Teen races to success
Vaughn Glace races karts all across the country. • Photos Submitted
By Tom Victoria
Vaughn Glace has a need for speed.
At 19, he already has gained recognition across the country for his kart racing and is the factory driver for a new kart manufacturer.
Whenever the Race Factory wants to work out any possible kinks to their designs, Vaughn gets behind the wheel.
“I’m the one who tests it,” he said. “I play a huge hand in assembling the karts to our specifications. The final touch plays a huge role in the track results.”
Vaughn, who also is a brand ambassador for the Race Factory, said joining the company was an opportunity he could not pass up.
“It opens up doors at a higher level,” he said. “The deeper you go, the more backing you have to have.”
Vaughn is lined up for a kart race at the New Castle Motorsports Park in Indianaopolis.
Vaughn befriended company founder Race Liberante, 25, a California native, after encountering him at various racing events.
When Race, whose accolades include NASCAR rookie of the year, and Dr. Anthony DiCeaso formed the Race Factory, Vaughn was offered the role of factory driver and ambassador.
“It’s a team effort,” Vaughn said.
Before the Race Factory launched, Vaughn captained a team of drivers competing in a 24-hour race in Florida. The drivers alternated in three-hour stints at the Orlando Kart Center.
Vaughn, who lives in a Pittsburgh suburb, also has raced at the GoPro Motorplex in North Carolina, the New Castle Motorpark in Indianapolis and the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Western Pennsylvania.
He also was hand-selected to drive a prototype kart last year for another company, CompKart in Erie, Pennsylvania.
“We did really well,” he said. “We won every race.”
Vaughn races around a bend.
Vaughn is known for quick finishes.
“I’ve set multiple track records,” he said.
Vaughn is never satisfied - even when he wins a race.
“I could always go faster,” he said. “That’s the next target. It’s pushing the limits of the car and yourself.”
Vaughn said the nature of racing keeps him motivated.
“Everyone who races wants to win, so there is constant development in the sport,” he said. “You have to keep pushing yourself or you just slide backwards.”
Racing also entails getting the feel of the car. According to Vaughn, racers can’t have a vise-like grip on the steering wheel; they guide it.
“To some extent, you surrender to the vehicle,” he said.
Vaughn quoted racing legend Mario Andretti.
“If you’re completely in control, you’re not going fast enough,” he said.
Racing up to 150 mph doesn’t faze Vaughn.
“It’s oddly calming,” he said.
There is no room to be distracted on the track.
“We can become extremely focused,” Vaughn said. “We have to be.”
Vaughn sits behind the wheel of the black Leiger USF4 race car at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
He doesn’t just practice on the track to be stay prepared. Like sports not involving vehicles, racing makes demands on the human body.
Focusing on the neck, which needs to be kept stable while racing, is paramount. Vaughn strengthens with various exercises.
Size is factor in racing as drivers can’t be too big. While Vaughn, who is 6’1, works to keep his weight down, there’s not much he can do about his height.
“It’s tough being a tall driver,” he said.
Vaughn said the kart seats are cramped.
“You make it work,” he said.
While racers can’t add too much mass, they still need to be fit enough to take the strain.
“You can’t fade,” Vaughn said. “You have to endure the whole race.”
“This is something I’ll want to do forever ... There’s no reason to stop.”
So does the kart. Vaughn said every pit stop is critical in ensuring the vehicle is ready to keep racing.
Along with checking the tread of the tires, drivers have to select the right type for the current track conditions whether it be dry, wet or somewhere in between.
Vaughn said trial and error is employed to gauge what tweaking is done to complement the major maintenance.
“It’s a puzzle,” he said.
Keeping the kart in shape during pit stops can be daunting.
“I call it the pit of despair,” Vaughn said.
While not under the time crunch of a pit stop, weekly maintenance is necessary and costly. When Vaughn raced on his own, he spent an estimated $50 to $300 a week.
“Depends on how much stuff broke,” he said.
Vaughn lifts the trophy at the PA/Midwest Regional L0206 Division in the kart racing series.
Vaughn has been racing for a decade, starting when he was 8. He was inspired by two uncles. One competed in Formula racing while the other raced in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
Racing long before getting a learner’s permit to operate a vehicle on regular roads, Vaughn views standard driving differently than people who don’t race.
“It’s absolutely terrifying sometimes,” he said about unpredictable commuters.
Vaughn said he feels safer speeding on tracks where he knows all of the other drivers.
“It’s a huge element of trust,” he said.
Vaughn said for that reason, racers like him don’t have lead foots in daily travel.
“We have a reputation for being the slowest drivers on the road,” he said. “We get all our excitement on the track.”
Vaughn said there are exceptions - racers who fit the stereotype of speeding on roads.
So far, Vaughn has been fortunate enough to avoid an accident while driving in the city and suburbs. The one time his car was hit was while it was parked, leaving a dented fender.
While Vaughn takes it easy on the highway, he has another place to indulge his need for acceleration. He gets some thrills in free time by skiing.
“I’m not one to take it easy down the slopes,” he said.
Vaughn is attending the University of Akron for mechanical engineering. The college has a race track.
For Vaughn, racing will not be a passion that fades over time.
“This is something I’ll want to do forever,” he said. “There’s no reason to stop.”
The link to Vaughn Glace's website is: https://www.vaughnglace.com/