Alfonso Ribeiro has practically grown up in show business: as a child, he danced with Michael Jackson and later was a regular on both Silver Spoons and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The recently married actor points out, however, that the term "grownup" may not be the best one to use in describing him. As proof, he points to his favorite hobby: cart racing. Ribeiro explains that racing isn't the high-powered hobby most people might think: actually, it's a relaxing pastime that helps him escape stress and pressure. You must be relaxed, he says, in order to race successfully. Otherwise, the more tense you are, the slower you'll drive -- it's called "overdriving" the cart. There are some risks involved in racing -- Ribeiro says that if you race, you're going to crash at one time or other. So you learn the best, safest ways to do what you have to do, and you learn from your mistakes. At 8 a.m. Ribeiro arrives at the track in Irwindale, California (figure B), with his friend and racing partner, actor Sean Patrick Flanery. There's a race today, but first there will be two practice runs, followed by a qualifying heat -- and then the race. They must first prep the cart for optimum performance, then take practice runs to see whether Ribeiro is overdriving or underdriving, if the brakes and gearings are right, etc. Essentially, he will be learning the track and the cart at one time.
RESOURCES :
Shelby American Racing History
Model: 0760303096
Author: Dave Friedman
Out of Print
Motorbooks International (MBI Publishing)
Go-Kart Racing Chassis Setup
Model: 0960506845
Author: Brian Martin
Martin Motorsports Pub. Co.
International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide
Model: 0966146743
Author: Darrell E. Sitarz
Kart Marketing Association of America
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