By Bob Groeneveld/Special to the 91原创 Advance Times

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Levi 鈥淟eadfoot鈥� Klatt has plans to be a professional race car driver.

鈥淚 am really dead set, it is my ultimate goal to make a living off of racing,鈥� said the 91原创 teen.

Levi, who is starting Grade 11 at D.W. Poppy Secondary this fall and has been accepted into Aldergrove Community Secondary鈥檚 Young Training automotive program for the second semester, started in quarter-midget racing, but now he drives two cars in two different classes 鈥� restricted and open mini-sprints.

So far, he鈥檚 on the right track鈥� a lot of tracks, actually.

And later this year, one of those tracks will have his father, Jeremiah Franklin, on it. They鈥檒l be racing against each other in Placerville, Calif. this November, shortly after Levi has his 16th birthday and qualifies to race in his dad鈥檚 class.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. It鈥檚 going to be a great time,鈥� said Levi, 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to run against him.鈥�

Asked if he thinks he can beat his dad, Levi answers, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the plan.鈥�

And then he adds, 鈥淚 hope.鈥�

But Dad, who has been racing since he was 18, is on a mission to win that race: 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to [beat Levi],鈥� said Jeremiah. 鈥淥therwise I鈥檓 going to eat a lot of crow. I鈥檓 hoping that the experience is going to overtake the youth and enthusiasm.鈥�

He knows it鈥檚 not necessarily going to be easy to cross the finish line ahead of his son.

鈥淗e鈥檚 full-bore,鈥� said Jeremiah of Levi. 鈥淗e鈥檚 out there working on the car every day. He basically lives and breathes it. I think he loves it even more than I do, and I like it a lot.鈥�

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The competition is definitely friendly, however. The two will be heading south together for the race, and they鈥檒l be able to lighten the load of necessary spare parts 鈥� from tires to tie rods 鈥� by sharing between their two cars.

And they are also members of each other鈥檚 pit crews, as is wife and mother, Dolly Klatt.

Sharing is a part of the racing culture, in the circles they travel in anyway. Even at races closer to home, 鈥渆verybody knows everybody,鈥� said Jeremiah, and they鈥檒l help each other out in a pinch.

鈥淪omebody will have stuff to help you out if you run into trouble,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gets pretty cutthroat when you get out on the track鈥� [but]鈥� Everybody helps everybody. You鈥檇 rather beat them on the race track than have them break down.鈥�

Levi, who has been racing since he was seven years old, has enjoyed all the benefits of his father鈥檚 20 years of racing experience 鈥� and his mother鈥檚, too.

Dolly used to race against Jeremiah back in the day. And years ago, her mom and dad both raced at 91原创 Speedway, at Kent Raceway, (now Agassiz Speedway) and at some of the Washington and Oregon venues where Levi now races.

He has difficulty explaining just what it is about the sport that he finds so attractive. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to describe鈥� it鈥檚 just amazing. You get out on the track and there鈥檚 nothing like it, it鈥檚 hard to explain. I just love it. It鈥檚 been in my family for years.鈥�

The six-foot-two-inch teen practically has to fold himself into the small but powerful cars he drives.

He鈥檚 鈥渟lim enough to squeeze in, so it鈥檚 quite comfortable, actually.鈥�

Once he鈥檚 in the driver鈥檚 seat, he鈥檚 in control of up to 100 or more horsepower that can achieve 70 miles per hour.

And if his dad has any say in it, Levi will need every ounce of that power on the track in California in November.

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