobe.
Unbelievable!! I used to race twin Benders on a Dart cart in the 60’s in central Calif. Used to run alcohol-methanol fuel mix and modified my Benders for three carbs per engine. Man that thing was scary!!!
Hard to start so we attached a Ford starter motor to a hand truck with a 12-volt battery and used a V-belt to the centrifugal clutches...lots of smoke and flame, (which you couldn’t see) and I could easily beat any car through parking lot autocrosses...until they wouldn’t let us compete.
Used to race at Vacaville, Escalon, Fresno, Auburn and Sacramento. Kept us broke and out of trouble during fun teen years.
My parents would be on death row for all the stunts they let my brother and I do.
I used to go to Stafford Motor Speedway...I do watch it if I’m near a tv on Sunday or Saturday night. I’m rooting for Joey and Brad, but NASCAR is not what it is — now it is a race between a Toy and a Chevy, which was bailed out by the US taxpayers.