Have you tried karting? Please tell me about it.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by dd74
Of course I just spent the equivalent of this...



...on my car.

Oh well, I guess the saving grace is I can't drive a kart on the 101 Freeway...

Sure you can...They do upwards of 100 mph, easily outbreak and outrun a cop...Man that would be a blast...roll up on a CHP, flip him off, and then lose him...Okay, maybe not the CHP, but the LAPD would be easy to lose.

edit: I have a buddy that had an Evo, went to the Bonderant driving school, they put him in a cart...He came back, sold his evo, bought a truck and a brand-spankin new cart.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
I have a buddy that had an Evo, went to the Bonderant driving school, they put him in a cart...He came back, sold his evo, bought a truck and a brand-spankin new cart.

Don't tempt me ('need torsion bars...need torsion bars...)

[Danskman]

My other kart (125cc Parilla Leopard, non-shifter)


Need more room for toys...

[lendaddy]

Ok, just how often do these things get upside down? Are we taking "a couple times a weekend at the track" or "yea we had one or two at the track last season"????

If I'm gonna die I might as well go back to MX.

[Danskman]

Originally posted by lendaddy
Ok, just how often do these things get upside down? Are we taking "a couple times a weekend at the track" or "yea we had one or two at the track last season"????

If I'm gonna die I might as well go back to MX.

I ran about six races total last season, at various different tracks, and watched probably 30+ races. I think I saw maybe two or three incidents where karts came together hard. Only saw one go over, and the driver was not hurt, and raced later that day. Just like any type of racing, the potential is there, but a severe injury, or even a death, is very, very rare.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by lendaddy
Ok, just how often do these things get upside down? Are we taking "a couple times a weekend at the track" or "yea we had one or two at the track last season"????

If I'm gonna die I might as well go back to MX.

You are on 4 wheels with a center of gravity a couple inches from the ground...Aint easy to flip one.

[dd74]

Originally posted by lendaddy
Do they generally have a "Clydesdale Class" for us huge bastards? I would love to do this, but if I'm up against a guy half my weight or less I really wouldn't have a chance.

There's a karting track at Willow Springs in Palmdale - our local track. One day when I was there, I looked through the fence and watched several drivers go by. One was huge - sort of Tabs-built, but he was keeping up with the rest of them...or so it seemed.

What was interesting is how fast these little things go in the corners. They aren't slow at all. And it seems reflexes do much of the work. As for weight - maybe it adds some sort of momentum in the corners, etc. - I don't know.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
You are on 4 wheels with a certainly of gravity a couple inches from the ground...Aint easy to flip one.

Mul: are you racing these things up in WA?

What kart did you have when you raced?

Also, will these karts fit in the back of an Explorer/Mountaineer?

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by dd74
Mul: are you racing these things up in WA?

What kart did you have when you raced?

Also, will these karts fit in the back of an Explorer/Mountaineer?

No. I've never owned one. Take measurements.

I have been obsessing about karting for some time. Washington is not outdoor karting paradise. California, Nevada and Arizona are...I have been waiting for some stability (mental aside) before I make the move.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
I have been waiting for some stability (mental aside) before I make the move.

LOL! I thought it'd be "mental foremost."

Well, that's one more reason for you to move back, in addition to taming this vast Southland of its sin and avarice.

[vash]

all my friends back in texas got into it. i was a poor college person at the time, so i only watched them, and occasionally took the test drive. this one guy towed his with his chevy baretta. i wish i needed a new hobby.

[TheMentat]

I did it for a few years, up until about a year ago... I raced TaG karts (Rotax, and later the Leopard), which basically means it has a starter motor, and generally lasts longer between rebuilds. These things are unbelievable fun, but the fun heavily depends on the clubs in your area. Go check out the local events, and see if they have any classes for the weekend warrior type, rather than classes full of bonzai 16 year old aspiring F1 drivers (unless you're into that ;-) Dicing in a car will never quite seem the same after a kart!

I ended up quitting because I split up with my LT girlfriend. Taking the odd weekend with the boys seems like time well spent when you're attached, but it's not the best place for pickin' up chicks

[lendaddy]

Originally posted by TheMentat
I did it for a few years, up until about a year ago... I raced TaG karts (Rotax, and later the Leopard), which basically means it has a starter motor, and generally lasts longer between rebuilds. These things are unbelievable fun, but the fun heavily depends on the clubs in your area. Go check out the local events, and see if they have any classes for the weekend warrior type, rather than classes full of bonzai 16 year old aspiring F1 drivers (unless you're into that ;-) Dicing in a car will never quite seem the same after a kart!

Any scratches on the top of your helmet?

[TheMentat]

I flipped once...

contact in a race shifted the axle over, causing the brake disk to drag slightly on the pad. The brakes eventually heated up at the end of the straight to the point where they were completely lost. Tire contact in the braking zone at about 60mph sent me up and over, but I was able to push free of the kart by the time I came down. slid safely into the tire barrier. I was pretty sore, but in one piece!

[jtkkz]

My friend just bought a 125 shifter kart and he says gas is $7/gallon
is this true?

Does it run on methanol?

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Danskman
: I think I saw maybe two or three incidents where karts came together hard. Only saw one go over, and the driver was not hurt, and raced later that day. Just like any type of racing, the potential is there, but a severe injury, or even a death, is very, very rare.

Just like any sport, there is some danger, but like was said above, with your CG only a few inches above the ground its very hard to do.

Regarding the speed through the corners, these puppies have very little power so need to keep their speed up otherwise you just lost the race.

Gas may be $7 a gallon but you are not using that much so you do it. Try racing SCCA or open wheel when it costs $20 a gallon and you are doing a long endurance race! Thats why many of us went to Karts.

Joe A

[David]

I've been road racing a 125 shifter for about 5 years now although my 930 rebuild has been eating up my racing budget for the last two seasons so I've only run a few races lately.

For a 125 shifter gas is about $7 a gallon, about $4 for fuel and $3 for oil.

I've seen a couple flip in five years but it's very rare. It happens when wheels touch. So you try not to touch wheels. It's more dangerous than cars but much safer than motorcycles.

I think the kart club makes the biggest difference. If you don't like the club, you won't enjoy the racing. I think the southwest road racing club ( www.swra.org ) in Texas is great.

Sprint racing can be more demanding on your body and kart but expenses are lower. Roadracing is more finesse driving and you have more time to work on how you approach a corner, but you don't learn the aggresiveness and passing skills as well as in sprint karts.

I can't really speak for sprint kart expenses, but roadracing the 125 averages me about $1000 a weekend. That includes a set of tires, fuel, engine parts, worn out parts, the occasional crash induced broken parts, entry fees, travel, and hotel.

It's not as cheap as I thought it would be when I got started but I still thinks it's the best bang for the buck for the performance.

The other nice thing about karts, at least the series I run, is that there's usually a good sized field. In local car racing, unless you're in a Miata, the fields are pretty small.

[Don Plumley]

A related article in today's WSJ - about how more Parents are supporting their Kids in Karting. Not sure if this link will work as you might need a paid subscription to the Online Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113167996522494538.html?mod=pj_autos_hs_coll_lef t

[dd74]

Here's a site with a little video and short explanation about karting.

http://www.moranraceway.com/pages/newtokarting.html#

[PatrickB]

Ditto to dd!

No affiliation to, but Moran Raceway is an excellent first timer experience to anyone considering karting!!

Check out their web site... A couple of months back, I signed up for one of their beginner DE courses. Excellent class, and top notch instructors!!

Total blast! Only downside... Made my 42 year old body feel much older than my 16 year old child like brain!!

To those who have never karted, the handling is nothing short of amazing! -- The kart makes my Carrera feel more like my first car, a '69 VW Bus...