John Arthur Ingels (May 14, 1918 – December 16, 1981) was an American racing driver. He is known as "the father of karting" for his invention of the go-kart.
In 1956, while Ingels was a race car builder at Kurtis Kraft, a famous builder of Indy race cars during the 1950s, he assembled the first go-kart in history out of scrap metal and a surplus West Bend Company two-stroke engine. It was built in his two-car garage in Echo Park, California, and was tested in the Rose Bowl parking lot, where it gained hundreds of enthusiasts.
References
External links The first kart at Vintage Karts Commentary on Art Ingels Kart at Rear Engine Karts Website