Jack did you every have any close calls with the Peroxide Kart?

Yes one that I can think of right away was at a track in Ohio. I drove my Van down it to check it out before I ran my Kart down it. The track was extremely bumpy and the two lanes were separated by a grass medium. I thought if I let some air out of the front tires it would make the rides softer. I decided two run on the left side thinking it was a little smoother. Well the Kart started vibrating violently, and I drifted right over the grass medium the tall grass was flying all over the place. It looked like I took a lawn mower and cut a perfect path right through the medium. Everybody thought I got hurt. A reporter came over to me and asked me if I was scared? I held my hands out and, I wasn’t even shaking at all.

How did your unique driving suit come about?

I was racing at Rockingham Speedway and I met Bill Fredrick’s and John Paxton, John worked part time for Deist Safety equipment where try made Drag Chutes, and racing fire suits. John told me the drag chute I was using was too big to use on my Kart so John suggested we meet out in California and he would introduce me to Jim. We went up to his shop in Burbank to show Jim the chute that I was using Jim said he would build the right size chute for my Kart. He also was concerned because there was no roll bar on the Kart. I had no protection if I ever crashed so he suggested that he would build me a fire suit with two parachutes built into it, so if I ever came out of the Kart at speed the chutes would come out and hopefully would stop me from getting seriously hurt or even killed.

Over the years Jim built this same set up for boat racers and they worked every time when a boat would crash. Saving the drivers life. Jim told me that he had never tried one on land before, and said we should test it before I went back on the racing circuit.

Jim said he knew where there was a grassy area that we could test it. I ask Jim how were we going to do it and Jim said that he was going to have me sit on the back of his Pontiac station wagon and go a 100 mph and all I had to do was jump off. And hope the chutes opened up. Luckily it rain out all the time I was out in California so we never did get a chance to try it out and I was never unlucky enough to never crash my Go Kart to see if it worked.


Time Line

Captain Jack built his first Turbonique rocket Kart with a single T-16 Rocket on it on February of 1963.

Captain Jack added another T-16 Turbonique to it on March of 1963.

 Captain Jack drove the first Z16 Chevrolet Chevelle with a Turbonique drag Axel in it on May of 1965.

Captain Jacks Hydrogen Peroxide Kart was built in February of 1970.

The 1500 thrust Rocket Motor was installed about nine months latter.

Captain Jack Sold the Rocket Kart to Ramon Alvarez and Russell Mendez on November of 1973 for $10.000 with the trailer He also sold the driving suit for $300.  And the van $3000.00 Captain Jack took the money to buy a fishing boat and opened up a chartering service.


In 2011 Captain Jack bought the Go Kart back from Ramon Alarez’s daughter and had it completely restored by Ky Michaelson.