Each summer our family attended family reunions at the Great Salt Plains recreation area north of Jet, OK. One particular Sunday in August 1960, we took all of our children to a small Go-cart race track at the park that was open during the summer. The manager had three or more go carts and charged customers for several laps around the course. He used car tires as a safety barrier around the corners of the track.

Wayne Jr, April and Jim had no problems running the carts. Susan was always a strong willed little girl and let us know she could and should drive one too. I was hesitant, but with her strong insistence and her Daddy’s approval I gave in. She was very small for her eight years of age anyway. The track owner buckled her into the go-cart and gave her instructions how to push on the pedals to start up, go and stop before turning her loose to drive.

Her initial start up was way too fast for a beginner; especially for her size and age. She drove way too fast and fought to keep the cart on the track and especially around the corners. Many passes were very close to the rubber tires on the side. She finally mastered driving around the track just before her laps were up. The manager waved her in and we thought she was going to stop, but when she slowed, the motor made a loud backfiring sound so she thought she should push harder on the pedal to slow the cart.

Then the race was on. The more she pressed down the louder the sound was so she pressed harder and harder. All of us entered the track zone and was yelling at her to take her foot off the pedal, but she raced by so fast she could not hear our instructions. I will give her credit she was holding her own keeping that machine on the track. We decided to just let her go with hopes she would get tired, mess up and hit the tires and that would stop her. It finally got funny. The thought also crossed my mind as to what this would cost her for all of those extra laps.

Finally the go-cart ran out of gas and came to a halt. Susan was quite ready to dismount. We were all shaken…especially me. I could laugh then. The manger only charged us for the allotted laps. I think he thought the entertainment was his pay.