Rick
06-26-2007, 05:25 PM
I originally found this post at:
http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=59136
It really reminded me of a lot of the guys on this board and how it might apply to others thinking of getting into karting. I asked Kevin (author) for permission to post it here.
I started on race tracks in street legal sports cars, at the ripe age of 42... just 7 years ago, HPDE weekends with the BMW CCA mostly - 14 of them in fact. This can get expensive, eating tires and brakes, and putting the hurt on expensive hardware. The better I got, the more mods we did to the car, the higher the costs got...
Enter karting. On the advice of a driving instructor, I took up karting to build skills and cut costs. Our first was a Yamaha SSX can class. I was scared silly at how fast they were. First I had a stock motor, then a modified one, then two, then a pile of clutches, gears, etc.... Never really raced much, as the intent was to improve my driving skill, not race karts.
Over a few years, I took the car to the track less and less, and got deeper into karts. I love to experiment, so tried a lot of different things. Not always committed to a class, I tried all the tire compounds, different motors, borrowed karts, and went to all of Ron Hall II's race schools (clutch through shifter) and Bonduraunt's shifter school (3 days of total emersion.) I moved from the Yamaha to CR80 shifter for fun, and then hopped that up.
My first real racing of any type, with any real commitment at all, was in TaG. Those who frequent this forum know that I took a different route here, running the 4 stroke Biland in a sea of oil burners. I did this first with few competitors, then co-founded a Masters series and raced with a large organized group. I did well enough, considering I was still not 100% committed to racing, just to the fun of driving and improving my skills at the wheel.
Enter the SCCA. Last year I purchased a racecar. Keeping expenses to a minimum were important, plus a soft spot for old VW stuff, led me into Formula Vee. The first season we raced Regional races and TaG, and found the combined effort too much to manage. We did well in the Region, finishing 2nd in the division.
This season, we committed to FV racing at the National level, with a greater level of commitment. We are not doing as well (no points in 3 races) but are on a steep learning curve. The class is very competitive, with some of the best Vee drivers in the country in the grids. However, the fun factor is huge.
This leads to the following burning questions and observations:
Does karting indeed prepare drivers to race cars? Absolutely
Are the skills learned transferable to cars? The skills and sense of driving yes, the techniques, not always. For example, trail braking is rarely used, while the on-off-on throttle application in a low powered car (FV) works, it will likely get one hospitalized in a Formula Atlantic. Each car is different, but the overall ability to control it, the feel for its movement, the eye for the race line, and the reaction time training learned in karting is invaluable.
Is karting indeed cheaper than racing a car? I'll answer than with a resounding YES, oh yeah, and without a doubt, absolutely. No contest, karting is cheaper at all levels, and exceeds the lap-time performance per dollar equasion of cars, by a fair margin (The FV car runs the same lap times as a TaG kart, but costs much more to buy, setup, and operate.)
Now for the big one:
Knowing all of this, why race a car at all, why not just bag it and race karts? Because I am an insane monkey-being I guess. For now, the FV is an adventure. The extra weight of the car (1041 across the scales) and low power (60hp), requires as much sensitivity to energy use as Yamaha SSX and TaG, with the thrill of being inside a cockpit, with roll protection and belts. It's a lot like the in-car shots in the movie Grand Prix, skinny tires spinning and all. I came to karting to aide my car driving skills, and am convinced this is exactly what has happened.
Does this mean no more karting? No way. While, out of a need to control seasonal expenses, I have to focus on the car this year - Once we have a routine and the car package together (2 good motors, spares, etc.) I fully intend to return to karting for between car-racing events. I believe that TaG remains the best choice, as it is the closest to the level of cars I intend to race (FV only uses 3rd and 4th gears, so shifting is a small factor), so this will be where I gravitate back to. If we raced super-fast class one day, shifters may become a greater draw - but that's unlikely.
Conclusion: Starting late in motorsports is tough. You end up racing against people 10 or more years younger with three times the experience, and well established equipment. In karting, you have to also fight through the baloney put up by those who are myopically convinced this is the only worthy direction, and over-committed to it - just like you do car racers spending hundreds of thousands for club racing. However, if you are in the position of adult late-comer to the motorsport, I can attest to the concept that karting is a great way to optimize your efforts, and shorten the learning cycle by keeping the curve very vertical. I also believe that TaG is one of the best classes within karting in this regard. This simply amps up the total fun factor, no matter where you land - car or kart! [/b]
_________________
Opinions expressed here are the product of an enthusiast and subject to change without notice.
#79 TaG and SCCA FV
http://www.kartgraphix.com (http://www.kartgraphix.com/)
http://www.lumenique.com (http://www.lumenique.com/)
http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=59136
It really reminded me of a lot of the guys on this board and how it might apply to others thinking of getting into karting. I asked Kevin (author) for permission to post it here.
I started on race tracks in street legal sports cars, at the ripe age of 42... just 7 years ago, HPDE weekends with the BMW CCA mostly - 14 of them in fact. This can get expensive, eating tires and brakes, and putting the hurt on expensive hardware. The better I got, the more mods we did to the car, the higher the costs got...
Enter karting. On the advice of a driving instructor, I took up karting to build skills and cut costs. Our first was a Yamaha SSX can class. I was scared silly at how fast they were. First I had a stock motor, then a modified one, then two, then a pile of clutches, gears, etc.... Never really raced much, as the intent was to improve my driving skill, not race karts.
Over a few years, I took the car to the track less and less, and got deeper into karts. I love to experiment, so tried a lot of different things. Not always committed to a class, I tried all the tire compounds, different motors, borrowed karts, and went to all of Ron Hall II's race schools (clutch through shifter) and Bonduraunt's shifter school (3 days of total emersion.) I moved from the Yamaha to CR80 shifter for fun, and then hopped that up.
My first real racing of any type, with any real commitment at all, was in TaG. Those who frequent this forum know that I took a different route here, running the 4 stroke Biland in a sea of oil burners. I did this first with few competitors, then co-founded a Masters series and raced with a large organized group. I did well enough, considering I was still not 100% committed to racing, just to the fun of driving and improving my skills at the wheel.
Enter the SCCA. Last year I purchased a racecar. Keeping expenses to a minimum were important, plus a soft spot for old VW stuff, led me into Formula Vee. The first season we raced Regional races and TaG, and found the combined effort too much to manage. We did well in the Region, finishing 2nd in the division.
This season, we committed to FV racing at the National level, with a greater level of commitment. We are not doing as well (no points in 3 races) but are on a steep learning curve. The class is very competitive, with some of the best Vee drivers in the country in the grids. However, the fun factor is huge.
This leads to the following burning questions and observations:
Does karting indeed prepare drivers to race cars? Absolutely
Are the skills learned transferable to cars? The skills and sense of driving yes, the techniques, not always. For example, trail braking is rarely used, while the on-off-on throttle application in a low powered car (FV) works, it will likely get one hospitalized in a Formula Atlantic. Each car is different, but the overall ability to control it, the feel for its movement, the eye for the race line, and the reaction time training learned in karting is invaluable.
Is karting indeed cheaper than racing a car? I'll answer than with a resounding YES, oh yeah, and without a doubt, absolutely. No contest, karting is cheaper at all levels, and exceeds the lap-time performance per dollar equasion of cars, by a fair margin (The FV car runs the same lap times as a TaG kart, but costs much more to buy, setup, and operate.)
Now for the big one:
Knowing all of this, why race a car at all, why not just bag it and race karts? Because I am an insane monkey-being I guess. For now, the FV is an adventure. The extra weight of the car (1041 across the scales) and low power (60hp), requires as much sensitivity to energy use as Yamaha SSX and TaG, with the thrill of being inside a cockpit, with roll protection and belts. It's a lot like the in-car shots in the movie Grand Prix, skinny tires spinning and all. I came to karting to aide my car driving skills, and am convinced this is exactly what has happened.
Does this mean no more karting? No way. While, out of a need to control seasonal expenses, I have to focus on the car this year - Once we have a routine and the car package together (2 good motors, spares, etc.) I fully intend to return to karting for between car-racing events. I believe that TaG remains the best choice, as it is the closest to the level of cars I intend to race (FV only uses 3rd and 4th gears, so shifting is a small factor), so this will be where I gravitate back to. If we raced super-fast class one day, shifters may become a greater draw - but that's unlikely.
Conclusion: Starting late in motorsports is tough. You end up racing against people 10 or more years younger with three times the experience, and well established equipment. In karting, you have to also fight through the baloney put up by those who are myopically convinced this is the only worthy direction, and over-committed to it - just like you do car racers spending hundreds of thousands for club racing. However, if you are in the position of adult late-comer to the motorsport, I can attest to the concept that karting is a great way to optimize your efforts, and shorten the learning cycle by keeping the curve very vertical. I also believe that TaG is one of the best classes within karting in this regard. This simply amps up the total fun factor, no matter where you land - car or kart! [/b]
_________________
Opinions expressed here are the product of an enthusiast and subject to change without notice.
#79 TaG and SCCA FV
http://www.kartgraphix.com (http://www.kartgraphix.com/)
http://www.lumenique.com (http://www.lumenique.com/)