Being tall doesn’t stop Langley’s go-kart racer, Dylan Wasylkiw

LANGLEY, British Columbia — Langley’s Dylan Wasylkiw is a member of his Walnut Grove Secondary School’s grade 8 boys basketball team and races go-karts with the West Coast Kart Club (WCKC) at Greg Moore Raceway in Chilliwack, BC.

Dylan a Senior Rotax driver has been racing go-karts in motorsport for five years. He reaches speeds up to 120km/hr down a 200km straight and loves the adrenaline rush of going into the corners. He dreams of moving up to racing cars at the international level in the future.

Dylan is over 6 feet tall. With that height, he faces challenges as a racer. The size and weight of a driver have an impact on speed, for each 10lb, it could provide a driver with the disadvantage of one second lost. Dylan races through the adversity of his size and repeats a mantra his coach has taught him. “No matter where you finish in qualifying you can always come back” Dylan explained, “I’ve used this advice in so many scenarios even outside of sports. No matter how much of a disadvantage you have you can’t complain, instead always look forward to what’s happening next.”

In his most recent race, Dylan put this advice to the test. With a starting position of 17th, he then encountered challenges that had him starting last. Dylan worked his way back up through the races to take the lead, winning third place for Senior Rotax at the WCKC Club Kart Race Series, in April. 

Dylan has played basketball for the past three years. He puts in as much court time as he can. The practice has paid off as his grade 8 boys basketball team won Langley Division undefeated 12-0, and they went on to make the finals at Eastern Valley Championships 2022 and then on to Provincials where they were seeded 9th and finished 11th.

Dylan aspires to play at the college level. He expressed the benefits of being a member of a team, “It has taught me to believe in others, give others chances, and never give up.” 

Next up for Dylan are upcoming races, the 2022 Western Canadian Karting Championship, Warburg, AB and The Padholder Super Cup Series, in Chilliwack, BC. He’ll also enjoy practicing basketball with Impact Hoops training camp and on his new home court with friends this summer.

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