How good can make an oval kart handle for sprint races .

DLOGAN

New member
I have 2 oval karts both fully adjustable . My drivers are both light enough to get the weight even up .
We have raced dirt since 99. All our tires are dirt .Can some one give me a clue as to a good setup and size and brand tires . Thanks in advance for any help you can give .
 
There have been lots of locals here run a road course with LTO karts and do very well. I can't tell you how, but can tell you it can be done.
 
Not a road racer, but don't road courses have more LH turns then RH. So perhaps it can be an advantage. Aren't road racing set ups almost always a compromise as you cannot set up to be perfect in all corners?
 
You need to run as close to 50% cross and 50% left side weight as possible. The fastest tires for sprint are Vega Yellow. I think they sell 4.50x6 for fronts and 6.50x6 for rears. I think TSracing.com has some. Not sure who else. That might be a good starting point.
 
You need to run as close to 50% cross and 50% left side weight as possible. The fastest tires for sprint are Vega Yellow. I think they sell 4.50x6 for fronts and 6.50x6 for rears. I think TSracing.com has some. Not sure who else. That might be a good starting point
Sounds good thank you
 
First, Check to see if the kart has lead built into it, you won't be able to change it, but you need to know so you can try and compensate if possible. Now, if the track runs Gold Cup rules; you will be stuck running Bridgestone tires (if the track runs WKA rules). It will be a YLC compound and the tires will be mounted on 5 inch wheels. I believe the rules stipulate how wide the wheels are allowed to be, they also specify what size tires eg. 4.5x5 fronts and 7.10x5 rears (smaller rears for lighter/smaller classes i think, check your rule book).

Then, center up the seat, get the weights as close to 50 / 50 side to side and CROSS. Then for the front to rear I would try and set the weights 42 front and 58 rear.

Track widths are going to be critical. Gold Cup karts run pretty wide track widths, you want your chassis as square as possible without messing up the weight percentages. Check the legality of your seat, you may not be allowed to run a "laydown" recliner style seat.

As I said before, you will run the wheels out a ways, especially on the left side where most oval cats are used to tucking the left rear in; GET IT OUT THERE! Track width will be normally be narrower on the front that the rear. Just like on dirt, free is fast. Don't be afraid to use ALL of the track when driving, the key will be to keep the kart free and not pinch it off int he turns.

Hope this helps and good luck!!!
 
Can I race with this

mario.jpeg
 
I can tell you that yes a offset can and work good on a road course track. We have Rebel Raceway in Saltillo, Ms. and its a 3/10 track with one right hand turn and the others are left hand. We have had some local guys come race with us and won. The Phenom offset was the fastest so far and he had Vega tires on and he was very fast.

Thanks
Shane Carr
Rebel Raceway
Saltillo, Ms.
 
I just can’t see an LTO kart ever competing with a purpose built sprint frame. Not against top competition. Maybe on a local basis?
Rear width needs to be out to something like 50”, maybe more, and square to the front. Are your spindles long enough? Good sprint karts hang those wheels way out there. The rear tread width has to be wider than the front, in almost all cases.
The caster should be the same, left and right. Little to no camber.
Front to back weight is a thing you have to test for. Tried and true guesstimate would be F45% - R55%
Getting matching weights on the front tires may be a challenge. Maybe even harder on the rear.
As far as tracks having more lefts than rights, it depends on the direction they run at your track. Some run clock-wise and a track like that would have more Right hand turns.
With LS 50% & C 50% the left side is the same weight as the right side. Side to side, front to rear.
Comments, compliments, criticisms and questions always welcome.
 
Sometimes ya just gotta throw out the book and go with what works.

If you always go by the book, you'll probably only be as good as who wrote the book, never any better. JMHO
 
Alvin you couldn't be more wrong on many statements you just made.

I’m pretty sure I’m right, but hey, we all can’t be right all the time.
Point out the places that I’m wrong, and why if possible, help out the OP.
You say many statements, but how is the OP supposed to know which ones are good and which ones are bad.
Comments, compliments, criticisms and questions always welcome.
 
Why can't you see an LTO kart competing? Although the tracks where they are successful are limited, they have already won at the highest levels of sprint 4cycle racing. Rear width on your average 4cycle sprint kart is under 50 inches. Heck, you aren't even allowed to go wider than that anyway so I don't think that is a good recommendation. Your spindle comment is also a totally untrue generalization aside from racing in the rain. Little to no camber is also not true. Out of all the 4cycle races I have ran I have never ran 0 camber. I'm not trying to be arrogant, but your information is simply not what has been winning races in 4cycle sprint racing. It seems more of your comments have to do with 2cycle euro karts that use situp seats and run at 55"
 
LTO's work at "most" of our "street" races..might be a challenge to get one working clockwise and on "untreated" spec tires. But with open tire rule and counterclockwise tracks ours works pretty well. We are usually competitive at either type of rotation. We carried a Coyote Widetrack in the trailer for over a year...son got to the place where he never ran it...always ran the Ultramax Blaze instead..finally sold the Coyote. Hoosier tires are best! And 50" is way wide.
 
I have noticed in the pictures of the Rock Island Grand Prix and the SIRA races there are several LTO karts in the 4-cycle classes. Can someone who has used a LTO chassis in these type of events suggest a starting point as far as front and rear tread widths, caster and camber?
 
I just can’t see an LTO kart ever competing with a purpose built sprint frame. Not against top competition. Maybe on a local basis?
Rear width needs to be out to something like 50”, maybe more, and square to the front. Are your spindles long enough? Good sprint karts hang those wheels way out there. The rear tread width has to be wider than the front, in almost all cases.
The caster should be the same, left and right. Little to no camber.
Front to back weight is a thing you have to test for. Tried and true guesstimate would be F45% - R55%
Getting matching weights on the front tires may be a challenge. Maybe even harder on the rear.
As far as tracks having more lefts than rights, it depends on the direction they run at your track. Some run clock-wise and a track like that would have more Right hand turns.
With LS 50% & C 50% the left side is the same weight as the right side. Side to side, front to rear.
Comments, compliments, criticisms and questions always welcome.

We race with SIRA. we dp street racing with some of the best competition in the country. Alot of people win with oval karts.. and usually Ultramax Blaze/Octanes. There's also a Phantom Nemesis that runs well.. beating new Coyote Free Rollers.. If anyone was at Rock Island the guy running 2nd and almost passed the leader was on an Ultramax Blaze/ Octane.. thats been bent.. The drivers name was Garritt Powell and is an awesome driver.but yeah.. we argue this too.. Jimmy Laser and Jamie Fox and I are constantly debating this.. but results speak in my behalf.
 
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