Aidan Keel, who will turn 16 in two weeks, will soon be able to take the Florida Driving Test for his license. But, a daily driver isn’t the only car Keel is learning about these days.
The Plant City teen is wrapping up an eight-year career of racing mini-max go-karts, and is now transitioning to open-wheel cars.
“The speed, just the whole car working … it’s a big jump up from karts,” Keel says.
Keel last competed in the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour, most recently placing fourth in the X30 Junior division race in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, March 4.
Though he says he may still join the occasional kart race to stay sharp, Keel is committed to making the jump to the next level now that he meets the minimum age requirement.
Last week, Keel traveled to Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina, to get a feel for open wheels. He rented a Formula Continental car from LTD Motorsports and completed several 10-minute sessions on the track, which Keel described as experiences unlike his karting days.
“It took one or two (sessions) to get fully up to speed and have enough confidence to go as fast as I knew I could,” Keel says.
Mini-max karts, which are lighter and offer the driver more physical freedom with less resistance, top out at 70 to 80 miles per hour. Cars like Keel’s, which had a 150 horsepower, 2000cc engine, top out around 130 miles per hour — nearly twice as fast as what he was used to.
“The kart was much smaller and you could make it do whatever you wanted it to,” Keel said. “The car is much larger and it takes more strength to control it.”
Due to the larger size of the Continental car, Keel is spending more time running and exercising so that he can meet the new physical demands.
According to Keel, though, the biggest learning curve came with the new transmission. His mini-max go-karts have been single-speed, requiring no extra work, but he has to learn how to get comfortable with a four-speed manual transmission.
Fortunately for him, LTD Motorsports was willing to help him learn.
“The team helped us out a lot and helped me get acquainted with the car,” Keel says. “It was a great experience.”
Keel’s plan is to test more frequently — not always out of state, though — until he grows comfortable enough to make his next move. His racing schedule is currently wide open, though he says he hopes to be racing cars by the end of this year. As with the karts, Keel’s Continental career could take him around the United States and to other continents.
Keel says he would take an opportunity to try NASCAR-style stock cars if it presented itself, but that his primary goal is to be like the formula car drivers he grew up watching.
“I’ve always grown up watching F1 and IndyCar,” Keel says. “My family, we’ve always followed these series. It’s just what I enjoy doing more than the other types of cars. I’ve always done it, and it’s what I love.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.