burners

I've only run race karts once before at an indoor track in San Diego about 5 yrs ago but I'm going for some fun/slightly competitive asphalt racing next week on a 1/3 mi outdoor track. I guess these karts are 9hp so they aren't blindingly fast but I would like any tips you may have based on the difference between running a 3300# (with 400 hp and 4 wheel brakes) car versus a 300#? car with only rear brakes and not so much power. It seems to me that even with tight, twisty tracks it will still be about momentum.

WBHighwind

do you get to mess with setup or is it just arrive and drive?

RichieRichZ06

Those little karts are pure momentum cars compared to a shifter kart. Smooth and fast is your best bet in those under powered karts. If you throw it sideways and scrub off speed, it takes a while to get it back. In my 125 shifter kart, you can screw up and still get right back up to speed.

Picture driving a Maita vs a Z06 around a race track and it will be about the same comparison.

burners

I don't get to mess with the setup at all. Although, what kind adjustments are typically available on one of these? Is it just air pressure in the tires?

RichieRich, that's kind of what I thought. Controlled aggression, eh? and don't over attack the corners.

Han Solo

Only drove em a couple of times myself but I have two wins and a third out of five total races.

First and most important is wear a rib protector. My first race a guy spun sidways in front of me and stopped. I crushed my ribs sliding sideways into him. If they spin in front of you don't panic and get sideways trying to avoid them. That injury took a full year to get over.

If you don't see them check all the tires before the race make sure yours have air. Step on them with your foot and if they feel cushy get them to air you up. My very first race they sent me out with a flat RF. I wheeled in the pit and they held the start while they aired it up. I started dead last out of 8 and took the lead on the back straight on lap 1.

Watch the starter and get off when the green flag waves. Both races I won I started from behind and passed several cars right at the start. I didn't jump the start but I didn't sit there with my finger up my nose when the flag waved.

Look over the throttle linkage and figure out where the governer rod is. If they give you a dawg you will want to pull the linkage by hand on the straights. I wouldn't mess with it if you have good power and you are leading but if people are blowing by you on the straight then find that sucker and even up the playing field. The karts we drove the rod was in easy reach with your right hand.

That's all I got. Those things are a blast to drive but dangerous as all getout.

0Randy@DRM

Most rental chassis are going to be very tight (stiff) You can try to lean to the outside to get the kart loosened up a bit. Don't let off the gas ever, just use the brakes. The kart will feel a bit loose when you let off the brake, but should be a tick faster.

Randy

WBHighwind

Although I never experimented with leaning per se, I did extensive testing in placing the seat in my kart. The driver in a kart makes up something along the lines of 80% of the handling characteristics. You are the CG, and if its incorrectly placed, then the tuning window of the chassis will be much smaller. Also, think of all the forces that come up through the chassis and into your body. Thats why karting does take such a toll on the body, especially the ribs in shifters. Theres a big hole in the middle of the chassis that the seat sits in. In addition to that, there are usually a pair of bars on the upper back of the seat connecting it to the bearing hangars on the axle. Needless to say, all that chassis flexing force is acting through your body. In the end, you want the chassis to flex enough to get that inside rear tire off the ground so the kart can rotate, but not flex so much to cause a loose condition. Remember, both rear wheels have to turn at the same rate, so jacking the rear is the only way to get it to rotate.

However, since theres prolly little to no setup, just focus on smooth driving paying particular attention to keeping momentum up and being especially smooth in pedal application between brake and gas.

0Randy@DRM

Try the lean!!! A kart racer is a just as much a rider as a driver. I had guy t-bone me so bad I coughed blood in my helment I was the crush zone.......

Randy

Short-Throw

Best advice given!

Keep the revs up as most people over-brake when driving karts.

Also,

Keep your eyes 2 turns ahead of you!

Dust of mantle for trophy!


Mike

mousecatcher

9hp -- they sound like kiddie karts. there is no technique, you just putt-putt around the course.

gkmccready

Get kicked out of the kart places here doing that. If they don't see you lift when you brake, you're gone...

RedLS1GTO

Never seen that one before, but all of these places have different rules...

NEVER EVER under any circumstances take your right foot off of the floor until they make you. Keep the revs and momentum up. Smooth is fast(er).

sundiego

If the guy in front is blocking and won't let you by, use the back of his kart as your brake. It pushes him off, slows you, pass done.

If there is slow traffic in the field, ultra late apex. The slow ones always early apex and push out to the side.

Move the seat as far forward as you can to put your weight more over the front tires for cornering.

Like a car, use a little brake to move the weight onto the front for cornering.

There is a fast time line, and a racing line(impossible to pass) on some corners. Learn the difference, and use the racing line in traffic.

Lose a lot of weight. Atkins?

Sometimes, what looks like the right arc around a corner just causes you to drive further. Find the shortest line at the limits of grip.

Amen to rib protectors.

0Randy@DRM

Most of them will have cables running down the tube. Push on the cable with your foot to see if it will keep the revs up. This is a good way to get some more power down the straights also, most will have a throttle stop with the pedal. Yes they do blow up if you rev it out too far

Randy

burners

I'm with you on the rib protection. I bruised my arm and upper chest in a crash the last time I ran race karts.

I appreciate everyone's comments there have been quite a few suggestions that I wouldn't have thought to try.