Karting History
as recounted by Don Boberick (9/18/98):
1960: By now, we have "factory racing teams." GoKart Manufacturing and Bug (which was just down the street from Go Kart) both had bus transporters which each used to haul their teams and karts around California. GoKart sent its racing team east to Rockford, IL, for the NAKA (North American Kart Association) National Championships. At that time I was competing in class "C" again on a GoKart model 800 with a 250cc Villiers Mark 33A (English motorcycle engine) on the back. The engine produced 23 H.P. on alcohol, which was quite potent at the time. This is a picture of that kart being readied to start for the NAKA Class "C" champion ship races at Rockford.
On the left is Duffy Livingstone. On the right is Tex Bell, one of GoKart Manufacturing Company's class "B" drivers. The folowing is a photo of me taking the checkered flag at Rockford in the finals of the class "C" series.
1961: The following is the cover of the February 1961 issue of
"The Karter" magazine published by GKCA, which is now "IKF"
As a final note, it you wonder how GKCA later came to be IKF (International Kart
Federation) here it is. I was GKCA President in 1961 and felt that (now that the sport had
factory racing "teams") it was important to divorce the kart Club from the
manufacturer, GoKart, which had earlier acquired a trademark on the name GoKart. The Club
had also acquired some affiliated clubs in other countries.
[Ed. note: This issue of "The Karter" featured an article
about Don Boberick.]
