Sunday, December 21, 2014

Tires - part 1



One of the most important components on a kart is the tire.  Tires impact the handling and the speed of the cart directly and need to be selected based on a variety of factors.  Most kart racers have a variety of tires to suit the elements on the day of racing because if you race go karts and want to win, understanding tires is one of the most important criteria for being successful.
 
Tread:
Slicks – These tires have absolutely no tread on them and are used for racing on a paved tracks.
Treaded tires – These tires resemble car tires with normal looking treads.  They do not grip the track as well as slicks, but provide a mechanism for water to be pushed away if you are on a wet surface.
Knobby or studded tires - These tires are used in off-road environments where the cart needs to handle well on very rough dirt and uneven surfaces because they grip better.

Sidewall:
Stiff – if you are racing on a paved track, you want stiff sidewalls to prevent the tire from bending when you corner.
Soft – if you are racing on very rough terrain, a softer sidewall will help provide some cushion and allow the tire to conform to the uneven racing surface providing more grip.

Size:
Some karts will use smaller tires up front to make it easier to steer.  The diameters are the same, but the widths are typically different.    For racing on an oval track, tires are typically different sizes on left and right.

Tire pressure is extremely important.  Make sure all tires are properly inflated (within the manufacturer specified range) each time you go out.  Underinflated or overinflated tires will not wear as well so you will reduce the life of the tires.  Tires improperly inflated can also cause stability problems because they will not have the proper shape.  More about this next time.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

The Chassis - the Structure of the Kart




Every kart begins with a good chassis.  Kart chassis are made of steel tube and have no separate suspension system.  The chassis must be stiff enough to support the forces from the weight of the cart and the rider during turns, but still be flexible enough to work as a suspension, flexing and moving as the kart goes around the track. 

There are different kinds of chassis for the different kinds of racing.  An offset chassis is used for left-turn-only speedway racing so the driver sits on the left side of the kart. A straight chassis places the driver in the center and is used for sprint racing.  Caged karts have a roll cage surrounding the driver. These will be found at some indoor rental locations as well as dirt tracks. Open karts have no roll cage.

Some kart chassis will accommodate stiffening bars at the rear, front, and side so that the driver can alter the stiffness of the chassis. Adjusting the stiffness of the chassis provides different handling for different track conditions.  A more flexible chassis will perform better in wet conditions and a stiffer chassis is better for a dry track.  The side pod bars on the kart will have the biggest impact on the stiffness of the chassis so if you are looking to make big adjustments, go there first.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Racing - The Starting Line




There are many different racing disciplines including the Formula racing, Stock cars, Touring cars, Rallying, and Drag racing.  For many of those racing styles, kart racing is the first step on the career ladder. 

Karts are constructed with a small, flat chassis, relatively small wheels, a small two-cycle or four-cycle engine, and almost no body work.  There is a large rental market of indoor and outdoor tracks for drivers to try different karts and perfect their driving skills without investing in their own equipment.  

Sprint karting tracks are less than one mile in length and have many corners.  Some also have elevation changes to go along with sharp and wide turns, and long and short straightaways.  Indoor tracks tend to be smaller and tighter, but some outdoor circuits can be set up to provide similar technical challenges.

Even within karting, there is lots of variation.  To illustrate that, I have included the World Karting Association’s racing quick guide here. 
Happy racing.

WKA Kart Racing Quick Guide
Chassis Style
Engine
WKA National Series
Oval-track (driver left offset)
4-cycle Box Stock (Clone)
Speedway Dirt, Speedway Pavement
Oval-track (driver left offset)
4-cycle Animal
Speedway Dirt, Speedway Pavement
Oval-track (driver left offset)
4-cycle Flathead
Speedway Dirt, Speedway Pavement
Oval-track (driver left offset)
2-cycle Unlimited
Speedway Dirt
Sprint
2-cycle TaG
Manufacturers Cup
Sprint
2-cycle Yamaha
Manufacturers Cup
Sprint
2-cycle Komet (KPV)
Manufacturers Cup
Sprint
2-cycle Cadet (Comer K80)
Manufacturers Cup
Sprint
2-cycle X30 TaG
Gold Cup
Sprint
4-cycle Animal
Gold Cup
Sprint
4-cycle Box Stock (Clone)
Gold Cup
Laydown-enduro
2-cycle
Road Racing
Sprint-enduro
2-cycle Yamaha, Piston Port
Road Racing
Sprint-enduro
4-cycle Animal
Road Racing
Sprint-enduro
4-cycle Box Stock (Clone)
Road Racing
Sprint-enduro
TaG
Road Racing
Shifter kart
 125cc (2-cycle)
Road Racing
Super Kart
125cc, 250cc (2-cycle)
Road Racing