brenteck

He's 9. I'm 50. We both became rookie kart racers the same year — and it's turned into the best time of our lives.

My son Reid fell in love with karting, and instead of standing at the fence with a stopwatch, I got in a kart too. He runs IAME Mini Swift with Hayner Racing Team across Southern California. I race Masters. I'm not a motorsports guy. Never was. Now my 9-year-old critiques my lines. Often.

Here's the part I didn't see coming: hours and hours together, working hard at something hard, side by side. A father and a son chasing the same thing on the same weekends. What more can you ask for? That's the channel. The races are just the excuse.

If you're a parent wondering whether to let your kid race — or whether it's too late to start yourself — stick around. It isn't.

Racing Tri-C Karters and California Nights. Reid: reideckracing.com + @reideckracing. Me: brentmeck.com.

See you at the finish line. 🏁