Karting in Minnesota began formally in 1985 with the creation of the Northland Region Karting Association by Kenny Venberg. This small group of racers rented track time to stage their events all over Minnesota, ultimately deciding to construct their own facility in 2001 just west of the Twin Cities in Cokato, Minnesota. Many of today’s professional racers got their start in the NRKA such as Donny Schaatz, and Nascar driver Paul Menard.