A Test Run

Justin made the first powered test run at the Hoover Met Field in Birmingham. He made several circular patterns in the large, deserted parking lot at ever-increasing speeds. The JetKart handled well and all systems performed as expected. More serious testing was conducted at a small airport 30 miles south of Birmingham, where the cart was taken to 80 mph on the taxiway. Jim and Justin then fine-tuned their creation, reengineering the tail pipe to focus engine thrust, thereby increasing the top-end speed.


The Roaring Crowds

Later that summer, the JetKart debuted at the Birmingham Aero Club Air Show. In its maiden public performance, Jim piloted the JetKart to 110 mph in front of 10,000 fans. It was an instant hit, especially with teenagers and children. “Once they heard the JetKart’s earthshaking roar, we were just mobbed,” Jim recalls. “A go-kart is interesting to kids in and of itself—they can relate to it. It just seems to have a universal appeal. But when people saw that we had put a jet engine on it, they were wowed. ‘I can’t believe this thing actually runs,’ they’d say. I’d explain that Justin and I built it and Justin would always beam.”

A New Challenge

For the rest of the year and much of 2003, JetKart continued to be a show-stopping hit at local events and an exciting draw for youth. But Jim and Justin had conquered their first project and were ready for a new challenge. In the winter of 2003, they put the JetKart up for sale on e-Bay, planning to invest the proceeds in a project that would take them further into the world of jet design. Hundreds of miles away in Appleton, Wisconsin, Todd Hanson made a rare visit to e-Bay and stumbled across the JetKart listing. Todd and his brother, Ned had owned and dabbled with go-karts in their youth. It made no sense to own a vehicle like the JetKart, but Todd was oddly fascinated. “I thought about how much fun it would be to have it and that didn’t make sense…and then thought about what I would do with it if I had it,” Todd says now. “It was obvious the JetKart could create quite a bit of attention. That’s when I had this crazy idea that it might be a great tool for reaching out to kids.”

The bidding on e-Bay was fast and furious. After three days of thoughtful deliberation and prayer, Todd placed a single bid and shut down his computer. At the end of the auction, to Todd’s amazement, he was the highest bidder. He was even more amazed to learn that his bid hit Jim Griffin’s confidential, reserve bid to the penny. He had a JetKart. Shortly thereafter, he brought it to Appleton. But not for long.

A Tool for Healing

As Jim worked through his grief, he began to think about Todd’s desire to use the JetKart to minister to kids. A man of faith himself, in the midst of his pain, Jim, too, could sense the vehicle’s higher purpose. He began to see JetKart not simply as a powerful vehicle…but a powerful tool. A tool God had used to forge, refine and solidify a special, sacred bond between father and son. “The JetKart was the culmination of an idea that joined two hearts and minds,” Jim reflects. “There were so many good lessons learned as we worked together. Not just technical lessons involving the construction of the kart—the electrical ignition, the jet engine itself and all of its systems and pumps, the brakes and gauges that measure engine outputs—the JetKart gave me a tangible way to teach Justin that complex things can be broken down into relatively simple parts. When you break something down into its component parts it becomes much easier to understand. So it is with faith.”

More about Justin

JetKart’s Return

Jim knew it was time to let the JetKart go. He contacted Todd and offered him the JetKart back. Todd was interested, but he no longer had the money to repurchase the kart. A day later, Todd received a letter reminding him about some stock his wife, Caren, had purchased years ago—so long ago, in fact, they had forgotten they owned it. In another interesting turn of events, the value of the stock equaled the price of the kart. Once again, after prayerful consideration, Todd and Caren re-purchased the JetKart with the proceeds from the sale of the long-forgotten stock.

A New Direction

Todd Hanson now steps into the JetKart driver’s seat, uncertain precisely what the future holds. He’s seen the special role this incredible machine has played in the lives of the Griffins. As a youth volunteer with the Young Life organization, he knows God’s power to touch and transform lives. Add to that the magnetism of this high-performance go-kart and its ability to attract kids, teens, and adults, and the possibilities are virtually endless. Along with the help of a growing "pit crew", Todd and Caren Hanson have founded Power Up Ministries, an emerging youth outreach ministry that will harness the power of the JetKart story to break through the clutter of the godless, hopeless images at the center of our youth culture. Power Up’s mission is to reach today’s young people with the inspirational and hope-filled message of God’s amazing power and love for them.

“I’ve always had a desire to help young people on their spiritual journey,” Todd says. “Kids can have that relationship with God, but often the natural path is that faith cools. It turns lukewarm. Our message to kids is that kids need to power up, to stay on fire. This personal relationship with a powerful God knows no bounds. We’re limited only by ourselves and our view of who He is.”

It’s a view that Todd Hanson hopes to expand with the help of the JetKart, this incredible legacy on wheels. Look for the Pit Crew and this amazing, high-powered machine as it tears up the track at events around Wisconsin this summer.

Want to turn on the power and invite the JetKart and Pit Crew to your next event? Click here to see the current JetKart schedule, or call Power Up Ministries at (920) 882.5000.