High School Students to Unveil Custom Go-Karts They Built with Racing Legend Richard Petty and Motorcycle Builder Billy Lane

BURNSVILLE, MN — On June 21, Minneapolis Public Schools and Lakeville North High School will reveal rat rod karts they built in class as part of a new, year-long program developed by Northern Tool + Equipment. The karts are powered by 740cc NorthStar EFI engines and will be revealed in front of thousands of car enthusiasts at Minnesota Street Rod Associations Back to the 50s event. 

[Check out the two-minute teaser trailer before the big reveal on YouTube.]

Students were assisted by mentors NASCAR legend Richard Petty, the team at Petty’s Garage and founder of Choppers Inc. Billy Lane. 

“It’s been really cool watching the students create rat rod karts out of nothing over the last eight months,” said Lane. “Watching their skills and confidence grow each month has been a fulfilling experience, and I’m excited to see the final karts and run them at the fairgrounds.”

The Rat Rod Kart Build-Off is part of Northern Tool + Equipment’s Tools for the Trades™ program. The program is designed to fuel a growing interest in the trades with high school students through donations of tools and equipment to career and technical education programs. The donations give instructors professional-grade tools and equipment to properly teach the trades as well as expose students to trade career-like experiences. 

“Watching the kids work on these karts with their own two hands is what this build-off is all about,” said Petty. “This isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about those students learning valuable hands-on skills that could help them get a job in the trades one day.” 

The rat rod karts will be revealed at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, June 21, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds during the 50th anniversary of MSRA’s Back to the 50s weekend. Petty, Lane and the Petty’s Garage Team, including NASCAR Driver Thad Moffitt, will be present at the reveal to celebrate the completed karts.  

“We know how valuable trade careers are to our communities, which is one reason why we started Tools for the Trades,” said Suresh Krishna, CEO of Northern Tool + Equipment. “Most of the students involved with this build-off will pursue trade careers after high school. We’re thrilled we could play a part in fueling that fire.”