Before Indy drivers launch themselves down a track at over 200 mph, strapped into a 675 horsepower open-wheeled monster, they've got to start somewhere. And that somewhere is kart racing.

I'm not talking about the 5-laps-for-5-dollars go-karts you see at the county fair. If you're lucky and get a really good one of those pieced-together heaps, you'll top out at about 30 mph. I'm talking about highly-tuned race karts that'll do close to 95 mph and pull nearly 3 Gs in a turn. Karts that'll rocket you from 0-Piss Your Pants in 4 seconds, with your ass a half-inch off the ground. Karts that are part of highly organized racing teams with mechanics and sponsors and professional Indy drivers as trainers.

I spent last weekend up in Indy to watch drivers aged 9 and up hit New Castle Motorsports Park's 1.1 mile track for the Snap-on Stars of Karting Mazda Race of the Americas. Stars of Karting is a breeding ground for future open-wheel drivers, and the Indy Racing League is one of the main sponsors.

I figured I'd see a bunch of kids bumping each other on and off the track for three days. Instead what I got was a weekend of serious racing, by drivers who may not have been old enough to drive a car, but they drove the hell out of those karts. They were passing on tight turns at close to 80 mph, engaging in a little bump drafting, and taking the straight-aways three wide at full throttle, just like the big boys.

Not surprising since they're coached by pro drivers like Jay Howard and Phil Giebler (who suffered a horrific crash during practice for the Indy 500, that you either saw on SportsCenter every day for a week, or on here. Sorry, Phil, had to link to it). They both started their driving careers in karts, and were on-hand helping the next generation of open-wheelers develop their racing skills. This isn't peddling a Big Wheel down the driveway, this is serious racing.

Other drivers who got started in karts include Danica Patrick, Michael Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta and seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. Think of kart racing like college sports or minor league baseball: a way to catch future stars as they're coming up.

And unlike other sports, where the window to compete closes early, guys can drive and compete in these racers at any age. So you can spend your weekend doing yard work, or you can spend it on the track speeding toward the checkered flag. (And you know chicks dig guys in racing suits.)

Head over to the Stars of Karting website (link) for info on where you can get started.