Old Man, New Racer

[morgan]

First of all, allow me to say that both your website and forums as well as the entire SDKA organization itself strikes me as extremely professional. That makes things MUCH easier on a new guy looking for information and advice.

I am in the US Navy and have just been transferred to San Diego. I have been a long time race fan and have been thinking of getting into Karting for quite some time now. This will be the first opportunity I have had due to my Navy career. I have been diligently researching the subject for sometime now, but still have some questions.

I am 30 years old, 6ft 2in and weigh about 235 pounds. Will my size/weight prove to be a significant setback in my quest for victory lane?

I see the minimum weight requirements in the IKA and SDKA regulations, but how much does a kart usually weigh? Will I be able to maintain my race weight close to the minimum with my size? I am looking at the Rotax series.

Also from all the videos I have seen, I notice that not too much passing seems to be going on. With the karts' power pretty much the same for all drivers and the smallish track restricting the racing line are there really many opprtunities to out-brake someone down into the apex and get by him/her on the inside?

Or like other series, does your qualifying spot really help to determine your finishing position barring any mexhanical difficulties or crashes?

I guess what I am asking is can a driver start from the back of the grid and still win the race?

Any help/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

I plan on attending the meeting next Wednesday at Coco's as well as the raceday at Qualcomm.

Are there ever any endurance events? Maybe you guys should think about hosting the 24 Hours of Qualcomm:). That would pretty awesome.

[Jeff Shadoan]

Morgan,
Welcome to SDKA and thank you for your comments about the forum and web site. I look forward to meeting you at the meeting next Wednesday.

At 30 you're still young You will actually be on the younger side of the average age for our Rotax or TaG Heavy classes.

On average a Rotax kart will weight around 180-185 lbs with fuel. I weigh ~190 lbs with my racing gear and need to add 10-15 lbs of lead to make the minimum weight of 385 lbs for Rotax. At 235 lbs you will weigh around 420 lbs with the kart. 35-40 lbs is a big weight penalty if you were to race in the Rotax class. I would recommend that you race in the TaG Heavy class where the minimum weight is 405 lbs. Most of the guys in the TaG Heavy class are running a Rotax motor. They are a good group of guys to race with. We grid TaG Senior, Rotax, and TaG Heavy together based on qualifying times and finishing order. Its been working out great this year. There is good racing throughout the field.

As for the track layouts and passing. Our Qualcomm layouts are definitely no worse than other tracks ... if anything, some of our layouts lend themselves to more passing than the other tracks in Southern CA. When running with other drivers that are posting similar lap times there is less passing. When a fast driver has to start at the rear of the field (due to a DNF, etc.) he can definitely make passes. As with any form of racing the closer that fast driver gets to the front the more difficult the passing becomes.

If you are looking for a Rotax kart I have a couple options we can discuss after the meeting Wednesday if you would like. I can get you into a proven race winning package at a serious bargain. If you would like to talk about karting, the different classes, karts, etc. feel free to give me a call at 619-916-8076 or email me at [e-mail].

Jeff Shadoan

[morgan]

Thank you for the quick response Jeff.

TAG Heavy it is then. In the meantime, maybe I can get with Subway's Jared and see about trimming some of this fat off eh?

See you at the meeting.

[Geary Launder]

Morgan,

Another option is Formula Y/C Heavy. The karts in that class usually weigh in around 155-160lbs without the driver. Minimum weight for the class is 370lbs. Last year the class winner was 48, 5' 11" and around 220lbs. As far as winning from the back of the pack....it does not happen often (never as far as I can remember in TaG or Rotax), but the chances of it happening are better in the Formula Y. It happened twice last year and once already this year in Formula Y.

Come and check out all the classes at the race and ask a lot of questions. I think you will find everyone in the pits will be more than willing to talk about their passion for karting.

G.

[morgan]

Thanks for the info Geary! Looking forward to seeing you guys at the meeting.

Unfortunately, I will not be coming to July's race.

This is both good and bad news.

Bad because I will not be attending, but good because I will be visiting family in Phoenix and going to the Bondurant Kart driving course.

[kvnbates]

also hpv 4 is a good class... we have to be 370 but we run a hortsman motor not the old kt100s... fun competive class...

[billcox]

Morgan:

At your height and weight, HPV4 is not viable. For every 10 lbs over the class weight, you lose 1 hp. You will be a perinial back-marker; mid-pack at best.

Follow the suggestioons Jeff and Geary have offered. And until you have a couple seasons of seat time and experience, avoid the lure of shifters. While offering the thrill of standing starts, a 6-speed gearbox, and high speed with high g corners, shifters are a handful to drive for a newbie. There's a lot going on!

On a personal note, you may want to begin upper body workouts to build endurance (do not bulk up; low weights with many reps) and cardio. Karting is a lot harder than it looks; more physical than you can expect.

The Bondurant School will be a great experience. I would have steered you toward Jim Hall's school or Dave DiMond's in Perris for schooling in a clutch kart. I believe Bondurant's is in a shifter. You may come back infected with the shifter-gene; unable to fend it off.

If that happens, shift your focus to the Stock Honda class. S4 Light has a 385 lb class weight; S4 Heavy is 415 lb. You will be seriously challenged to make the Light; Heavy more reachable. But your upper body conditioning and cardio will need to help trim off some weight.

The built moto and ICC classes offer 50 hp, but at a cost not advisable for the club racer. Stock Honda has built in reliability and low maintenance, if you watch jetting and temperature.

Hope to meet you at the July meeting; at the track when you are able.

[morgan]

Wow there certainly are some varied opinions as to which class might be best for me. Looking forward to meeting some of you guys tommorrow at the meeting and discussing it.

When you say "in Perris", do you mean Apex Racing? I was thinking of going there as well since on the SDKA home page it says some of the races are held there.

Do any of you guys ever go up there on Friday or Saturday for Arrive and Drive?

[billcox]

Yes, Apex Racing at the Fair Grounds in Perris. Dave DiMond is the operator. He's an amazing promoter; competent driver coach.
Don't know of any who may have gone up to his Arrive and Drive; but it certainly is a good idea to make certain that karting is something you want to do before making the financial plunge to buy your own kart, etc.
The DD2 Arrive and Drive rental at SDKA races may be another option for you. SSC provides the equipment, mechanics, etc. for race day. Contact info in on the SDKA home page.

[morgan]

Thank you for allowing me to attend your July meeting gentleman.

All I can say is "WOW"!

I was extremely impressed by your professionalism, attention to detail, and your patience when answering my questions.

I wish I could come to the race Sunday, but this Phoenix trip has been on the books for some time now and as a dutiful son, it is just plain time to go see my old man as well.

I am looking forward to the Bondurant Shifter kart course I will be attending.

I will take many pictures and possibly some video and return with a full report for any who who would like to hear about it.

I ABSOLUTELY plan on attending the PROKART race. I know you said you were looking for volunteers from SDKA who were "experienced", but again I will be availible to any members who need assitance with anything.

Laying out cones, taking out trash, whatever it may be.

Who do I need to see about paying my membership dues?

Will I be able to do it at the PROKART event?