Racing is in his blood

Riley Carter is at a turning point in his racing career.

With 22 trophies under his belt, including three consecutive victories in the Cedar Mills Karting Association’s Dirt Championship, he might be on the verge. “You’re dominating your class,” his father, Randy Carter, said. “You keep getting first place and they’re going to make you go into the next class.”

The move could mean that the first-place trophies Riley has come to savor might be tougher to attain. It’s a thought that seems to give this 11-year old Hutchinson Middle Schooler some pause.

Riley, whose simple philosophy is “never underestimate your opponent,” admits: He’s a competitive driver.

Racing in the blood
Riley comes from a family of racers. He’s been racing go-karts for 3 1/2 years, while his younger brother, Deacon, has been racing one year. That’s about how long Randy was racing go-karts before he handed the wheel over to the next generation.

“I got out of it because it was just too much work, so I let the kids do it,” he explained.

Nicole Carter, Riley’s mom, raced three-wheelers and her brother, Chad, raced three- and four-wheelers and dirt bikes. Nicole’s dad, Dennis Daniels, is a former drag racer.

Randy isn’t out of the game altogether. When asked who he had for a pit crew, Riley laughed and pointed at his dad. “I got like a one-man pit crew.”

“But he’s pretty good, isn’t he?” asked Nicole.

Riley responded, “Yeah.”

The road ahead
The racing season at the Cedar Mills Karting Association is finished, but will start up again next May. It runs every Saturday through September, excluding holiday weekends.

Randy and Nicole say it’s the ultimate family activity. Racing families help each other out and have a good time. Safety and good sportsmanship come first.

As for Riley’s future, he has his sights set high. “I kind of wanted to join NASCAR,” he said, “but I kind of like football, too.”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)