Ok guys so I'm thinking if your already racing cars
Is there any benefit to still racing karts on a regular bases, are the skills the same or would doing both just mess you up.

Also I know that alot of pro racers came from karts but do any keeping doing it to keep there skills sharp?


Modified by ekim952522000 at 7:33 PM 5/9/2006

 

Almost every professional open wheel driver uses karting to keep themselves sharp when they're not in the cockpit. Yes it's a slightly different set of reactions from a kart to a HC car but it's really more about the feel, sensetivity to the car and seat time. I personally can get my kart vs sedan reactions sorted out after about one lap.

You need to be faster in every respect to drive a kart than a production based car. Being faster and more sensetive to the car can only help you eke out every last thousendth of a second per lap, no matter what you drive. Karting also will make you very aware of the importance of not using your bumpers to pass and drive in close quarters without punting anyone. It's alot more important to be clean when you are far more likely to end up on your head or liding across the asfault because you punted someone. Good motivation.

It also makes driving a HC car seem very very slow giving you alot of time to think and analyze. Thinking faster than your competition is almost as big an advantage as having a faster car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sdcivic549 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Almost every professional open wheel driver uses karting to keep themselves sharp when they're not in the cockpit. Yes it's a slightly different set of reactions from a kart to a HC car but it's really more about the feel, sensetivity to the car and seat time. I personally can get my kart vs sedan reactions sorted out after about one lap.

You need to be faster in every respect to drive a kart than a production based car. Being faster and more sensetive to the car can only help you eke out every last thousendth of a second per lap, no matter what you drive. Karting also will make you very aware of the importance of not using your bumpers to pass and drive in close quarters without punting anyone. It's alot more important to be clean when you are far more likely to end up on your head or liding across the asfault because you punted someone. Good motivation.

It also makes driving a HC car seem very very slow giving you alot of time to think and analyze. Thinking faster than your competition is almost as big an advantage as having a faster car.</TD></TR></TABLE>

excellent points

 

I have never raced cars, however I did run my car at HPDE's and currently race karts on the same race tracks. They are different racing vehicles, but in my opinion, require the same skills to drive. I really didn't feel like I had to adapt much in order to drive the kart after having driven my car on track.

 

"The advantage to this is that after you've mastered a kart, a regular car seems like its in slow motion. All the karters we spoke with described this phenomenon and said it allowed them to perform very well right out of the box in just about anything with four wheels. No wonder so many F1 drivers come out of karting."

From a recent article in GRM.

 

Those people are lying, shifter cart ing is

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ekim952522000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">grassroots made it sound like it was fine to start in a shifter kart.

even though everyone says it's not?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's probably fine to start out in a shifter, but you'll *probably* get more out of starting in a single speed kart where you can focus on everything else besides shift points and shifting...not to mention at a lower speed.

 

I think the article really just had a bit of a limited scope. Virtually every experienced karter I see on the forums says starting out on a clutch(single speed) kart is better. They always say it takes much longer to learn if you start on a shifter, and that people who start on a shifter usually don't stay in the sport for long.

 

Fine to start in anything. Just start already. Don't ask too many questions. Everyone has their own opinion. Just jump in and try it yourself.

How long have you owned the car you bought from Brandon now? Has it even see a track yet since you buy it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rochesterricer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think the article really just had a bit of a limited scope. Virtually every experienced karter I see on the forums says starting out on a clutch(single speed) kart is better. They always say it takes much longer to learn if you start on a shifter, and that people who start on a shifter usually don't stay in the sport for long.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think that's because most people who are already running a shifter kart are pretty experienced, and when you start off with a shifter, you are learning to race and also drive the kart at the same time. So when you go to races, you can have your *** spanked pretty darn good by the shifter kart guys.

I'm thinking of going with a shifter kart in the next year or so, but I plan on taking a class at Jim Hall Kart Racing School before hand to make up some of that difference in experience and excellerate my driving skills.

 

Just about everyone on Ekarting news forums says to start on a single speed, in every thread I have seen on the subject. They ALL say that you get better MUCH faster if you start in a single speed. You can do whatever you want, but I know I'm starting out on a single speed kart. Probably a Rotax, if I can keep myself from buying another motorcycle this summer

 

just make sure you investigate your local tracks to see what class participation is like before you dive into a 5k kart.
Id love to do rotax, but in this area, 75% of karts are 4 strokes, 22% are KT100 based single speeds, with only an occasional shifter and rotax.
racing isnt racing if you dont have anyone to race

 

Really? You don't have a lot of shifters in VA? I never woulda guessed that.

 

I'd personally reccomend starting out in a TAG kart. Single speed but about 120-125cc and making just under 30hp depending on the motor. Still good for 90mph or so with the right gearing.

The upsides to this class is that the engine is alot more reliable, easier to tune, and maintinence freindly than an ICC shifter and not a grenade like an ICA. It's also alot cheaper than an ICC motor.

The chassis is nearly the same as an ICC shifter when you add front brakes(which I highly reccomend). The formula also encourages smoothness and carrying speed which was one of the biggest weaknesses I saw in people who started on shifters. They tend to use the gearbox on a shifter as a crutch to make up for driving errors.

You can start on a ICC shifter and have a ball but there are alot of basics that need to be learned that are tough to teach when there's the added distraction of shifting and especially setup options. TAG karts with front brakes can be setup nearly identically to a shifter. This teaches setup and the finer points of kart driving like flexing the chassis properly and body movement. I taught karting for 2 years during college and I have a TAG kart which I bought after I left ICC competition.

 

yeah come on already man! just get that orange on the track.... i miss seeing her

 

Also consider this, the cost for a single speed kart is also a bit less than a shifter kart. I wouldn't mind getting a shifter kart, but where to run it would be the problem.

 

hehe, I just go pay 11 bucks at sykart around the corner from my work on lunch breaks. I have nowhere to race a goddamn kart =P

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wayne_Curr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hehe, I just go pay 11 bucks at sykart around the corner from my work on lunch breaks. I have nowhere to race a goddamn kart =P</TD></TR></TABLE>

big difference power wise between indoor karts and "normal" ones though

 

http://www.ekartingnews.com/vi...art=0

You may want to check this thread out, it has some itneresting points about driving a Kart v.s. a car

IF you have $5k to Burn I would suggest buying a RM1 Rotax because there is almost no maitenence and no chains.

 

During the racing season, I try and go indoor karting at least once a week.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by trigun7469 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> IF you have $5k to Burn I would suggest buying a RM1 Rotax because there is almost no maitenence and no chains. </TD></TR></TABLE>
without knowing what the local competition is like, its a bad idea to make ANY recommendation. The rotaxes are great, but if you are the only one (or worse yet, the track doesnt even class your kart) then you just threw away $5k