Sanjeevan

Now, If only I can see the entire Google clip for once...the server is hopeless. Thanks for sharing, the few glimpses are worth it. I've had Gille's clip for a while now, and watch it regularly...man what a treat. Watching it on my PC screen is like listening to a fabulous piece of music, it takes you to places. Non-race enthusiast's just don't get it, when I show it to them you can see that it's just another piece of video to them, you only see a response when the tires smoke, they don't get it. It's my favorite video file,...."I think about it a lot, WE ALL DO",... man I love it.

ehall

Where are some really good sources for learning about karting for MUCH older children like myself? I really want to get involved in karting and I need to start collecting a strong knowledge base. Thanks.

Geo

ekartingnews

You're never too old to start in karts. I started at 26, but I knew people who started in their 60s.

You can learn a lot about driving, race craft, preparation, you name it. Do a season or two of serious karting (running for the championship - even the local track championship) and you will learn more about racing than you will in 5 years of racing cars. People used to tell me that when I raced karts and I figured it was just exaggerated. Now that I'm racing cars, I know that it's true. My first SCCA school was easy peasy. I drew heavily on my time in karts and from knowing my way around the track to figuring out who the squirrels behind the wheel were and avoiding them as much as possible.

You won't regret racing karts, but you have to jump into it, not just dabble in it. If you do well buying used equipment you can get out of it and get almost all your money back after 2 years (not including expenses of course).

911

Geo is correct - there is no starting age for karting! Although the majority of its participants are young, you'll definitely find some older drivers out there. I started when I was 38 (2002), but due to my back surgery last year it may be a long time until I can get out there.

ehall

Thanks guys. I'll start looking into it.

ltc

Interesting bit of info:
http://www.ekartingnews.com/news_inf...fe4fa3e7528de4

Juan Montoya's father Pablo likes to tell a story about Ayrton Senna mystifying a TV interviewer who asked Senna who he thought was the best driver in the world. "Mike Wilson," Senna answered. “The TV guy didn't know what to say," says the senior Montoya. "He stood there, lost for words. “Who's Mike Wilson?” he asked. And Senna said, “The best kart racer I ever saw."

Wilson won the World Kart Championship a record six times between 1981 and 1989. Senna raced against him in karts, losing to Wilson many more times than he beat him. An Englishman who moved to Italy to pursue a professional kart racing career when he was 18, Wilson has lived there ever since. After retiring from driving at the end of 1989, Wilson started his own kart company, Rakama, located in Zingonia in Bergamo, about 30 miles from Milan. Today, Rakama manufactures around 700 karts each year.

Pierre Martins

Check out 250 Superkarts while you're at it. I've recently started racing in this class after retiring from bike racing and I've documented my experiences from my first drive as well race by race reports. Reading them might give you an idea of what 250 shifters are like.

http://www.pts106.com/Karting%20Home.htm

Cheers,
Pierre.