Kyle Hart has experienced the two extremes of racing in the past nine months.
Kyle Hart has experienced the two extremes of racing in the past nine months. The most recent was the high that accompanied his first win in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO, a Pro Lite class victory on May 31 in Sparks, Nevada. That win came two days before his 17th birthday and will be etched in his memory forever because, he said, it “was a confidence booster. It just kind of let me know that yeah, I am fast enough to come out here and hang with these guys and beat them.”
On the other hand, he’d like nothing better than to erase all memories of the first experience. He knows that won’t be possible, though, because videos of the spectacular accident in which Hart’s truck rolled completely over 11 times on the front straightaway at Lake Elsinore, California, are an Internet staple.
“It was the last race of the year, on Saturday,” said Hart, who was able to climb from the truck after it had come to rest. “I had a concussion and the whole top of my head was bruised up and one of my eyes was red and I had a collapsed lung. I stayed in the hospital overnight and they let me go at like 2 (p.m.) the next day and I was able to come back for the (Challenge) Cup races.”
Hart said the driver’s compartment and most of the chassis survived the incident in reasonably good shape, but most everything else had to be replaced. As for his own recovery he said: “I think to get 100 percent it was probably like 2 or 2 and a half weeks,” a time span that is a tribute to being young and fit.
Hart, who’ll start his senior year in high school in mid-August, is the son of Pro 2 racer and former Honda ATV champion Marty Hart, and he said that since getting his first motorcycle at 3 he’s always had something to ride at the family home in Columbia, Louisiana.
He still rides dirt bikes in his spare time, when he’s not fishing or duck hunting, but surprisingly he said he’s only ridden a couple of motorcycle races and never had an urge to follow his dad in that direction. The one he chose is hard enough.
“I played a few sports, but that kind of came and went,” Hart said. “This (short course) has just kind of stayed, and it’s something we can do all as a family. I think that, the family thing, is what’s kept it going because my dad does it and I just kind of followed in his footsteps.
“It’s definitely something to live up to, because he’s accomplished a lot. The thing with him is he’s never satisfied, which I think pushes me more to make me never satisfied. You can always do better. You should always be able to push yourself and always want to be better. He’s taught me that growing up.”
The instruction is continuing, too. Hart said his father lets him experience the “trial and error” way of learning, but also tells him everything he did wrong. Hart doesn’t mind, however, because he feels that enables him to solve a problem more quickly than he would on his own. They’ve also built the groundwork for their relationship.
“We’ve kind of learned each other by now,” Hart said. “We kind of know when to leave each other alone and when you can talk to somebody and critique them about what they’re doing. We don’t really hop on each other. I think that’s why we’re so close. We just kind of give each other our space and cool down and then we’ll be able to talk about anything.”
KYLE HART AT A GLANCE
Age: 17 (6-2-1997)
Lives in: Columbia, Louisiana
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Student; will be a senior at Caldwell Parish High School
Car number: 41 in Pro Lite
Make of truck: Dodge
Engine: Nogrady Dodge
Crew Chief: Victor Carrasco
Sponsors: ReadyLIFT, Maxxis Tires, K&N Filters, Fox Shocks, Walker Evans Racing, Smith Optics
Years in racing: 3 years
Divisions raced: Modified Karts, Pro Lite
Series point standings: 11 Pro Lite (2013); 11 Modified Karts (2012); 4 Modified Karts (2011)
