Karting Thread

[JacoJa]

There was a good number of epic battles on the track yesterday. And a fair bit of panel bashing... mostly from people trying to overtake me (I was about 0.2 a lap slower than the front runners), but I think I did rather well. There were nine people racing in my class, and in five races I finished 3rd two times and 4th three times.

I managed to take the third place overall, because my main competitor retired from one of the races. I only just got off my ‘P’ plates, so there is a lot I need to learn. I’m currently not driving as smooth as I should, and I know that I’m entering corners too fast and exiting too slow, etc. It’s quite tricky to think about when you’re defending a bloke driving less than an inch off your rear bumper.

Anyhow. I just got a few things adjusted to the kart before the race meeting... including new hard compound tyres and new stickers. Looks a lot like nsanegtr’s CRG now.

 

[lbsf1]

There was a good number of epic battles on the track yesterday. And a fair bit of panel bashing... mostly from people trying to overtake me (I was about 0.2 a lap slower than the front runners), but I think I did rather well. There were nine people racing in my class, and in five races I finished 3rd two times and 4th three times.

I managed to take the third place overall, because my main competitor retired from one of the races. I only just got off my ‘P’ plates, so there is a lot I need to learn. I’m currently not driving as smooth as I should, and I know that I’m entering corners too fast and exiting too slow, etc. It’s quite tricky to think about when you’re defending a bloke driving less than an inch off your rear bumper.

Anyhow. I just got a few things adjusted to the kart before the race meeting... including new hard compound tyres and new stickers. Looks a lot like nsanegtr’s CRG now.

Well done Blake and jacoja06. Beaut of a kart jaco.
I had my first off novice plates recently. I there were 16 of us and I started 7th for the first heat and finished 2nd started 2nd in the second heat and finished 4th and started 8th in the final heat and finished 4th. Due to most of the front runners not completing one of the heats I started on pole for the final (gulp). I lifted of just before the line briefly to try to get a lead off the line this got me a gap from my side of the grid however the other side didn't lift off and therefore jumped the start ahead of me however the race wasn't restarted and this opened the floodgates and all the more experianced drivers then got past and I finished a lowly 7th.
Not bad for first race not on novices.
In two weeks time I'm going for a full weekend at Rissington. This is the first time I will have gone there so I'm going for a practise on the saturday and the race on the sunday. I don't think I will do aswell as blackbushe there because many of the countries top racers go there. Looking forward to it though.

 

[JacoJa]

You did a good job to keep out near the front. Sounds like your race meeting was a lot like mine. I also started on pole for the very first time. With that, I had three experienced karters trying to overtake me, and I had nobody to follow. It was pretty scary. I held them off for about 5 laps (I was very pleased! ) until I messed up a hairpin corner. I was trying to out-brake someone overtaking me on the inside. I locked my brakes briefly, got a bit wobbly, then ran wide. I lost three positions from that small mistake!

The track temperature was very cold that day, so everyone seemed to be sliding about.

 

[lbsf1]

Race Report from Rissington.
Got up bright and early for the 1 hour 40min drive there. It was raining at our house however the rain cleared as we drove further north and the track was completely dry be the time we got there. We were suprised by how many people were there just for a practise. We went out for our first session and we were quite slow compared to everyone else (as we expected since we had never driven there before. However the engine didn't seem to be reving as much down the straights so we changed the carb jets up from a 140 to a 142 went out again and it still wasn't brilliant so we went up to a 145 that felt alittle better however still not up to the pace so we went right up to a 148. That felt best at the time. However the engine didn't still feel right and I could beat people in the corners however they could easily beat me down the straights. We went into the race on the Sunday hoping we could solve these problems. However we started 8th in a grid of 12 for the first race and after 8 laps were half a lap down from the next last person. Not good, the engine didn't feel good at all. We jumped it right back down to a 142 jet and went out for the second heat. The engine felt much better but still way off the pace. I started third into the first corner I guy went round the outside of me then cut in and sent us both spining off. I couldn't get out of his way because to my left was grass behind me were karts and to my right was him. Luckily nothing was damaged however a couple of laps later I was given a black flag and called to speak to the clerk of the course. He said that one of the marshals who had seen the incedent said that I had perposly smashed him off the track. My dad also was watching from that corner and he said that what he saw was nothing of my fault it was just both of us going for the same peice of tarmac and we had nowhere else to go so it was just a racing incedent. However being black flaged means I get 2points on my liecense (12 means I'm banned) The only was to dispute this is to pay £30 and take it to the msa stewards. However there is no proof either way of the argument its me nd my dads word against a marshals. So I went into the 3rd heat alittle angry. I was starting 7th and made up about 2 places however lost them throughout the race and finished last. The engine was still not pulling the revs I could beat people in the corners but had no pull out of the corners or top speed down the straights. I started the final dead last however made up 5 places from the start. 2 people got past quite quickly however I kept 2 more fast guys behind for most the race untill they managed to get past however managed to hold off the novice behind me and due to one retirement I finished 10th out of 12. Not to bad considering our engine trouble. I really like the curcuit and would really like to go there again once we have sorted out the engine. Now me and my dad need to have a word with the engine builder who rebuilt our engine. Since I hasn't felt right since the rebuild 3 months ago at blackbushe the engine power isn't very important and we could still perform ok. But at rissington it was more obvious and caused us to be well off the pace.

 

[Buubar]

I used to race Cadet, MiniMax, KF3 and then finally KF2.

Don't race anymore, spend all my money on cars instead. It gets too expensive when you get to KF2!

 

[lbsf1]

I used to race Cadet, MiniMax, KF3 and then finally KF2.

Don't race anymore, spend all my money on cars instead. It gets too expensive when you get to KF2!

Crikey kf2 they are bloody quick I saw some at rissington last weekend where did you race?. Do you race carsnow?

 

[gtsmashbros]

I go to K1 Speed. They have arrive and drive electric karts with ~20 hp and they go around 40 mph. It's as close to serious racing as I can get as a 12 year old.

Pretty fun. It's $20 bucks for a arrive-and-drive race consisting of 14 laps on a 1/3 mile course. They give you a helmet and head sock to use and they give you a $5 off coupon when the race is over.

 

[Blake]

I had an opportunity to race open TAG for the first time yesterday and I won (my first event win). Was quite a bit quicker than anyone else there, so I can't be unhappy with that.

I'll be back to the TAG Restricted class next weekend, racing at Newcastle.

 

[Ja5on]

Miss racing big time.

Did Snr Honda in British champioships. Finished 7th overall in 2003 and 3rd in 2005.

Wont the Scottish NKRA in formula blue aswell. Dont get enough time to race know

 

[lbsf1]

I had an opportunity to race open TAG for the first time yesterday and I won (my first event win). Was quite a bit quicker than anyone else there, so I can't be unhappy with that.

I'll be back to the TAG Restricted class next weekend, racing at Newcastle.

Well done Blakey. You are doing really well.

I'm racing on the 25th at blackbushe its the biggest meeting of the year (The Roy Mortara Memorial meeting) you have to get there at 6 in the morning to get a pit space its so busy, looking forward to it though. We have found out what we think was causing the problems at rissington, our exaust wadding was really badly degrading it was all black and crumbling, so we replaced that and then started it up and the tick over rpm was 1000 higher s that is a good sign.

Good luck to everyone else also.

 

[Dotini]

Four wins out of seven starts, that's my record so far this season.

I race an 80cc (CR80 Honda) laydown in the IKF region 6 road racing division in the northwest US. My class is currently the best supported in the region, with an average of 8 to 12 starters. I have raced at Sears Point (Infineon), Portland International, and we are now racing at Miller in Utah.

My local circuit is Pacific Raceways where, as a lad, I watched Graham Hill race his Lotus.

Except for a few years mountain climbing and boating, I have raced every season since 1968. Really a lifetime devoted to motor sports. Participation in GT4 has improved my race driving, and involvement in this forum is an enlivening experience.

Respectfully,
Dotini

 

[lbsf1]

Four wins out of seven starts, that's my record so far this season.

I race an 80cc (CR80 Honda) laydown in the IKF region 6 road racing division in the northwest US. My class is currently the best supported in the region, with an average of 8 to 12 starters. I have raced at Sears Point (Infineon), Portland International, and we are now racing at Miller in Utah.

My local circuit is Pacific Raceways where, as a lad, I watched Graham Hill race his Lotus.

Except for a few years mountain climbing and boating, I have raced every season since 1968. Really a lifetime devoted to motor sports. Participation in GT4 has improved my race driving, and involvement in this forum is an enlivening experience.



Respectfully,
Dotini

Wow that is ace. Do your ace in a championship there cause with results like that you would be right up there fighting for the lead. Have you raced karts since 1968 or did you race other class's first.
Good luck in the rest of your races.

 

[Dotini]

Wow that is ace. Do your ace in a championship there cause with results like that you would be right up there fighting for the lead. Have you raced karts since 1968 or did you race other class's first.
Good luck in the rest of your races.

Thanks for your nice remarks. I am indeed leading in the championship standing of my series.

I began racing sports cars in the SCCA, from 1968 through 1971. I have raced a BMW 700S sedan, Burnett C-Modified sports/racer, Corvette, and Trans-Am Camaro. I also practiced but did not race a Lotus Formula Jr. Back in those days it was possible for working men such as myself to race such cars, as wages were high and prices were low. When I resumed racing in 1988 after a long period of mountaineering, price inflation and wage stagnation meant that I had to resume in karts. The good news is that karts can actually lap faster than production sports cars, and are way more fun to drive.

Respectfully,
Dotini

 

[lbsf1]

Thanks for your nice remarks. I am indeed leading in the championship standing of my series.

I began racing sports cars in the SCCA, from 1968 through 1971. I have raced a BMW 700S sedan, Burnett C-Modified sports/racer, Corvette, and Trans-Am Camaro. I also practiced but did not race a Lotus Formula Jr. Back in those days it was possible for working men such as myself to race such cars, as wages were high and prices were low. When I resumed racing in 1988 after a long period of mountaineering, price inflation and wage stagnation meant that I had to resume in karts. The good news is that karts can actually lap faster than production sports cars, and are way more fun to drive.

Respectfully,
Dotini

Wow a pretty nice career their. Nice cars aswell, those american muscle cars are in my mind some of the most iconic racing cars off all time.

Karts are usually laughed at by my mates when I say mine has 20bhp, however a 50bhp 250cc gearbox kart is as fast as a f3 racecar. Thats why I love karting its not about power you have to drive in a different style to cars, in cars you can slow down more cause you have the power to speed up again quicker however the trick in karting is to carry the speed and to be smooth.

 

[Dotini]

Karts are usually laughed at by my mates when I say mine has 20bhp, however a 50bhp 250cc gearbox kart is as fast as a f3 racecar. Thats why I love karting its not about power you have to drive in a different style to cars, in cars you can slow down more cause you have the power to speed up again quicker however the trick in karting is to carry the speed and to be smooth.

You are oh so right, lbsf1. I have developed my current CR80 powered machine to have downforce and bigger front tires, so she enters and exits quicker than the rest.

I formerly ran an RZ350-powered beast also with downforce. More than 65hp yielded about 155mph on the straights at my local circuits. As you said, lap times more like a race car than a production sedan or sportscar.

Cheers,
Dotini

 

[KarlG]

Hi, i'm looking into starting karting. Does anyone know what circuit is best for a beginner to get a good experience in karting? Located around Coventry, UK. I'm looking for some fast racing, not some rubbish electric kart.

I'm looking at Priory Park in Tamworth mainly, as it looks both cheap and good. But also Sutton in Leciester and GrandPrixKarting in Birmingham look good. Just really looking for opinions.

Thanks

 

[lbsf1]

Are you looking for arrive and drive or owner driver.

If arrive and drive then look for your nearest teamsport ( http://www.team-sport.co.uk/ ) or daytona. If you can get to daytona's dmax (http://www.daytonamax.co.uk/technical/index.html) then that would be the best since they use proper racing karts. Or both of them have honda prokarts which are also quite fast. ( www.daytona.co.uk )


If your looking at owner driver then your nearest kart track would probably be, Rissington (http://www.rissykartclub.com/) go down there one a practise day to see what is widely supported there (Rotax). Go have a nosey around and speak to people, see if you still want to do it once you have seen the speed (they are seriously fast). Rissy is a great club and a great curcuit. (I was there last month and loved it). Come back here once you have done that and then we will help you with the next stage. (Buying a kart)

God I feel like Alan Sugar saying that but otherwise you will go down the route we did of not doing enough research and then buying of ebay (what everyone since has told us the one thing not to do ) Luckily for us we didn't get a piece of rubbish and weren't cheated but the one thing we have learnt is RESEARCH before buying cause

 

[KarlG]

Thanks for the info. I am looking into arrive & drive at the moment. If i like it i'm looking to race karts as a hobby. The only things that put me off are tyre prices and engine rebuilds. How long do you get out of them? Time wise. Thanks

 

[lbsf1]

We just had our rotax rebuilt after about 20 hours runtime and had a full rebuild which cost about £500 (750 including new style clutch conversion) We could have run it for longer but considering we knew nothing about the engines history we would rather repair it than it possibly blow up on us a bottome end rebuild is about 200 however they need to be done about every 15hours.

Tyres are 140 quid new however you can buy them second hand really cheaply if you go to a track after a super 1 round (top of uk karting) and people there will be pretty much giving them away since they only use them for 1 day since after that they drop off buy about a tenth.

We are competitive with tyres that are 5 meetings old and have sat in a bag in the garden for a year, so buying new tyres often is not need.

 

[KarlG]

We just had our rotax rebuilt after about 20 hours runtime and had a full rebuild which cost about £500 (750 including new style clutch conversion) We could have run it for longer but considering we knew nothing about the engines history we would rather repair it than it possibly blow up on us a bottome end rebuild is about 200 however they need to be done about every 15hours.

Tyres are 140 quid new however you can buy them second hand really cheaply if you go to a track after a super 1 round (top of uk karting) and people there will be pretty much giving them away since they only use them for 1 day since after that they drop off buy about a tenth.

We are competitive with tyres that are 5 meetings old and have sat in a bag in the garden for a year, so buying new tyres often is not need.

Sounds good! Although the engine rebuild prices still scare me

I'm 100% going to book some Arive & Drive. Hope it goes well.

Thanks for the help.👍

 

[JacoJa]

I had an eventful raceday yesterday. Definitely the worst race weekend I’ve had so far! Just a quick rundown:

Practice: I was sitting on the grid ready to head out for practice, turned the ignition key… and nothing happened. It turned out the starter motor had completely stopped working. The leopard engine I use is renowned for destroying starter motors due to the amount of vibration it creates.

Race 1: Got a new starter motor and fitted it just before the start of the first race, but it turned out that my kart settings were all wrong. It seemed to be sliding everywhere, and I lost a lot of ground.

Race 2: Still a bit of sliding, but not as bad as race 1. I slid wide on the first corner and spun it, giving away my position to the bloke behind me.

Race 3: Kart settings were much improved! I got the jump on a couple of guys on the first few corners, but I then got caught up in a race incident infront of me. Unfortunately I had absolutely nowhere to go, and I ended up running into a stationary kart. It was a pretty violent knock… and I ended up bending the left of my chassis, and bending my rear axle.

Race 4: A group of people helped me bend my kart back into shape, but there was still a lot of vibration from the unbalanced rear axle. Then towards the end of the race, my clutch began to slip and I lost some ground.

Race 5: My clutch disintegrated during the formation lap, and I didn’t get to start the race!

It was a real shame, but it was still very fun. Only have two more races till the end of the year, so hopefully a bit of luck will swing my way. 👍

 

[Blake]

That sucks jacoja06. I was supposed to race this weekend but I kept chewing through clutch parts on Saturday and it wasn't my engine/clutch so I decided to call it and not race.

I've been having a lot of trouble with clutches lately so as part of my engine rebuild I'm getting one of the newer style Rotax clutches. Going to the track for a day next weekend to run the motor in.

 

[Dotini]

We just had our rotax rebuilt after about 20 hours runtime and had a full rebuild which cost about £500 (750 including new style clutch conversion) We could have run it for longer but considering we knew nothing about the engines history we would rather repair it than it possibly blow up on us a bottome end rebuild is about 200 however they need to be done about every 15hours.

Tyres are 140 quid new however you can buy them second hand really cheaply if you go to a track after a super 1 round (top of uk karting) and people there will be pretty much giving them away since they only use them for 1 day since after that they drop off buy about a tenth.

We are competitive with tyres that are 5 meetings old and have sat in a bag in the garden for a year, so buying new tyres often is not need.

Can you run a Honda CR80 dirt bike motor on a kart in the UK? I've been karting for decades and found this to be the best motor by far. Take one off a used bike and sell the bike chassis. Shift at 13,000 and replace the piston once a year for about $50. Replace the bearings every 3 or 4 years. The clutch and 6-speed tranny are bullet-proof. Run it 100% stock except for a Mikuni TM28 from the Suzuki store, and of course an expansion chamber. About 22 hp.

Tires cost me $200/set. I get a minimum 2 races from the fronts, and 4 or more from the rears. My races are 3 x 15 minute practice sessions and one 45 minute race (road course). Wear can extended by dismounting the tire and reversing it on the rim.

Respectfully,
Dotini

 

[lbsf1]

Can you run a Honda CR80 dirt bike motor on a kart in the UK? I've been karting for decades and found this to be the best motor by far. Take one off a used bike and sell the bike chassis. Shift at 13,000 and replace the piston once a year for about $50. Replace the bearings every 3 or 4 years. The clutch and 6-speed tranny are bullet-proof. Run it 100% stock except for a Mikuni TM28 from the Suzuki store, and of course an expansion chamber. About 22 hp.

Tires cost me $200/set. I get a minimum 2 races from the fronts, and 4 or more from the rears. My races are 3 x 15 minute practice sessions and one 45 minute race (road course). Wear can extended by dismounting the tire and reversing it on the rim.

Respectfully,
Dotini

I have never seen those honda engines raced in the uk. They do seem like a good idea however the MSA seem to have this wierd view on engines, they introduce more uneeded engines in an allready crowded part however won't allow a great new one in a pretty empty part of the sport.

They would be pretty cool though.

 

[Dotini]

I have never seen those honda engines raced in the uk. They do seem like a good idea however the MSA seem to have this wierd view on engines, they introduce more uneeded engines in an allready crowded part however won't allow a great new one in a pretty empty part of the sport.

They would be pretty cool though.

For years the kart shop owners and officials of our national sanctioning organization (IKF) virtually dictated the motors. Often for their own financial benefit. Eventually, the drivers started running Honda CR125. CR250 and CR80 motors in open classes. The performance and cost advantages were so staggering that a revolution has occurred.

 

[CoolColJ]

Seems to launch pretty easily


Wonder if we are going to see flips?

 

[lbsf1]

Seems to launch pretty easily


Wonder if we are going to see flips?

Not good that I just watched some of them a day before a race. But I hope we see karts flipping with realistic damage (as in they damage VERY easily). But what I want most is some tracks suited to go karts, real long tracks like monza are not made atall for karts, I want some twisty tight tracks like real go kart tracks.

 

[Dotini]

Saturday I finished off my 2010 karting season with a win at Mission Raceway, British Columbia, Canada. That's my 6th win in 9 starts this year, and my best year ever, statistically. Usually 8 to 12 karts start in my class, and it's the best supported class in NW region road racing.

My races are 45 minutes in length, on courses from 1.3 to 2.5 miles around. There is a premium set on mechanical reliability and consistent, error free driving. Some of the races I am able win on outright pace, but by no means all. I spend a lot of effort preparing my kart at the detail level, and have developed innovations in downforce aerodynamics and chassis tuning which give me an edge in cornering and braking.

And playing GT4 has helped my driving, no doubt about it.

Respectfully submitted,
Dotini

 

[Kubalivre]

I'm thinking of doing karting, recreationally. It's something I've wanted ever since I was 15! Or earlier, I remember riding those kids' special courses at any given chance.

There's a track near me - here's an rFactor simulation of the layout - that offers great conditions, I think. Their standard offer consists of Dino Leisure karts with 6.5bhp Honda engines. They have recently bought a fleet of better karts for premium members, Parolins with 14bhp Honda engines. What do you reckon?

 

[Dotini]

I'm thinking of doing karting, recreationally. It's something I've wanted ever since I was 15! Or earlier, I remember riding those kids' special courses at any given chance.

There's a track near me - here's an rFactor simulation of the layout - that offers great conditions, I think. Their standard offer consists of Dino Leisure karts with 6.5bhp Honda engines. They have recently bought a fleet of better karts for premium members, Parolins with 14bhp Honda engines. What do you reckon?

Karting is the best form of motor sport in my opinion. Do it, but people who are small, wiry, tough and resilient do best at it. Oh, and money helps.

Karts with 5 or so hp are good for 8 year old kids. Adults need more oomph. At 17 hp and up, you are getting into genuine kart racing engines.

All the best,
Dotini