The Mower County Fair added a new wrinkle on the grand stand Wednesday night and it involved some high speed chases.

The Fair featured a Go Kart race that drew approximately 50 riders, who were amped up and ready to go under the lights. Douglas Miner of Blooming Prairie, was on hand to help out his daughter Elizabeth, who is 11-years old, and his son Derek, who is seven-years old.

“It was exciting to have this race at the Mower County Fair,” Miner said. “We have a booth here for Miner Outdoor and it was nice to have something close.”

Miner and his wife used to race themselves and they live on a farm with Go Karts, so it was natural for them to get their children involved in racing. The couples’ youngest son Maverick, who is two, is already chomping at the bit to join his older siblings on the track.

“Maverick is only two, but he’s pretty determined to ride,” Miner said.

The race was held by 56 Speedway, which is run by Mike Schubert of Brownsdale. Miner said 56 Speedway does a great job with the races and they make it enjoyable for everyone involved.

“Mike really pushes that this is fun and it’s for family,” Miner said. “When you’re competitive you still want to win, but it’s a great atmosphere and they make a lot of friends.”

Miner said he goes through quite a bit of preparation on race nights. Oil need to be changed, chains need to be tightened and air pressure needs to be put into tires.

“You have to get the car to roll smooth,” he said.

There is also the work that comes with getting the drives ready to go mentally.

“Some of the prep work is with the racer themselves. You’ve got to get them ready to race,” Miner said. “If they have a bad week, you’ve got to get them pumped back up to go again and if they have a good week you have to make sure they don’t get overconfident. It’s family time and it’s fun.”