Track Tac

New to oval racing - Class specifications

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Racingdaddy17

New member
Hi everyone.. My family and I recently relocated to the Wilmington NC area after living our entire lives in New Hampshire. Prior to the move, my then 8 and 9 year old children were racing sprint karts on the road course located behind the New Hampshire motor speedway. We brought our kart down with us in hopes of racing it again, but my kids are giving me a lot of slack about the 4+ hour drive where the nearest track of this type is located.

With all that said, we're now exploring local oval dirt tracks and selling off our sprint kart. Since this is like starting all over again for us, I don't recognize some of the terminology, or the class structures. I was wondering if someone had a link to the rules packages that clearly explained to me what a JR 1, Green Plate Clone & Purple Plate Animal kart is exactly. Our sprint kart has a LO206 Animal on it, so if all I need is a chassis, then I could reuse some of my previous equipment.

Much appreciated, hope to get out on the track again soon!

-Brian
 
check out the following link for tracks in NC or any other state you may want to race. Not all tracks are listed here...only the ones that post to this site.

http://kartscheduler.com/list-events/

8 and 9 year olds run Junior 1 (green plate) using a Honda clone motor.
The very best chassis, IMHO, is the PRC Triton Jr. It's built particularly for junior drivers.
Contact Harrill Wiggins or anyone with Phantom Racing Chassis, if you're looking for more information.
They're located in China Grove, NC

http://www.phantomchassis.com/
 
Great, thanks! We've located a track not too far away from us, Southern Kartway. That's where I saw the different classes listed but the terminology is a little different than what I am used to so I don't really know what a Junior 1 Kart is. Hoping to find a rule book with clearer class requirements and what-not...
 
Jr 1 and jr 3 are age related with 1 being younger.
Even some jr3 classes.
Red , green are different sized restrictor plates related to which class. Not all tracks have the same rule set.
Close but not always exact.
 
The Jr classes r just classes based upon age , Jr 1 is mostly 8-10 , Jr 2 is 10 -12 and Jr 3 is 12 -15 . It's not a kart class but a age group were the kids run a plate in the carburetor based upon age . So a green plate or Jr 1 is smaller hole to restrict air flow than a purple plate which is Jr 2 . There's actually a red plate which is the smallest for ages 5 to 7
 
Ok, thank you for the clarification. And regrading to the Kart chassis, we currently use what is called a Cadet Kart. Yes, I realize it's a road course kart and we'll need to replace it, but it's also a mid-size chassis compared to what the adults are using (also slightly larger than a Kid Kart). Also, we started off with pedal extensions because the kids were just a tick too short at the time. Does the chassis for an oval kart have a similar naming convention so I can identify the proper one for an 8-12 yr old?
 
Racingdaddy17 said:
Ok, thank you for the clarification. And regrading to the Kart chassis, we currently use what is called a Cadet Kart. Yes, I realize it's a road course kart and we'll need to replace it, but it's also a mid-size chassis compared to what the adults are using (also slightly larger than a Kid Kart). Also, we started off with pedal extensions because the kids were just a tick too short at the time. Does the chassis for an oval kart have a similar naming convention so I can identify the proper one for an 8-12 yr old?
Click to expand...

No really...the only "kid" specific kart manufactured is the Triton Jr....it's smaller diameter tubing, which allows for more flex, and a slightly narrower kart.

Jr. 1, also referred to as GREEN PLATE, is usually 8-10 y/o
Jr. 2, also referred to as PURPLE PLATE, is usually 10-12 y/o
Jr. 3, also referred to as BLUE PLATE, is usually 12-15 y/o

As mentioned before, the plate color denotes the size of the restrictor plate, with each getting slightly larger as u move up in age.
There's also a rookie RED PLATE (smaller than the green plate, for 5-8 y/o) There's usually a mandated gear rule (front & rear) in this class.
 
You may want to hang on to those karts you have and buy used offsets to see if you like it,,,It's going to be a whole different routine than you're use to...Lots of mud and dirt and lots of cleaning at the track, after the race, and at home....Learn the tire game......Tires are everything in the south on dirt.....
 
Thanks for the tip Bandit.. Unfortunately, my kids are the ones giving me a lot of pressure to find a closer venue because they don't want to make the 4+ hour road trip every time we want to race. My preference would to keep on the road racing circuits or just sell everything off. We've been on the track since they were 5, I was hoping to keep the flame alive by accommodating them, as crazy as that sounds.. lol

But from what I'm learning, the LO206 is not even used on dirt tracks here locally so I'm basically starting from scratch with all of my equipment. I've never even heard of a clone motor prior until this point. Lots to learn when starting all over.
 
Depending upon your budget, aligning yourself with a proven team may be a good idea. Current Jr. drivers are aligned with people like Jonathan Cash, Jerry Mullis, and Daniel Armstrong in order to benefit from their experience and tire expertise. Try to take in a couple of races with your family and don't be afraid to approach some folks while there.

Check out the Southeast section here on Bob's for locations of great racing this weekend.
 
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