Karting

Karting is AWESOME.

Don't get a Rotax. Don't get a shifter for your first kart.

Start with a Yamaha KT100 pipe, direct-drive. Once you can drive that well and keep up with the work, call Jim Russell at Russell Karting in Missouri and buy a Parilla SudAM.

Direct drive 125. Best money you'll ever spend on motorsports.

I raced them for three years and am coming back next season.

In reply to chaparral:

I wasn't aware that some karts were direct drive. I though they all used centrifugal clutches, other than the shifters of course. So do you push start them and then have rolling starts like Sprint Cars?

In reply to Graefin10:

80% of all American karts use centrifugal clutches. About 19% are shifters, and about 1% are direct drive.

They shouldn't. The driver can rely on the clutch as a crutch to save a bad corner, if you stall you can't get restarted on your own, they're expensive, and they're tunable so you need to tune them. Rolling starts are used in most non-shifter classes.

bmw88rider wrote: Where do you get parts for the old carts? I have what I think is an old Dart Kart from 63-65 time frame and I can't find wheels and the bearings for it. It was my best friend's dad's cart. I have the whole kart all ready to assemble with a 9 HP subaru motor but no wheels.

chaparral mentioned Russell, Comet kart sales was run by the Dismores if i recall. Try any kart shop and they may be able to help.

In reply to TRoglodyte:

Russell, Comet, and Prospeed. Between them will they have everything that's available through normal commercial channels or a phone number for somebody who does. If not, send Margay a drawing and it might be a custom modification to something they make.

In reply to bmw88rider:

There are plenty of sources for parts-American Power Sports. Also go to the Vintage Karting Association and Vintage Karting websites and the are plenty of resources availed, and people to help. Chen Shin? Are cheap tires that look like vintage, and can be treated with softener to get more bite. c

In reply to Graefin10:

Most all karts use clutches now. Direct drive is a pain. Because of their high compression, we use external electric starters for most classes.

The shifters are usually started with a strap around the right rear tire while they are on the stand. Once started, they are shifted to neutral,and put on the ground.

Most sprint classes start with a rolling start, except the suffers, who grid up and start from a dead start.

Shifters and direct drive karts,can be push started, by human power. Seeing old people in the heat of the day trying to push start a flooded shifter or vintage kart is not a pretty site..

Shifters and direct drive karts,can be push started, by human power. Seeing old people in the heat of the day trying to push start a flooded shifter or vintage kart is not a pretty site..

It never is.

In the autocross world, starting on the stand is only for warmups, We push start each other before each run. Some people will push start themselves. Stick it in 2nd, pull clutch, push, pop clutch, wait for the motor to catch, and hop on. I've done it a couple times, but I'm not very good at it. Easy to let the kart drive away from you.

In reply to tpwalsh:

Driver stands to the left of the kart, pushes on the top of the steering wheel. Mechanic lifts up on the right side of the bumper. On cue, both run down the pitlane, and then on cue the driver jumps in and floors it as the mechanic switches to pushing on the driver's back. Should start within 40 yards.

In reply to chaparral:

SHOULD start are the operative words here

Fuel, air, spark, compression, timing.

chaparral wrote: Fuel, air, spark, compression, timing.

Easy to get so much fuel you lose the spark.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/open-classifieds/fs-3-coyote-karts-5-briggs-engines/75909/page1/ I am selling a whole kart operation

Chipperb- I admire you motivation and dedication to spreading the goods of kart racing!

I'm not sure you could do much for me up here in MI though. I've been doing some reading and posting on other sites to figure the sport out. It almost has its own language.

The advice I got as a new guy was to go with a kt100 engine, and that was about it. I still don't know how to pick out a chassis other than names like Birell and Margay. But which ones are for kids and which ones are for adults? And which ones are meant for sprint racing?

Bri

paranoid_android74 wrote: Chipperb- I admire you motivation and dedication to spreading the goods of kart racing! I'm not sure you could do much for me up here in MI though. I've been doing some reading and posting on other sites to figure the sport out. It almost has its own language. The advice I got as a new guy was to go with a kt100 engine, and that was about it. I still don't know how to pick out a chassis other than names like Birell and Margay. But which ones are for kids and which ones are for adults? And which ones are meant for sprint racing? Bri

I would advise to go to the track and absorb and learn, having said that I have a whole operation that I am selling that has karts that would work for adults and kids, please see above.

The easiest way to tell the difference between a adult and a junior chassis is to look at the size of the tubing and the rear axel. If you are looking at a Birel, Margay, or Coyote they have Id's that can tell you all that information. Having said that I am heavier and I have used junior chassis because I weigh more, and usually change the axel for stiffness. If you are looking at a junior chassis the tubing for a Euro kart is 28mm and less, adult kart it is 30mm and more. The application also plays a factor, if you run shifter karts you may want to run a 32mm chassis with a 50mm chassis because you want it to be stiffer. For 4 cycle you may want a chassis that is not as stiff depending on your weight and driving style and you may go with a 30mm chassis with 40mm axel.

paranoid_android74 wrote: Chipperb- I admire you motivation and dedication to spreading the goods of kart racing! I'm not sure you could do much for me up here in MI though. I've been doing some reading and posting on other sites to figure the sport out. It almost has its own language. The advice I got as a new guy was to go with a kt100 engine, and that was about it. I still don't know how to pick out a chassis other than names like Birell and Margay. But which ones are for kids and which ones are for adults? And which ones are meant for sprint racing? Bri

I'm in southeast Michigan and got in to karting two years ago. Anything I can do to assist - let me know - I would be happy to try. When the winter snows thaw, if you can make it out to East Lansing Kart Track, I'd be happy to let you take my kart for a spin.

I know what you mean about the language. It can be very confusing at first. And coming from cars - the setup and even the driving to some extent are completely different. And like everything else - no matter what you do - you can find someone on the internet who will tell you you're right, and someone to tell you you're wrong.

Many people urged me to start small, and buy a nice, simple, used KT100. I found a guy who was selling a complete TaG setup. I jumped in with both feet and haven't looked back. I didn't die. It wasn't that difficult. I took it slow and easy, asked lots of questions, and stayed in the back until my laps times were competitive.

The important thing is to find a class that is supported at your local track, and find equipment for that class that meets your financial budget. TaG, KT100, Clones - they're all more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.

In reply to paranoid_android74:

I live in Troy.

The three tracks you're most likely to run at are Michiana, East Lansing, and Point Pelee (Ont.).

The class you choose will depend on budget and track. If you don't have $5000 to spend on a long season's racing, I don't recommend a TaG or Rotax. The KT100 has been around longer than I have and its foibles are well-understood. The cheapest engines to race are the little Briggs 206 and the "Clone" - they are fun at East Lansing but I'm not sure about what they'd be like on a longer track.

Adult karts have a wheelbase of 1040 mm (41"). I've significantly simplified my chassis recommendations. Buy a Margay made after 2002. They are at least as good as any other kart, they are made in St. Louis, and both the karts and the parts enjoy a significant price advantage over the imported competition.

I really should stop checking this thread.

In reply to Lancer007:

A 90% off coupon for wheel-to-wheel racing with real open-wheelers is something you need to ignore?

In reply to chaparral:

At the moment yes, I need another expensive hobby like I need a hole in my head lol. Plus after SWMBO gets her PharmD next spring much money will need to be repayed so we are trying to plan for that as best we can. /thread jack

In reply to paranoid_android74:

Go to you local track and learn. Like all motorsports, there is a lot to learn but other racers are more than willing to help.

See what engines and chassis they are running. A Yamaha is a good entry level performance engine. Also 4 stroke wise Briggs and Stratton has a performance division, really, devoted to kart engines. Also clone engines are a good alternative at a lot of tracks. These are clones of OHV Honda engines. You can run these spec 4strokes a season just changing oils and valve springs x 2 at $8 each for the performance ones.

You can get a basic, complete kart for $1000, run it a season, and get you mony back and move up or out. c

This series of articles were useful to me when I was researching getting started:

Autoblog Intro to Karting Series

Adding to what chaparral said, there is also Jackson Speedway, and there's a rumor that Palmyra Speedway is going to reopen this year. You'll visit a few tracks and find one that suits you. This website is good for finding tracks, although it's a bit outdated, and some of the links are dead: Michigan Kart Tracks

For a chassis - if you're going to go used (and really, when you're starting out, I think that's a solid option), go with something made within the last 5 years or so. See what chassis others are running, as being able to ask for advice and tuning info will be helpful when you're learning. Also going with something that your favorite kart shop supports is critical, be that the local shop or your favorite internet warehouse.

A rookie in your place wrote this introduction to karting:

http://www.eknclassic.com/viewtopic.php?t=69643&highlight=rookie%5C%27s+tale%5C%22

I looked up the Point Pelee karting website because it was closest to me. And got this..

http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=http://www.pointpeleekarting.com/PPKC/&hl=en

I also got it last time I searched it about a year ago... Is it ok or a false positive?

Box_of_rocks and Chapparal- thank you for the input and very kind offers!

I've spent hours reading about this stuff. I think a visit to the track in the spring is in order so I can actually see examples of what I have been reading about.

Box_of_Rocks wrote:

paranoid_android74 wrote: Chipperb- I admire you motivation and dedication to spreading the goods of kart racing! I'm not sure you could do much for me up here in MI though. I've been doing some reading and posting on other sites to figure the sport out. It almost has its own language. The advice I got as a new guy was to go with a kt100 engine, and that was about it. I still don't know how to pick out a chassis other than names like Birell and Margay. But which ones are for kids and which ones are for adults? And which ones are meant for sprint racing? Bri

I'm in southeast Michigan and got in to karting two years ago. Anything I can do to assist - let me know - I would be happy to try. When the winter snows thaw, if you can make it out to East Lansing Kart Track, I'd be happy to let you take my kart for a spin. I know what you mean about the language. It can be very confusing at first. And coming from cars - the setup and even the driving to some extent are completely different. And like everything else - no matter what you do - you can find someone on the internet who will tell you you're right, and someone to tell you you're wrong. Many people urged me to start small, and buy a nice, simple, used KT100. I found a guy who was selling a complete TaG setup. I jumped in with both feet and haven't looked back. I didn't die. It wasn't that difficult. I took it slow and easy, asked lots of questions, and stayed in the back until my laps times were competitive. The important thing is to find a class that is supported at your local track, and find equipment for that class that meets your financial budget. TaG, KT100, Clones - they're all more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.