Ready to Kart

[Giblet]

I have been wanting to get into karting for a long time, but always assumed I needed my own kart.

I found this deal at my local track, which has a bride and many call a mini Suzuka.

Please let me know what you think of this deal, and the karts they provide.

http://racingleague.erbsvillekartway.co ... &Itemid=62

[ISLAMATRON]

what does the $100 membership get you?

so its basically $50 for 1 day of racing... up to 3 hours of track time?

plus you MUST get their neck support and license for another $50?

so you gotta pay $200 before you step in the cart for the first time?

how much do one of those CRG F1-K karts cost used?

[Moanlower]

4-stroke karts of how many cc? 200 probably. Most of the 4-stroke karts drive like lawnmowers.

[ISLAMATRON]

http://london.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles ... Z182713151

[ISLAMATRON]

Guess you gotta think about INDOOR track rental and stuff too since Canada is basically hell frozen over... down here I can go to the local park(very early morning) and run the kart for hours before anyone kicks me out.

[Giblet]

4-stroke karts of how many cc? 200 probably. Most of the 4-stroke karts drive like lawnmowers.

I'm currently racing in iRacing, in a Pontiac Solstice. It's not real, but it is a momentum car. You hear your tires entering a corer, your likely slow. I think slower momentum based cars are harder to be competitive in, as there is far less room for error. No power to hide mistakes in corners.

Regardless, this is my first foray into "real" racing, other then lame rental karts at mini golf style places.

Part of the reason I am so excited is I think I have a knack. I had the track record holder for (the real) Road America riding in my Solstice with me yesterday, and he could not believe the times I was getting. I was over 3 seconds a lap faster, but he was just braking too much as if he was still driving his Noble. He's used to the 600+ hp cars, not the 177hp that can't rub the tires shifting into 3rd.

All that said, I have the bug, but not the money or transportation to own a kart and trek it back and forth right now.

This is something I can afford, but is it just a ripoff?

I just want to race some guys in like equipment and beat most if not all of them.

Or get humbled and go back to iRacing.

[Giblet]

Guess you gotta think about INDOOR track rental and stuff too since Canada is basically hell frozen over... down here I can go to the local park(very early morning) and run the kart for hours before anyone kicks me out.

Islam you need to check out the west coast sometime. Only snow is on top of the mountains. You were in Winterpeg. Ouch.

I am talking about the spring summer fall time when there is no snow on the track

[ISLAMATRON]

Toronto is almost as far south as Canada goes... and as far North As I will ever... well Montreal for the race maybe.

still HEll FROZEN OVER

I'll stay in Miami and or the carribean

[twostring]

So if I read this correctly, after the reg fees you're still paying $50 every session on top of everything else. If that's correct, it would all come down to how much you expect to race. Our local track is about $300 a year, unlimited testing (no limit on track time and you don't have to book sessions...you could run at 3AM if you felt like it). If you plan on attending each bi-weekly event, I'd would think it would be cheaper to look into just buying a kart. I race TAG in Houston and found a spotless 1 year old CRG RR with a PRD Fireball engine for $2000. I don't know about the kart scene where you are, but I know there are a tons of clubs and tracks just on the other side of the lakes from you (Michigan, Ohio, Indy, etc).

I'd go and check out the community at the track. Our club track here has hundreds of very generous racers that just want to see full grids and good competition. These guys toss out advice, assistance and spare parts just to make sure everyone has a good time and gets to the grid. If you've got the same thing going there, hang out with some of the groups there and pick their brains and poke around to see if anyone has anything they want to get rid of. Most of these guys have enough spare parts to build 20 additional karts if they ever combined their resources, and there are usually a few that have older karts just sitting in their garage that they'd be willing to sell for a decent price.

Also, ask around on the ekartingnews forums. There's a very good community established there and you might find someone that races at Erbsville that wouldn't mind giving you advice and they might just let you take their kart out for a few practice laps.

[Giblet]

Yes, but the Rocky Mountains act as a barrier, keeping winter in, and the mild ocean temps out. The fact they are more northern has nothing to do with the fact was 11 degrees celcius in late January.

In July, I was swimming in the Pacific ocean, getting sun on the beach, in the AM, and by 2pm, we were on top of Whistler mountain snowboarding in our shorts.

This is not the Canada you got to experience, which is a shame.

There is a reason why the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are joking referred to as the first ever Spring Olympiad.

If I could live and race in Miami, cool, but I can't.

[Giblet]

Thanks twostring, I'll start extending my feelers on karting forums like you suggest.

For something I would want to do every weekend likely, sounds like it might be cheaper to get my own kart in the long term.

[avatar]

http://london.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles ... Z182713151

If the Karts have the same engine as on that link (5.5hp), they may be a bit on the slow side. But it's somewhere to start.

I've done a few ProKart enduro's (corporate event with a haulage co.) at the local track - 11hp twin-engined which can hit 60MPH on the straight (so I'm told - no speedo).
These ones aren't bad, until you try one of the more serious machines, then you know what people are talking about when they tell you it's slow.

Having helped out as a mechanic at a few events, I have been privileged enough to try out (no, not race) a TKM (years back) and a Rotax Max. Both were amazing (even though I kept locking the brakes - v.sharp) but I'm not too sure many people rent them out except for a drive package for a competitive season (not cheap). Something to aspire to though!

My local track (Clay Pigeon - S.West UK) does arrive & drive for £50 for an hour session all in (using an 11hp ProKart). So track time's cheaper for you, but there is that initial fee...
http://www.claypigeonraceway.com/index. ... ddrive.php

[twostring]

The kart that ISLAMATRON posted seems more like a kid-kart (or cadet class). The 125cc 2-stroke motors we run in the seniors group have a little more juice.

PRD Fireball - 28.5 hp/15580 rpm - $1500-$1700
IAME Leopard - 27 hp / 11500 rpm - $2000-$2600
ROTAX MAX - 28 hp / 11,500 rpm - $3000-$3200
(prices for new motor packages, depending on source)

Depending on gearing, we usually hit around 65-75mph by the end of our 780' straight, but the rest track runs much slower as it's rather short with lots of tight turns. There are larger road race courses where the karts run full out at 80 or so, and the 125cc shifters go much faster. The 250cc superkarts are monsters on those courses. There's a video somewhere on youtube of the superkarts running at Isle Of Man that's just insane. Link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf3cJRkeEqE

(Sorry to jump off subject and mob this thread, but I'm getting excited about the race season starting. Race cars are back on the track and all is right in my world).

[ISLAMATRON]

I just did a quick google of CRG F1-K

Me? I'd go with the rotory poaward one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKayagHUCw8&feature=fvw

[twostring]

Or the Gixxer powered one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbZt9-xtuU

EDIT: for those interested, some of the most insane engineering I've seen applied to karts. http://www.epicincorporated.com/Default ... AlbumKey=1