by the summertime, i want to have a plan to start out in racing, and the easiest way is ither throuugh 'legend' raccing, or karting....

my dad wants me to get information on where and how much this will be, i can handle the where to race and such, but i have no idea exactly what i need or where to look

so what exactly am i looking for, and where can i get a good deal on what i need

i found this, which might help http://www.tsracing.com/NewKarter/costs.htm

I'd put away 10 thousand for a starting season of privateer karting in a regional series, including a kart. The Jim Russell arrive and drive series I've been in for the past two years is about 6 grand per year. You can find non-coached arrive and drive karting for as little as 1 grand per season though.

20 grand will get you a regional run in the Skip Barber F2000 series. That's about as cheap as serious arrive and drive road racing gets. Expect similar prices for renting an SCCA Spec Racer Ford, Spec Miata or similar. Skip Barber National is in the 50 grand region.

You could run a regional program in the SCCA or NASA with a 4-grand Honda + trailer or similar for about 5-8 grand per year depending on the cheapness of the hotels and how gentle you are on tires. You won't be anywhere near the front unless you're a spectacular driver with that kind of equipment.

i was looking for mainly what type of kart i should get, pricing for that, used or new, gear, and stuff like that, i will research places to race and such after

I am not a karter, but I think you need to figure out WHERE you're going to race first, then you will know what classes of karts they run. After that you can start figuring out what kart you need. What if you pick a kart first and no one around you races that class?

Quote from logitekg25 :

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What exactly do u mean by career. You want to earn money, or do you just want to start racing?

Do you actually have any racing experience at all?
Or karting experience ( Not including arrive and drive Indoor karting )

start racing, earn money if possible, and eventually i want to do it for a living, but well....lets face it, its probably not going to happen

EDIT: and other then lfs, i have motorsports experience like dirtbiking, atving, jet skiing, snowmobilling, i have a off road go kart that basically doesnt count, a golf cart as well, and i think thats it

If you have insanely good talent, then you can easily earn a living from karting.

And karting is alot harder then most people think.
You can't compare it with any sport. It's alot harder then Road Car Racing. You need to be very fit, have a good knowledge of engines and how a kart works, and the how the changes you made, respond to the kart.

It's also more expensive then car racing. On a normal karting day I always damaged my (old) kart. Now that I've got a new one, nothing has been damaged yet. But when you want to start racing, count a few spare rear axles into your budget

well the goal is to race cars eventually....and for being a good driver, well im not sure, but i did own my dad in a slolum in the golf cart and hes a mechanic so he basically drives cars for a living, but that doesnt realy qualify me

i know alot about engines, i am fit , and i know for the most part how a kart worked, my brother is in the field of small engines and stuff, so he and my dad will be perfect

and if you take a look at my sig you can see i know what changes affect what things
(im refering to my setup shop :dopey

That setup shop has nothing to do with a kart.
Live For Speed is ( Im sorry ), a video game.

You can't compare it to racing and let alone karting. A kart is much more sensitive to changes you make to them. Like loosening the seat or the bumpers can sometimes grant you half a second on your laptime.

And with the fact that you are fit ( You say so ). Have you already tested that your neck can sustain the G forces at 100 Kmph going trough a sharp corner for multiple laps?

ok, discard the changes thing

the only weak link on me is my wrists, and that only shows when doing 10 reps of 60 lbs (curls both arms)

i eat healthy (now that im trying to get a 6-pack) and i think i can handle those G's

How old are you?

14, yes i know it is very late to start, but i have to start eventually and its better now then 80

Quote from logitekg25 :

14, yes i know it is very late to start, but i have to start eventually and its better now then 80

14, not too late to start. It's never too late.

Advice? Go to your local kart track see what they are racing there first. Get involved, have a chat with a few of the racers. It is a very complex system in the USA so don't confuse yourself too much. Just relax, and get a feel for the scene.

Don't think about cars yet. biggest mistake a driver can ever make is looking to far ahead. If you look directly at the moon you miss all the heavenly glory of the night sky or summit Bruce Lee once said. Hence why all winter we've seen F1 driver after F1 driver come back to karts, even competitively. I know Dan Wheldon has a full program of events for 2010. He actually doing a sister season to his Indy stuff

One of the facts of racing is there are thousands out there who would love to be pro car racers. Fact is most 'professional' car racers are in fact pay drivers anyway. So just go out and enjoy your racing, with your dad. See how far you want to take it from there

finally go to for more detailed information on karting and shizzle

www.ekartingnews.com and www.karting1.com for more direct help.

ok, i will research tracks in the area, go to a race, talk a bit, make sure the thread is clean in the parent aproving manner, and show them

Mate, if i was 14 i would be cheering.

Ive been driving all sorts of karts and cars for years now, but only until now, and infact, just yesterday i bought my kart to race competition. Im 19, and yes certian levels are out of the question, its not too late for a 19 year old to get atleast somewhere.

Theres always a way around everything!

For a beginner or starter to karting where you have perhaps never been in a proper non hire kart, maybe budget is the best way to go. I went for a little more money and got the CRG Dark Knight just yesterday. Ill be running it in tomorrow so i still cant give you any feedback on the kart. The CRG KT1 is a very good kart and ive driven the Italkarts before too, and i liked them. Once again, they are all no cheaper than $8,000 AUD (chassis and rotax engine).

My opinion, and if you have the money to do so, dont go over $6,000, but at the same time, dont do whatever to cut costs. As a starter, you can though because you need to get experience etc, but at the same time, if you want to win, you have to throw money into a black hole .

My suit costed me $600AUD but my previous basic suit was about $250AUD. My helmet costed me $850AUD where my previous was about $300AUD.

Your going to need (from the top of my head)..

-Suit/gloves/helmet/shoes
-tools
-kart trolley
-kart
-engine
-licence
-fuel
-tyres
-spare parts
-tacho

Anything else you need to know, as im a starter too with the experience of being around the karting world since i was a kid, just ask . Im sure there are many other karters that are on these forums too.

PS: you need to think about what engine you want to race. Theres a range of them to race.

About 2 years ago i started racing a "J" 100cc engine. They are push start and in Aus (im not sure what its like overseas) your put into "national" class. I stopped that very quickly because it was not fast enough for my likings. It may be good for you because it really teaches you how to drive smooth. Im now running a rotax max engine. They are great fun and really fast as well as demanding too physically IMO. You need to be smooth aswell with the throttle and brakes and that also teaches you alot.

Its really up to you

hmmm, this thread helped me out abit too, was thinkin about tryin out some karting during the summer just to see how i good i am

There's a difference between being 'fit' and being 'racing fit'. Racing fit is driving a lot, and using the muscles that you can't really train at a gym. I have a training routine and I'm quite fit. I drove my kart for the first time in almost a year, and I felt like I'd never driven one before. Your forearms and wrists cop a caining. Also, watch how much you lift at the gym. You don't want to be too big in motorsport - you just want to be strong. If you're too big then you aren't as flexible anymore. It sounds gay, but it's a good idea to take up yogo or something like that if it's too late and you're already massive - which I doubt - you're 14... So really you shouldn't even be training your muscles yet because they haven't fully developed .

I started my... career, I suppose (for lack of a better term - yet), in karts. They are a great way to learn control. And karts are by far the hardest racing you'll have. Also, they are so much harder to drive than you may think (I'm talking about proper karts).
I'm not trying to push you away from it mate, but if you're gonna spend the money, you have to be 100% focused. You (and most likely your parents given your age) will be forking out shitloads of money to do motor racing properly. Sure, you can do it on a budget, but you'd have to be the next Ayrton Senna to get anywhere on a budget. 20 years ago, racers without big budgets got picked up a tad easier, they either brought sponsors a long, insane talent (or a family name) or both.

These days, the chances are very very very slim. You're going to have to go looking for sponsors, and karts are difficult to get sponsors into unless you're racing in some of those top euro series where (correct me if I'm wrong) they are spending $100k + per year (?).

If you drive your go kart week in, week out, you will become a good driver. It's all about practice. Don't expect to hop in and be fast straight away. Learn to be smooth, without being slow. It's a fine art - driving a kart on its limit. Same with all forms of motorsport I guess.

Anyhow, good luck.

Edit: Just read Intrepid's post. It's excellent - especially this point:

Quote from Intrepid :

One of the facts of racing is there are thousands out there who would love to be pro car racers. Fact is most 'professional' car racers are in fact pay drivers anyway. So just go out and enjoy your racing, with your dad. See how far you want to take it from there

It's an awesome way to bond with your old man. It will give you something to talk about all the time, something to do together. The whole family can be involved. It's pretty cool. Just don't let him put too much pressure on you - you do the driving; you do the thinking. If he is getting on your nerves, or you think he is taking too much control, you must tell him as early as possible. Most parents yell and scream at their kids for not defending on a corner. Those kids end up thinking 'I have to win it for my Dad', so they just take everyone out. They have the real 'win it or bin it' mental attitude, but they are willing to take anyone and everyone else out with them.

@ Auon.

If you want the best of the very best of CRG, then the only way to go is the 32mm Road Rebel chassis. The other chassis that CRG produce are just simply not as good as the Road Rebel!

are all the karts chasis the same? (more or less)

and should i go used since im begginning.

i dont really want a push to start, but if its overall best i guess thats ok. and i would need a simple way to get a paved back-yard or driveway

also my brother has a huge pickup truck, as big as they come, so will i need a kart trolley?

Quote from logitekg25 :

i dont really want a push to start,

Push starting karts IS karting. The rest are just toys. I've seen 12 year old kids bump start their own kart. If it bothers you then maybe karting and racing isn't for you. Most classes run clutches nowadays anyway, but if non-clutched karts is an issue then it isn't the right attitude to have

In regard to chassis. Don't buy new unless you can afford it. You may as well buy second hand because 1. you don't get hit by depreciation 2. your not good enough yet to appreciate a new chassis.

A lot people buy a new karting as a noob, spend 6 months on it learning only to find that only then they can fully exploit the kart. However by that time the kart they bought new, is no longer new.

But as usual spend some time at the track learning what classes there are etc...

oh, i pictured push to start, as my old dad pushing me like 1 mph at the start, and me being behind

and if i spin out then im truely out of the race

and i cant really push myself so theres no practice without someone else there aswell

Quote from logitekg25 :

and i cant really push myself so theres no practice without someone else there aswell

lol So I imagined bump starting myself all day the other week then. It's all technique, stop being a big girl's blouse You can get devices like hand throttle, and starter wheels that can make it easier if you need it (I don't ). Don't worry to much anyway, most classes aren't proper anymore and have clutches.

ok so back to the major parts, before i go out and price everything out, what do i look for in a place to race? more then one? what times of the year? what engine is cheap but good? what chassis? what do i need in a helmet (a cirtain amount of protection, or just weight, or comfort :dunce fireproof suit? how many races should i attend before buying a kart to race myself?

Quote from logitekg25 :

and i cant really push myself so theres no practice without someone else there aswell

I don't bump start myself unless i spin, (which doesn't usually happen)
but i had a few go's while testing just to make sure i can.

It isn't too hard after some practice