The lighter you are the better. I'm now getting too fat to do well anymore. Go on a diet is my tip (unless you only weigh bugger all....then apologies you would be light enough already) Another tip is to go flat out as much as you can.
Tim

 

Going karting next weekend for the first time. I'm up against a porsche and an rs driver, amongst others, so need to put on a good showing. Any tips on driving karts is therefore much appreciated. Pumpers.

 

Slow In, Fast Out.

At least thats what my girlfriend says.

She was usually quicker than me, so she thought anyway. I Put it down to the weight advantage.

You didn't say wether you were racing outdoors or not - Outdoors is much more fun

I assume they're pro-karts. The thing is to keep up the momentum. These lawnmowers don't have a huge amount of HP so the tricks is to keep them moving and not scrub off speed by throwing them around.

Hope it helps.

 

Don't be too cautious! Even though theres no real chance of hurting anything, I always start slow on the first couple of races... theres really no need to do this, so don't be overcautious.

And HAVE FUN... that's all it's about!

Moray

 

* There's normally two pedals, the brake and the loud pedal. Make sure your foot is well of the brake when your accelerating and well off the loud pedal when your braking.

* Turn later than you would normally do in a car. You'll get the hang of it after a lap or two. They stick like glue up to a point, and then they'll just let go.

* Sit right back in the seat. Don't hunch over the steering wheel, as you'll take the wait off the back wheels, and likley spin on the corners.

* To get a good start, bounce up and down in the seat for the first 10 yards or so. You'll look silly but it gets the wheels moving. You can also do the same out of a corner, if you find yourself stalled due to taking the corner badly.

* Go the long way around the corners to keep the speed up. Exception to this is if there is lots or room, in which case cut the corner and exit wide. You'll cut the guy up in front, which'll mean he'll break and you'll still have enough speed to exit in front. Remember - if he hits you then its his fault, even if you've just cut him up.

* Practice braking as late as possible, but make sure the kart is balanced as you go in to a corner. That is, the wait is not off the back wheels.

* Try not to brake and turn at the same time - its generally bad, especially in a kart, as you'll lose the back end.

* If you're up for a final, try not to get the spare car that may come on to make up the numbers. It'll have cold tyres, which will mean your race is basically over.

* Most overtaking manouvers happen on the bends. Usually by braking late or taking the racing line.

* Most of all the key thing is to keep your speed up. This means slow in fast out. Fast in slow out means you'll be all over the place round the bend and have no speed for the straight section after the bend.

* Most karts are wider at the back than the front, so watch it when you're hugging those shallow corners.

* Use the straights to line up for the next corner, not for relaxing.

* Don't worry about what's behind you, just concentrate. There's nothing you can do anyway, whether he's 5 foot or 5 inches behind you. Just keep on the racing line.

Hope that helps

James

 

Tim,

Must agree. Kids or anarexics are ideal kart drivers. Me, I'm no lightweight and have the same effect when karting as towing a caravan.

Ken

 

Nice one. You'll enjoy it for sure.
I've only been twice ages ago.

I did not too bad

The main reason was not only my weight (maybe 73Kg at the time) but _Fitness_. It really helped me towards the end of the night. You need a very good all round fitness to stay quick. I had sweated a bit by the end and a lot of the other guys had sweated buckets! Now I'm a fat barsteward!

Get out on your bike or whatever if you've got time. Also, try and build up your back muscles ('lats' I think are the ones youre after).

It makes a big difference!

 

As someone that suffers from a bad power to weight ratio I recommend not even trying to win the race but to win the prize for the best and most lurid sideways. Its not the quickest but it is the most fun.

This works best on bends at the end of long fast sections, do not back off for your mother and chuck it in. At the end of the day you can drive like a nancy and win the race or impress your friends and wax lyrical in the pub afterwards about some of the angles you got the car at without spinning.

 

Some more tips:

You have a solid rear axle, so expect lots of tyre squeal when cornering properly. A little bit of slip at the back seems to help.

Slide the kart a lot on the first lap to heat up the tyres.

Centrifugal clutches & small engines make for a slow getaway, so keep your speed up.

Don't drive too close to the outer wall, you might clip it with the (wider) rear end.

If someone is about to hit you from behind, tap the brakes, it steadies your kart and stops you being punted into the tyres.

Defend the inside of a corner with your kart and kick the tail out with the throttle if they switch to the outside.

Being fat & heavy can be an advantage on outdoor tracks with lots of high-speed corners (hence acceleration is less important). Extra weight helps high speed cornering & stability, particularly useful if that annoying eight year-old is about to overtake you on the outside of a bend again.

Above all, have fun & don't take it too seriously!!

 

Some hints on this url maybe useful