karting

[gizmo]

I've recently taken an interest in karting. Albeit, it's not the same as stock car racing, but it's similar enough to be enjoyable and afforable enough that I'm drawn to it.

However, at the local track, I'm about a full second off the pace of the pros. And I can keep up with them through every turn except the tight ones, for some reason they get their kart (identical to mine) to point, go, and turn in directions I can't. I can't help but think that I'm misunderstanding how to properly get the kart to rotate. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts?

I got ahold of a pro-caliber driver who was willing to give me some feedback and he suggested I flick the kart to get it loose and glide/drift through corners but, in addition to be unable to do that, I don't want to because it's something I would never be able to use in a stock car.

[derekf]

The flick-drift thing that he suggested - when they're getting past you in the tight corners, are they doing that? If they're not, then it's not the faster way to do it... and if they are, well, it seems to be working for them.

[gizmo]

Every driver, except one, flick-drifts by me in tight corners. The driver that doesn't is the one that actually piqued my karting interest, as I placed close to him in a national autocross, and upon learning he karts "locally" I decided I might have something to gain from karting (seeing that he devotes several hours a week to it).

[shep]

My dad owned a kart shop, we ran 4 stroke classes on dirt circles. Sounds like you are on asphalt road course so some things may not apply.
1. Scale your kart before and after every race night. Either buy a set of Lakewood scales or use 4 bathroom scales.
2.Keep a log book of corner weights, cross weights, gear ratio,tire diameter and hardness, and where you finished.
3. Friction is your enemy. Clean and lube every bearing in the kart after each night. This is a big reason my brother was able to run up front at over a 100 pounds heavy for his class.
4. Tires can make or brake you. get a durometer, use equal parts of diesel fuel turpentine and Lacquer thiner for tire softener. It is cheap and works well. Apply with a roller several times during the week and wrap in plastic to soften them. We used plastic grocery bags.

[gizmo]

Oddly enough, this place provides the karts for us. They pride themselves on kart equality, but to be honest some karts are just better than others (they're almost 8 months old, "5 months beyond replacement," they say), and rumors have it that management is looking to replace the entire fleet. I have no control over the kart itself and therefore the onus is mostly on me.

I've watched them drive deeper into the corners and still get their karts to turn when I clearly came in easier and still fought bad understeer. I imagine they're doing something different than I am to get the kart to rotate. It's a wierd feeling, atleast trying to gauge the kart, because it has no suspension so I don't know how to register what's happening, if it's good, bad, etc...

[yellowrallys]

My dad owned a kart shop, we ran 4 stroke classes on dirt circles. Sounds like you are on asphalt road course so some things may not apply.
1. Scale your kart before and after every race night. Either buy a set of Lakewood scales or use 4 bathroom scales.
2.Keep a log book of corner weights, cross weights, gear ratio,tire diameter and hardness, and where you finished.
3. Friction is your enemy. Clean and lube every bearing in the kart after each night. This is a big reason my brother was able to run up front at over a 100 pounds heavy for his class.
4. Tires can make or brake you. get a durometer, use equal parts of diesel fuel turpentine and Lacquer thiner for tire softener. It is cheap and works well. Apply with a roller several times during the week and wrap in plastic to soften them. We used plastic grocery bags.

aaahhhhh....the memories.....