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TOOELE COUNTY — In the world of competitive racing, it's all about speed.
"Oh, it's just total exhilaration," said Kirk Allen, a go-cart racer in Tooele County. "You've got the wind in your face; you've got the grip of the wheel, knowing that there's an edge that you've got to be right up against, but not go over."
But Allen's loves racing a little more than most — and his reasoning has nothing to do with speed. He hit the track at Miller Motorsports Park Saturday with his son, Tony, and grandson, Seth, for some unique family bonding time.
Allen's enthusiasm for engines started at a young age, and it set the pace for his life. But he left his dreams in the rearview mirror and let responsibilities take the wheel.
"I gave up racing to raise a family," he said.
After retirement, Allen decided it was time to hit the accelerator. He started as a volunteer at Miller Motorsports Park as soon as it opened but soon grew tired of letting life pass him by.
"I was 61, and I told my wife, 'I'm gonna flip the numbers on my age and act like I'm 16 and come out and play,'" said Allen.
But he isn't racing a Porsche. The wheel he sits behind is a little smaller: it's in a go-cart.
"(I) found out about go-cart racing, and found out I could race all season for what it would cost me to race one day in my Corvette," he said.
The man he orders around in his pit isn't just a member of his crew; it's his son Tony Allen. And when he's not working for dad, he's a go-cart racer as well.
"My dad actually was a police officer, so my mom would always comment that he drives like he's still on duty, or that he's still on the race track," Tony Allen said. "So I think driving's kind of in the blood."
Tony Allen's love for taking laps came from his dad, and now it's a full tank of enthusiasm he's sharing with his son Seth Allen.
"From the first time he took the wheel (Friday), he was just a natural," Tony Allen said.
"It just feels kind of like you're flying," Seth said.
That's three generations of racers with more revving up.
"(Tony's) got four sons, so this is just the start," Kirk Allen said. "Let's put it this way: to be any happier, I'd have to be twins."
A legacy on the track, and for the Allen family the results of Saturday's races weren't important.
"We don't have to win to be happy," said Kirk Allen. "All we want to do is to be able to race and to have a good time."
Contributing: Ashley Kewish
Ray Boone is a photojournalist for KSL-TV. Contact him at rboone@ksl.com
