What I Know From 2 Years of Go-Karting

Happy Anniversary To Me

As of August 13th, 2025, I have been a go-karting for 2 years. When I started, Kimi shared a lot of wisdom and philosophy with me. “No bad days at the track, “fast is in front you.” All that stuff I still carry with me, but in these past 2 years I’ve carved out my own understanding of the sport as well.

Lines Are Personal

There’s more than one way to conquer a track. One driver’s line could be another’s undoing. Naturally your line will align strongly with someone else’s. Even if it’s almost identical, the footwork and how you get there could be so different. A line is a unique signature made up of several unseen factors.

Find The Quiet

My brain can be an absolute dick to me. It will sabotage me and replay my worst fears over and over. It takes a lot to shut that noisy, neurotic fucker up. The big pull for me when it came to karting is that all of it goes quiet. All the prepping, calculating and over-thinking shuts down when I sit my ass in the kart. It’s good medicine.

K1 Speed Is Not Perfect

This company changed my life. I learned everything I know on their tracks. Their expansion into outdoor tracks is very exciting. However, there are things slipping through the cracks. They are the only game in town which puts a microscope on them. My biggest gripe is lack of knowledge and maintenance of the karts. There are tracks operating with karts that are fighting even the most basic of functions. Snapped brake cables and dying karts are way too common. My biggest compliment goes to the staff. These are passionate people who have helped me grow. They are also the best karters I know. I would love to see internal opportunities for them to compete with one another. So yeah, not perfect, but I will always be rooting for K1 to succeed.

Ego Trip Is Cancelled

I am determined to be a student of karting until my last lap. I will never claim to know everything. I am not owed anything. Some days I will win, some days I will make an absolute ass of myself. Sure, there are factors that can be working against me, but at the end of the day, I’m the one driving.

It’s Only Been 2 Damn Years

I STILL need to learn to be more patient with myself. I am extremely privileged to know and race with incredible drivers. They are all around me and sometimes I feel like the slowest idiot in the room. Even if that’s true, so fucking what? I’m lucky to have proper criminals to race with and learn from. I’m trying to embrace my time in the back and cherish when I’m ahead. Two years is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount time my friends have spent doing this. I’m committed to appreciating the skills I have and enjoy the journey to gaining new ones.

This Substack has been so cathartic. I’m not always an open book in my personal life but for some reason, I feel compelled to bare my karting soul. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read about my shenanigans.