hi there,

ive got a bit of a dilema and figured that the help that i need would probably come from a racing community such as lfs. Im 14 and would love to start go karting on a more (proffessional?) basis. The only experience of karting i have is turn up and drive sort of things down at my local indoor. I want to get into some sort of championship, the only problem to start off with is money, so does anybody know of fairly cheap or simpler to do karting seasons that i could be a part of?

thanks in advance.

oscar.

If you can't afford to buy your own Stuff, your own Kart etc (I don't know what budget you'd have) you could try something like this

Races are once a month.. £30 membership/year and £50 per race.

Just a thought...

sounds good, but, its not very explained on that site, also, i do have the money for a kart, just not the membership, so, any other ideas?


thanks JOSEPHS

oscar.

ok, at your age you'll be starting in the Cadet class, you need to find the correct engine for the class which is called a comer, a decent chassis, normally tony kart, for all the gear, you can go to www.ukkarting.co.uk and look on the market place for Cadet Retirement Sales, usually about £1500+ ish for a decent kart, you also need a suit helmet gloves boots etc that go with the Regulations.

and obviously a lot of practice, cadet karts usually go around 45 - 50 mph

if you need more help just ask.

or go to www.karting1.co.uk for a friendly forum where you can get more detailed help

i just stopped karting to move onto drifting... once your 12 years old you can race in the ProKart series < i raced in there for a while...

or you can go for the 2 strokes and pay a bit more to go for the JNR Rotax Max... both are fun but its your choice.

Quote :

sounds good, but, its not very explained on that site, also, i do have the money for a kart, just not the membership, so, any other ideas?

Having enough money for a kart is not the same as having enough money to race. Motor Racing is a financial black hole.

A kart is only a grand or two, but a season of racing "on a budget" is several thousand pounds.

You can do a season spending little more than the entry fee, but i'd recommend doing lots of testing/practice too, and that involves more spares, more parts, and then something happens...

You start getting results. Now here is where the problems start for anyone in karting, and the problem with starting to get results is that if you dont plan on doing it you may aswell not race...

Getting results meens that the next time you race if you only qualify 7th or 8th it is a bad day. Oh sure, convince yourself you are happy to run "in the pack" but you miss the bigger picture - there is a reason you are only 7th or 8th and that's usually because of something outside of your control - you are having a bad day.

Once you've started to taste victory, qualifying or finishing in the mid ranks meens that at least part of your day was bloody miserable as things where going wrong.

To maintain results you need to spend money, you need regular enging tuning, you need as much track time as you can get, you need to have spares available so that the odd breakage doesnt ruin your day, you need to acquire and learn to analyse your performance data, you need to invest financially.

The problem with winning, is to keep winning, and the problem with keeping on winning is that it is expensive - because the people trying to stop you from winning are investing 5 figure sums even at club karting level.

If you dont have a reasonably healthy 4 or 5 figure sum to go karting with then I strongly recommend doing a rental championship, at least long enough until you are sure this is something you want to commit too.

Winning in karting is not cheaper than winning in single seaters, and don't kid yourself into thinking it's ok to be a mid fielder, sooner or later - if you have the knack - then you will taste what it is to win, you will know how to win, you will find that when you dont win it's not that being in the middle of the pack isn't fun - it's that you are in the middle of the pack because you are having a bad day and that is no fun.

Winning costs: And it's a lot more expensive than the cost of the go kart itself.

ignore my post about Cadet I ment minimax or junior tkm 2 stroke or 4 stroke, 4 stroke is much cheaper because rebuilds aren;t as often as 2 stroke, you can also go to junior rotax.

make sure the chassis is within the regs.

I Was going to go into Junior TKM But we had a incident on the last meeting in cadets so we just gave up and went to cars.

Karting is Fantastic fun even when it is competitive, its shame about how much it costs..

If your low on budget best you could probally get it a twin/Prokart or TKM (2 Or 4 Stroke) which could probally reach MSA Standards.

Club meetings is the best for you if your just starting up.

Where abouts do you live in England?

if you live in South, theres a championship called
Formula 6 Which is a 4 Stroke championship
It is very good if your starting up.

Becky is right.
A kart itself is really cheap compared to all the other costs.
Every weekend I drive I damage something.
Like the Engine Clamp, Plastic Bumper, Seat, Rear Axle.
Also you need a decent suit and a good helmet.
PM me if you wanna know more.
( BTW I drove indoor karts for 7 years before I bought my own kart, Its a really big step. If I were you I would take some more years of training and work for someone as a mechanic! )

Don't let all these responses about cost put you off! Only you know how much you can afford but I assure you that you can race on even the smallest budget! I know I certainly do!

Your best bet is to check out the forums on www.karting.co.uk or www.karting1.co.uk. There is plenty of advice on there for newcomers to karting just make sure you search for older topics as just like here no one appreciates people posting without searching for a top that answers their questions first.

A lot of people will tell you how much it costs them for x amounts of rebuilds and racing etc etc but don't take their word as final... there will be something to suit you!!! When you look at all the information that you will find it will all seem very complicated and difficult to know where to start. Don't rush any decisions, take your time and decide what is right for you or it could end up being expensive.

And just remember to have fun.... it is very unlikely that you'll turn out to be the next Schumacher so dont take the whole thing too seriously!

Hope that helps!

well i do live in the south, but i have no money or room for a kart at mine, so my dad, in northamptonshire would both house an fund the karting, also, i was hoping more or less to get into 2 or 4 stroke tkm, as i have a few friends in that series and we get along, btw, i have only ever once driven a cadet comer, but have never driven a quicker kart than that, thank you all for your advice, also, i have looked into starting and can anyone give me information on this "test" that i have to take to prove that i am safe enough to drive?

thanks again.

oscar.

ps, if anyone in the uk happens to know where i could get a second hand tkm 2 or 4 stroke then i would appreciate it greatly, also, Jordan, i would probably join kinbolten or whilton mill clubs as they are close to my dads and are supposedley good tracks.

Quote from oscarhardwick :

well i do live in the south, but i have no money or room for a kart at mine, so my dad, in northamptonshire would both house an fund the karting, also, i was hoping more or less to get into 2 or 4 stroke tkm, as i have a few friends in that series and we get along, btw, i have only ever once driven a cadet comer, but have never driven a quicker kart than that, thank you all for your advice, also, i have looked into starting and can anyone give me information on this "test" that i have to take to prove that i am safe enough to drive?

thanks again.

oscar.

ps, if anyone in the uk happens to know where i could get a second hand tkm 2 or 4 stroke then i would appreciate it greatly, also, Jordan, i would probably join kinbolten or whilton mill clubs as they are close to my dads and are supposedley good tracks.

Well, Prepare your ass and get a dipher when driving.
The first time I drove a 2-stroker it scared the crap outta me. I thought it was gonna lift off.
But really. WITHOUT MONEY YOU CANT DRIVE, Thats how the world is.
And I would buy a Rotax if I were you. not a 100 but the 125cc Rotax Max. They are the most reliable engines out there.

Quote from oscarhardwick :

give me information on this "test" that i have to take to prove that i am safe enough to drive?

Don't quote me on this as it may have changed since I did my ASKS test.

Basically you arrange the test with your local circuit that has an ARKS tester (my local club did). We arranged mine on a day I was practicing, went out on the track and he watched me for a few laps. Came off, went into the club house and did a piss easy multiple choice set of questions. Think there was only 10 questions.

You can't fail the ARKS, it's that easy. Or was when I did it. After that you need to get your licensed signed by the clerk of the course after race meetings, after so many you'll no longer be classed as a novice.

I'd also echo the above posters advice on rotax. Up this way TKM is pretty dead, not sure what its like down South. I enjoyed racing my rotax, never went wrong... less could be said for my TKM which went bang

Keiran

To the original poster -

Pretty much ignore some of the comments on here for now (some of them aren't the truth IMO ) . What you need to do before ANYONE can give any good advice is state a couple of things

1. Your budget for purchasing and running the kart
2. Where do you live (I see your going to be based in N'pton)

Karting has about a million gazillion different classes, and options. it's hugely important that you find the right class.

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN TO 2-3 CLUB KART MEETINGS, AND DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO BRITISH KART RACING

I have had so many people come to me asking about the kart they've just bought, and are then disappointed to find it was the wrong decision for them. I BEG you to take you time. There's also little weird rules in various classes regarding chassis etc...

Your kart club is Whilton Mill. Along the M1 near Daventry. There is a club meeting there this weekend luckily. so I suggest you go along with your dad on both the Saturday and Sunday. to watch the practise and racing, and ask a few questions (on the saturday. Sunday is race day and peeps like to satay focussed).

At Whilton for your age group there are two classes you should be looking at

Junior Rotax
Junior TKM 2 Stroke

Both attract decent grids at Whilton. Junior TKM is my preferred choice. Much more fun to drive, and the cost saving you make are insane! But this weekend just pop along and get a feel for what it's all about.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/824100.htm

came across that on my travels

Quote from Billeh :

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/824100.htm

came across that on my travels

lol and thats why the OP needs to listen to my advice. That kart (even tho it's fast) is totally pointless for his needs. 1. no one races them in the UK 2. the chassis is illegal for MSA racing

Quote from Intrepid :

lol and thats why the OP needs to listen to my advice. That kart (even tho it's fast) is totally pointless for his needs. 1. no one races them in the UK 2. the chassis is illegal for MSA racing

He must first learn to maintenance a kart.
Know what to do when some problem occurs.
The he must learn how to drive. How to adapt the kart to his driving.
Then when he has learned to drive. He will learn how to race.
And then if hes good then he can switch to a manual gearred kart!

Quote from oscarhardwick :

also, Jordan, i would probably join kinbolten or whilton mill clubs as they are close to my dads and are supposedley good tracks.

They are great tracks, been to them both about 3 times.

i can do maintanence, and adapt my driving, just the racing i need to learn :P

Quote from oscarhardwick :

i can do maintanence, and adapt my driving, just the racing i need to learn :P

Uhm. You said you have only done some random indoor driving.
Then you cant have any idea what it is to drive a competition made kart.
But I got some questions for you!!! ( Like a little game of Trivia )

Wich is the best tire pressure to start from with Dry Slick Tires?

How do you stiffen or loosen up the front of the kart chassis?

How do you reduce Oversteer?

How do you reduce Understeer?

How do you fix too much grip?

Well, Thats it.
You just cant have any idea how much work your own kart is.
Even I wasnt able to know after 7 years. Now I do!

Vinny, I think your looking a little too deep into it. Those are the sort of things you'll learn through asking others, reading about it and expriementing. I was quite lucky in that my Dad had and was racing karts as well but I still had to be able to understand the changes.

Thats the great thing with a kart, it takes so little time to make changes and try them!

Quote from keiran :

Vinny, I think your looking a little too deep into it. Those are the sort of things you'll learn through asking others, reading about it and expriementing. I was quite lucky in that my Dad had and was racing karts as well but I still had to be able to understand the changes.

Thats the great thing with a kart, it takes so little time to make changes and try them!

Yes it does.
The point I'm triying to make clear here is the fact that he cant know what the lenght of the step he's taking is.
If he has only driven a bit of indoor he should get way-Way-WAY-WAAAY! more experience before even thinking of outdoor racing.

Wich is the best tire pressure to start from with Dry Slick Tires? is it 12psi

How do you stiffen or loosen up the front of the kart chassis? loosen the bolts or reduce number of washers on chassis.(maybe)

How do you reduce Oversteer? countersteer

How do you reduce Understeer? increase or burst throttle

How do you fix too much grip? increase psi? (longshot, i dont have a clue)

so, thats what i can guess or know, tell me if im right or wrong

thanks all the same guys.

oscar.




PS. ive done loads of outdooring, in a cadet once or twice as well as the crappy turn up and go karts, i also have experience with building karts and motorbike engines, so im more experienced than you think.

Quote :

Wich is the best tire pressure to start from with Dry Slick Tires? is it 12psi

It depends on surface temperature, humidity, the type of tarmac (how caorse it is) and so on, basically you take a guess and do some installation laps in the morning then adjust accordingly. Then as the air and track temperature changes throughout the day you adjust accordingly with peek pressure being around midday.

Quote :

How do you stiffen or loosen up the front of the kart chassis? loosen the bolts or reduce number of washers on chassis.(maybe)

Most karts have torsion bars, the front can usually be adjusted whilst driving although the clerk may take a dim view of this.

Quote :

How do you reduce Oversteer? countersteer

Whilst driving you'd counter oversteer by counter steering, but if the problem is indemmic with the karts setup you'd adjust castor angle.

Quote :

How do you reduce Understeer? increase or burst throttle

If you have an oversteering setup a blat of the throttle can correct understeer, otherwise you want to get off the throttle, more importantly though if the kart is systematically understeering you'd be looking at castor and torsion.

Quote :

How do you fix too much grip? increase psi? (longshot, i dont have a clue)

Yes that's one way.

Basically the entire balance of a kart can be adjusted with castor and torsion, ideally you dont want to run any toe but this can be used as a fix if you can't get the setup right. Tyre pressures can be checked from the pits whilst the kart is out by looking at the contact area (it's darker). Your first port of call once pressures are set for most handling setup issues on a kart is the castor angle. Torsion and camber adjustments you'll find are not such a 'variable' once you find good settings for a track you'll usually leave them in place.

Try to keep any weight ballast low down and near the middle, develop a leant back and relaxed driving position, learn what you can and cannot do under the rules (my LFS how to guides in the beginner section might be a good start), and pray you dont get bitten by the victory bug too early in your career.

Quote from oscarhardwick :

Wich is the best tire pressure to start from with Dry Slick Tires? is it 12psi

How do you stiffen or loosen up the front of the kart chassis? loosen the bolts or reduce number of washers on chassis.(maybe)

How do you reduce Oversteer? countersteer

How do you reduce Understeer? increase or burst throttle

How do you fix too much grip? increase psi? (longshot, i dont have a clue)

so, thats what i can guess or know, tell me if im right or wrong

thanks all the same guys.

oscar.




PS. ive done loads of outdooring, in a cadet once or twice as well as the crappy turn up and go karts, i also have experience with building karts and motorbike engines, so im more experienced than you think.

lesson 1 - there are no SET theories about setting up a kart. There are general theories that work most of the time, but even the best engineers in the world (inc F1 mechs) get bemused sometimes.

All you can do is learn by doing.

Back to the point. WHat budget do you have?