User talk:Ronald B. Hardwig

I would like to right a wrong. Art Ingles did not make the first Go-Kart. While it has been said that they THINK Art Engles made the first Go-Kart in August 1956, I can prove that I made the first Go-Kart when I was 14 years old. He probably saw my picture from an APP news article and then made one himself. However, I can prove that I made the very first Go-Kart as my picture was on the bottom of the front page of the East St. Louis, Illinois Journal newspaper on Tuesday July 24, 1956, which was 8 days after my 15th birthday on July 16, 1956. I had made the Go-Kart in the spring of 1956 and had it running by the summer of 1956 as noted in the newspaper article. I had made it as low to the ground so I could so take corners as first as I wanted.

The frame was made out of an old 1/8 inch x 1 1/2 inch angle iron bed frame. I used a 2 HP Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine. The engine had a centrifugal clutch with a V belt to a jack shaft with a final chain drive for a total gear reduction of 4 1/2 to 1. Braking was done by a steel band covered with leather that could be tightened around the outer disc of the centrifugal clutch. Steering was done with an old car steering wheel hammered onto a 5/8 inch rebar with an aircraft cable wrapped around it, with pulleys to guide the cable to the tie rod on the front wheels. The rear live axle was 5/8 inch dia.by 36 inches long with ball bearing pillow blocks. The tires were 12 inch semi pneumatic wheels. Just for the record. Ronald B. Hardwig, Professional Engineer