On Saturday, 17 cyclekart racers, some even making the trip from the U.S., will be rolling into Elmhirst’s Resort in Keene, Ont., for the fourth annual Cyclekart Grand Prix.
“A cyclekart is something between a soapbox racer and a go-kart,” organizer and cyclekart enthusiast Andrew Roudny said.
“Usually, they are made to resemble a pre-World War II racecar. They are just a lot of fun and the important thing about cyclekarts is you build them yourself. That is key.”
Roudny said he built his kart, dubbed The Vulture, about 10 years ago, modelled after the German Silver Arrow racecars.
“It’s called The Vulture because it’s made of garbage, of scrap,” he said. “We found a ladder and that is what the frame rails are made of.”
Roudny’s son Nikolas is also getting involved in the sport.
“It’s different from any other motor sport. It feels bigger and faster than a go-kart and you enjoy it more because you built it.”
Roudny said cyclekarting, which he noted has a culture all its own, is gaining popularity.
“It is growing,” he said. “I almost like it more for the community than the car itself. It’s not like regular racing, it’s almost more whimsical and sillier and that’s what I love about it.”
Richard Poxon is now a member of that community, though he is no stranger to the racetrack. He used to race Formula Fords in the U.K. and was part of the Honda Series in Canada.
“Most recently I was racing vintage cars,” Poxon said. “This is a totally different thing for me and the nice thing about it is it doesn’t cost very much to make these, and you can dream up these things with a nod to the prewar racecar.”
He races with two other club members, John Tate and David Wells, noting Wells was the mechanic behind the kart designs.
“I chose a Riley, which was a successful racecar at the time, and this one is based on a Morgan 3-wheeler,” Wells said, referring to the team’s karts.
“When you’re on a tight circuit and you’re that close to the ground it really is a lot of fun,” Tate added.
For more information, you can find Roudny on YouTube at The Cyclekart Adventure Channel. Races for the Elmhirst Resort Grand Prix get underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday.