Getting started in Karting in the SE
09-28-2004, 06:49 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Getting started in Karting in the SE
I'm thinking about getting in to karting, as it sounds like it would fit my budget much better than trying to get seat time at PCA DE's. Can anyone lead me in the right direction as to how I would get started? From what I have read on searches, the best to start in is a direct drive 100cc or 125cc. Are there websites with the basics?
One issue is karting in the Southeast. We have the privilege of being in NASCAR/oval track territory, so that seems to be the dominating theme. How would I get involved with karting on road courses in the SE? Do you know of any good tracks in the TN, SC, NC, AL, GA and possibly N FL area? I wish there was one close to me. Does Road Atlanta do karting? I am about 25 min. from RA in NE GA.
Thanks in advance for the help.
One issue is karting in the Southeast. We have the privilege of being in NASCAR/oval track territory, so that seems to be the dominating theme. How would I get involved with karting on road courses in the SE? Do you know of any good tracks in the TN, SC, NC, AL, GA and possibly N FL area? I wish there was one close to me. Does Road Atlanta do karting? I am about 25 min. from RA in NE GA.
Thanks in advance for the help.
09-28-2004, 08:56 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Mark,
Go to ekartingnews.com. You can learn A LOT from that website. Warning: You can easily spend a lot of money in karting before you know it. I started in 2002 and before I knew it I spent $8k before my first race. The karting is good where you are so you should have plenty of options.
Do you want to go road racing, or sprint racing? Most road racers in cars do sprint racing in karts. These are smaller tracks (.5ths -> .7ths of a mile) with a lot of turns. Also, contrary to what you've read, the best place to start is not with direct drive 100cc or 125cc. These european type of engines are very fast (26-30 hp) and are very expensive to maintain. They rev to 19k and are very challenging to drive quickly.
A good place to start would be the Yamaha KT100 Sportsman class, or perhaps even a TaG class. TaG stands for Touch and Go and there are different engines in this class like Rotax (very popular), Leopard (that's what I have), etc. These are 125cc self starting engines and pretty bloody quick. My engine has 27 hp, btw.
Again, I would check w/ ekartingnews.com. It's the Rennlist of karting. Good luck.
Rich
Go to ekartingnews.com. You can learn A LOT from that website. Warning: You can easily spend a lot of money in karting before you know it. I started in 2002 and before I knew it I spent $8k before my first race. The karting is good where you are so you should have plenty of options.
Do you want to go road racing, or sprint racing? Most road racers in cars do sprint racing in karts. These are smaller tracks (.5ths -> .7ths of a mile) with a lot of turns. Also, contrary to what you've read, the best place to start is not with direct drive 100cc or 125cc. These european type of engines are very fast (26-30 hp) and are very expensive to maintain. They rev to 19k and are very challenging to drive quickly.
A good place to start would be the Yamaha KT100 Sportsman class, or perhaps even a TaG class. TaG stands for Touch and Go and there are different engines in this class like Rotax (very popular), Leopard (that's what I have), etc. These are 125cc self starting engines and pretty bloody quick. My engine has 27 hp, btw.
Again, I would check w/ ekartingnews.com. It's the Rennlist of karting. Good luck.
Rich
09-28-2004, 09:17 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Red,
I looked into karting around here and there really did not seem to be many kart tracks around. Carolina motorsports park and Lowes Motorspeedway runs some kart races I believe. It seems that it is more dirt ovals around here though. I could be wrong about this and would be interested if there are kart tracks near here.
I looked into karting around here and there really did not seem to be many kart tracks around. Carolina motorsports park and Lowes Motorspeedway runs some kart races I believe. It seems that it is more dirt ovals around here though. I could be wrong about this and would be interested if there are kart tracks near here.
09-28-2004, 09:31 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
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yay!!!! another ATL karter! 
i started my karting career over the summer. basically there are two types of karting you can get involved in. one is sprint karting - ever heard of the Stars of Tomorrow? thats the beginning series on the CART ladder. sprint races are typically less than a mile long tracks made out on either parking lots or dedicated karting tracks. speeds usually not more than 80mph. most popular in karting and thats where you want to be if you want to make a career out of it. also where the most competition is. HOWEVER, it is somewhat lacking in the GA area.
then there is long track, or enduro karting. karts are run on full size tracks like Road Atlanta, Road America, Barber, you name it. speeds can exceed 150mph in the fastest classes. because of our location, i race on road courses because there are so many tracks within a 3hr drive from atlanta. the two main series to check out are:
www.southernroadracing.com
www.bigsouthseries.com
as posted above, goto www.ekartingnews.com and start asking questions. or do a search. you'll find most of your answers there.
as for what to get? if you want to long track, you won't have much fun in a 100cc kart - too slow. but there is alot of competition there and it is a good "beginner place". if you're used to tracking your porsche or you used to race then the 125cc's are probably a better place to go from.
i have a rotax kart - 125cc's single gear watercooled motor. they have their own series called the Rmax Challenge, but most of the offical Rmax races locally are in Florida (Jacksonville). rotax karts are great because they are very easy to maintain compared to others. they'll go 40hrs before needing a motor rebuild, which means 1-2 seasons without touching the engine. most of your time will be spent on chassis setup and tuning the carb. its "low" budget compared to shifters. a good setup (used) will usually be found starting at $3000. rotax karts will easily go over 100 on a long track, and most karts will pull 1.5-2 G's easy, so you're definetly in for a treat. i've only be timed at Roebling Road, but my best time there is somewhere in the 1:27's i think. the best will get into the 1:25's. shifter karts will easily do 1:16. at road atlanta shifter karts will easily run in the high 1:30's.
Rich has a leopard kart, which is in the same class as my Rotax. 125cc electronic start engine. lots of fun for sure.
if you want to see what its all about, come to Barber Motorsports Park next weekend. (october 8-10) the karts will be running a support race for the Grand-Am Rolex series. everybodys friendly and we love questions. karting needs more people to get involved so we encourage everyone to check it out. i hope this helps, but like i said, i've only been doing this for less than a year, but i'm hooked on it and it is a zillion times more fun than going to PCA DE's...and cheaper too.
Robert
i started my karting career over the summer. basically there are two types of karting you can get involved in. one is sprint karting - ever heard of the Stars of Tomorrow? thats the beginning series on the CART ladder. sprint races are typically less than a mile long tracks made out on either parking lots or dedicated karting tracks. speeds usually not more than 80mph. most popular in karting and thats where you want to be if you want to make a career out of it. also where the most competition is. HOWEVER, it is somewhat lacking in the GA area.
then there is long track, or enduro karting. karts are run on full size tracks like Road Atlanta, Road America, Barber, you name it. speeds can exceed 150mph in the fastest classes. because of our location, i race on road courses because there are so many tracks within a 3hr drive from atlanta. the two main series to check out are:
www.southernroadracing.com
www.bigsouthseries.com
as posted above, goto www.ekartingnews.com and start asking questions. or do a search. you'll find most of your answers there.
as for what to get? if you want to long track, you won't have much fun in a 100cc kart - too slow. but there is alot of competition there and it is a good "beginner place". if you're used to tracking your porsche or you used to race then the 125cc's are probably a better place to go from.
i have a rotax kart - 125cc's single gear watercooled motor. they have their own series called the Rmax Challenge, but most of the offical Rmax races locally are in Florida (Jacksonville). rotax karts are great because they are very easy to maintain compared to others. they'll go 40hrs before needing a motor rebuild, which means 1-2 seasons without touching the engine. most of your time will be spent on chassis setup and tuning the carb. its "low" budget compared to shifters. a good setup (used) will usually be found starting at $3000. rotax karts will easily go over 100 on a long track, and most karts will pull 1.5-2 G's easy, so you're definetly in for a treat. i've only be timed at Roebling Road, but my best time there is somewhere in the 1:27's i think. the best will get into the 1:25's. shifter karts will easily do 1:16. at road atlanta shifter karts will easily run in the high 1:30's.
Rich has a leopard kart, which is in the same class as my Rotax. 125cc electronic start engine. lots of fun for sure.
if you want to see what its all about, come to Barber Motorsports Park next weekend. (october 8-10) the karts will be running a support race for the Grand-Am Rolex series. everybodys friendly and we love questions. karting needs more people to get involved so we encourage everyone to check it out. i hope this helps, but like i said, i've only been doing this for less than a year, but i'm hooked on it and it is a zillion times more fun than going to PCA DE's...and cheaper too.
Robert
09-28-2004, 11:51 PM
#5
Drifting
Thread Starter
Wow, thanks for the help. I take it sprint karting is what I want to look into. I was wondering if the single speeds ran out of breath on road courses, so now I know the difference. I'll definitely check out ekartingnews.
Robert,
So have you only been karting for a few months? How competitive are you? Are there any sprint courses in the GA area? I wish I could make it to Barber, but I doubt I will be able to. Anyway, if I end up looking further into this I would definitely like to get together sometime. Thanks for the help!
Robert,
So have you only been karting for a few months? How competitive are you? Are there any sprint courses in the GA area? I wish I could make it to Barber, but I doubt I will be able to. Anyway, if I end up looking further into this I would definitely like to get together sometime. Thanks for the help!
09-29-2004, 12:30 AM
#6
Race Director
I've been out of karting for about 9 years now so I cannot comment as well as the others these days. But, from all I've heard the advice you've received is absolutely top notch. It's possible to find competitive karts for $3k or so. My business partner and owner of the SCCA ITS car I used to borrow bought one for $3k.
Karting is an excellent training ground for those who wish to race. You'll learn to drive, to race (racecraft), set-up, preparation, strategy and more. The only way to get more seat time in racing is to bring a $10MM+ budget to a race team. Actually, $10MM is probably too light.
Karting is an excellent training ground for those who wish to race. You'll learn to drive, to race (racecraft), set-up, preparation, strategy and more. The only way to get more seat time in racing is to bring a $10MM+ budget to a race team. Actually, $10MM is probably too light.
09-29-2004, 12:57 AM
#7
Burning Brakes
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there used to be sprint tracks in georgia, but now all you'll find are 1/4mile dirt oval tracks for karting. there is one track in barnesville (south of atlanta) but its not running right now because its not being maintained - either because of the management or lack of investors or whatnot.
like i said, sprint karting around georgia is going to be very lacking. there are some races up in north carolina (lowes motorspeeday) and some places down in north florida. theres also a sprint track in decatur, alabama. but if you want to road race, you can't beat your location. if you don't mind driving that far then go for it. you can actually setup your car to do both if you want. all you hafta do is just change a gear, and you're set. for the most part.
honestly, don't worry about not having enough horsepower on the long tracks. going 90 an inch and a half off the ground is plenty excitement. any kart you get yourself into will be plenty of fun. i've been to watch several kart races, but i've only actually raced in two of them. i'm not competitive right now, but i don't expect to be. i need a year or two to figure out the kart, then work on being able to tune the carb to get the most power out of it.
BTW - the WKA nationals are going to be at Road Atlanta November 12-14. that should be an exciting race to watch because there will be literally hundreds of karts there.
like i said, sprint karting around georgia is going to be very lacking. there are some races up in north carolina (lowes motorspeeday) and some places down in north florida. theres also a sprint track in decatur, alabama. but if you want to road race, you can't beat your location. if you don't mind driving that far then go for it. you can actually setup your car to do both if you want. all you hafta do is just change a gear, and you're set. for the most part.
honestly, don't worry about not having enough horsepower on the long tracks. going 90 an inch and a half off the ground is plenty excitement. any kart you get yourself into will be plenty of fun. i've been to watch several kart races, but i've only actually raced in two of them. i'm not competitive right now, but i don't expect to be. i need a year or two to figure out the kart, then work on being able to tune the carb to get the most power out of it.
BTW - the WKA nationals are going to be at Road Atlanta November 12-14. that should be an exciting race to watch because there will be literally hundreds of karts there.
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09-29-2004, 02:30 AM
#8
Race Director
Originally Posted by penguinking
there used to be sprint tracks in georgia, but now all you'll find are 1/4mile dirt oval tracks for karting. there is one track in barnesville (south of atlanta) but its not running right now because its not being maintained - either because of the management or lack of investors or whatnot.
When I was racing karts up in the northeast a bunch of my pals would make the annual trek to Barnesville for the first WKA race of the season. It was a big deal.
Sad to hear it's dead.
09-29-2004, 11:00 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by Red
I'm thinking about getting in to karting, as it sounds like it would fit my budget much better than trying to get seat time at PCA DE's. Can anyone lead me in the right direction as to how I would get started?
09-30-2004, 11:59 PM
#10
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I'd like to weigh in on this discussion. I spent 5 years competing in SKUSA (SuperKarts USA) in the K1 80cc class. If you are really looking to be competitive.........bring your checkbook! If you are just planning on lapping and working on learning the "art" of driving fast, Karting is probably the best. Even a Rotax 125cc Kart will offer you some serious excitement and challenge your bravado.
ShifterKarts are a pure rush! Unfortunately you will spend most of your time (and money) rebuilding your top end, jetting your carb and buying multiple sets of gears and tires for each race and each track. Things break at an alarming rate. Rear bearings.....buy a few. Rear axles.....better have a medium, soft and hard (depending on the weather, did it rain?, and how hot or cold is the track). Sure, you can buy a used Kart for around $3,500 - $5,500, but if the chassis was driven hard it may very well be spaghetti. Since you don't have a suspension, the chassis flexes at the front axle, spindles and the rear rails. If you drive a kart hard for a long period of time, the chassis takes a "set" and becomes difficult to tune. Most people are updating their chassis every two to three years.
I spent $4,500 to run 4 races in 1999 (not including travel expenses and yes I have a spreadsheet) and I didn't break anything. This was to be at the front of the "mid-pack". Surprising I'm sure. (top end $135; entry fee $250, two sets of tires per race $570; gas and oil $20-50/race).
I will tell you though, if the people in karting were anything like the people in the PCA, I would still be in karting. Even with the high cost. The people in the PCA really make the weekends great (DE's, no races yet). Most of your competition will still have pimples and no fear of dying. As I got older and had kids, bouncing off of someone at 70 - 80 mph without a seatbelt or roll cage suddenly became less appealing.
Oh yeah, I miss it. I'm sure that I am faster today than I was 3 - 4 years ago. At least that's what it seems like in my daydreams!
P.S. I still have an Exac-toe alignment system, rear hubs, rear bearings, spare seat, kart stand and scale system that I can sell cheap if you get serious.
ShifterKarts are a pure rush! Unfortunately you will spend most of your time (and money) rebuilding your top end, jetting your carb and buying multiple sets of gears and tires for each race and each track. Things break at an alarming rate. Rear bearings.....buy a few. Rear axles.....better have a medium, soft and hard (depending on the weather, did it rain?, and how hot or cold is the track). Sure, you can buy a used Kart for around $3,500 - $5,500, but if the chassis was driven hard it may very well be spaghetti. Since you don't have a suspension, the chassis flexes at the front axle, spindles and the rear rails. If you drive a kart hard for a long period of time, the chassis takes a "set" and becomes difficult to tune. Most people are updating their chassis every two to three years.
I spent $4,500 to run 4 races in 1999 (not including travel expenses and yes I have a spreadsheet) and I didn't break anything. This was to be at the front of the "mid-pack". Surprising I'm sure. (top end $135; entry fee $250, two sets of tires per race $570; gas and oil $20-50/race).
I will tell you though, if the people in karting were anything like the people in the PCA, I would still be in karting. Even with the high cost. The people in the PCA really make the weekends great (DE's, no races yet). Most of your competition will still have pimples and no fear of dying. As I got older and had kids, bouncing off of someone at 70 - 80 mph without a seatbelt or roll cage suddenly became less appealing.
Oh yeah, I miss it. I'm sure that I am faster today than I was 3 - 4 years ago. At least that's what it seems like in my daydreams!
P.S. I still have an Exac-toe alignment system, rear hubs, rear bearings, spare seat, kart stand and scale system that I can sell cheap if you get serious.
10-01-2004, 01:52 AM
#11
Rennlist Member
Track Junky has made a lot of excellent points. It's amazing how much one can spend in karting. Right now I'm just karting to improve my driving and to keep me sharp. Hopefully, when I return to the track with the Porsche I'll be quicker than before!
Also, as TJ mentioned, the social ambiance in karting is a lot different than a day w/ the PCA or POC. I really enjoy my fellow club members with the POC. It's fantastic to spend a weekend with them.
Also, as TJ mentioned, the social ambiance in karting is a lot different than a day w/ the PCA or POC. I really enjoy my fellow club members with the POC. It's fantastic to spend a weekend with them.
10-01-2004, 08:50 AM
#12
Race Director
Originally Posted by trackjunky
I spent $4,500 to run 4 races in 1999 (not including travel expenses and yes I have a spreadsheet) and I didn't break anything. This was to be at the front of the "mid-pack". Surprising I'm sure. (top end $135; entry fee $250, two sets of tires per race $570; gas and oil $20-50/race).
I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Club racing with a 125 Rotax kart can be done much cheaper than that. They engines don't need very much maintenance at all.
And yes, the flex of the chassis is the suspension on a kart, but a 2 year old kart will be better than the beginning driver. And you don't need new equipment to win. Experience counts a great deal. I still recommend people buy a 1-2 year old kart and if you race it for a couple of years it will still be worth a great portion of what you paid for it, especially if you buy a 2 year old kart.
10-01-2004, 12:20 PM
#13
Rennlist Member
Great points, Geo. Karting can be successfully done on a budget if you do it a certain way, no doubt. A lot of it also depends on how competitive you want to be and sometimes your region will dictate that. For example, here in SoCal karting is extremely competitive. It's one of the most competitive - if not the most competitive region to kart. Not only are you racing against talented karters, but you are also competing against the shops they run with (i.e. years of experience).
Here were my initial costs in karting leading up to the first race. I started from scratch:
New MS Kart w/ HPV-4 $4,500
Starter & Stand $450
Helmet (Bieffe F1GP) $500
Sparco Suit $350
Gloves & Shoes $250
Blueprint $700
5 x 8 Open Trailer $750
Hitch for Trailer $250
Track Fees for test days $175
Race Day Fee $65
Testing with Shop $600
Total = $8590 (this does not include transportation & food, nor did it include tires since I was able to use my first set for 10 track days)
Obviously, there could have been some significant cost reductions if I would have bought a used kart, had a pickup truck, tested on my own, etc. But, this is the route I chose and I'm comfortable with it.
Here were my initial costs in karting leading up to the first race. I started from scratch:
New MS Kart w/ HPV-4 $4,500
Starter & Stand $450
Helmet (Bieffe F1GP) $500
Sparco Suit $350
Gloves & Shoes $250
Blueprint $700
5 x 8 Open Trailer $750
Hitch for Trailer $250
Track Fees for test days $175
Race Day Fee $65
Testing with Shop $600
Total = $8590 (this does not include transportation & food, nor did it include tires since I was able to use my first set for 10 track days)
Obviously, there could have been some significant cost reductions if I would have bought a used kart, had a pickup truck, tested on my own, etc. But, this is the route I chose and I'm comfortable with it.
10-01-2004, 04:57 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
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here are my fees:
Rotax Kart (Used) w/ the following stuff thrown in as well:
set of gears, extra chain, spare tires, rain tires, 3 sets of wheels, extra seat, neck brace, motorcycle helmet, rib vest, digitron(rpm/water temp), other little bits and extras. 3400
4x8 open ended trailer 200
hitch for trailer 300
kart suit 130
entry fees 200 (for the weekend, including pit pass and transponder rental)
total =4230. that was only my first weekend. since then i've been to another race and spent 60 for rear tires, 60 for new hubs, 80 for wheels, 40 for a chain breaker (current one broke), 20 for another gear, 20 for safety wire pliers....the list goes on and on.
if you're starting out FRESH like i am there is a ton of little equipment to buy. thats why its good to go with a used setup because often times you'll find somenoe whos getting out of karting so they'll sell you all of their stuff, like the package i found. normally that stuff would've been over 5000 if it were new. but honestly, never skim on parts - always buy the best cause the cheap stuff WILL break. and karting will nickel and dime you till broke. but it'll be the best time you ever had
Rotax Kart (Used) w/ the following stuff thrown in as well:
set of gears, extra chain, spare tires, rain tires, 3 sets of wheels, extra seat, neck brace, motorcycle helmet, rib vest, digitron(rpm/water temp), other little bits and extras. 3400
4x8 open ended trailer 200
hitch for trailer 300
kart suit 130
entry fees 200 (for the weekend, including pit pass and transponder rental)
total =4230. that was only my first weekend. since then i've been to another race and spent 60 for rear tires, 60 for new hubs, 80 for wheels, 40 for a chain breaker (current one broke), 20 for another gear, 20 for safety wire pliers....the list goes on and on.
if you're starting out FRESH like i am there is a ton of little equipment to buy. thats why its good to go with a used setup because often times you'll find somenoe whos getting out of karting so they'll sell you all of their stuff, like the package i found. normally that stuff would've been over 5000 if it were new. but honestly, never skim on parts - always buy the best cause the cheap stuff WILL break. and karting will nickel and dime you till broke. but it'll be the best time you ever had
10-01-2004, 06:54 PM
#15
Race Director
Dang. I don't know if prices have gone up that much since I was karting or what the deal is but the only time I ever spent near those figures is when I raced in a traveling series.
Anybody still using 35 chain? I've got a chain breaker for sale.
I've also got some Yamaha tools (piston stop, ignition wrench, ignition puller, Horstman clutch puller) for sale.
Lastly, I have a Burris suit. I can't remember the size, but it will fit someone up to 6'2" or so. I'm 5'10" and it fit great when I was 175 lbs. (to be that small again....). I can take some measurements and send photos if anyone is interested.
Don't mean to spam. I've been meaning to put this stuff up on eBay but thought if one of you or someone you know could use it, all the better. I don't know what they should sell for, so we can negotiate price. I'm not looking to make a killing, but don't want to get killed either.
Anybody still using 35 chain? I've got a chain breaker for sale.
I've also got some Yamaha tools (piston stop, ignition wrench, ignition puller, Horstman clutch puller) for sale.
Lastly, I have a Burris suit. I can't remember the size, but it will fit someone up to 6'2" or so. I'm 5'10" and it fit great when I was 175 lbs. (to be that small again....). I can take some measurements and send photos if anyone is interested.
Don't mean to spam. I've been meaning to put this stuff up on eBay but thought if one of you or someone you know could use it, all the better. I don't know what they should sell for, so we can negotiate price. I'm not looking to make a killing, but don't want to get killed either.