PREVIOUS DRIVES ::: Go Karts and Humble Beginnings Like most guys in racing, I started at a very young age. I bought my first go-kart myself when I was about 8, and spent $28 for it. Now the funny thing is that I bought it from my big brother who had only hours before bought it from another kid for $20 !!! Nice brother eh ? Needless to say it was a piece of junk and rather than having a foot throttle it just had a string that was tied to the throttle lever on the carburetor. Anyway, I have the best memories of that kart and driving it up and down the street when it snowed. I remember spending hours getting totally frozen and wet, and loving every minute of it. The karts shown here were the third and fifth karts that I owned. The first one shown was my first kart that I raced, at a small track in Wilton Connecticut. My dad and I would load it into the back of our old Ford Torino and spend the morning racing. I still can completely replay in my mind my first race, and the pass I made to win it. Without a doubt the best day I had ever had in my life to that time, and I know my dad enjoyed it as well. The other kart was one that I picked up later when I was 17. It had taken me a lot of work to save up for it, but I had great luck with it. When I turned 16, it was a big deal for me as I could go to better tracks that were further away. That picture was taken at a track on Long Island in West Hampton. The circuit itself was much better than any I had been on, but more important to me, the competition was very intense. I think my budget to run a year back then was about $1000, which was pretty much everything I earned cutting grass and doing odd jobs. The guys I was racing against were spending upwards of $30,000 a year, and totally had great equipment. I never really let it get to me though, as somehow or another I would generally run at the front. A quick funny story. When I was 17 I went to my first go-karting grand national event at Quincy Illinois. I saved up all of my money, bought a new set of tires, and had my engine freshened up. I loaded it all up in my van and drove 24 hours straight ( I was by myself ) to get there. I didn’t have money for a hotel or anything, I just slept in my van. I had to park far away in the dirty area of the parking lot, but I wasn’t bothered, heck I was totally jazzed just to be there. Anyway, once there I started looking around and noticed that there was this one building that was kind of fancy and air conditioned. I walked in to check it out and there were all of the big teams. I particularly remember being blown away by the outfit that Scott Pruett had. He was the big name back then along with Mark Dismore and Lake Speed. Now I had showed up with my one set of tires and one engine…and one kart...thinking I was prepared. As I looked at Pruett's deal, with mechanics, unlimited tires, engines and karts, I suddenly realized what a small fish I was. Well to make a long story short, in my race, I started 32nd ( I had a mechanical problem in qualifying ) worked my way up to 8th and then had the tip of the crank on my engine break off….DNF. For sure it was a lesson learned to me about what it took to win the big races. When I got back home, and did my next race at Long Island, this one guy, I can’t remember his name, came up to me and told me that I had done a great job…that I had a lot of guts going all the way out there by myself. Then he told me something that I will never forget. He said it was a shame that I didn’t have a lot of money, as I could go far in the sport if I did. For all of the years that I struggled early in my career, those were words that always motivated me. I had made up my mind then that not having money was not going to keep me from doing what I wanted…that I wouldn’t quit. I would have to say that if there is one part of my character that has been my greatest asset in my career, it has been that I never gave up. A few guys have made it without coming from a wealthy family, I’m lucky to be one…and I still think it is possible. You just have to want it more than anything.   Site contents © 2002 Johnny O'Connell GM, GM Emblem, Corvette and the Corvette Emblem are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation and used with permission.