Racing Go Cart – Fast Action, Great Fun

If you have ever watched the Indy 500, you’ve witnessed open wheel racing, an exciting motor sport where drivers hit speeds in excess of 230 mph. Go cart racing is a variant of the open wheel motor sport, using a fast racing go cart. Go cart racing is commonly used as a stepping stone to the faster and more expensive ranks of car racing where many professional drivers got their start.

When most people think of go karts, the image that comes to mind is typically the slow go karts found at family fun centers. The fastest speeds attained at most family fun center tracks are around 10 or 15 mph, but other types of go carts can hit speeds in excess of 160 mph.

Many forms of racing are exclusive to certain groups of people, but just about anyone can hop into a racing go cart and have fun. Kart racing is a regulated motor sport and allows anyone 8 years of age or older to race. As young kids improve their skills in a safe and regulated environment, they can move up to faster racing as they become more experienced.

In addition to the various racing leagues, Kid Karts racing classes are offered for drivers as young as 7 years of age. These classes can be continued through ages 15 and 16 where kids will reach senior status. This is a great way for children to get involved in racing go carts in a safe environment. As they get older they will be able to move up to more advanced classes.

There are several different forms of go cart racing including sprint, speedway, and endurance. Sprint racing takes place on small road courses that have both left and right turns. The tracks generally vary in size from a quarter mile to one mile. A typical sprint race will consist of preliminary qualification races, also known as heats, which are only a few laps in length. The top few finishers of each heat will then advance to the finals where the ultimate winner will emerge.

Speedway racing can be compared to the Indy 500 car race, which takes place on an oval track with only left turns. The main difference is the length of the track, where the go cart track is much shorter, usually between 1/6 of a mile and 1/4 of a mile. The tracks are usually asphalt or clay and have two straights and 4 left turns. However, some can be non-ovals, including triangular-shaped. Occasionally, the track can be dirt, which allows for some very exciting racing. A special go cart frame has been developed for use on these all-left-turn tracks that improves the handling of the kart. However, using these “offset” kart frames will not be ideal in other forms of racing such as sprint racing.

As with sprint racing, speedway racing will usually have qualification races to determine who races in the main event. The preliminary heats will normally be 4 or 5 laps while the final may be as many as 20 laps.

Endurance races will last for a specific period of time, usually from a half hour to 24 hours, and sometimes longer. For shorter-duration races a single driver for a racing go cart may be all that is required. However, for longer endurance races there is usually more than one driver per kart, who will take turns driving, allowing rest opportunities.

Some of the shorter endurance races are run without pit stops, but longer races may require pit stops to refuel and make tire or frame adjustments to their setup. To be successful in endurance events it is important to remain consistent on the track and have efficient pit stops. Sometimes these factors are even more important than all out speed on the track.

Go Cart Racing