Karting Tips

  • Thread starter Thread starter PeterJB
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Alex.
I'm going karting soon, and seeing as I'm such an expert driver, much like senna of his late teens, I'll try and get someone I know to film the lot of us, if Mike can keep up this time.
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That would be cool. I was filmed Karting, but as I said before, I don't know how to get the recording onto the computer. :dunce:
 
I think the confidence bit is sorted, and the speed since I've now won Four races out of a total of Fourteen. Five of those races were against adults and one was a victory. I'm fine in dry conditions but not so good in wets. It's especially annoying when it's foggy because my visor steams up! Which explains why I hit someone and got stuck with them in the barriers and wrecked both our races!
 
That was before I spent £1500 on a moped £500 on a holiday £600 on a new PC and broke my phone, requiring a new one.
 
When I first tried karts, I remember that I had the feeling everyone was really faster than me. I took the correct racing lines, tried to be as smooth as possible, and I didn't understand why I was so slow.

Then, I realized. Karts have incredible grip, and while cornering sustain G-forces much higher than what I was used to in normal cars. Apart from tight hairpins, almost every other corner can be made full throttle (I'm talking about low powered karts for hire)

Once I sorted that out and gained confidence about cornering speeds, I instantly became competitive against friends with much more experience than me.
 
I tried Karts for the first time last weekend and I was way better than anticipated (top lap times in my sessions). For the record, it was an indoor track with karts that topped out at 50 mph.

My Tips:

Just like racing, the turn before the "straight" is critical to get right. I put straight in quotes because it was really a sweeping turn that went around the outside of the track, but it felt like a straight because you could take it flat out and really get the kart up to speed.

So concentrate on the entrance/exit to the longest part of the track.

The biggest mistake that people were making was not realizing that there was a "straight" in the track. Lots of people were braking at what looks like a turn in the middle of the "straight" not realizing that you could take it flat out without a problem. This crippled their lap times and caused me to crash backward into the wall at one point (trying to avoid a braking kart).
 
Don't listen to any of them, drive balls to the wall and pretend you're 8 years old again. 👍

Note: I'm now not responsible for any serious injury, both physically, mentally and to your rep.
 
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I haven't raced any real racing karts, I've just driven the ones at the fairs that go up to 30MPH. :p

But this year I'm trying to get into Karting. I have a friend who has been in this for three years, he's willing to help me out. He said I should start in a 125cc Birel EasyKart as I'm new to this. But jeez, to get into this is really expensive. All the gear, the trailer, the go-kart.. :sick:
 
TsukubaTrueno
But jeez, to get into this is really expensive. All the gear, the trailer, the go-kart.. :sick:
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It's still cheaper than any other form of motorsport racing I know of, including moto/supercross. 👍
 
I really want to get a Go-Kart now, since I'm capable of winning races. But they're so damn expensive!
 
PeterJB
I really want to get a Go-Kart now, since I'm capable of winning races. But they're so damn expensive!
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Expect to pay upwards on £30,000 for a full season of ROTAX
 
PeterJB
I really want to get a Go-Kart now, since I'm capable of winning races. But they're so damn expensive!
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Have considered building your own? Some of the manufactures offer "kits". Just a chassis and all of the other parts come in a box. you can usually save around 300-400 bucks, but this is if you want a brand new one. Used is the best way to go. The only thing you dont want to cut corners on is safety equipment. Get the good stuff. Its worth it, trust me.
 
opendriver19a
Have considered building your own? Some of the manufactures offer "kits". Just a chassis and all of the other parts come in a box. you can usually save around 300-400 bucks, but this is if you want a brand new one. Used is the best way to go. The only thing you dont want to cut corners on is safety equipment. Get the good stuff. Its worth it, trust me.
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It seems like the most fun alternative as well.
 
GT Pro
It's still cheaper than any other form of motorsport racing I know of, including moto/supercross. 👍
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The cheapest race series in the U.K costs around £8,000 for a full season. I expect you could find cheaper if you tried.
It's full-on circuit racing (Think it may be called Classic Thunder Saloons).

P.S : PeterJB, did you go karting at Castle Combe Circuit?
 
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In recognition to the thread title: Be very smooth with pedal inputs and steering. I was able to beat my friend who is 40kg lighter than I simply by being smooth. And my friend is no clutz, he's really good at most sports.
 
Imakuni
The cheapest race series in the U.K costs around £8,000 for a full season. I expect you could find cheaper if you tried.
It's full-on circuit racing (Think it may be called Classic Thunder Saloons).

P.S : PeterJB, did you go karting at Castle Combe Circuit?
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Yes. I've been five times. Four in the Junior League and once in the Adult League. Do you go there as well?
 
PeterJB
Yes. I've been five times. Four in the Junior League and once in the Adult League. Do you go there as well?
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No, I don't go karting but i've been on the offroad course, rally course, skidpan, and attended a few trackdays and almost all racedays. Nice to see a local person supporting their local circuit.

That karting track looks like a nightmare, so tight and technical!
 
Imakuni
No, I don't go karting but i've been on the offroad course, rally course, skidpan, and attended a few trackdays and almost all racedays. Nice to see a local person supporting their local circuit.

That karting track looks like a nightmare, so tight and technical!
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It's really not as bad as it seems, and the Karts aren't exactly fast. It takes me about 27.5 seconds to do one lap. A major improvement from 57 seconds from my first ever lap on the track!
 
Imakuni
That karting track looks like a nightmare, so tight and technical!
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Here's a technical track for you...

GJ_2008_track.JPG


I got to drive the old surface last year. Follow the tire marks counter-clockwise. I talked to some national racers at a race in Indiana recently who knew this local track in Camden, Ohio and they agreed it's very tough to get right. The bottom line is it's hard. Fun and challenging to do good on, but very hard to do great. I hear the races there are a madhouse.
 
Wherebouts is that track Keef? It indeed looks technical, but a lot of fun. 👍
 
It's called G&J Kartway in Camden, Ohio, USA. Actually, I don't even know where Camden is in relation to the track. It's somewhere out there in the country. I mean, the track is on a farm. Jeez. Nice, simple place though.

Which reminds me, yes, the curbs are concrete. They hurt. Don't hit them.
 
Keef
Here's a technical track for you...

GJ_2008_track.JPG


I got to drive the old surface last year. Follow the tire marks counter-clockwise. I talked to some national racers at a race in Indiana recently who knew this local track in Camden, Ohio and they agreed it's very tough to get right. The bottom line is it's hard. Fun and challenging to do good on, but very hard to do great. I hear the races there are a madhouse.
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It's certainly not as tight as the Castle Combe circuit, but nonetheless it still looks tricky.
 
KLR142 and I go to sykart to so some indoor races from time to time, its like half as big (at most) as the place in Ohio but still a kick. If you make the goal time for your weight 5x you get to drive their 9HP karts. They have places in Portland and Seattle; www.sykart.com. If anyone in the Portland area wants to check it out, let me know :)

As for tips, just practice and take what you learn about driving lines in GT and use them on the track (without doing the occasional header into a wall of course). Like someone mentioned, oversteer is killer and if you can listen to your engine, try your best to keep the rpms as high as possible through each turn that will let you know if you took it faster than before usually.

Jerome
 
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A few tips.
-Ignore people giving you strange looks.
-Stack items in proper weight distribution fashion.
-WD-40 the wheels for minimum friction.
-Keep an eye out for wet spots.
-Wear proper footwear.
-Go past the water fountain at least once a lap.
-Always yell "look out" when turning a corner, or while overtaking a slower person.
-When you get to the checkout, always ask for the video footage from your race.


Oh wait, this is the Karting thread, not the Carting thread! Silly me. :D
 
Stig.
Hey, I've wanted to know. I want to enter kart racing, where should I start?
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First of all, you need to book yourself in a for session at a local Kart track. Then, once you get good enough you could think about buying a Go-Kart entering competitions. Most Karting websites have application forms for championships. This is how it works in the UK at least. I don't know about the U.S.A. though. :)
 

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