is a family affair
Racing, building karts
is a family affair
By alison granito
Staff Writer
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Sean Noonan, 15, and his father, Ray, work on one of Sean’s go-karts in the garage of their Millstone home.
MILLSTONE — Sean Noonan wants to live life in the fast lane.
For several years now, the 15-year-old student of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, has been tearing up local and national tracks in his go-kart, but he doesn’t intend to stop there.
"Ultimately, I want to move up to bigger cars," Sean said last week, noting that at the top of his wish list for his future career is a spot driving for Formula Mazda.
In addition to clinching back-to-back track championships behind the wheel at Raceway Park, Old Bridge, Sean and his father, Ray, do a major part of the work on Sean’s go-karts themselves.
"He has a great knowledge of the mechanical end of racing. Sean really does most of the work on the kart," Ray Noonan said.
In addition to plans to pursue a career in professional racing, Sean said he also has his sights set on earning a degree in mechanical engineering, ideally from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Although only a sophomore in high school, Sean is enrolled in honors physics, which he hopes will "help a little bit" in his drive to understand the mechanical side of racing.
According to Sean, it takes more than knowing the mechanics involved, and more skill than most people think, to be a good go-kart driver.
"A lot of the secret to racing is keeping your momentum," he said. "Whatever anybody thinks of racing, it’s probably that times 10. Some people think that you just hit the gas and go, but that is not it at all."
According to Ray, he believes one of the secrets to Sean’s success has been his "ability to keep calm."
Sean’s dedication to racing runs in the family. Ray was a competitive drag racer until a few years ago.
Although he brought Sean up around the track, Ray said his son had little interest in following his tire tracks into drag racing.
"He grew up around the track and loved it, but he thought [drag racing] was boring because you only get to go straight," Ray said with a smile.
One of Sean’s main goals this year is to qualify for, and do well in, regional and national competitions, which will require some travel around the country for the Noonan family.
Already racing has taken them to regional tracks in New Jersey, New York and Maryland, and as far away as South Bend, Ind.; Ocala, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C.
"Next year we plan on doing a lot more traveling to different tracks," Ray said.
During one of the national meets, Sean drove against Marco Andretti, son of the famous driver Michael Andretti.
Although the Noonans are pursuing higher levels in the sport, Ray said that driving go-karts competitively is an easy way to break into motorsports on the local level.
"It is an easy thing to get into, but a hard sport to master," he said.
"This is something which is pretty economical compared to some other sports that are out there," he added.