NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, yours truly had his first real race a few days ago. (first real one because in the last one I failed miserably and failed to pass the qualifying) I got into the top twelve, at which point it split into two heats, six drivers in each, top three go into Final A, bottom three into Final B. I finished fourth in mine ( :() and went into Final B. Couple of laps in the guy in first spun out and let second place and me in. He didn't bother either of us again. The guy in first wasn't too good, but I couldn't find a way past him. I had one chance, but didn't take it fully. So I settled for 8th place overall, second in Final B. I'll be back!
Any other karting drivers here on NS? Anybody ever raced? Driven karts at all? Share your near-death experiences! ( :p)

better luck nest time.

i did quading..and karting..but alas no more

better luck neXt time.
I was actually quite pleased with myself, first race and all....

I love quads :D

Karting...I once did it with my dad at a proper racetrack, grassy knolls, shicanes, etc. I was only 7 or something, but I got taken off for dangerous driving. I wasn't very good at steering...or braking, and once got off the track so far they told me to keep driving across. My dad got my extra laps :(
But I was ickle.

i love karting. dont do it seriously though because i cant afford it, but ive raced a few times against people who do race properly and ive always done well.

there was one time on this section of course which was a right hander hairpin, then a short straight and into a left right sweeping S bend. i was leading out of the hairpin, but ran slightly wide and the person in 2nd was able to catch me, so we had a bit of a drag down to the esses. coming through the S i was slightly ahead, but on the wrong side for the right hand turn which followed if i was going to be on the inside to get past him, so i eased off a bit, switched to the inside, and nailed him coming out of it with stupidly late braking that meant i ran a bit wide (but not off the track) and forced him way out as well.

i was pretty pleased with that wee move

when i race against the kart people, i usually either win or finish on the podium.

if only i could afford to do it properly...

I had this one guy, who took first in the Juniors in the end ( :mad: ) who started behind me, and kept hitting me at least once a lap, to overtake me he rammed me aside and went past. Later on there was a situation where he was just in front of the girl who took fourth, and she was about to overtake him, so he swerved in front of her to cut her off. If she hadn't braked there would have been an accident which would have left him, her and me out of the race. All that and all he got was a warning. People got taken down a place for less.

The only 'Kart' I've driven is a Go-Kart...

yeeees, kart=gokart....

yeeees, kart=gokart....

Okay then.

They call it 'Kart' racing to divorce it from the 'Sears go-cart' image, because it is pretty legitimate racing-don't want the 'playground' image. But Karting is go-carts, but badass go-carts.

I raced Quarter Midgets from the ages of 5-12 in Northern California, CQMA-AQMA, Sunnyvale, etc. I started with someone who is still racing big time. rats...

From 14-21/22 I raced karts, sprints and a few time enduro. I have a preference for enduro. You're on a 'real' track, you have an hour-it's all about being smooth. At Sears Point the track is so hairy that the karts would have times close to 'real' cars, especially the shifters.

All the time in Quarter Midgets I never flipped the car, not once. But the only time my girlfriend (well, that girlfriend) ever came to see me race I flipped my kart-which isn't easy. My car had been t-boned the previous race and we hadn't realised that it f'd up the balance, meaning I wasn't getting a good 'footprint,' so the handling sucked. Right before my first race she pointed to a straggler in the race going on and asked, "Isn't that embaracing, being that far behind?" Luckily I responded not with, "Yeah, their losers," but rather "If you're that far behind, usually somethings horribly wrong with the car."

First race, I'm falling behind. Dammit. Couldn't go through the turns as fast as I thought I should be able to do and it was wearing me out. Finally, I thought, f'it-I'm goin' in that turn the same way I always have. Even if it doesn't work I came from quarter midgets, I can handle a slippery car.

So the back right tire goes off the track, which was sitting two inches high because of a recent repave, which sent the front wheels in the air. Sliding side ways with my rear tires off the track and my front in the air I hit a hole that launched the car in the air and brought it down on my head.


I didn't notice. I figured I got thrown from the car and my first thought was, "Well, I'm not going to catch the pack now." Then I noticed them red flagging the field and looked around to see who flipped. Which is when I noticed the nurse walking towards me. I finished the day fourth overall. My girlfriend never mentioned racing again and broke up with me a few months later.

Yeah, when I was practising for this race, one of the marshalls wanted to show me the proper lines to take. He told me to follow him and drove out. On the first full lap he went into a hairpin a bit too wide and his entire kart lifted from the ground as he hit the tirewall then landed again. I decided not to follow his lines on that particular lap :p

Yeah, when I was practising for this race, one of the marshalls wanted to show me the proper lines to take. He told me to follow him and drove out. On the first full lap he went into a hairpin a bit too wide and his entire kart lifted from the ground as he hit the tirewall then landed again. I decided not to follow his lines on that particular lap :p
Probably the best idea...

I never had a marshall show me the 'line'. I had guys from the Emmick team pointing to turns I took poorly and shaking their heads and them make fun of the way I was holding the wheel, which is cool and intimadating(sp) at the same time.

The funny thing was the teams were roughly split:

Green Kart (mine): 2
GoKarting Poleg (host of that race): 4 or 5
Kartin Ashdod: 0
Pro-Karting: 15
Mega-Karting: 15

The room was split into two halves, pro karting on one side and Mega Karting on the other. Neither talked to the other. The Pro-Karting team didn't talk to anyone though, but it was still funny the way there were two real teams, and the rest were almost filling in the numbers. Podiums ended like this....

Juniors:
Pro-Karting
Mega-Karting
Mega-Karting

Seniors:
Pro-Karting
Pro-Karting
Mega-Karting

Masters:
Mega-Karting
Pro-Karting
Mega-Karting

The rest of us might as well not have existed!

Weird. I think there are some profound differences in the racing. For starters, we did it outside. Teams didn't exist so much as families did, no ranking for teams. The Emmick drivers where the people who drove for Emmick Racing Karts in the nationals. Every once in a while someone from Bug would show up, I think to see how they where measuring up. I only did one indoor race at it was in a temporary track.

For those who want to build up a mental image of me in competition....

http://www.gokarting.co.il/text.php?thepage=kartmain_78
^those are the karts from my last competition^

http://www.motorspot.com/KK01701_BLUE204.jpg
^my overall^

http://www.ontwowheels.com.au/shop/pimages/373_thumb.jpg
^my gloves, except in blue not red^

I Go-Karted once with some friends, a good laugh.

Doubt i'd be able to race properly though, I'd screw up :p

Were you running Can or HPV?

Were you running Can or HPV?
Exactly. :confused:

Exactly. :confused:
The type of Kart. HPV tends to be the class right below shifter, except without the shifting capability. SuperCan is below that

you know, kart/car racing is the one thing that ive ever been better than anyone ive ever met at. the only thing i can think of that ive ever been the best in the group at. i raced agsinst people who really do race, and are among the best in their championships...and ive beaten them. cant afford to do it properly though

I Go-Karted once with some friends, a good laugh.

Doubt i'd be able to race properly though, I'd screw up :p
All you need is lots of practice. And to have the best drivers in the country right on your tail. Speeds you up lots! :p

you know, kart/car racing is the one thing that ive ever been better than anyone ive ever met at. the only thing i can think of that ive ever been the best in the group at. i raced agsinst people who really do race, and are among the best in their championships...and ive beaten them. cant afford to do it properly though
You just need to do that beating in front of some money men.

Sometimes schools like Barbers and such have a scholarship deally-I know Barber Dodge lets you trade ride time for pit work.

This isn't gravedigging because its on topic before anyone comments.

Just thought that I'd let y'all know that I have a race tomorrow, so wish me luck all! :s

Well, I've never been karting, but it ceratinly seems good. Maybe I can get it for a birthday in the distant future. Ah well...

GOOD LUCK! :p

Wow, thanks for the support all! I get one response wishing me luck, and even thats from someone I told on MSN. :( Nobody loves me :(

Quite whining, I just saw the thread....

Good luck, ya big baby.

Thanks;) You know I just did it to get responses! I know you all love me really.
:fluffle:

Even though I had a couple hardcore beefed up karts growing up, I never raced them. I raced 125s (motocross) when I was 15-16 and quit because I broke my right leg in a stupid accident and lost my sponsorship.

http://www.mhrhelmet.com/english/displayproduct.php?proid=39005

http://www.kartoramainc.com/image/2126779.JPG


My new stuff! (the helmet is black and dark blue on mine though, and the visor isn't black)

Ah well, twelth out of twelve isn't that bad is it? *damn Omer Mannor, screwing up another race for me:mad:*