So fair readers, I have failed you (again). I have been picking away at the internet for weeks to get some information on the wild ass machine you are about to see in this video. The title of the film calls it a Kenick Dragster and I’m guessing that’s the make and model because I am like an FBI level investigator up in here. I know that double engine karts were a big thing during the karting boom of the 1960s but I had no idea that someone was making a four engine kart, especially one meant for drag racing. There’s no way this thing was intended for “road course” use as you’ll see how long and ungainly it looks in the corners, not to mention the fact that the driver’s lay down position means that even seeing over the little engines is nearly impossible. Does anyone know a damned thing about this creation? Was it homemade? I love all of it.
The starting procedure is interesting. All of the engines are started one by one. I would have guessed there’d be a situation like in tractor pulling with the multi-engine units where once a single engine is started the rest of them are fired off by that already running mill in sequence. Here there’s little starter cart rolled up and engine engine is belt started by itself. It actually seems to be quite the trick to make them all happily idle at first! The guys constantly running their hands over the exhaust is a good tell of that.
Karting was born in the 1950s and exploded in the 1960s. The racing got more serious and it did not take long for people to understand that karting could be a very competitive sport and tracks blew up all over the place. Weirdly karting on the drag strip never seems to have gone anywhere. It would seem like that would have been a thing. Junior dragsters are the closest thing it seems we’ll get!
All I can add is that the engines are all 123cc McCulloch MC101s.
This was built and owned by Dick Raczuk of KOUL Tools fame
those McCullochs were deafening. no mufflers just a short spout.
What a crazy creation! No video of it going down the strip?
I have more pictures but don\’t know how to post them???
Dick, please email me – [email protected]
I had a Scat 3 wheeler with a transplanted MC101. It taught me all about hi RPM powerband. Thing spun a million RPM.
Around 1960, our little northern Michigan town has a series of street races,
which Bug and other big manufacturers entered with \”factory teams\” – I saw a kart with 4 McCulloch MC10\’s on the back.
Automatic clutches, geez.
No drag strip action which is built for, geez.
The 4 engined street kart I saw was started by a Corvair push.
Direct chain drive like all in those days.
I know all the guys in the video.. and involved in the vintage karting since inception.