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Hawke’s Bay is entering what many in the karting world would consider a renaissance ahead of one of the year’s biggest events, and many of the drivers say it’s all because of whānau.��

Take vice club captain Shaun Hibbs, for example, who walked off the KartSport Hawke’s Bay racetrack in Hastings on Sunday with a gigantic grin on his face.��

After a nail-biting round and the smell of burned rubber still lingering, Hibbs tells��Hawke’s Bay Today��he just managed to edge out his son Ben, 20, in a race.��

“I beat him in a couple of races, but he got me in the last one,” Ben admitted.��

Shaun and Ben will be one of the many families involved in this year’s “Blossom 54″ GP event at the club on September 1,2 and 3.��

Organisers are expecting 100-plus entries for the��annual event��and the day will include races and spot prizes for fans and drivers alike.��

Ben has been racing since he was 6 years old and said it was great to be able to share a sport with his old man.��

“It’s a good way to spend time with Dad. I enjoy having battles with him on the track. That’s my favourite thing about karting now, spending time with him.”��

For Hibbs snr, not only is it a great way to spend some quality time with his son, but it’s also a great way to get an adrenaline rush.��

“It’s my monthly fix. My son lives out of town so it’s our monthly catch-up as well. It’s been our sport and we’ve always done it.”��

What makes club day even more interesting is that the Hibbs aren’t the only family duo getting in on the action.��

There are now seven duos that will have the opportunity to race on track days, many squaring off against each other at one point or another.��

“It’s always been a family affair, but now we’ve got so many families racing together,” Shaun said.��

He said he’s even been trying to get his own dad along so the three of them could race together, but admitted he could be “a bit slow”.��

And speed really is a must in this sport, as karts dive around tight turns at speeds from 80km/h to more than 100km/h.��

Club president and veteran racer Steve Halpin and his son Jack, 18, are also keeping karting in the family.��

Halpin snr said he was elated to see the growth of families in the sport.��

“It’s been a bit of a resurgence [of families].”��

“It’s allowing - particularly in the Briggs class - more family combinations as well as in other classes like the ones me and my son race in on different levels.”��

He said it was a pretty cool feeling to have his son on the track with him and encouraged others to get involved.��

“We’ve got something for everyone. You don’t need to have any special skill set to come out because people can help you with the mechanical side of it.��

“Come out and ask, and we can help.”��

Some of the most recent club members have been through a new initiative where people can pay to come and have a go on race day in one of two karts owned by the club.��

“We hire those out on race day. Arrive and drive we call it,” Hibbs said.��

“We’ve had that full for the last five months and had a 100 per cent success rate. Someone has always walked out of that experience and bought a kart.”��

Among those “someones”’ are father-daughter duo Tony and Nastacia Gaylard.��

The talented 16-year-old found she had quite the knack for karting after experiencing the drive for a special birthday treat.��

“It started off with me coming here and doing an arrive and drive,” she said.��

“We decided to get one kart at first, but then decided to get two because it came in a sort of package deal. We were going to sell the second kart but decided Dad was going to race in it.”��

Four months down the track and the father-daughter duo are regular fixtures.��

“It’s just a great atmosphere; everyone gets around you and supports you,” Tony said.��

“The support from the track and the people here is amazing.”��

But the real question is, who comes out in pole position when the father and daughter take to the track?��

“I normally do, but I got beaten twice today by her.”��

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.��