How to Win in Karting. Karting Secrets Revealed

You mentioned in a previous question you look at the drivers "Vibes" while driving. I'm assuming you mean posture, and comfort in the car? What conclusions do you typically draw from this observation?

2010-03-26T13:09:00.001-07:00

It's difficult to quantify - that's why I had to resort to a vague term like vibe. I think it would be a combination of how relaxed a driver looks, how determined, how accurate... and I gues you pick tose up from body language.

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Hi Terence, I'm planning to buy a kart, what kart do you think is good to start with? And which one make more successful driver?

2010-03-10T06:22:00.001-08:00

It depends on your class, location and budget.

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formspring.me

2010-03-03T05:56:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence, i have recently purchased an E-box for my Mychron 4 after reading an article of yours regarding data collection. Which speed sensor would you recommend we purchase with it, i.e. front or rear, and whats the difference. Cheers James

Hi James,

I find the rear speed sensor is perfectly adequate, but the front wheel speed sensor can be better because it eliminates the effects of locking the rear brake.

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formspring.me

2010-02-25T09:34:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence, what is the rule for increasing grip generally on both ends of the kart? do i increase or decrease the width between the tires?

The genearl rule would be to increase the width at the front, and decrease it at the rear. Its never so simple as that so go out and try lots of settings.

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formspring.me

2010-02-25T09:33:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence, I started karting a year ago and keep hurting my ribs. How can I avoid rib damage? I was now advised to drive without protectors, claiming that they push the driver out of the seat and reducing the feel for the kart causing part of the trouble

Not to wear a rib protector to me is pretty crazy!

There is a new one designed so that you can maintain your feel for the kart by Iztech. Write to kevin@iztechkartseats.com

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formspring.me

2010-02-14T09:16:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence, when do you know that you are driving as fast as it is possible? or is it that there are no limits? Because whenever I drive, I have a tendency to look for new ways to drive faster, but it will affect my consistency.

There are definately no limits, but when you feel you are close to the limit you should be looking for small improvements. It's when you start looking for too much improvement that you make mistakes and get inconsistent lap times

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Starting karting Question

2010-02-04T15:44:00.001-08:00

Hi i'm currently looking into getting into karting. Which series TKM Senior or ROTAX Senior do you think has the higher standard of driver ie. which one is easier?

At the moment I think it's fair to say that Rotax is attracting more drivers with a trac record of success.

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Nyck de Vries to Mclaren

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Another hot shot karter has been picked up by mclaren according to Karting1.
Nyck de Vries to Mclaren

Nyck has been totally dominant in European KF3 in partnership with karting guru Dino Chiesa running the Zanardi kart.

endurance karting question

2010-01-15T11:16:00.001-08:00

I do a lot of endurance racing and I find it very difficult to stay focused unless I'm involved in a battle with someone.Sometimes it feels worse than others. Could it be related to the type of food/drink I consume on race day?

It could be, I have seen drivers improve a great deal by changing what they eat. They have gone for dried fruit and nuts, pasta and eat with a little and often approach. Also drink loads of water and only use isotonic type drinks if its hot and you need to replace salts

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Question on driving a kart loose

2010-01-14T14:00:00.001-08:00

hi terence ive always set my kart up loose to drift through corners i'm about 2/3 tenth's off the leaders but a top five runner .the team i'm with now set the kart up with as mutch grip as pos and very twitchy and told me to brake later turn in later????

OK, sounds like they want you to make the most of your corner exits. perhaps they can see you losing out to other drivers on your exits and they want you to quit sliding, and get maximum traction on exit. Maybe that is where the 2 tenths are

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Kart Set Up Question

2010-01-14T13:55:00.001-08:00

Hi Terrance,What is the effect of adjusting the karts ride height (Front and Rear)?I saw the setup recently from the Australian Rotax Nationals where the winner was running a medium front setting, and a high rear on a grippy track. Thanks!

The idea is the higher the ride height the greater the weight transfer across the kart to the outside tyre, so a high ride hight might sound strange for high grip. But I'm guessing that they were looking for a nicely balancd kart and thats how they hit the sweet spot. The problem with kart set ups is that the effects arent always predictable, strange things happen. keep an open mind and try everything!

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Mytach GPS question

2010-01-13T10:27:00.001-08:00

Beside price, how do you rate the quality of (GPS) data acquisition obtained from smartycam, GPS Module with antenna and the MyTach watch? What are the pros and cons of each? and which system offers the best capability when analysed on the RS2

I think the smartycam has the highest quality receiver, followed by the mytach and then the gps module. the gps module works better with RS2 than the mytach, but smartycam is best. It is very nice to have the Smartycam along with your data because its so good to be able to look at the important laps and important corners, especially when the video displays the lap number, laptimes and split times. the downside with the smartycam is finding a placement on the kart where it is safe i suppose!

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Hopping kart question

2010-01-13T10:23:00.001-08:00

Hey T! Thanks for the site!Could you explain "hopping". What is the kart really doing when it hops thru a corner, besides beating my ribs?

It can be where the front of the kart is too soft compared to the rear, so the kart flexes too quickly, lifts the inside rear tyre too fast and then the outside rear can lose grip suddenly (from the steep angle its forced to). then the inside rear drops again... this process repeats and you put the kart into a horrible oscillation.

You can also get this from too high seat position, too much front castor or over aggressive steering input. Sometimes a very weak driver who cannot hold steering angle can get into one of these oscillations.

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Braking question

2010-01-13T10:18:00.001-08:00

Hi terence, a question that have made me sleepless many times,, :-). Why do grip level in corners, especially thight ones, increase if you slightly "left brake" while adding throttle ? have experienced this with both shifter karts and "only rear brake`s"

If you haven't got superb throttle control, then using the brake to hold the kart back is a much better way to keep the kart settled through the corner. For example, I coach some drivers to power brake rather than lift because when they lift without enough finesse and lose grip.

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Kart Simulator question

2010-01-13T10:15:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence, thanks for your time helping us out, great :-) !!Wich racing game for console, (PS 3), and PC du you recommend for training ?Thanks,H from Norway.

Pc games to go for are Live for Speed, Rfactor and Iracer. Hopefully soon there will be kartsim too!

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Nervous karting dad question

2010-01-11T05:24:00.001-08:00

hi terrence, happy new year. My lad is 9yrs old and wanting to race but not sure if MY nerves will let him!! seen some pretty bad cadet crashes that havnt helped me to let go!! any advice for dads nerves!!!

I don't have any halpful advice there, so far as I can tell you will have to suffer along with many other parents!! Perhaps if you find a Team who can take care of his racing, who you feel are professional and responsible you might cope better.

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Hard tyres question

2010-01-11T05:21:00.001-08:00

Hi New harder compound tyres tyres are being introduced. What would the major implications be on chassis set up be as Sodi say the current chassis is no good, hence wants us all to buy new ones. Can current chassis be adapted to suit harder compound?xTk

I'm not familiar with the Sodi chassis, but yes you can adapt to harder tyres, and it will make for an interesting challenge. Or you could go to Sodi and say, I will either keep my current Sodi or buy a new Tony kart to adapt to the harder tyres.. see what they say to that!!lol

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Tony Kart question

2010-01-11T05:19:00.001-08:00

Hi, I have just got my first Tonykart and have found the kart seems to lack rear grip compared to my old (BRM)coming off corners - but has better brakes.I have been told to move the seat back. Is that the correct thing to do?

Well with a new kart you shold be trying all the set up changes you have time for to get usedt o the effects. So yes, try moving the seat and go out and find out what happens. I think you should try everything. You can't go wrong because for every change you make you will learn something!

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kart braking question

2010-01-11T05:17:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence. I have a problem with using 100% of grip on braking. Could you give me a couple of exercises. Firstly, It's braking on a straight and then on a arc.Best regards, Yuliy.

Yes, practice braking in a straight line. Brake early for a sharp bend, make sure you lock your wheels and then most importnat you need to control when you unlock them by releasing the brake pressure. Do this over and over so that you develop the feel necessary to gradually bringing the wheels to lock, and gradually unlock. Soon enough you will have the skill to control exactly how close to locking the wheels are, and you will find the optimum level of braking required for the grip available on any given day. Sometimes you will need to almost lock the wheels, other times no lock will be fastest....

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Leaning in your kart question

2010-01-11T05:12:00.001-08:00

Hi Terence i have noticed alo of the top karters lean into the corners, in particular high and medium sped corners. would you say this is a good technique and if so what is this doing?

Quite often they do this unconciously. Rather than a special technique, it is often as a result of them looking further round corners which means they naturally lean into corners, lead by where their head wants to take them. Also, high grip karts require a great deal of strength, and some drivers like you use the strength in their shoulders to turn the wheel which means they push their body in the direction the wheel is turning.

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Floating disk carrier question

2010-01-10T05:37:00.001-08:00

Hi Terrence. I was wondering what's the difference between a floating disk and a fixed disk in brake systems. I also know that there are double rear disk systems. Which one's the best?

Floating disks are good because you don't have to keep re-adjusting the pad clearance, and in theory there is less chance of drag when the axle is under flex. I'm not sure which is best because people win on fixed disk and floating at the highest levels.

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Mixing pedals question

2010-01-10T05:35:00.001-08:00

What do you think of mixing pedals technique for Rotax. As you approach a corner & brake, you keep some throttle maybe 15% while braking, then increase as you let off the brake. It means braking longer, but never coasting.

If you want to use that technique it's better to release the throttle completely when you initially hit the brake, and then start mixing the pedals after that. That way you shouldn't have to brake early. Mini max drivers use it a lot, and I hear it was all the rage back when clutches had more slip!!

Personally I don't coach drivers to use the technique much.

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Rental kart to rotax question

2010-01-09T07:42:00.001-08:00

Hi, I would like to hear what you know about moving from rental karts to rotax senior. I drove rotax a few time. Obviously the speed difference and a lot of throttle control involved, but can you tell me anything else to watch out for?

Stay smooth like with rental karts, and work hard on your fitness. A really good rental kart driving style works well in rotax, so if you are good in rentals you'll be fine. good luck

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TKM regulations question

2010-01-08T14:52:00.001-08:00

Terence - what is your expected outcome of the new TKM regulations? Will we be competitive with our existing chassis or are we all going to need to buy a new one to stand any chance of a trophy? Does the same answer apply for Junior and Extreme?

the expectation is that the new designed chassis from DR, Tecno and Paul Carr will be best for TKM, followed by regular CIK chassis and then the old TKM chassis. What the gap will be I don't know but as soon as we get some half sensible weather conditions we'll be doing some video tests for karting1 to see if we can find out.

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Tyre wear question

2010-01-08T11:29:00.001-08:00

Hi terence,we are currently running kf2 and have a problem with front near side front tyre wear do you think changing from a 32mm frame to a 30mm make any difference or should we be moving to skf and a harder tyre cheers asam

I would imagine that a 30mm frame would make a difference in many different areas. Do you regularly have your chassis checked for perfect alignment - not just with hangers but with a proper rig and an experienced technician?

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Modus Motor Sport Website

2009-11-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

I've just started to put together a website for Modus Motor Sport, they are the suppliers of Haase karts and Swiss Hutless. They also run a busy kart team at Hooton Park, Three Sisters and GYG.

New Storm Kart From Intrepid

2009-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

Apparantly the Storm kart has been around for a while, but has created a real stir in the Uk market since JKH have started to promote this budget chassis. The storm kart is based on an old Intrepid Cruiser design and carries all the usual spec SKM parts. So it looks like in this case, budget kart does not mean it's thrown together with dodgey cheap parts and materials.

Looking after Kart Chains Article

2009-09-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a new article on taking care of your kart chain

Most people take their chain for granted and only replace them when they break, or they feel like they are ready to go. But when the chain is effectively THE transmission system for the kart it is crazy not to take extra special care of them.

Also, professional racers replace their chains constantly, both for reliability and because chain wear causes performance losses. And when you consider the costs of karting at a professional level changing the chain every day is quite a smart thing to do for a relatively small cost.

However if you follow the link to the article you will see how a club racer can extend the life of their kart chain and therefore save some dosh!

SmartyCam on Kartintelligence

2009-06-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

I've written a bit more on the SmartyCam at Kartintelligence.com with some screen shots of the GPS data it produces for Race Studio Analysis

Head over to Kart Intelligence for the SmartyCam reveiew

My New Toy - The SmartyCam

2009-06-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

I just had my first test with the Aim SmartyCam, and it is a serious bit of kit. Basically it integrates your Mychron data with video so you can watch yourself drive and use the data to figure out where and why you are quick, or slow!

Check out the official smartycam site

Race to Win a new Golf GTi - Virtually!

2009-05-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of their new Golf GTi, VW have put together a nifty little racing game you can play online, where high scorers go through to a prize draw to win a new Golf GTi for 3 months.

The game itself can be found here GTI Project website

It's based on a Scalextric track and the key to being quick is knowing when to lift and getting early on the power. We've had a few blasts but haven't managed to complete a full lap just yet, but hopefully you will see Karting1 on the high score board soon enough :)

Oliver Rowland Interview

2009-03-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here is our karting 1 podcast interview with Oliver Rowland

F1 Legend Alex Hawkridge on Senna and Iztech Kart Seats

2009-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

To find out what an F1 legend thinks made Senna different to all the rest, and how race driving philosophy can turn up in Iztech racing seats, check out the karting1 podcast with the Alex Hawkridge interview.

Alex is the man behin Toleman F1 which eventually became Benetton and now Renault. He was responsible for bringing Ayrton Senna into F1 and is now leading R&D for Iztech Kart Seats

Check out the karting1 podcast here

MyTach GPS Watch

2009-01-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with the Mytach GPS watch from AiM, and frankly it's even better than the far more expensive GPS module that you can add to your Mychron 4.

The data from the Mytach can be imported straight into the Race Studio software and will produce all the usual features you would expect. You get your track map, limitless splits, speed trace, lat-g and long g. You cab use it to analyse lines and export them to google earth.

The mytach picks up satalites much faster than the GPS module and works inside cars and even inside some buildings when you are close to a window.

To find out more visit the mytach website

MyChron 4 Hints and Tips - Tutorials on YouTube for MyChron 4

2008-09-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

We've put together some tutorials showing you how to quickly get to grips with using MyChron4 data using the Race Studio analysis software.

The videos cover the basics like getting data from the actual MyChron to Race Studio on your PC using the datakey, to more advanced stuff like using a speed trace from your GPS module.

Playlist on YouTube for all 3 MyChron 4 Tutorials

MyChron4 Tutorial 1 - Downloading sessions into Race Studio 2 from your Data Key.

MyChron 4 Tutorial 2 - How to set up a track map in Race Studio 2 Analysis using AIM Mychron equipment

Mychron4 Tutorial 3 - How to set up a measures graph, and prepare for analysis using the GPS Speed trace

Using Mychron 4 Data to Win Kart Races

2008-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Arnaud Kozlinski was on pole for the final at the 2008 World Karting Championship, followed closely on the grid by karting guru Davide Fore. What did these guys have in common?

They were both running Mychron 4 data logging systems with the Aim GPS module attatched. You can easily spot the guys using the AiM GPS system because the antenna is stuck at the top of the nassau panel and sticks out like a sore thumb!

Now, at the end of the race it was Tony Kart who were triumphant after Kozlinski retired from the front, and Tony Kart have invested big into Data Acquisition themselves.... choosing the rather pricey Pi system.

Anyway, my point is that you can use the same Mychron 4 GPS system as the CRG and Maranello teams use at the World championships, because it is a relatively inexpensive system and more importantly very simple. You can literally plug the GPS module straight into the back of your MyChron 4 and it will immediately produce high quality speed traces, g forces and beautiul track maps with your racing lines.

With that information you can look at any point on the track and see your exact speed. This means you can compare your fastest lap with other laps and see exactly why it was faster. And even better, you can dig out instances when you 'accidently' took a corner extra fast and figure out why. Then you can go out and recreate that method and find time.

I have now helped drivers perform miracles at Mychron 4 coaching days doing just that. With the GPS module I can ask a driver to do a 15 lap session, and home in on an occasion when he found a tenth or two in one corner (even if the lap turned out to be junk). I can then figure out why that corner was so qick by looking at the speed of the kart and the line he took, and ask him to do it again, combined with the methods he used to make a quick lap already. That's how you find yourself getting very close to lap records.

I can safely say that if you arent running a system like Mychron 4 with GPS then you are throwing away faster lap times. I can't survive in the kart coaching business without it now and I recommend you buy one. I got my system direct from the importers here AiM MyChron4 GPS

Dan Wheldon Gives us a Great Interview About Karting

2006-05-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

Dan Wheldon took time out of preparing for the Indy 500 to have a chat with us about his karting days, and lets us in on a few karting secrets!

To hear him interviewed go to the Dan Wheldon Karting interview

Dan talks freely about kart cornering technique, braking and some other karting secrets that you simply have to know....so go listen to it now!!

Senna vs Prost on Karts on Video!

2006-05-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

Ayrton Senna himself said that karting is the purest form of motor sport and you won't find any arguement from me on that one!

Karting1 have found some rare footage of Senna racing karts against Prost and other F1 drivers from 1993 in Paris Bercy. Other Drivers were Panis and Herbert. Also I've put together some analysis of Senna's karting techniques so you can get a feel for what made him such a fantastic karter. Senna was a multiple Brazilian kart champion and came runner up in the world karting champs a few times.

He was so keen to win the world karting title that he made several attempts even during his car career but never actually won it

here is the link to the senna karting video

Cadet Kart with a JICA Kart Engine!

2006-05-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Luke Ellery is Australia's top Junior Rotax kart driver.....but he also has a flair for doing insane things with karts!

First of all he is the inspiration behing the Karting Lock Ups movement in Australia, and now he has come up with an even more crazy idea.

Luke has gone and bolted a Parilla 100cc JICA motor to an old cadet kart chassis and has managed to drive the damn thing, both out on his street and then on the Oakleigh kart track....in the wet on slicks!

Take a look at the machine in spectacular action on video JICA cadet kart video

What the Fastest Kart Drivers are Doing with the Wheel

2006-05-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

I spend most of my life working with and studying the fastest kart drivers around and I have found that they all have something special in common.

1. They are all extremely skillfull at controlling their kart under braking

2 They are pre-occupied with keeping the wheel as straight as possible especially on exits.

If you are fortunate enough to get footage of the guys currently at the top of the karting world, pay special attention to how they use their brakes, and how keen they are to minimise steering input, especially when exiting corners.

In particular look at Birel works driver Jon Lancaster, Tony kart's Davide Foret and Marco Ardigo.

You will find that they are able to brake with supreme accuracy, making sure they are getting maximum braking traction from the tyres, and if you look even more closely you can see how they make minute adjustments to the kart's steering wheel on the exits of corners, making sure they upset the kart as little as possible.

Now i know all this isn't much use to you without any actual karting footage, but lucky for you there is plenty of video at the karting1 website.

Davide Foret racing a Tony Kart
Jon Lancaster on a Birel Kart
Marco Ardigo Racing for Tony Kart
Various world class drivers at PF kart masters

Continously Variable Transmission for Karts

2006-05-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Having heard about the CVT system and seen a development version reviewed by karting magazine we got to test the final version of the innovative CVT for karts.

Built by CV Racing the CVT system for karts was designed to elimate all the hassle of getting the right gearing for your kart. Also it makes sure your kart is running at the ideal gear ratio for all situations.....It's quite a remarkable system because it means your kart will accelerate much harder and have a higher top speed, therefore greatly reduced laptimes.....

Also, it allows your kart engine to constantly run with revs at peak power, which is always lower than the maximum revs you would run at

So for example on a Rotax Max kart engine, you would run it at around 11,500 rpm instead of 1400. This means the power output is at a maximum, but the revs are much lower, vastly increasing the life and reliability of your engine.

See what it was like to drive on video with the CVT for Kart test

Wankel Rotary Engine for Karting Aixro

2006-05-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Aixro XR50 is a remarkable kart engine. It uses Wankel rotary engine technology to produce at least 48hp, and is quick enough to compete with 125 shifter karts.

The beauty of the engine is that its as easy to drive as any regular non gearbox kart, and delivers torque all the way through its rev range. It provides a phenominal karting experience unlike anything I've ever tried.....it's just like being 10 years old and driving a 100cc kart for the first time!!

These days a typical high performance kart, a Rotax or Biland for example provides great grip and high corner speed, but tends to run out of puff at the end of the straight. But the Aixro continues to accelerate at the end of the straights, making your brain meltdown and panicking you into braking early! And for a 4 stroke kart, the sound it makes is awesome, much more satisfying for us 2 stoke kart addicts than you would expect. Anyway, if you get a chance to drive one please take it, but be prepared to lose interest in any other karts!

Check out video footage of me driving the Aixro rotarty kart at the Lydd circuit for karting 1

New Karting Site

2005-11-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

A new site has been launched dedicated to giving kart racers seriously valuable information to help them win kart races!
Its called karting1.co.uk and covers advanced driving techniques, data-logging, interveiws with the drivers winning big races and tips on getting sponsorship

Check out the newest karting techniques at www.karting1.co.uk

If You Want to Win Karting Events....You Need to Know How to Brake

2005-05-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

How to Earn Your Title as the Karting 'Last of the Late Brakers
How do I learn to brake like those flash Super 1 karters?

This is where you're going to get the answers you need. And in my usual tradition I'm going to give you nice'n'easy step-by-step instructions from Terence Dove

Braking like a Karting Superstar

One thing I used to marvel at as a young kart racer was the way top class drivers used to drift into corners like they were effortlessly floating around the circuit. Then I would try it out myself and completely mess it up. I had no idea why they were doing it or how to do it, just that it looked cool.

Trail Braking- It Looks Cool but What's the Point?

The reason why drivers have the rear of the kart sliding into corners is because they are using a technique called trail braking, which allows you to brake a bit later and deeper into a corner. So, the point is that you can get around a track faster by braking later without losing exit speed.

Here's how to do it:-

First you need to understand a bit about how kart tyres work. If you imagine that a tyre can only provide so much grip, let's call that 100% grip, then you would want to use 100% grip for maximum braking, then 100% grip for maximum cornering speed. Normally you will brake for a corner, come off the brake, turn in and then accelerate away. Generally people will tell you that braking and turning together will cause you to spin, because if you are using 100% grip for braking, there isn't any left for cornering, sounds like good advice right? Well it's not as simple as that because there are parts of a corner between hitting the brakes and the apex when you can be turning and braking at the same time. If you visualise this situation then you will understand how it works.

Imagine you are belting down the straight into a tight corner, you brake a bit later than usual and you still need to slow down more as you reach your turn in point. You know you will spin if you are still hard on the brakes when you turn in, BUT you still have to turn in!
Here's what you do, you come off the brakes a little and turn in, the cornering grip required of the tyre isn't maximum yet because you aren't turning very sharply at the early stages of the corner, let's say you are using 60% of your grip- That leaves 40% of your grip to use on braking.
So you can carry on braking into the corner, gradually easing off the brake as you turn more sharply. What you will find is that you will be blending your braking into the corner with your cornering and then blending in the throttle as you exit. If you are looking ahead as described in a previous lesson your mind will be way ahead and you probably won't even notice how cool you look to spectators!

This technique does require practice, and you will probably spin a few times, but it is definitely worth the trouble because it means you will become a genuine 'Last of the Late Brakers'. And doesn't every racer want that title?

karting
Popdex Citations

Karting in the Wet. How to Win Wet Kart Races

2005-05-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

How to Become a Karting Rain Master.

How to learn to love karting in the wet and whoop everyone else.

Karting in the wet is the ultimate way to learn how a kart works, and how to become a super-sensitive kart driver. The other great thing about the wet karting is that it will magnify any driving problems you have, so you can spot them easily and nail them straight away.
When you get the hang of these techniques you will be laughing, because the first rule about wet karting is that nobody else knows what the hell is going on. Half the karters on the grid won't have a clue where to brake, so you'll be out-braking all of them.

Ok, let's get into the details of karting in the wet.

First off, driving in the wet is completely different to driving in the dry. Pretty much at every circuit the fastest racing line is different, and frankly quite weird and counter-intuitive. Why? Two reasons.

1) Similar to most circuit racing, the dry line is covered in rubber which is a bit greasy when wet- therefore the less used parts of the track which are cleaner have more grip.

2) The way karts work requires you to take a very late entry into a corner.

I am going to talk about high speed corners, mid speed corners and low speed corners separately.

Low speed corners

Braking
Let's say the first corner you encounter is at the end of the straight, and it's pretty tight. First thing you need to do is brake, and you need to learn the latest braking point the same as you would in the dry. You may even find it isn't much different to the dry braking point. So you already have an advantage over all the fools who won't practice karting in the wet.
The key to braking in the wet is getting the tyre to bite without locking, you need to be super-sensitive and you need to be quick to release braking pressure when you feel the wheels about to lock.

Turning in
Karts don't like to go round corners in the wet. And to get them to turn you need to get the inside rear tyre off the ground, or the damn kart will just run straight on. Here's the technique:
Brake a little later than usual, and plan to run wide and deep into the corner. Turn the wheel to full lock in a really purposeful aggressive way. You want to almost surprise the kart, in a split second you go from a straight wheel to full lock. The kart will almost ignore you, then when you lose enough speed it will bite and turn sharply. Normally to encourage the kart to turn you can lean forward to the outside front wheel. By now you are so deep in the corner you will be on the cleaner more grippy part of the circuit, and have better traction to accelerate away. Once the kart has turned you need to sit back to get weight over those back tyres for traction. Carefully feed in the throttle to avoid wheelspin.

High speed corners.

Karting in the wet is about traction....lose the wheelspin
Understeer in fast corners in the wet is quite nice, so just drive the kart through the corner nice and smooth. You shouldn't need to lean forward or do anything drastic with the wheel. Just make sure you get all your power down and avoid wheelspin. The line shouldn't be a lot different to that in the dry.

Mid Speed Cornering

This is where you will need to use a mixture of techniques. Usually there will be a different racing line for the wet, normally a wide line is preferable. You will probably need to be aggressive on turn in, but a faster corner may need a less aggressive approach. You may need to lean to the outside front wheel, but maybe not. I know, I'm being vague. This is why you need to get out on a wet track and I would strongly advise that you get a driver coach to watch you in the wet.

Sincerely
Terence

How to Stop Getting Stuck Behind Slower Karters, and How to Overtake ANY Karting Driver You Want.

2005-03-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

Karting can be a frustrating business sometimes

Are you finding that you don’t get the results that your lap times say you deserve?

Do you find you catch drivers easily and get stuck behind them way too long?

Would you like to blast past drivers first chance?

I get so many emails from drivers who find it hard to overtake and even more from parents who are going nuts watching their driver sit behind slower karts. And the problem is that everybody thinks that they should be more aggressive, more courageous, and if they can’t break through this overtaking problem then they may as well pack in karting.

Well I’m here to say this:-

1) For God’s sake don’t give up Karting, because you will always regret it
2) Learning to overtake in karting is a step-by-step process, you don’t need to be more aggressive or change your personality

You just need to know the secrets of overtaking and braking and to practice them. Then all you need is a nice new cabinet for all the trophies you’re going to win!

What is it that stops drivers overtaking?

Well it’s quite simple….fear. Fear of what will happen, will I collide? Will I spin? Will I go wide? etc. When you go to overtake another kart, there is extra pressure, you are on a part of the track which you wouldn’t normally be on so your visual perspective is different. So, your brain kicks in with basic survival reactions and goes into self-preservation mode. Perfectly normal and logical behaviour too!! So, you decide not to take the risk, since diving into the unknown simply isn’t worth the trouble, and you let yourself off and decide to try again later

Now, most people would assume that it’s a good idea to beat fear by force, for example force yourself or your driver to be brave…just close your eyes and do it etc. Well, all this achieves is to frighten the driver even more, to the point where they dread driving and will avoid getting close to other drivers, to avoid feeling scared in the first place. It also causes a lot of arguments and bad feeling, which turns karting from the most fun you can have, to quite a tedious activity

So, that’s enough of how not to do things, let’s get on to answer the problem

How to Fix a Karting Driver’s Overtaking and Braking Problems…Step-by-step

Ok, the most obvious overtaking move is to out-brake the opposition into a tight corner after a straight. So, step one of the overtaking master class is to become an expert on the brakes.

When you brake in a kart you have to hit the pedal hard and fast, not gently and gradually like in a car. You have to hit the pedal in a flash, so that the tyres almost lock up, and give you a sweet chirpy sound when they bite. Be ready for the kart to kick sideways, and release the pressure slightly to control the rear as you start to turn in. You will find yourself trail braking into the corner and believe me, the grin factor in mastering this is fantastic!

Now, doing this is difficult and you will need to lock your tyres to know how hard you can brake. So instead of scaring yourself, brake earlier than normal to get a feel for how hard you can brake. Then once you have mastered braking real hard brake from your old braking point, then brake even later once you are confident in your control. And do use a braking point, find marks on or beside the track, this is essential because you need to know exactly where it is safe for you to brake.

So now, you are braking as late as anyone can, and you are able to control the kart on its braking limit…you are a very skilled driver by now, and your confidence will be high.

Out-Braking Other Drivers- A Step into the Unknown

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When you are on the inside of another driver ready to overtake, you might not be able to see your braking point….or you might think because you are on a tight line it’s too risky to brake so late. So what you need to do is practice using an overtaking line. Its simple- approach the corner as if you are overtaking and find new marks on the track as braking points. Do this over and over until you can slide the kart into the corner, all crossed up and in all sorts of trouble….slide wide, spin, hit the kerb or whatever.

Eventually you will learn where you can brake when on the inside line and be able to get round the corner. That way, you will know exactly what you are doing in the real situation. When you are on the inside of another kart you will know how late you can brake, how much grip there will be, and how wide your exit line will be. There will be nothing to be afraid of because you will have seen it all before.

Don’t Focus on the Other Kart….Focus on the Gap

This is the key to pulling off wild looking overtaking manoeuvres, which other drivers will marvel at, and it is relatively simple. When you are driving you will drive where you look. This can work to help you, or can really mess you up. Have you ever watched another kart spin and find yourself watching it until you almost hit it!

I have, and in fact I did hit it…a few times!- that is an example of me driving where I was looking. Now, to take advantage of this phenomenon, you have to look, yes physically look with your eyes to where you want the kart to go. So in an overtaking situation, you will notice that your brain will want you to look at the other kart- so you won’t hit it. This makes you jump into self-preservation mode and usually you will back off, or turn in way too early.

So next time you want to overtak another kart, look into the gap between the kerb and the driver you want to pass. Force yourself to stare into that gap, and if you are braking into a hairpin say, actually drive the kart into that gap, even let off the brake a little extra and keep looking into the gap. I promise you that you will get past the driver if you do this, maybe he will get back past on exit, but you can fine tune your line next time to stop that.

So, don’t forget….look into the gap, choose a point on the kerb to focus on and aim for it, look for it and leave the other karter to worry about avoiding you….because when you come steaming through you can bet he will be watching you, and loosing his concentration!

That’s it, overtaking feels very natural when you follow these steps and karting becomes even more exciting and fun. So give it a try and get hold of me if you have any karting questions. My contact details are at the end of this article

Terence Dove
EvenFlow Karting Coach
terence@evenflow.co.uk

Get a free copy of "Astonishing Insider Secrets to Instantly Faster Lap Times and Absolute Kart Control" from the evenflow karting site

Weight Problems!!!!

2005-02-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

I got this question from a driver today, below is my response, please add further comments if you wish!
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Although very fit, I do carry a bit of excess weight over my fellow
karting competitirs (from a few years of lifting weights) and find this a hinderence
trying to get quickly out of corners. Can you suggest some tips on how I can
carry the maximum amount of speed through and out of the slower corners. I
have seen more experienced kart racers flick the rear of the kart around the
corner and shoot through the corner with limited amount of lock on the wheel
maximising acceleration on the exit of the corner....how do you do this
karting technique??
Many thanks

~~~

And my response...

Thanks for your email, obviously excess weight will always hinder your corner exits....but all is not lost, I just spent a weekend training with a chap giving away 30kg and we got him to within a second a lap of the quickest times from the summer.
Now, the way we did that was to use leaning techniques, shifting body weight around the kart to literally make it behave better. For example, exiting hairpins, my driver would lean to the outside of the kart to help the kart release. When you do this you dont have to turn the wheel so much and you can actually feel the difference in speed.
Flicking the kart in....i know what you mean, but if you consciously fick the wheel to get the effect you will run into problems. Try instead to take a wider entry into the corner, and to brake with a sharpness so that you work the rear end harder. take a look at my karting braking article If you do follow those braking techniques, you will start to drive like the guys flicking the kart in. it comes quite naturally.
So in summary, next time you practice concentrate on a hairpin....try to brake hard and sharp, turn in later, hit a late apex and try to lean your body slightly outward during the turn. This is a bit tricky and of course you can always drop me an email to arrange a coaching session to guarantee that you master it.

Thanks
Terence

Beat the Drivers Spending Loads of Money!

2005-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

It is absolutely possible for you to go out and beat drivers with all the top karting kit available. Why? Because half of them can't drive properly! And my mission is to teach as many karting drivers as possible how to use simple karting techniques to go out and win.

I have been making a living as a karting coach for a year now, and I've had some fantastic results with my drivers. I'm going to be writing articles here giving away my most up to date driving tactics, and my answers to your specifc questions on how to drive a kart fast.

Iit would be great if you can add your own comments to my karting articles. You can ask me a question directly, or if you like start an arguement! Whatever so long as it is all about driving karts.

Thanks
Terence