EASTON, Pa. — Nazareth native race car driver Sage Karam said Monday that, while growing up around the world-renowned Andretti racing family, once he got his first go-kart at 4 years old, “it was off to the races from there.”
Karam, who was at Crayola Experience to sign autographs and take photos with families, said his father was good friends with Michael Andretti and was the racing legend’s fitness trainer when he was driving full time.
“A lot of my childhood was spent at the Andretti house. So kind of being around it and seeing what a successful racing family was like, it was really, really cool to a young kid.”Nazareth native race car driver Sage Karam
“A lot of my childhood was spent at the Andretti house,” Karam said. “So kind of being around it and seeing what a successful racing family was like, it was really, really cool to a young kid.”
And it seems he was looking to pay it forward on Monday.
A summer kickoff
Karam — who’s driven in the IndyCar, NASCAR, RallyCross and IMSA circuits — was at Crayola to promote its teaming up from June 10-16 with Pocono Raceway to offer both racing-related arts-and-crafts and photo ops throughout the week.
The activities are part of gearing up for the raceway’s NASCAR weekend July 12-14.
One family at Crayola on Monday — the Hernandez family, made up of Emilio, Denise, Gabby and son Emilio — said they’re big racing fans, especially based on proximity.
“We live right down the road from the raceway,” said the elser Emilio Hernandez, who is an automotive technician by trade.
“All year long, we always hear the cars racing around the tracks. We try to go every summer.”
As the week goes on at Crayola, visitors can can paint a racing pennant, craft a race car, design a racecar, meet Pocono Raceway mascot “Tricky” on Saturday and get their pictures taken next to the raceway’s official Chevrolet pace truck in front of the Crayola facility at Centre Square Easton.
Roots in racing
Crayola Experience Marketing and Sales Manager Abby Dentner said the week of fun will be an “exciting way to kick off summer break.”
“For us, it was important to bring the spirit of racing into Crayola Experience. There’s just such a strong racing history here in the Valley, with the Andrettis as well as Sage.”Abby Dentner, Crayola Experience marketing and sales manager
“For us, it was important to bring the spirit of racing into Crayola Experience,” Dentner said.
“There’s just such a strong racing history here in the Valley, with the Andrettis as well as Sage.”
Each day of the week, the first 200 guests into the Crayola Experience get a free ticket to Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital Kid’s Day at Pocono Raceway, scheduled for July 13.
