Senior Kaelen Dohme shows off her go-kart. “My dad buys parts from all over the racing community and he has a special guy that builds engines for us,” she said. “My dad puts the whole kart together though and sometimes I help him.”
Raider of the Month: March
Senior strengthens bond with dad through racing
March 11, 2016
She sits in the front seat and revs the engine.
The thrill of racing relaxes her while she forgets everything. School, stress, work, she forgets everything.
Except how to race.
She knows the competition is tough, but she likes challenges.
Senior Kaelen Dohme has been go-kart racing with her dad since her freshman year. While driving is a devoted hobby, Dohme’s main reason for racing is to connect with her father.
“My dad used to race big cars,” she said. “He introduced me to go-karts and we’ve been racing together ever since.”
The rush of air against her face is reason enough to continue racing, but the memories Dohme has made are the fuel for her desire.
“It’s really just fun to race,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to spend time with my dad since that’s the only real time we have to spend together.”
Besides spending time with her dad, meeting new people who share the same love for racing revs her passion for go-karts.
“I love being in the racing community,” she said. “I love meeting new people and having fun. You don’t really get a lot of money for it, but it’s just fun to race.”
Instead of racing in the metroplex area, Dohme said she races locally, at Texoma Speedway in Holliday.
During the winter, the races are indoors and are on a different type of track instead of outside.
“I really like the winter season,” Dohme said. “A lot of people go to those and it’s awesome getting to spend all day at the track.”
The karts Dohme races aren’t picked out of a shop pre-assembled and ready to race. She helps her dad look for parts and then builds it from scratch. Racing a car built by your hands just feels right, she said.
“My dad is friends with a lot of people in the racing community and he knows when people have this part of the kart for sale and he has a guy who build motors for him,” she said. “He gets his parts from different people but essentially he builds the cart from scratch.”
And no matter who she meets or any awards she might win, the one cause for her racing remains the same.
“My favorite thing about racing has to be how close it brought me to my dad,” she said. “Also how much fun I see him having when he’s racing with me.”