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Post by johngalt on Sept 12, 2009 21:54:56 GMT -8
Being an enthusiastic motorsports fan, am kind of ashamed to say, I am utterly clueless to kart racing! So please allow me to ask, what must be, a couple of really ridiculous questions.
One question is: do karts ever race on ovals?
And the second question is: if karts are open wheel, and they drive on road courses, how many real opportunities are there for passing in a given race?
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Post by billcox on Sept 15, 2009 7:48:24 GMT -8
Yes, the speedway karts (oval racing) are more popular in the middle of the country; both dirt and asphalt; complete with bodywork, roll cages and wings. There may be an oval track up in the Central Valley...I'm thinking Madera.
Kart racing on sprint or road race tracks requires the driver to be disciplined, consistent and constantly working to set up a pass. It is far more difficult because a bad turn #1 will effect the next 2 or 3 corners and the sections that connect them; could take several laps to regain the gap. In my experience, it's more difficult than oval racing. Two karts that are equal, driven by equally competent drivers will run nose-to-tail lap after lap...until the lead kart makes a bobble. That's when the #2 driver has to be in a position to take advantage of the mistake.
Driving a kart at race pace is difficult to do it well than it looks!
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Post by johngalt on Sept 15, 2009 10:19:16 GMT -8
It is far more difficult because a bad turn #1 will effect the next 2 or 3 corners and the sections that connect them; could take several laps to regain the gap. In my experience, it's more difficult than oval racing.
To readdress a part of my question; it would seem to me that being an open wheel racer, that the act of passing when it does occur, would happen gingerly. Or do these observations in car racing even apply to kart racing?
(Thank you for the previous response.) |
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Post by billcox on Sept 15, 2009 14:42:51 GMT -8
You are welcome.
Even though we have front nose pieces, side pods and rear bumpers, we can't safely pass using NASCAR fender banging tactics. It takes far more skill to get by without touching another kart.
When spinning tires touch other spinning tires, the incident will be interesting. With a low center of gravity, karts tend to pop up and down...sometimes landing on the other kart; only occassionally getting upside down. It's part of the inherant risk of kart racing.
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