When Tony Patterson Jr. turned 22, he wanted to celebrate it at a new place that opened up in Mokena — Accelerate Indoor Speedway.
The Gary native who now lives in Munster had loved go-karting and motor sports since he was 6 and wanted to have a little fun zooming around a track before blowing out his candles.
“I found this place when I was 22,” he said. “I just came here for my birthday. I wanted to go go-karting on my birthday and there weren’t any go-karting places around.
“I came back with my friends about three months later and never stopped. I came here religiously two or three times a week for years.”
The 27-year-old eventually parlayed those religious trips to Mokena into a motor sports championship.
Patterson is the reigning American E-Kart champion, winning it last year in Jacksonville, Florida. He will defend his title Oct. 10-13 on his home turf when the championships come back to Mokena.
E-karts are powered by batteries and electric motors, while go-karts run on gasoline engines.
Mokena was the site of the E-Kart event in 2018 and 2019 and was on track to host it in 2020. But amid the pandemic the championships were either canceled or held elsewhere.
It’s back this year and Mokena Mayor Frank Fleischer is glad for its return.
“This is our third one here and we’re trying to have them all here in October in the future,” he said. “If that happens, we can build things around it, such as an outside tent to give people something else to do.”
Justin Tomkins, American E-Kart Championship’s director of operations, estimates 25-30 track champions from across the country will travel to Mokena to try to dethrone Patterson and pocket the $10,000 first prize.
“Mokena is very welcoming,” Tomkins said. “Every time we put on an event it’s all hands on deck. … Everyone is doing everything they can to help us.
“Mokena is also perfectly positioned for all of our racers to come from all across the country.”
Fleischer stopped by the track July 14 and watched some of the racing as a part of a media event and he was amazed at the skill level of the drivers.
“I remember back when it first opened, people really didn’t know what they were doing,” he said. “But watching these guys today and watching how they hit the corners and curves — these guys know what they are doing. It’s a lot of fun watching them race.”
Racers based at tracks in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Wisconsin Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia are expected to compete.
Patterson finished tied for 15th in the overall standings in 2022 but in the big race, he won the $10,000 and a championship belt.
He said he likes the simplicity of the sport.
“It’s throttle, gas, brake, steering,” he said. “That’s it.”
So how has he become an E-Kart champion just a few years after it was just a birthday party activity?
“Seat time, seat time, seat time,” he said. “That the most important thing ever. It’s something my Dad (Tony Patterson Sr.) taught me — hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
That talent seems to have extended to a third generation. Tony Patterson III is 6, and Tony Jr. is already looking forward to watching his son’s career blossom.
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“He is a killer — he’s really good,” Patterson Jr. said. “He impresses me with everything he does. He really does.”
Thus far, E-Karting hasn’t paid all the bills and Patterson works at a Pepsi warehouse in Munster, but his ultimate goal is a full-time ride on a racing team.
It could still happen. AEKC officials point out that kart racing helped Jeff Gordon and Lewis Hamilton get their starts in motor sports.
At this level, all things are equal.
“You don’t need any equipment or a sponsor,” AEKC Commissioner Donald Wagner said in a news release. “And because you race in a kart identical to every other on the track, you really do have just as good of a chance as the next person.
“We have the most diverse group of competitors for any race anywhere.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
