Karting. Tips needed.

[Ramses]

Karting supremos.....I'm going Karting next week at three sisters, outdoor, 1km track, 70mph karts. 2 hour endurance, teams of 3.

I've karted a few times, including at 3 sisters. I've also competed in Motorsports 750MC/Caterham/etc - but always keen to understand tricks with Karting.

Trail Braking/Lean out on cornering/Leaning back on braking/bounce on acceleration/..... anything else??

Thanks

[Merry]

Where to start! To be honest getting to know the track well will gain you the most time, its all about maintaining the momentum in the karts we have.

I'm actually the karting manager at the Three Sisters and we do have a few guys who are professional karters and will be happy to give you any tips or advice. Just ask!

See you next week!

[drakart]

Sounds like you have hit the jackpot!!

[slipstream 1985]

Ramses said:

Karting supremos.....I'm going Karting next week at three sisters, outdoor, 1km track, 70mph karts. 2 hour endurance, teams of 3.

I've karted a few times, including at 3 sisters. I've also competed in Motorsports 750MC/Caterham/etc - but always keen to understand tricks with Karting.

Trail Braking/Lean out on cornering/Leaning back on braking/bounce on acceleration/..... anything else??

Thanks

for endurance id forget about bouncing out the corners you'll knacker yourself.

tip for 3 sisters slipstream slipstream slipstream! the straight is awesome.

[GAjon]

If the forecast I look at is accurate a Woolie hat and a hot flask between stints would be a good plan.

[groomi]

Laxatives and starvation!

[PhillT]

Just try and keep it as smooth as possible and go as hard as you can on the brakes without locking up. Unless you've got plenty of practice time, too many tips will just melt the brain when you get in.
I'd focus on learning the optimum line around the track, carrying as much speed through the bends as possible and hanging onto the back of quicker drivers that pass me.

[refoman2]

Ramses said:

Karting supremos.....I'm going Karting next week at three sisters, outdoor, 1km track, 70mph karts. 2 hour endurance, teams of 3.

I've karted a few times, including at 3 sisters. I've also competed in Motorsports 750MC/Caterham/etc - but always keen to understand tricks with Karting.

Trail Braking/Lean out on cornering/Leaning back on braking/bounce on acceleration/..... anything else??

Thanks

wouldnt bother with any of the above as in leaning/bouncing etc,i karted on and off for nearly 20 years to super1 level and never felt the need to do any of the above!

trail braking,yes if its wet.

[Gruffy]

With a 2 hour race (especially if it's wet) the best tip is to keep it on the black stuff. You may gain a tenth or two per lap by charging constantly but I'd be any sort of spin will set you back 30 seconds or more. Look as far ahead as possible and anticipate the flow of traffic.

Failing that, focus your energies on the slower corners as that's where the most time is won/lost. Any other tips you might get are things that you really need to practice for hours to 'get'.

[davepoth]

Gruffy said:

With a 2 hour race (especially if it's wet) the best tip is to keep it on the black stuff. You may gain a tenth or two per lap by charging constantly but I'd be any sort of spin will set you back 30 seconds or more. Look as far ahead as possible and anticipate the flow of traffic.

Failing that, focus your energies on the slower corners as that's where the most time is won/lost. Any other tips you might get are things that you really need to practice for hours to 'get'.

Very much this - Most of the kart races I've ever won have been due to the person in front spinning.

[mollytherocker]

Best place for overtaking is the last tight corner.

Dummy to the inside, then move to the outside, brake and turn in late and do the undercut!

Great track!

MTR

[speedtwelve]

There's invariably total carnage at the first corner on the first lap. More important to try and avoid this on a sprint rather than an enduro, but not having to be pulled out of the tyres by marshalls in the first 30 secs can't be bad.

Remember it is completed laps that count, so as mentioned don't go for risky all-or-nothing overtakes as the kart in front may be about to pit. Play the long game and try and maintain a consistent pace. You obviously already know how to drive around a race circuit. Having done 750MC and the like you'll probably be faster than most of the other participants if it's an open arrive & drive event. If you have a no-hoper in the team perhaps restrict him to 5 mins while the other two of you finish the other 1hr55mins

Don't grip the wheel too tightly or your forearms may not last the distance.

[Cotty]

Ramses said:

2 hour endurance, teams of 3.

Check if you have to do a number of compulsory driver changes. Plan to do a driver change when you have to re-fuel.

Make sure the refueling bay is empty when you call your driver in, you don't want to wait behind another kart being fuled.

[Cotty]

groomi said:

Laxatives and starvation!

Depends on the track. I have been quicker than lighter guys in the past.

[slipstream 1985]

mollytherocker said:

Best place for overtaking is the last tight corner.

Dummy to the inside, then move to the outside, brake and turn in late and do the undercut!

Great track!

MTR

the hammerhead?? i think not. into the firt corner at the end of the stright is the easiest

[Alfanatic]

I had a partially wet race at Buckmore. I found terminal understeer if I tried to turn on the brakes or even just on a trailing throttle. Even smoothly rolling on to the throttle gave unbelievable amounts of understeer at practically crawling pace. Only cure I could come up with was great big dollops of throttle, applied with as little finesse as possible, and just try keep it pointing the right way while keeping the boot in. As soon as I lifted even slightly to get oversteer under control, the kart lapsed straight back into the understeer.... so I just had to ride it out and hope I didn't run out of lock.

I'm sure someone can come up with a better solution, perhaps I just wasn't trail braking properly or something, or perhaps not braking hard enough. Whatever, I wasn't threatening the fastest drivers in the wet so I certainly didn't have the best approach.

[PhillT]

Alfanatic said:

I had a partially wet race at Buckmore. I found terminal understeer if I tried to turn on the brakes or even just on a trailing throttle. Even smoothly rolling on to the throttle gave unbelievable amounts of understeer at practically crawling pace. Only cure I could come up with was great big dollops of throttle, applied with as little finesse as possible, and just try keep it pointing the right way while keeping the boot in. As soon as I lifted even slightly to get oversteer under control, the kart lapsed straight back into the understeer.... so I just had to ride it out and hope I didn't run out of lock.

I'm sure someone can come up with a better solution, perhaps I just wasn't trail braking properly or something, or perhaps not braking hard enough. Whatever, I wasn't threatening the fastest drivers in the wet so I certainly didn't have the best approach.

Wet races are AWESOME, especially if you're rather heavy like me. The extra weight forces the slick tyres through the surface water giving you better grip than the little whippersnappers. Take a completely different line to avoid the rubber laid down on the track, and use the brakes to push the karts weight to the front wheels when you turn in. It's basically a case of turning in early and trekking through understeer city before balancing the kart when it transitions to oversteer. It's less challenging physically, but you need to concentrate so much more. Love it.

[Cotty]

Alfanatic said:

I had a partially wet race at Buckmore. I found terminal understeer if I tried to turn on the brakes or even just on a trailing throttle. Even smoothly rolling on to the throttle gave unbelievable amounts of understeer at practically crawling pace. Only cure I could come up with was great big dollops of throttle, applied with as little finesse as possible

Yep that works for me. Lots of throttle in the wet and drive though it. It seems that karts want to go where you want it with more throttle than you think safe.

Took me a while to get the hang of it, but more throttle = more grip, it sounds wrong but it works (for me). The only exception was Clay Pigeon, they resurfaced some parts of the track and hitting the new surface on full throttle span the wheels. I found a lift and coast over it then reapply the throttle worked and was quicker than the people driving round the new bits of track.

[Mr Will]

Don't "fight" the wheel. Relax and guide the kart rather than man-handling it.

You will not be any slower at the start and will be faster at the end when others start to wear themselves out.

[Cotty]

Mr Will said:

Don't "fight" the wheel. Relax and guide the kart rather than man-handling it.

You will not be any slower at the start and will be faster at the end when others start to wear themselves out.

Good advice about relaxing. Its an endurance race not a sprint. Get comfortable and settle into a rythem. Get your lines sorted and follow a faster driver if passed.