By Landon Williams
It’s December 25, 2018. Kids are expecting Saint Nick to leave presents for them to open on Christmas Day. But this fourth grader had other plans in mind – he wanted to win.
This is what this young racer dreamed of, a big race in front of a big crowd. He was 12 hours away from home preparing for his race in Daytona, Fla., held by the World Karting Association. This race wasn’t just some theme park race, it was the real deal, with an entry fee of about $150.
They had a crowd size of just over 1,000 people to watch these young racers. Although he had a lot of eyes on him he didn’t let that get to him. He finished second out of 30 racers.
That young racer was Mason Macrander, a former student of Delta High School who recently switched to online school to give him more of an opportunity to pursue his passion: go-kart racing.
On that special Christmas day, Mason knew he wanted to make it official. He knew go-karting was here to stay once he realized the limitless potential he had for his newfound sport.
“I love racing and know how good I can be,” Mason said. “I have been doing it since I was 8 years old and wouldn’t give it up now.”
When the idea of racing go-karts was first introduced to him, he was intrigued but wasn’t quite on board yet. There was one particular person that got Mason into racing.
Mason’s dad, John, brought up the idea to him and Mason willingly gave it a shot not knowing how successful he would eventually end up with it. Not only did he bring up the idea but also helped Mason on and off the track to be the best racer he could be.
“My dad is a huge supporter of me,” Mason said. “He’s always been there for me and helped me and made sure I’m as fast as I can be.”
Mason’s dad financially supports Mason’s ability to race. His dad spends close to $10,000 annually. Mason’s go-kart alone cost $3,000. His helmet cost $1,000, and his clothes cost around $700.
“It’s worth every penny I spend to see my son succeed and be happy,” John said.
Mason’s mom also is a part of his team.
“My mom is also a big supporter more so off the track,” Mason said. “She is a role model to me.”
Although Mason spends his time focusing on racing and how to improve, he does have other hobbies and interests such as spending his free time hanging out with his family.
Mason has two younger sisters, Hannah, 8, and Hadley, 6. Besides family, he occasionally spends his free time with friends and playing video games.
Ultimately Mason said he plans on spending a few more years in the racing world but is unsure of what he wants to do with his career. He’s racing in the present and not looking toward the finish line just yet.
