Coming around the last corner, junior Tanner Gossett took first place in his feature go kart race. Gossett has raced go karts for three years just outside of Waco. In those three years, Tanner has won 53 trophies.

Gossett said he started racing because he “needed a beginner course or gateway to NASCAR.” Gossett’s motivation for racing is “the will to win.”

Gossett said his racing season is from March to October not including the three nationals races that he has. There are 26 races in a season not including ones that are rained out or cancelled. Tanner races in two different classes — Animal and Animal Restricted. For restricted, racers can’t be older than 16. He currently has a 44 point lead with 412 points in the Animal class, and a 127 point lead with 330 points in the Animal Restricted class.

Fellow racer Britney DeRoon, has officially raced since the age of four.

“Tanner is my biggest competition,” DeRoon said.

To prepare for a race, Gossett unloads the karts, fills them with fuel and checks the tire pressure. Next, he puts on protective gear including fireproof racing suits and shoes, a helmet, a neck brace and a seat belt. After getting all his clothing on and making sure he has all his safety equipment, all that’s left to do is race.

    Gossett’s dad, James, is very supportive of his racing.
“I love it. It provides a great opportunity to meet other people, go to new places, and spend time with my son,” Gossett said.

On the other hand Gossett and his dad do not share the same opinion about pursuing racing as a career.

“Racing is expensive. It makes for a great hobby. It takes a lot of time, and you miss opportunities to do things with friends and family,” James said. “I am very proud of Tanner sticking with this fun activity/sport. He has increased his driving skills and made a lot of new friends.”