Karting FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
1.1. What is karting?
Karting is probably the world's most popular
form of motor sport. It is practiced around the world by hundreds of thousands
of enthusiasts at widely differing levels of competition.
For many, it is simply a
wonderful way of enjoying competitive racing on a small and manageable budget,
meeting friends at the track on the weekend and just having a lot of fun. For
others, it is a serious stepping stone into a career of racing, maybe leading
all the way up to Formula 1. Karting is definitely
recognized as the first and most important step in order to become a
professional race car driver. Even though a kart differs from a car, all the
racing techniques, the awareness of the way the vehicle handles, the
discipline, and instincts needed to become a professional racer are developed
with karting. It is therefore no surprise that most
of today's top Formula 1 or CART racers have started their racing careers with karting.
To make racing a profession,
you probably want to start with karting as a young
teenager and stay with it for several years, having success in national and
international competition, before moving on to car racing. This would be a wise
choice, since for the same budget, you will be able to
experience much more competition and seat time in karting
than anywhere else. For most of us, however, karting
is simply the best way to spend an afternoon, be competitive, have fun and a great thrill, all at the same time.
You can find an introduction
to karting here.
1.2. Uh… so, what is the difference
between a go-kart and a kart?
Same difference. In fact, most people will consider both
to mean the same. Others make a distinction that a 'kart' is the serious racing
vehicle, while a 'go-kart' is a fun-machine, a toy of sorts. It can be argued
either way, but most commonly, the serious racer will refer to his or her
vehicle only as 'kart'.
1.3. Where can I learn about karting before I get into it?
This site, www.karting.net.au,
is a great place to start. Not only does it have a How to get Started section,
it also boast several forums, on which enthusiastic karters
are discussing their hobby, sport, and passion. They are always more than happy
to accommodate beginners and whatever questions they may have.
Another great source of
information are karting
shops in your area.
It is probably best to visit
the kart track and races before you invest any money into any equipment. Watch
the races, check out the many classes of karting, chat to the people at the track. If you want to actually
drive a kart and learn the basics of racing, a karting
school might be a great choice.
1.4. If I really want to work on my
racing career, why not just start with car-racing?
Well, as we said: You can start learning
almost all you need to know about racing through karting.
Michael Schumacher once said that all he ever learned about racing, he learned
while driving a kart! Ayrton Senna
said that karting is the purest form of motor racing.
We can assume that these two probably knew what they were talking about.
The beauty of karting is the simplicity of the vehicle. You don't need a
big pit crew, in fact, you can go karting
all by yourself. You don't need an expensive transporter,
since a kart can fit in the back of a van or a pickup-truck. Some people even
just tie it on the roof of their sedans, or cram it into a hatch-back. You
don't need a whole lot of tools either, and if you are skilled enough, almost
all of the maintenance can be done by yourself. Only the most complex
maintenance item, engine rebuilding, is usually done by specialized engine
builders.
If you compare the costs of
the season in karting with the cost of going racing
in an open-wheel car, for example Formula Ford, or one of the school series
races, you will find that often the cost of a single car race weekend would pay
for an entyre season in karting!
Now consider that you can just take your kart to the track whenever you feel
like it, and you will see that there is no other form of motor racing which
will give you as much seat time for the same, low amount of money.
1.5. Which kind of kart should I get as
a beginner?
The different types of karts and classes
are explained here. It should give you a good idea on what's out there and how
you might choose the right one for yourself.
1.6. Who organizes kart racing?
Kart races are typically organized by
kart clubs, which either have access to race tracks, or actually operate their
own track. The racing itself is regulated by rules and specifications laid out by governing or sanctioning bodies. You can find a
description of some of those organizations here.
1.7. Do I need a licence?
Yes. For all club racing, a licence is
required. Ask the race organizers of the clubs or events you intend to race at.
1.8. Do I need a health certification to
be allowed to go racing?
Not necessarily. Refer to the
requirements on the AKA licence application form.
1.10. I'm somewhat heavy set. Will I
have a disadvantage compared to a light driver?
Weight does have a great impact on the
speed of acceleration on a kart. However, to level the playing field, a minimum
weight (combined driver and kart) is set for each class. Therefore, a light
driver has to attach weights to the kart, usually lead weight, in order to
bring the combined weight up to the limit. Also, there are often different
weight classes offered. For example so called 'heavy'
classes, which allow you to race against others in the same weight bracket.
2.1. Is karting
not very dangerous?
All motor sport is dangerous. The vehicles are relatively light, and
proper safety equipment usually prevents any serious injuries, which
accordingly are very rare. Of course there is always a risk, as with everything
you do. Considering how many people practice karting,
however, the number of significant injuries is very low. It is also a family
sport, with even kids participating safely. You are more likely to hurt
yourself in the pits while working with a screwdriver than while racing the
kart.
Nevertheless, clubs will
have either an actual ambulance on stand-by during a race, or at least have
medically trained personnel present.
2.2. But I have seen that they don't
even have seat belts! Isn't that very unsafe?
Actually, no! The safety principle of a
kart is really more similar to that of a motorcycle than that of a car. Just
like a motorcycle, karts usually don't have any roll-cages or seat-belts. In
case of an accident, the driver is meant to be flung from the kart! That sounds
horrible, but is actually much less dramatic than it sounds. The suit, helmet
and other safety equipment that the driver wears is intended to be abrasion
resistant, and thus is intended to prevent injuries in case the driver slides
over the ground, which is also similar to a motorcycle racer.
2.3. So, what kind of safety equipment
is needed?
The most necessary piece of safety
equipment is a good helmet. It is very important to find a good fitting helmet.
It would be best to go to a store that specializes in helmets, and where the
sales person actually knows how to test for good fit. A motorcycle helmet
usually will do fine. Make sure that the helmet adheres to the latest Snell
certifications, or any other standards that are mandated by the racing
organizers. Ask! Good ventilation is also essential. A helmet is the last piece
of equipment you would want to save any money on. Get the best you can afford!
Get a $100 helmet only if you think your head is not worth more than that!
Reasonable helmets probably start in the $500 range, with the price range being
entyrely open ended, depending on weight (lighter is
better, since it causes less fatigue), special ventilation features,
anti-buffeting design and so on.
An abrasion resistant karting suit is needed. An overall is preferred, rather
than separate pants and jacket, since the jacket can 'roll up' and expose some
skin in case one slides over the asphalt at full speed. Sliding over the ground
with exposed skin can lead to nasty cases of so called 'road rash'. A good suit
can be had for some $200 to $500, or so. Prices are certainly open ended again.
Next, you will need gloves
and shoes. You can get specialized karting gloves and
boots, which also provide for a certain amount of abrasion resistance. However,
since hands and feet most likely will not have heavy and prolonged contact to
the road-surface in case of an accident, abrasion resistance is somewhat less
important here. So, some people simply wear sneakers. However, sneakers with
ankle protection tend to have relatively thick soles, which
does not really give you enough feel. If you don't want to pay for
purpose made karting shoes, give wrestling shoes a
try! They look almost exactly as racing shoes, and will provide a good feel.
The gloves should be made from thin leather or some other sturdy material. Some
people simply wear their Mechanix gloves in a race.
Shoes and gloves made for general purpose auto racing look pretty much exactly
as those made for karting, but include
fire-resistance features, usually in the form of Nomex
material.
Some karting
organizations require you to wear a neck brace or neck support. This is a stiff
foam ring, which you put around your neck and on top of which the bottom of the
helmet loosely rests. If you should get flung out of the kart and land
upside-down on the ground, it is intended to prevent the neck from twisting in
unhealthy ways. It is an extremely (!) good idea to wear such a neck support,
even if the race organizer should not mandate it.
Also usually not mandated,
but very highly recommended, is a rib protector. These are stiff vests, often
with special plastic plates or ribs worked into the material, which are worn
under the karting suit. As the name implies, they are
intended to prevent injuries to your ribs. Since you won't wear a seat-belt in
the kart, your body can press against the side edges of the seat in every
curve. Hitting a curb or being involved in a collision can cause a strong and
sudden jolt, which can easily injure or even break a rib. Some karts can even
generate such a high cornering force that just driving through a curve can
generate enough force to break a rib, if you should rest against a relatively
small point on the seat edge. For all these reasons, a good rib protector
really is a must.
3.1. How fast does a kart go?
Depends on the kind of
kart and the kind of track and the kind of gear ratio used. On short tracks with short straights,
speeds of maybe 80-100 km/h can be reached even by restricted classes. On long,
full-sized race tracks, more than twice that speed is possible. There are karting classes that are slower, and others that are
significantly faster, such as Superkarts, which can
have two engines. These are some very rough numbers indeed, and actual
top-speed will depend on many, many factors, not the least of which being the
driver.
3.2. What kinds of tools do I need?
A fire-extinguisher and a first aid-kit
for your and other's safety. A kart stand, a fuel canister, a
complete set of wrenches, pliers, a mallet, a tyre pressure gauge (a good one).
A pair of good, slip resistant, sturdy and non-bulky
gloves to work on the kart. Various cleaning and lubricating
agents and rags. Duct-tape and scissors. These
tools should get you started. You will probably quickly add to this list
depending on your needs, but don't even bother going to the track without at
least those tools.
Oh, and don't forget to
bring some old towels or paper-towels and a good hand-soap which can get rid of
oil on your fingers. Nothing more uncomfortable than just having fiddled around
on the oily chain and then being forced to slip those same dirty, grimy hands
into your driving gloves...
3.3. What kinds of spares should I take
to the track?
Depends how soon you want to give up and
go home. Some people bring enough spares to build a complete second kart,
including engine. Others don't come with any spares and just go home when
something breaks. A good medium is probably to bring those things which tend to
break or need replacement most frequently, right?
You probably always want to
bring extra fuel line, break line, throttle cable and electrical cable. Those
things can get tangled up and torn, sometimes the hoses stiffen over time and
need replacing anyway, so it's a good idea to have some of those things around.
For the same reason, some spare break fluid might be a good idea. During
collisions, it's easily possible to bend a tie-rod, so it's a good idea to have
some spare rods. The bearings for the wheels can get worn out over time, so one
might consider bringing some extra bearings.
Engines are complex and can
break either all on their own (it does happen) or more likely through
accidental abuse. Most people will not necessarily have the budget to always
bring a spare engine, though. So, if you have one, count yourself lucky. A
spare chain is always a good idea, however, since that can break during a race
or while working on it. Of course, a set of spare spark-plug is necessary,
simply because plugs can get 'fouled up', or simply become too old and used.
If you need to replace a
bent break rotor, axle, steering column or even chassis, you probably have been
in a severe enough accident that warrants going home and carefully examining
yourself and the kart anyway.
3.4. How does a kart differ from a car?
The main differences are that a kart
does not have a suspension and has a stiff rear axle. The stiff rear axle
causes inside and outside rear wheels to always turn at the same speed. In
curves, however, the inside wheel has to travel less distance and thus should
rotate slower. In a rear-driven car, this is made possible via the
differential. In a kart, however, the same rotational speed would result in the
tyres scrubbing, thereby slowing down the kart and also causing bad handling.
For that reason, a kart is
designed to actually lift the inside rear tyre off the ground in a curve,
effectively making it a three-wheeled vehicle when cornering! This solves the
scrubbing and handling problem one would otherwise experience.
The lifting of the inside
rear is accomplished through chassis twist and a specially designed front-end
geometry. In a car, the chassis is designed to be as stiff as possible,
allowing the suspension to handle all weight transfer issues and keeping all
wheels in contact with the ground. In a kart, the chassis is intended to flex,
allowing the inside wheel to be lifted off the ground in a corner.
The flexing of the chassis
is accomplished via utilization of the 'centrifugal force' which applies to the
relatively high center of gravity of the kart, in
effect 'tipping' it to the outside of the curve.
The front-end geometry of a
kart is designed so that during a curve it tends to lower the inside
front-wheel and raise the outside front-wheel. This contributes to the tipping
motion of the kart chassis during a curve and thus is the second major
contributor to the lifting of the inside rear-wheel.
3.5. My kart utilizes a centrifugal
clutch. What is the stall-speed?
The stall-speed of the centrifugal
clutch is the RPM where the clutch begins to engage and allows transfer of
engine power to the wheels (via chain and axle).
4.1. Is there a different driving style
for a kart than for a car?
Slightly. No matter if you drive a car or kart,
smoothness is usually key to a fast drive. However,
the ‘turn-in’ into corners is typically taken more abruptly in a kart than in a
car. The reason is that one wants to lift the inside rear in one swoop, and
does not want it to drag, lift and drag some more while slowly turning in. This
would reduce speed and upset the handling. Therefore, the turn-in should be
swift, but smooth without jerking on the steering wheel.
Also, many karts only have a
break on the rear axis. Thus, the braking can usually not be as heavy as in a
car, which also has front-brakes.
4.2. I just got my first kart, so can I
immediately start competing in racing?
It would be a good idea to practice
first! In fact, very good advice is this: Find out what the usual pole-setting,
fastest qualifying times are for your class at your track. Then practice,
practice, practice until your lap times are consistently at least within a few
seconds of those fastest times. You will have more fun racing, you will be
competitive and you will be less of a risk to other drivers.
4.3. Well then, how do I get faster?
Good question! If there would be one
fool-proof recipe to become faster, everyone would be a world champion, right?
Well, no, probably not... But seriously, mostly your speed will depend on your
driving skills, and nothing trains these skills more than seat time. So go to
the track and practice as much as you can. Make sure you understand the basics
of racing (there are some good books available). Make sure you understand the
track: Walk the track, watch others drive on the track. Practice consistency:
Without focusing on kart setup and tuning (as a beginner you probably won't
know what to change anyway), concentrate on driving the same lap-times
consistently, while driving as fast as you can. Only then will you be able to
see if a tuning change or a modified cornering technique made any difference!
See if you can get some help from the kart shop or the previous owner of your
kart in getting you on the right track with the chassis setup. Ask questions at
the track.
5. MAINTENANCE
5.1. What do I need to do in order to prepare
my kart for a race?
Basically, check that you have
everything safety wired in case that is required from you by regulation. Check
that all the hoses are properly attached, flexible, and that everything is free
flowing. Check the condition of your tyres, your spark-plug, and ensure all
bolts and screws are secure. Check any starter batteries and the operation of
the starter engine, if you rely on an electric starter. Check that all bearings
are freely rolling and replace as necessary. Make sure the chain is in good
condition. Tyre-pressure needs to be set correctly at the track, and you need
to have enough fuel in the tank.
5.2. How do I get safety-wire holes into
my pins, screws and bolds?
Safety wiring is required for the
exhaust. It means that basically the exhaust chamber on the kart is prevented
from coming adrift by having a wire strung through its attachment to the kart
frame.
5.3. How do I change tyres?
That's always a lot of fun. Get someone
to show you – a few times. Like driving, practice is essential.
5.4. How do I take care of the chain?
The chain should be cleaned after each
race day. You can do that by taking it off the kart, washing all grime and oily
residue in fuel (swish it around in a cup with some fuel, until the fuel remains
clean) and then boil it in some clean engine oil. Make sure you have some old
pot for that and don't necessarily do it in the kitchen, since other members of
the house-hold may object to the smell. Drip dry the chain after it has boiled
for a while.
After installing the chain
back on the kart, spray a proper chain lubrication on
both the inside and outside of the chain, while slowly turning the rear wheels,
so that all parts of the chain will be sprayed. Note that you should wait a
while before firing up the engine, after spraying the chain. The reason is that
the lubricating particles of the chain-lube are actually carried on some other
substances, which allow the lubricating substances to coat the chain and
penetrate between the rollers and pins. These carrier-substances, which make
the entyre lube-mixture nice and slippery, should be
given a chance to evaporate first. Otherwise the lubricating-substances will
fling off the chain just as easily as they got onto it, when the engine starts
up and the chain starts spinning. For that reason, it is a good idea to re-lube
the chain right after each run during a race day, so that there is some time
elapsing before the next outing. The fact that the chain is still quite warm
after you just completed a run also aids in the proper penetration of
lubricating material into all the nooks and crannies of the chain.
5.5. What do I need to do to the kart
between races?
Reapply chain lube. Go through the
complete pre-race checklist again, verifying that no damage has been done
anywhere and that everything is still secure. Check the spark plug. Refuel, if
necessary. Cover the tyres from direct sun, or make at least sure that you
rotate them occasionally, so that they are not baked from one side only. Check
the tyre-pressure before the next track session.
5.6. And at the end of the race day?
Empty all fuel from the tank and fuel
lines, since they can harden prematurely when the fuel is left sitting in them.
Also, on a 2-cycle engine, the oil and gas may actually separate again, and it
is not a good idea to have that happen in the fuel system of the kart.
Clean the kart carefully.
Only when you clean everything you will be able to see smaller cracks or
damage.
Take care of the chain, as
described earlier.
Lower the air pressure in
the tyres, so that they don't sit for prolonged times fully inflated. Some
people also wrap shrink-wrap around their tyres, so that the substances which
keep the rubber soft do not evaporate over time and stay in the rubber instead.
Thanks to ekarting
for this article