Tyrone Kemper Jr. began racing go-karts at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, when he was six years old, and the sport has turned into passion for the 12-year-old.
He currently competes nationally against some of the best young drivers on the national kart racing circuit.
Kemper is a New Orleans native who began racing for fun with the help of his dad. What started out as a way for a father and son to spend time together has turned into the pursuit of a professional racing career.
After showing steady improvement over the last six years, Kemper now travels throughout the country to compete in various kart races and has multiple national wins to his name.
“I’m most proud of (Kemper Jr.’s) perseverance,” Tyrone Kemper Sr. said. “When we started coming here (to NOLA Motorsports Park), it was only a father and son thing. It was never meant to be where we are today. Once we started traveling and racing, I’ve seen him progress and progress.”
The Kempers travel with a trailer stocked full of karts and the necessary parts to race in national events. The racing facility at NOLA Motorsports Park has given Kemper Jr. the time to practice and improve his skills behind the wheel.
“I’ve learned a bunch throughout my six years of racing,” Kemper Jr. said. “Learning how to race and sometimes as a mechanic on the kart. A lot of that help came from my dad having me help with tires and if he needs help taking things apart or putting stuff back together.”
After competing in his first regional kart race when he was 8, Kemper Jr. was forced to move to bigger karts at age 9 due to his above average height, which meant he had to race against kids older than him.
Kemper Jr. most recently competed at the SKUSA Pro Tour in Cincinnati during Memorial Day weekend. He finished fourth on Saturday and eighth on Sunday against fields of over 40 drivers.
“I was one of the tallest drivers on the track, which affected me a lot when I was younger,” Kemper Jr. said. “I was worried (about racing older drivers), but it now feels more common to race with them. Saturday (in Cincinnati) was a really good day. I was fast all day.”
Next up for Kemper Jr. is a trip to Amarillo, Texas, as part of a championship battle that could result in a free ticket to compete in the SKUSA SuperNationals. His passion for racing began while watching Formula 1.
“My passion really came from F1, seeing all these drivers go really fast,” Kemper Jr. said. “I told my dad I wanted to do it, so he brought me out (to NOLA Motorsports Park) and bought a go-kart. We were planning on doing it for fun, but we ended up getting deep into racing. My dad helps me stay motivated even if it gets hard at times.”
Kemper Jr. attends school at Lycee Francais in Uptown New Orleans and speaks French fluently. The Kempers plan on traveling to France next year to race.
“My French is really going to help over there,” Kemper Jr. said. “(Lycee Francais) is really helping me balance racing and school. I’ll be doing my homework and anything that I’ve missed, and I’ll be doing that all weekend after we get back (from racing).”
The Kempers are a first-generation racing family. They credit NOLA Motorsports Park and the local racing community for support.
“NOLA Motorsports Park is where our heart is at,” Kemper Sr. “That’s what helps keep us going. You can’t really buy that time you spend with your family. Having that one-on-one time in the truck, it means everything. We’ve been welcomed with open arms into the culture of racing.”
Competing in high level kart racing has proved challenges at times due to financial requirements. Kemper Sr. puts the money he earns working into Kemper Jr.’s racing career.
“Financial is what holds us back,” Kemper Sr. said. “We can’t afford to have two motors and a new chassis every weekend. We have to use what we have, but we’re competing. We have NOLA Motorsports to practice (on track). We’re going to (race) until we can’t do it anymore.”
Kemper Sr. is originally from Chicago but has been living in the New Orleans area since the 1990s. He and Kemper Jr. bring New Orleans cuisine with them when traveling to races.
“We bring our culture with us everywhere,” Kemper Sr. said. “We bring shrimp to the races up north, we bring gumbo. We bring a lot of New Orleans with us, and we’re known for being competitive. It’s been positive for us. Where we are now, we’re in a good spot.”