Go Karting, Young Man!
Submitted by SharpMan Editorial Team on Sunday 10th October 2010- How to learn the basics of kart racing.
- Where to go for top instruction.
- How to progress and get really fast.
Go karts. Say it with me: go karts. OK, now picture a go kart. I’m guessing that what springs to your mind is the ultra-slow kind that’s just to the left of the mini-golf course.
Well, guess again, Poindexter.
The truth be told, there are racing karts that are capable of going from zero to 60 miles per hour as quickly as any Porsche on the road. And when you’re going that fast with your butt about two inches off the ground, things happen in a pretty big hurry. It’s no coincidence that the majority of Grand Prix Formula One drivers and a fair number of those racing in ChampCars in America all started their careers by racing karts.
Now, not only are these things as much fun as you can have with a crash helmet on, they’re also the best way to learn how to race anything with four wheels across any kind of paved surface. Trust someone who’s had all sorts of instruction: the skills you learn while racing a kart will better prepare you for any kind of high-speed driving down the line.
Step One: Put Your Right Foot Down
The first order of business is to become accustomed to driving a kart. After all, these things don’t handle like your everyday car because, well, there’s no suspension whatsoever. This affects how you prepare for going around corners. And it also affects how many bruises you acquire if you hit the trackside curbs with too much aggression.
For this crucial stage, I called on the Jim Hall II Kart Racing School in Ventura, California, the most venerable kart racing program in the business. Since 1982, more than 25,000 students have taken a class or two, including big-time celebrities like David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld and notable pro racers such as Brian Herta and Kyle Petty.
For the introductory course, Day 1A, the eight students gathered at the school’s own track by the ocean on a cool Saturday morning. (The track is a technical one, with two different configurations and a host of challenging turns.) The session was structured and well-organized right from the start. First of all, chief instructor Eric Campbell gave a thorough talk on safety and track procedures, then went over a map of the circuit with the racing line, braking and acceleration points noted.
We were then introduced to the school sprint kart, an Emmick Cobra chassis powered by a 100-cc Yamaha engine. These little demons are capable of hitting 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, topping out at about 80 mph and generating about 1.3 g’s in lateral force. (That’s the pressure that makes your face go all squishy as you negotiate a turn.)
The initial driving session consisted of 10 laps to get familiar with the karts and the track. The karts took a little while to get warmed up, as did the tires. But once everything was warm and cozy, the Cobras had plenty of bite, so to speak. First impressions? These things were a load of fun and so was the track.
After receiving more detailed information about the proper racing line (the fastest way around the track), the rubber really hit the road — and the stopwatches came out. Thirteen laps, trying again for speed and consistency, but mostly speed because, as we all know, there’s pride at stake. This session went smoothly and quickly: no spins, no arm fatigue, no problemo. In the final analysis, I emerged with the fastest lap, ego still intact.
For more information on the Jim Hall II Kart Racing School and their sprint kart and shifter kart training programs, call (805) 654-1329 or visit the school Web site: www.jhrkartracing.com.
Step Two: Give Me the Gears
You’d think that a 100-cc sprint kart that’s capable of going from zero to 60 mph in just over 6.5 seconds would be fast enough. At least, that’s what I thought…until I got behind the wheel of a 125-cc shifter kart.
Having lived through the sprint kart experience, I thought I was ready for what the mythical "shifters" had to offer. In a word, I was wrong. For although a quick sprint kart can register lap times close to those of a shifter on a tight track, the latter takes far more concentration, skill and athleticism to drive at the limit.
For my trial by fire, I contacted Rudy Courtade and Ryan Negri, partners of Kart Racing Company (KRC) of Glendale, California. The course took place at the Adams kart track in Riverside, which, I later learned, is considered one of the most challenging circuits in the Golden State.
After getting suited up, Ryan showed us the karts themselves: a Red Baron chassis filled with the 40-horsepower Kawasaki KX125 engine. Everything on the karts absolutely gleamed: the shifter, the four disc brakes, the pipes…everything.
The first driving exercise led us through the basics of the shifter kart: how to bump start, how to shift, when to shift — everything needed to get the thing moving. Once underway, we were led through a shifting exercise. Initially, it took a while to get used to not hitting the brake when upshifting — after all, it’s a brake, not a clutch. And it took some time to sense when the engine stopped pulling and started screaming for the next gear.
After that, we took part in an intense braking drill that started generating some serious g-forces. Coming down the long straight, we were to look for a single cone: the braking point. At that point, we had to hammer on the brakes and downshift three times to prepare for the banked turn.
The first few runs were simple and smooth… until the cones were moved progressively closer to the turn. By the final run, the cone seemed impossibly late in the game. But I waited, braked like a demon, downshifted like a madman and barely kept the kart on the tarmac.
Once these basic skills were (relatively) mastered, the boys at KRC let us loose on the full track: a 1.1-km circuit featuring two banked turns, one long straight and plenty of uneven pavement.
After about 10 laps, despite being wedged into the seat, my ribs were sore. I took on additional protection and went back out. Another 10 laps and my arms were worn out. By the end of another session, a smile was stamped on my face, but I was ready for the masseuse.
For more information on the KRC kart racing school, call (818) 507-1436.
Step Three: Charts and Graphs
The final stage in my learning curve was to spend more time with the illustrious shifter and its faithful sidekick, the data acquisition computer.
Now, anyone who knows racing also knows that when a race or a qualifying lap doesn’t go well, drivers are quick to point the finger at the car, the track, the weather, acts of God — really, anything except the driver.
With a data acquisition computer feeding the crew information about every single turn of every single lap, there’s never any doubt as to what or, more precisely, who is at fault when things don’t go according to plan.
For this experience in ego bashing, I journeyed to Phoenix, Arizona to visit the Bondurant SuperKart School. The name Bob Bondurant is a familiar one: The former racer has driving schools spread across America. (Bondurant decided to open a shifter kart school when he learned that three-time World Drivers Champion Michael Schumacher still raced shifters in the off-season to stay Sharp.)
Located at Firebird International Raceway just north of Phoenix, the Bondurant advanced shifter kart course is not for the faint of heart. First of all, it’s a full day behind the wheel — enough to tax the most physically fit campaigner.
One-on-one instruction is courtesy of Alan Rudolph, an experienced shifter racer and winner of the 1998 World Karting Association Grand National Championship. Alan ran me through some exercises to get reacquainted with the performance of the kart: acceleration, braking, shifting, cornering.
Once warmed up, we got into a follow-the-leader exercise in which I followed Alan around the track, watching his line closely. Then, we switched and he followed me, watching the way I negotiated the track. The key, he later said, was to master the track one corner at a time.
The session was very well organized. After about 10 to 15 laps on the track, it was back to the pits to look at the data. It’s strange the way you can think you’re going fast, but when you look at the lap times and the cornering speed and the braking force, you’re not really going as fast as you could be.
That, my friends, is the toughest part of getting involved with data acquisition. It’s all about becoming smooth and quick. Then, it’s all about using the computer to become smoother and quicker. Then, it’s all about racing against an experienced instructor and getting the computer to print out charts comparing the two of you.
By the end of the day, I could barely hang on to the wheel and I was becoming fearful that my weariness would force a big accident. I called it quits, humbled by the fact that Alan was way ahead of me in every aspect of the game. Still, it did give me something to shoot for the next time I get behind the wheel.
This article last updated on Sunday 10th October 2010