Just Getting Started...

Any racecar can be a cruel mistress. Lol

If you get hooked, expect to spend more time and money than you can believe, just to be competitive.
If you are dominating where you race, time to set your sights higher.
As we get older, most stay involved just to help feed the fever.

Welcome to the most fun and frustrating thing you'll ever do.

I always suggest finding someone to pit for first to get an idea what you will need when you purchase that first racecar.
 
Feel free to pit for me anytime, I'm happy to take the help lol.

Seriously though, you have to be willing to LISTEN before you can WIN. Especially since you're 32, you don't get to start with kids. You get to go right into the hornets nest. Most that i have dealt with are more than happy to help out if you're willing to take it. I am only a half season into this and I am still way behind the knowledge curve, and I know this because I ask for help on knowing what to do setup wise.

Like Shaw said, be ready to spend some serious cash. I started with 1 kart and the cheapest motor class out there. After 5 races, I bought a second kart to run 2 classes each night. Im $5K in at least, and I'm still probably small compared to some. Racing is a evil woman if you treat her wrong. Be ready to tear stuff up, destroy bodies, gears, clutches, tires, tires, tires. I've been lucky to have skills in repairing stuff or I would be on my 2nd body already. If you get hooked, there's nothing better. If you don't, well you spent a bunch of money on something you don't like.

The competition in legitimate racing is a while new ball game compared to Branson. I can beat anybody easily in Branson, but on the track its tough. You have to remember everyone takes what happens on track seriously. If you run people over all the time, people will not like you. If you race irresponsibly you can pay for it in parts, blood, or fights in the pits.

Also, the chance of injury on a truly race prepped kart is astronomically higher than the stuff for tourists. I don't want to scare you, but its worth considering.

Long post, I know. Dont let me scare you, it's the most fun you can have with your pants on.
 
Soo, wats really bothering me is the oval track vs multi turn type tracks, I've raced both with the low speed 30mph & the bigger Karts & im always super bored on the ovals cause the other drivers moves are too predictable & after 5 laps in 1st place from starting last I'm just like, ok, is this gonna be over yet, I'm bored. Lol.

I enjoy outwitting, out maneuvering & predicting other drivers moves & drifting past them around a calculated turn or using their failure on a hairpin to my advantage, or pulling up between a couple combatting drivers on a straight away & blasting past them once I know how the drivers move & react. Its soo different each time w diff drivers & learning them on the 1st lap & then out racing them...
Does it feel Anything like that on just a single turn, one direction, over & over again, left turn track? Am I looking at it wrong??
Yes you are . You should buy one and give it a shot .
Mario Andretti raced karts look were it got him .
 
Asphalt :confused:

You can find sprint karts all over craigslist if thats what you want to try. Read the rules and find one with the right motor for the class you want to run
 
Honestly I feel like Shaw & Jay have said the most helpful stuff here so far, so thank you :) I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row a year or two before I get started, I've got to pay my way out of some Marital debt first after a bad divorce & get on solid footing again & I was raised to prep long term investments years b4 doing them, so that's what I'm doing here...
But honestly, I really do have one hell of a need for speed & I was getting sick of the lack of a challenge with some of those drivers (there's like 5 consistent ones I race against) that I've skilled past & just feeling like I really need more of a challenge... I'm dying for a real high speed, oh God what am I doing, don't think just drive (what my mother always tells me, it's her battle calm saying lol), kick into high gear challenge, to do for a living compared to right now just passing pills to elderly people & going home at night feeling unfullfilled.
 
Im a Super highly analytical, detailed, nothing left out thinker & it's great in other areas of my life except I can NEVER turn my Brain off... Until I'm in a Drivers Seat with a Helmet & the thrum of an Engine & it instantly shuts off my brain & I see everything clearly without trying.
 
Im a Super highly analytical, detailed, nothing left out thinker & it's great in other areas of my life except I can NEVER turn my Brain off... Until I'm in a Drivers Seat with a Helmet & the thrum of an Engine & it instantly shuts off my brain & I see everything clearly without trying.

If you are interested in seeing what the oval is all about, come to Twister Alley this Saturday. Hotlaps start at 4:30. $12 gets you in the pits, and you'll see what the dirt oval is all about. I'll be running, and you can see what people do on a race night.
 
The main track I was looking at is JPR Speedway in OK (only 100 miles from me, I live in Springdale AR)... and it's just the kind of track I'm interested in Racing.
That's Alf's place. Alf Gebhardt raced for many years, mainly BMW's.
JPR is the home track for the Tulsa Kart Club.
https://tulsakartclub.com/Last I looked they only had LO206 classes and a 100cc TAG class. You can call the number at the web site to contact them, but with corona and all, I'm not sure they are racing. I think they have a race scheduled for this weekend, but that's just from looking at their calendar.
It would be best to give them a call.

No offense, but I'm thinking you might have your expectation's set a bit too high. :)
But good luck
 
Soo I'm guessing Lo206 is another way of saying LTO? And TaG is another way of saying Sprint?
Those are engine options. The LO206 is a cost effective engine platform from Briggs n Stratton, and the TAG is a two stroke I think. Not overly well versed in the sprint engines.
 
Racing karts are vastly different from rental karts. They are much more responsive and nimble and more dangerous with the open wheels and higher performance. The first thing you might notice when switching from rentals is that everyone in racing karts can drive very fast and good.

There are different categories of kart racing.
Oval - asphalt or dirt,
Sprint - an asphalt track 1 mile or less that races for 10 laps,
Enduro - big asphalt tracks 2-1/2 miles or more that race for 45 minutes.

The usual first step is to find your track then see what they race there and learn the local rules. Buy some good used equipment and learn to work on it and prep it so you can just gas and go on practice day. When you feel comforable out on the track and know how to let people pass you then it's time to start at the back of the field in a race. When you can keep up with the pack and pick off a few back markers then it's time to pick your pill and start mid pack or on poll position.

The LO206 (Local Option 206cc) is the entry level class that uses a low power 4 stroke engine. You should get into this class because it will teach you the craft of kart racing without killing you. The TAG (Touch and Go starter) class uses a powerful 125cc water cooled 2 stroke and is filled with drivers over their heads that should have spent a year in the LO206 class. These engines and others can be used in oval, sprint or enduro racing.



Sundog
 
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Racing karts are vastly different from rental karts. They are much more responsive and nimble and more dangerous with the open wheels and higher performance. The first thing you might notice when switching from rentals is that everyone in racing karts can drive very fast and good.

There are different categories of kart racing.
Oval - asphalt or dirt,
Sprint - an asphalt track 1 mile or less that races for 10 laps,
Enduro - big asphalt tracks 2-1/2 miles or more that race for 45 minutes.

The usual first step is to find your track then see what they race there and learn the local rules. Buy some good used equipment and learn to work on it and prep it so you can just gas and go on practice day. When you feel comforable out on the track and know how to let people pass you then it's time to start at the back of the field in a race. When you can keep up with the pack and pick off a few back markers then it's time to pick your pill and start mid pack or on poll position.

The LO206 (Local Option 206cc) is the entry level class that uses a low power 4 stroke engine. You should get into this class because it will teach you the craft of kart racing without killing you. The TAG (Touch and Go starter) class uses a powerful 125cc water cooled 2 stroke and is filled with drivers over their heads that should have spent a year in the LO206 class. These engines and others can be used in oval, sprint or enduro racing.



Sundog
That was honestly one of the most informative comments I've had so far, Thank You! Rather than a massive discouragement, you're seeing where I'm coming from & giving me a solid starting point... thank you!
 
First, welcome !
Second, I'm 55 and just got started in karting last fall.
Listen to these guys when they say that dirt oval is not like kiddie parks, lol! I spent most of the winter working out and getting in shape after getting my backside handed to me last year. 50 plus mph on a well tuned, hooked up kart on a 1/8 mile track is challenging, both mentally and physically. it will test your desire by making you learn how to read the track as well as the other drivers.
Tires, tires, tires! you will either develop a good relationship with a tire guy, or, you'll learn how to cut and prep your own. Either way, you'll spend alot of time prepping tires. I have learned that 6 sets is not enough, especially if you run multiple tracks under different conditions.
Have fun! Don't take it to heart when the 16 year old kid that's been doing this for 10 years laps you two or three times in the feature.
 
Racing karts are vastly different from rental karts. They are much more responsive and nimble and more dangerous with the open wheels and higher performance. The first thing you might notice when switching from rentals is that everyone in racing karts can drive very fast and good.

There are different categories of kart racing.
Oval - asphalt or dirt,
Sprint - an asphalt track 1 mile or less that races for 10 laps,
Enduro - big asphalt tracks 2-1/2 miles or more that race for 45 minutes.

The usual first step is to find your track then see what they race there and learn the local rules. Buy some good used equipment and learn to work on it and prep it so you can just gas and go on practice day. When you feel comforable out on the track and know how to let people pass you then it's time to start at the back of the field in a race. When you can keep up with the pack and pick off a few back markers then it's time to pick your pill and start mid pack or on poll position.

The LO206 (Local Option 206cc) is the entry level class that uses a low power 4 stroke engine. You should get into this class because it will teach you the craft of kart racing without killing you. The TAG (Touch and Go starter) class uses a powerful 125cc water cooled 2 stroke and is filled with drivers over their heads that should have spent a year in the LO206 class. These engines and others can be used in oval, sprint or enduro racing.



Sundog
That was honestly one of the most informative comments I've had so far, Thank You! Rather than a massive discouragement, you're seeing where I'm coming from & giving me a solid starting point... thank you
 
First, welcome !
Second, I'm 55 and just got started in karting last fall.
Listen to these guys when they say that dirt oval is not like kiddie parks, lol! I spent most of the winter working out and getting in shape after getting my backside handed to me last year. 50 plus mph on a well tuned, hooked up kart on a 1/8 mile track is challenging, both mentally and physically. it will test your desire by making you learn how to read the track as well as the other drivers.
Tires, tires, tires! you will either develop a good relationship with a tire guy, or, you'll learn how to cut and prep your own. Either way, you'll spend alot of time prepping tires. I have learned that 6 sets is not enough, especially if you run multiple tracks under different conditions.
Have fun! Don't take it to heart when the 16 year old kid that's been doing this for 10 years laps you two or three times in the feature.
so there's so there's my next question about all of this how often am I actually going to blow out a tire on the track with a pro go-kart and am I going to need an actual pit crew in the middle of a race. Are they really gonna blow out that often?? Wats the info on that stuff??
 
I'm actually feeling quite disappointed so far :/ I'm used to the Actual Multi turn, hairpin, straightaways, wide turns & such at 60mph, not the crappy little 30mph fun ones.. And when I called the twister track & the TriPod track I was actually laughed at by the owners because they said Real Carting ONLY has Left Turns, don't use shifters, and there's no such thing as Pro Carting with multi direction turning & hairpins & such...

That's the kind of racing I enjoy & just going in a circle would be boring without using track mobility to overtake the other drivers & such...

I was also laughed at when I told them I was told the cart I was looking at goes 200mph (A 2020 Slack Pursuit) & that real racing carts ONLY go 75mph Max, and they ONLY Turn Left??

Can I PLEASE get some clarification on what I'm hearing here.. :/
No one gave any discouraging answers . Straight facts .
You are the pit crew ! There is a steep learning curve in front of you .
Some help will make things easier.
Sprint racers may blow tires typically they get replaced long before that happens .
You had a great offer from a racer at twister ally .
 
No one gave any discouraging answers . Straight facts .
You are the pit crew ! There is a steep learning curve in front of you .
Some help will make things easier.
Sprint racers may blow tires typically they get replaced long before that happens .
You had a great offer from a racer at twister ally .
well that's why well that's why I was asking the question about the pit crew because if he offered me to work as a pit with him then does that mean I actually need a pit crew??
 
Yes you need a helper / pit crew .
Lots race by themselves its inherently harder to do .
It can and is being done probably right now .
 
And then my other major question/comment is I'm not much of a Mechanic, I can change tires, sparks, spark cables, belts & ignition coils on my truck, but I know nothing about actual tuning, do I need a tuning program for my laptop? Wats the best options for that kind of thing? Wat kind of attachments are required for it?? now I do understand the usage of gear ratios in some areas, but how you do that with a go-kart or is there a specific methodology for that kind of thing.
 
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