Sport: Wheels in motion for young prodigy

After the North Island title and national championship runnerup trophies in Cadet racing, Marton's Kaleb Ngatoa is moving up to Junior and Junior Rotax karting this month. Photo/Rae Cliffe

Former Wanganui motorcycle racer Robbie Ngatoa knew his 12-year-old son Kaleb was built for speed the first time he ever took him to a go kart track in Palmerston North.

"He jumped in once when he was six and he was crying because it was too slow."

Now a racing regular and former national champion at cadet level, Kaleb Ngatoa is reflecting on another successful season before he steps up in class this month.

With nothing left to win at his current level, he is moving on to the Junior open (12-17 years) grade and also entering the Junior Rotax 125cc events in yet another newly-arrived kart his Marton parents Robbie and Tracey Ngatoa have added to the growing collection of six.

"It took him three weeks to learn how to drive the [new] kart," said Robbie Ngatoa.

"He wants to do it, so we get the money because he wants to do it."

Travelling and racing everywhere from Auckland to Wellington, while dominating the nearby Manawatu scene, the youngster works part time for his dad's business to help subsidise the expenses they put in with each kart costing an estimated $8000-$10,000.

That is still at the cheaper end of the market as the family maintain the vehicles themselves, rather than hire mechanics as some of their wealthier opposition do.

"I know somebody who spends $100,000 a year," said Kaleb Ngatoa.

With his family racing/mechanic team, in the past six months he has raced 17 times and made the podium on no less than 15 of those occasions.

This was in the Cadet 85cc (six-11 years) and the Junior Restrict 100cc (12-14 years) grades, where his highlights included winning the North Island championship on Labour Weekend and coming runner-up at the nationals at Easter.

He also claimed the club championship and the Dominator Trophy in Manawatu, as well as the Wellington club championship and the Goldstar.

It has not all been smooth sailing as any kind of motor racing has its dangers twice Kaleb Ngatoa has been stretchered off a track after hard wrecks and on one of those occasions the EMT's had to cut his fire suit off him rather than risk him moving.

Kaleb Ngatoa shrugs it off as just part of the game.

"It took me about one race to get back used to it."

The young prodigy has designs on becoming an open-wheel racer with the dream of one day entering Formula One. But the immediate future is establishing himself in the Junior 12-17 and Junior Rotax classes and the former North Island and national champion has no qualms about going up against big teenagers four years his senior with a more aggressive nature.

"I don't mind, really."