Part-Time · Per Event

Keepers Racing; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 3,000 - 4,000; Part time

Job summary

Keepers Racing, a grassroots motorsport startup near the NYC metro area, is seeking an experienced kart mechanic for 2-day club race weekends at OVRP in New York. This part-time, per-event role covers practice and race days during the 2026 season. You will walk through each kart, check safety-critical items, and perform quick adjustments between sessions. If something can't be fixed safely, you make the call. Own tools are a plus, and reliability is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience working on racing karts (2-stroke or 4-stroke).
• Strong safety awareness and decision-making under time pressure.
• Ability to communicate clearly with drivers about issues and options.
• Having your own toolkit is a plus and signals seriousness about the work.
• Reliability: per-event commitment with punctual attendance.

Responsibilities

• Walk through every kart and check safety-critical items (axles, brakes, throttle, steering).
• Make fast, precise adjustments between sessions (jetting, tire pressures, gear ratios, seat, alignment).
• Diagnose issues or decide if a fix is not safely possible before on-track time ends.
• Work with drivers as a resource and safety net, not a crutch.

Skills

Kart mech exp

Safety-first mindset

Two- and four-stroke knowledge

Own tools

Communication with drivers

Reliability

Job description

Race Day Kart Mechanic (Part-Time, Per Event)

The Short Version

Keepers Racing is looking for an experienced kart mechanic to join us on race weekends at OVRP. This is a part-time, per-event role — you'd be with us for practice day and race day at club races throughout the 2026 season. $400 flat per 2-day event.

You're the set of hands and eyes that makes sure nothing gets missed when time is short and the pressure is on.

About Keepers Racing

Keepers Racing is a grassroots motorsport startup based in the NYC metro area. We're building a racing team from karting up and we're in it to win races. Right now we're competing in club races at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, NY, running multiple karts with young drivers who know their equipment but need reliable mechanical support on race weekends.

We're also building something bigger: the entire journey is being documented publicly as a series. You'll be on camera from time to time. It's part of the environment.

What the Role Is

You'd join us for 2-day club race weekends at OVRP — typically a practice/qualifying day followed by race day. Your job is straightforward:

Before sessions.

Walk through every kart. Check safety-critical items — axles, wheels, brake systems, throttle cables, steering. Make sure nothing goes on track that shouldn't.

Between sessions.

This is where speed matters. Tight windows between practice, qualifying, and races mean adjustments need to happen fast — jetting changes, tire pressures, gear ratios, seat position, alignment tweaks. A driver might know exactly what's wrong but can't get it done alone in 15 minutes.

When things break.

Bent axles, seized calipers, carb issues, engine trouble. You diagnose and fix, or you make the call that it can't be fixed safely in time. That judgment matters as much as the wrench work.

With the drivers, not for them.

This is important. Our drivers are expected to understand their karts. Your role is to work alongside them — ask what they're feeling, teach when there's time to teach, and reinforce their independence. You're a resource and a safety net, not a crutch.

What We're Looking For

You've worked on racing karts — 2-stroke, 4-stroke, or both. You understand chassis setup, engine tuning, and what it takes to keep a kart competitive and safe through a race weekend. Club racing, regional, national — any level counts as long as the knowledge is real.

You've been in the pits when something breaks 10 minutes before a session. You don't panic, you prioritize, and you communicate clearly with the driver about what's happening and what the options are.

Safety-first instinct.

You catch the things that get missed in the rush. Loose hardware, cracked components, worn parts that are one session away from failure. If it's not safe, it doesn't go out — and you're comfortable making that call regardless of the competitive pressure.

Own tools are a plus.

We have a basic toolkit, but if you show up with your own well-stocked toolbox, that tells us something about how seriously you take the work.

Reliability.

This is a per-event commitment. When you say you'll be there Saturday morning, you're there Saturday morning. We plan our race weekends around having mechanical support — a no-show isn't just inconvenient, it changes the whole operation.

The Details

Schedule: Per event, not full-time. Club race weekends at OVRP, roughly 2 days each (practice + race day). We expect approximately 8 events through the 2026 season, but you're not locked into all of them — we'll coordinate availability event by event.

Compensation: $400 flat per 2-day event. Travel to the track is covered separately.

Location: Oakland Valley Race Park, Cuddebackville, NY. Events are typically weekends within a 2-hour drive of the NYC metro area.

Reports to: Ed Cravo, CEO.

Who Should Apply

Anyone with real kart mechanical experience who wants consistent weekend work at the track. You might be a shop mechanic who races on the side, a former competitive karter, a karting parent who's been wrenching for years, or someone who works at a kart shop and wants extra event work. What matters is that you know your way around a racing kart under pressure.

To Apply

Submit your application. You'll need:

• A brief summary of your kart racing and mechanical experience
• What classes and engines you're most familiar with
• Your general availability for weekend events May through October 2026
• References from a team, driver, or shop you've worked with (optional but helpful)