We like to think that we know all the stuff around here and then we see videos like the one our pal Bobby J tipped us off to and we remember that we actually don’t know a damned thing about a damned thing. If you have heard of cyclekarts than we’re sorry for being behind the curve but we totally missed the memo on the fact that there’s small community of guys across the country building small versions of vintage Grand Prix cars from racing’s golden era and having fun with them.
The formula seems to be pretty simple. Get inspired by an ancient race car, build a little version of it, jam a small single cylinder engine in the thing, get some bearings, sprockets, and a clutch and have fun. They run motorcycle tires on wire wheels, guessing a singular band brake, and basic steering.
It seems that these creations can make about 40mph on a sunny day and while the majority of the time the cars are spread across the Earth (literally) once a year they all get together in a small eastern Washington town and race for fun. That’s where this video was made. Cyclekarts could be the coolest motorsport that we’ve never heard of.
So good.
Seems like this is from some years ago, but it’s a great video and a fun event.