Discussion
Had a poke around my ICC kart ( great bit of kit ) in the garage today and it brought back some great memories ( even the near death ones ) i'm pondering if i should take this thing
out again or stick to race cars, as much as i love the dam contraptions.. i'm thinking one had a great time but don't want to push my luck now i'm a little older.
Anyone here drive these things?..
S
out again or stick to race cars, as much as i love the dam contraptions.. i'm thinking one had a great time but don't want to push my luck now i'm a little older.
Anyone here drive these things?..
S
Edited by superkartracer on Thursday 1st April 21:53
i've got a gearbox kart i share with a friend, we take out for test days and that is enough for me but I can see why you would get the itch to race one again. When you get out of a gearbox kart, cars seem slow and unexiting and also physically easy in comparison!
Best kept "secret" in motorsport
Best kept "secret" in motorsport
Just remember that as you get older you tend to break more and bounce less.
Personally whilst there is nothing for the money to match the speed of a Superkart they are the one form of motorised transport that requires an even bigger lack of imagination than racing a superbike, naked, with no front brake, a sticking throttle and 6" spikes on the fuel tank
Personally whilst there is nothing for the money to match the speed of a Superkart they are the one form of motorised transport that requires an even bigger lack of imagination than racing a superbike, naked, with no front brake, a sticking throttle and 6" spikes on the fuel tank
Rude-boy said:
Just remember that as you get older you tend to break more and bounce less.
Personally whilst there is nothing for the money to match the speed of a Superkart they are the one form of motorised transport that requires an even bigger lack of imagination than racing a superbike, naked, with no front brake, a sticking throttle and 6" spikes on the fuel tank
I still think bike racers are nuttier than karters - after all some of them race superkarts when they retire from bikes.Personally whilst there is nothing for the money to match the speed of a Superkart they are the one form of motorised transport that requires an even bigger lack of imagination than racing a superbike, naked, with no front brake, a sticking throttle and 6" spikes on the fuel tank
I retired from superkart racing a couple of years ago now (aged 50) and now have a trackday dc2. Doubt if anything will ever come near to the buzz of doing F3 times 1/2 off the floor with only a crash helmet and a tight seat! Had a few near death moments myself and know of few severely injured and even worse (and very small community of racers)
Not sure if OP was considering racing but to be competitive on long circuits is not cheap, Karts are so highly tuned and temperamental they need lots of time, attention and £s. (as does most forms of motorsport)
Short circuits can be cheaper but very demanding on the older driver like myself :-)
Trackdays are almost non existent and happen no more than a few times a year.
All that said I miss it like mad sometimes but have resisted the temptation to return so far!
A few years ago a couple of us tried to introduce an un-tuned class (cheaper and less demanding technically)but this was resisted by the top drivers and the organisers as they felt it lowered standards in some way.
Sorry I've waffled on........ I think the OP should stick to cars but give the kart a good checkover and lookout for one of the rare trackdays or a practise short circuit day (usually on a Sat before racing Sunday)and then make his mind up after that
good luck whatever you decide ;-)
Not sure if OP was considering racing but to be competitive on long circuits is not cheap, Karts are so highly tuned and temperamental they need lots of time, attention and £s. (as does most forms of motorsport)
Short circuits can be cheaper but very demanding on the older driver like myself :-)
Trackdays are almost non existent and happen no more than a few times a year.
All that said I miss it like mad sometimes but have resisted the temptation to return so far!
A few years ago a couple of us tried to introduce an un-tuned class (cheaper and less demanding technically)but this was resisted by the top drivers and the organisers as they felt it lowered standards in some way.
Sorry I've waffled on........ I think the OP should stick to cars but give the kart a good checkover and lookout for one of the rare trackdays or a practise short circuit day (usually on a Sat before racing Sunday)and then make his mind up after that
good luck whatever you decide ;-)
Lots of lap time comparisons going on here. Are these the karts we're talking about?
http://www.superkart.org.uk/downloads/LAP%20RECORD...
Most of the records from the fastest class are about ten seconds a lap slower than F3.
http://www.superkart.org.uk/downloads/LAP%20RECORD...
Most of the records from the fastest class are about ten seconds a lap slower than F3.
on average you are probably right but probably depends on circuit.
for example Oulton Karts 1m 20secs - F3 1min 29 secs ( 9 sec slower)
however Snetterton Karts 1min 05sec - F3 1min 0 secs (5 secs faster)
not sure if they go to Cadwell but doubt (could be wrong) that an F3 would lap quicker than 1min 22secs
either way still £ for £ good fun and damn quick - I don't suppose many people just happen to have an F3 just sitting around in their garage
for example Oulton Karts 1m 20secs - F3 1min 29 secs ( 9 sec slower)
however Snetterton Karts 1min 05sec - F3 1min 0 secs (5 secs faster)
not sure if they go to Cadwell but doubt (could be wrong) that an F3 would lap quicker than 1min 22secs
either way still £ for £ good fun and damn quick - I don't suppose many people just happen to have an F3 just sitting around in their garage
You're looking at the different layouts for Oulton ;-) Your F3 time is for the full circuit, and your kart time is for the Island circuit. Around the full circuit, F3 cars are nine seconds quicker (1:38.7 vs 1:29.5). Around Donny Nat it's 5 seconds difference. In reality Superkart Div1 times seem to be somewhere between Formula Ford and Formula Renault. I think these things get exagerated by word of mouth :-) (see above for tales of a rumour they're not far off F1 around Brands GP... Actually on the Indy circuit they're only a second up on Formula Ford.).
Not that I'm knocking them! I race an old Formula Renault and there's no way on this earth I'd want to be doing those times not strapped in without any rollover protection.
Not that I'm knocking them! I race an old Formula Renault and there's no way on this earth I'd want to be doing those times not strapped in without any rollover protection.
Edited by RobM77 on Friday 23 April 22:34
This is super karts around the isle of man TT course, completely mental!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf3cJRkeEqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf3cJRkeEqE
i wonder if my recollection of the top superkart lap times at Brands being up there with F3 cars is flawed?
The top category then was 250E International, but i've no idea what that actually meant
, nor how that translates to todays top spec machines. It was the days of the Martin Hines/Zipkart era, when Zipkart conquered all. My recollection is also that those karts had a top whack of about 160mph.
We used to see them at Cadwell, and they were certainly a stirring sight, they were bloody quick. Long circuit karting was very popular back then, but i think the sport went through a demise, possibly due to the sheer cost of the machines.
I seem to recall there was a car journalist racing at the time too, a black chap, he used to have a very striking helmet design. Can't remember his name though - Ryan ???
People might recall that Martin Hynes was asked to test a McLaren formula 1 car, back when they had the ugly car that Mansell couldn't fit in? I don't think Hynes had much car experience though...
The top category then was 250E International, but i've no idea what that actually meant
, nor how that translates to todays top spec machines. It was the days of the Martin Hines/Zipkart era, when Zipkart conquered all. My recollection is also that those karts had a top whack of about 160mph. We used to see them at Cadwell, and they were certainly a stirring sight, they were bloody quick. Long circuit karting was very popular back then, but i think the sport went through a demise, possibly due to the sheer cost of the machines.
I seem to recall there was a car journalist racing at the time too, a black chap, he used to have a very striking helmet design. Can't remember his name though - Ryan ???
People might recall that Martin Hynes was asked to test a McLaren formula 1 car, back when they had the ugly car that Mansell couldn't fit in? I don't think Hynes had much car experience though...
heebeegeetee said:
People might recall that Martin Hynes was asked to test a McLaren formula 1 car, back when they had the ugly car that Mansell couldn't fit in? I don't think Hynes had much car experience though...
I think he did some straight line aero running for them when they didn't have anyone else available.Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff