Art Ingels, the father of karting
A story that starts from afar
Art Ingels is a name perhaps still too little known, even to motoring enthusiasts. Yet, without him the history of go-karting would be different and in many respects it would be impossible to establish how. We can be sure that it would have begun in different times and places, in different ways. Luckily for us Art Ingels existed and in the summer of 1956 he is a mechanic at Kurtis Kraft. The Kurtis craft company is a company based in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, known to most for being the home of the Walt Disney Studios. At Kurtis we don't create dream films, but rather dream cars: the racing cars destined for the Indianapolis circuit. Not far from him lives and works his friend Lou Borrelli, employed in an oil company. It is together with Lou that Art will find a way to reinvent something that he has in his hands every day and to create an entirely new racing vehicle.
Summer, 1956
We are in August '56 and the adventure of adventures begins there: in a Californian city the first go-kart in the world finally comes to light. In his Echo Park garage, Ingles has an idea. Thanks to the tools at his disposal, Art Ingels assembled a frame made of steel tubes. He got it into his head that it was time to create a small, light vehicle capable of supporting the weight of adult passengers. The design is therefore clear in his mind, but his friend Lou Borrelli arrives to translate it into reality. He is the one who mounts the lawnmower engine on the cart. It is a West band 750 84 cc produced by the McCulloch house: once placed on the chassis Art Ingels and his friend Borrelli gave life to the first cart prototype in history. And thanks to a faulty engine!
A resurrected engine
Mc Culloch was a company known for its chainsaws, but a manufacturing defect soon forced Mc Culloch to withdraw its lawnmowers from the market. In the months following Art Ingels and Lou Borelli's invention, faulty West Bend lawnmower engines quickly found new life, resurrected by go-kart fever and sought after by various home builders. To brake, the Ingels-Borelli kart is equipped with a lever on the right side. Pulling the lever causes a pad to rotate against a disc welded to the right rear rim. In any case, the very first attempts on the road are not conclusive. Ingels decides to start driving, but due to his weight the vehicle doesn't push enough to tackle the climb. Borrelli is luckier: thanks to a less powerful build, he manages to reach the top of the hill. This very first success encourages the two subsequent tests.
From car parks to slopes
In the vast county of Los Angeles, Art Ingels and Lou Borrelli have the opportunity to test their prototype several times. After various tests they finally find the right opportunity for others to finally notice this new vehicle. In the fall of 1956 they introduced the go kart in Pomona and it was an immediate success. Among the many impressed and fascinated by the potential of go karting is Duffy Livingston. He, like many others, is intrigued enough to want to try it. However, there are no suitable circuits and therefore the first kart races take place in car parks and near department stores. The idea works, and word spreads quickly, because they are crowded places frequented by all types of people. However, it was the fifties, those of wasted youth, and the Los Angeles police decided to crack down on racing.
The RoseBowl and the path to success
There is a need to find – and quickly – a location that is suitable for this purpose. Luckily for Art Ingels and all enthusiasts in the greater metropolitan area there is one within reach. Word spreads that the Pasadena police are not so strict and luckily there is an ideal parking lot for racing around the famous Rose Bowl stadium. Although Art Ingels and Lou Borelli were the first to build complete karts for the public, the first true mass production occurred when other manufacturers took over. They will be the ones to produce a sufficient number of karts to satisfy an ever-increasing number of racing enthusiasts and enthusiasts.
Hobby yes, but also work
Duffy Livingston is present in Pomona, at the christening of Ingels' prototype. From day one he is an admirer of Ingels' karts and, after several attempts, gets his blessing to produce his own model. So does Livingston's business partner, Roy Desbrow. As demand for pre-built karts increased, the two teamed up with Bill Rowles, one of their best customers, to create Go Kart Manufacturing Co. The Go Kart 400 racer was the first model produced. In the late 129,50s, a kart sold for $1.000, which is equivalent to over $1958 today. The success was such that Ingels left Kurtis Kraft to found the Ingels & Borelli Kart Company. They produced impeccable go karts under the Caretta name, and managed to put six examples on the market already at the end of XNUMX and before Christmas.
However, it is not Art Ingels – the father of all go karts in the world – who gave a name to the vehicle he created. The name go kart is instead due to Lynn Wineland, former editor of Hot rod magazine. After naming it, Wineland received $2 for every kart sold. Since the end of the fifties, many other manufacturers and many other models have appeared. But it is thanks to Ingels that a hobby, born on the streets of California, has evolved to the point of transforming into the sport we all love. And what he gives today work to many, enthusiasts and otherwise.
