Going Go-Karting, any tips?

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Hot4

Hot4

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Hey all,

I'm going go-karting this weekend for the first time and I was hoping to get some tips on how to be fast on the track. Obviously practice is the key, but is there any theory I should know of first up that might give me a bit of an advantage? We are going with a group of 15 and I know that there are going to be at least 3 or 4 experienced drivers on the track. We are racing for 30 minutes and will be using 9HP, Super Karts, running Honda engines with a top speed of 75km/h

Any tips would be great

Thanks 👍
 
Go karting tips...:lol:.

Apex, full throttle, brake only when needed. Dirty driving is acceptable as long as you never come within 5 feet of that driver on the track again.
 
Dont do any sudden turns, drive smoothly. If you do a sudden turn youll lose a lot of speed, as opposed to driving smoothly and not losing any.

If you have to, which you probably wont, let off the throttle. AVOID THE BRAKE AT ALL COSTS

Crashing into people will lose you a lot of speed and time

Drive defensively. Block anyone behind you coming up.
 
Hot4
Hey all,

I'm going go-karting this weekend for the first time and I was hoping to get some tips on how to be fast on the track. Obviously practice is the key, but is there any theory I should know of first up that might give me a bit of an advantage? We are going with a group of 15 and I know that there are going to be at least 3 or 4 experienced drivers on the track. We are racing for 30 minutes and will be using 9HP, Super Karts, running Honda engines with a top speed of 75km/h

Any tips would be great

Thanks 👍
Click to expand...

What a coincidence :dunce: I'm going karting this weekend too!
 
Even more of a coincidence, I was going karting too, but decided I was too lazy.
Anyways, make sure you stretch first, its a painful sport. Just have fun, you'll get used to it quickly.
You shouldn't be too bad, guessing that you're a GT player, you'll know about cornering and all that.
 
Hehe, yes

I'll be sure to do some stretches before hand and also make use of all my GT knowledge, with driving lines and so forth! I’m actually taking this more serious than I thought..

What’s the deal with not making sudden turns? Do they loose power quickly or something? We will be using 9HP super karts... I can't imagine 9HP being too powerful but I guess they are very light.

Are they possible to drift? Or do they just constantly grip? If you can’t tell, I never been before!
 
Sudden turns will either break the car into a drift or will scrub off a lot of speed (as well as wear down your fronts quickly). Since a go-kart doesn't have much power, it'll take some time to get back up to speed.

And while I believe in maintaining momentum, use the brakes when you need to, if you're drifiting all four tires through a turn, you're losing too much momentum. I usually set-up early and hit my apexes (smooth and steady), and I can hang with (at the start) and eventually go faster (near the end... I get much better tire wear) than guys going all out and doing Godzilla slides with their foot buried in the gas.

Listen to the wheel (you don't know steering communication until you've driven a kart) and the tires through your fingers and buttocks. Take some time to get used to left-foot braking (twitchy, when you're not used to it) and go have fun.

Go-karts grip, mostly, but if you're driving a rental, chances are your tires will be half-baked, already. Either way, you'll know how much grip you have the first time you push it at full-throttle through a turn. Drifting in a go-kart will feel like second-nature once you've experienced it. Due to the huge caster on the kart, the wheels self-center very quickly, and you merely have to nudge it a bit more the other way to counter-steer.

And GT4 does help. I'm usually in the top third or fourth of any running group, despite my hefty (210 lbs) weight disadvantage... and I don't even kart more than once every two or three months.
 
Be smooth, keep the momentum going, try to carry as much corner speed as possible, brake upto the apex, keep some throttle on even when braking, even though most karting places tell you not to (but this is because they have to change the brakes more often)

If its an indoor karting track the surface will be low on grip and the karts will drift, i'm talking proper 4-wheel drifts not ridiculous D1GP stuff.

Most indoor kart tracks are made up of a succession of tight hairpin corners, because karts have no LSD and a fixed rear axel they take a while to regain drive and can be slugish out of tight bends. The person who can get the best exit out of these turns will probably be the quickest. Slow in, fast out is your best way to get a good exit speed.
 
Don't cramp up, be comfortable in your kart. Lean to the outside of the corner to feed more grip to the outside tires.
 
TheCracker
Be smooth, keep the momentum going, try to carry as much corner speed as possible, brake upto the apex, keep some throttle on even when braking, even though most karting places tell you not to (but this is because they have to change the brakes more often)
Click to expand...

Double-pedaling as they like to call it (on the throttle and brake at the same time) can give you a serious advantage in a kart. Do however watch out, as The Cracker said most places don't like you doing it, not only does it hammer the brakes but it can also burn out the clutch as well.

If you have never driven a Kart before you need to remember that in most the brakes are only working on the back wheels, so almost anytime you brake while turning the back end is going to step out. While this is excellent fun and looks good its not always that fast.

Have fun (and get ready to ache the next day)

Regards

Scaff
 
If you're not outta control you're not in control.

Just memorise the track and visualise the turns in your head, it'll help you get a faster line (and be faster overall).
 
Try not to crash. :P

Seriously, in a kart, momentum is everything.

It's tiring and it's hot, so wear light clothes (you'll be asked to wear some form of overalls when you get there).
 
Just go faster each lap till you crash. By then you should have found the limit and be pawning all the heavier adults.
 
GilesGuthrie
It's tiring and it's hot, so wear light clothes (you'll be asked to wear some form of overalls when you get there).
Click to expand...
That depends. I went to this place in the Czech Republic a few months ago, and I was racing in a short sleeved T-Shirt, and the guy running the place was smoking in the pits and chatting up the chick running the on-site bar (pssst, don’t drink and race). :P

But a lot of places will make you wear coveralls, yes.
 
Poverty
Just go faster each lap till you crash. By then you should have found the limit and be pawning all the heavier adults.
Click to expand...

Pawning them? As in taking them to dodgy backstreet shops and exchanging them for cash?
:lol:
 
Scaff
If you have never driven a Kart before you need to remember that in most the brakes are only working on the back wheels, so almost anytime you brake while turning the back end is going to step out. While this is excellent fun and looks good its not always that fast.
Click to expand...
Man I learnt that the hard way first time round. Except I wasn't even turning (atleast to my knowledge) and the backs would lock up and start kickin out. :grumpy:

Try not to ride the curbs too hard. You won't appreciate it and it'll kick teh back end round sometimes.
 
Oh Goodness, almost forgot... bring your own headsock. It sucks to wear rental helmets. Even worse if you're forced to wear rental headsocks under them.

How could I forget about Double-Pedalling? That's main reason to left-foot-brake in the first place!
 
sn00pie
Don't cramp up, be comfortable in your kart. Lean to the outside of the corner to feed more grip to the outside tires.
Click to expand...
How difficult is it to drift in the go-karts? I'd imagine if you went hard left then right, full gas on a right turn, you'd get somewhat sideways, would you not?:dopey:
 
Mx²
How difficult is it to drift in the go-karts? I'd imagine if you went hard left then right, full gas on a right turn, you'd get somewhat sideways, would you not?:dopey:
Click to expand...

Very, very easy.

As I mentioned above the brakes only operate on the rear wheels, so simply braking into a corner will be more than enogh to unsettle the rear. Bit of opposite lock and you can steer the Kart around a corner with the throttle.

Quite easy actually, but not that quick.

Scaff
 
Mx2
How difficult is it to drift in the go-karts? I'd imagine if you went hard left then right, full gas on a right turn, you'd get somewhat sideways, would you not?:dopey:
Click to expand...

If you went hard left, you'd have no time to go hard right because you'll be too busy spinning. A kart has a very 'square' wheel base the gap between the two rear wheels is probably almost as wide as the front to rear axel line. Add a solid (no differential) rear axel and you'll find a vehicle that doesn't take well to any sudden movements.
 
If you want to have fun, go-kart drifting is as good as it gets. But if you wanna win, just follow these tips (I've revised mine):

- Apex through the corners.
- Don't eat too heavy before racing.
- If somebody puts a block on you, give them a nice tap while they are in a corner (tap the side of the car that is inside to the turn, obviously). This isn't advised if your kart's wheels are not covered by a metal bar. This technique is great for banked corners.
- If you get spun out, don't have any hard feelings. Racing is racing.
- Brake only when needed.
- Contrary to popular riceboy belief, drafting doesn't work in karts. Your speed isn't high enough and you have the aerodynamics of a brick.
- Sharp turns are bad. You'll either lose a ridiculous amount of momentum, or you'll spin out. Either way, it's bad.
- If somebody begins tapping on your kart intentionally, let them go by. It's better to cleanly lose a position than end up finishing last because you spun out.
- Brake checks are a no-no. You will be hated if you brake check.
- Leaning generally works, but is only effective if you need traction. Try to lean only when you need the traction. It can throw you off otherwise.
- Wind resistance plays a factor in karting. Assuming you will be using helmets, try to keep your head and body as streamlined as possible, but always make sure you are comfortable.
 
Wow,

I didn't expect such indepth responses, thanks again :dopey:
I'll try to absorb as much as i can and just have a good time.

Can someone explain what the apex is? Also, do you people recommend I use gloves? We are on an outdoor track.
 
Yawn... ever heard of Google?

Here...

racing_line.gif
 

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