Meet ‘Speed Demon Sarah’: Shelby Township’s 11-year-old go-kart racer
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Sarah Bouchard, 11, is a 6th grader at Monfort Elementary School. She has taken karate lessons for four years and has played softball in the Romeo Girls Softball League for three years, but her passion is go kart racing. She’s been involved in the sport for just one year.
“Racing is fun and exciting, and I love going as fast as I can in my kart,” Sarah said.
In racing circles, they call her Speed Demon Sarah!
Sarah races on an indoor road course style track at Full Throttle Adrenaline Park and at Arthur Raceway in Reese, Michigan, which is a 1/8 mile dirt circle track.
“I also raced my kart on the ice on Houghton Lake at Fast Eddie’s Hot Wheels on Ice a couple of weeks ago, which was a lot of fun,” Sarah said.
She is a driver for Fitzpatrick Racing and Motor City Kids Racing Series. Her goal is to have lap times under 27 seconds on her indoor racing series, and to get her first top 3 finish on the dirt track where she races in the summer, and “hopefully get my first win very soon.”
Her biggest challenge in go kart racing?
“I was the only first-year driver in my division last year at Arthur Raceway.” Sarah said. “Most of the kids I race against have 3, 4, even 5 years of racing experience already. To manage this, I practiced a lot, and I asked people how I could be faster around the track. Many of the more experienced kids gave me advice too. Then when I was on the track, I would try my hardest to do what they recommended.”
Sarah is a smooth and fast driver, but says she makes mistakes on the track sometimes.
“A mistake I was making in my races was turning too hard in the corners, which slowed me down and allowed other karts to pass me,” Sarah said. “To overcome this I followed some of the advice I was given and I didn’t turn the steering wheel so hard in the corners, which made me have more speed coming out of the corners and I started passing some of the other karts.”
This young “speed demon” has benefitted from being part of her racing and softball teams.
“It’s taught me how to work with others and to be more social with other kids,” Sarah said.
She’s also been given good advice.
“I’ve been told to ‘have fun no matter what, and to try to pass other karts on the inside of the corners as much as possible,’” Sarah said. “And my coach tells me, ‘Don’t look at the kart in front of me, instead look ahead on the track and plan where I will try to pass that kart.’”
Outside of go kart racing, Sarah loves to read, and play with her two dogs. She also likes to spend time with her family and friends, and going up north to her family’s cabin.
Sarah is grateful for all who have helped her in her racing journey.
“I would especially like to thank my Mom and Dad, and Fitzpatrick Racing and the Fitzpatrick family, all of my sponsors Dynamic Martial Arts in Shelby Township, Mike’s Window Tinting in Clinton Township, Big 3 Collision in Warren, CFO Offroad in Memphis, Center Ridge Brittanys in Emmett, and Metropolitan Equipment Rental in Shelby Township,” Sarah said. “Without all of their help and support none of this would be possible for me.”
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