I have a buddy who has raced karts for a few years and I'm finally going to give it a go next spring. It's an arrive and drive series. All the karts are supplied and maintained by the track. All you pay is $50 for the day of racing and they look after everything else.
I'm looking forward to it, seems like a good place to start.
Raced karts for many years, just sold out two summers ago.
First thing I have to say: many tracks won't let you jump into a shifter class without running at least a year in a shiftless class.
Another thing: racing is only as expensive as you want to make it. I made a two year old Birel shifter chassis last me 2 more years and picked up a few wins with it too. Harder compound tires will last you longer and reduce your costs if tire costs are a concern. There are just so many things to talk about that it just cannot be talked about here. EKartingNews.com has the best karting forums on the net and they have an amazing wealth of knowledge, and an entire section to the website dedicated to getting into karting. I'd highly recommend you check it out.
Last edited by racinfarmer : January 1st, 2008 at 03:40 PM.
Well now that the weather is getting better I went over to the Stockholm kart track about an hour from my house. Snow was still on the ground from the night before, but it gave me a chance check out their inventory and ask questions. Track is a 14 turn 6/10 of a mile course.
I explained to the owner that I had no Kart experience with the exception of rentals which I really don't count as experience. As many of you stated he said stay away from the shifters as a first kart. He recomended either a World Formula kart which is a briggs race engine with around 17 hp or a 125cc leopard Tag.
He had a about 30 karts on consignment one of them being a 2006 tonykart 125cc tag with 20 laps on it in absolute mint condition. Apparently dad bought it for son, son never drove it, dad did 10 practice laps in it twice and car sat for year and a half. Has front brakes and Mychron gold (if i remember correctly) Spent over 7 grand on it new and now just wants to cash out and is willing to let it go for $3500.
I felt he was brutally honest which I appreciated and even offered to advise me on purchasing a kart even if it wasnt from him. Also noted that he didnt want me to get a kart that would put me in over my head. When snow clears Im going to go to the track and test the world formula and the tag which he said would shock me how fast they are.
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the difference that makes the difference is indifference
Im starting off with a automatic setup. Drove my friends 80cc shifter. And almost shitted in my pants. I will eventually upgrade to a shifter in the future.
Stockholm is outside of a small town called Cokato about an hour west of Minneapolis. Bushido, there was a 80 cc shifter for sale there too with some 5 grand engine on it for around 2200. Guy said that if i bought it I would either get frustrated and lose interest or kill myself in it lol. Im kinda leaning towards the Tag over the world formula, but maybe thats just my ego talking
Can bail yourself out a bit easier in a shifter as a quick downshift'll put you back on the pipe - whereas it might take a section or so to get your momentum back in a centrifugal.
He recomended either a World Formula kart which is a briggs race engine with around 17 hp or a 125cc leopard Tag.
He had a about 30 karts on consignment one of them being a 2006 tonykart 125cc tag with 20 laps on it in absolute mint condition. Apparently dad bought it for son, son never drove it, dad did 10 practice laps in it twice and car sat for year and a half. Has front brakes and Mychron gold (if i remember correctly) Spent over 7 grand on it new and now just wants to cash out and is willing to let it go for $3500.
I felt he was brutally honest which I appreciated and even offered to advise me on purchasing a kart even if it wasnt from him. Also noted that he didnt want me to get a kart that would put me in over my head. When snow clears Im going to go to the track and test the world formula and the tag which he said would shock me how fast they are.
If there is a TonyKart distributor in your area, (200 miles or less) I would be all over that deal if I were you. That's a good price - even without the MyChron.
The cost of carting over racing a viper or any other sport's car is way cheaper! last year i went carting over a dozen time's and am still on the same tire's and we're talking 100-150 lap's in one afternoon! tire's run you about $185-210, and fuel is only about $50-60 buck's for five gallon's and usually track tme is only about $50-60...........i'd say WAY cheaper!
I bet you weren't winning. At my track, if you don't start raceday on new rears, the best you can hope for is mid-pack.
Naw, was'nt out there to "win" was out there to get seat time any racing around a track is good! Plus when your out there chasing after 10 year old's that have been doing it for the last 4yrs and are a lot lighter than you it just fun!!!
I've been wondering the same thing about Karts. Me and Johnnylightning went to VictoryLane karting and Charlotte 2 weeks ago. Ever since then, I've been thinking one of those would be fun to have. Don't want to race, just want something to tear through the neighborhood etc. The ones at the place where we went, weren't shifter models though. What would be a good site to check out chassis's, engine's, etc.
I've been wondering the same thing about Karts. Me and Johnnylightning went to VictoryLane karting and Charlotte 2 weeks ago. Ever since then, I've been thinking one of those would be fun to have. Don't want to race, just want something to tear through the neighborhood etc. The ones at the place where we went, weren't shifter models though. What would be a good site to check out chassis's, engine's, etc.
