Track Tac

What to do for qualifying?

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b1racing

Member
Just curious on what you all do to your karts or tires for qualifying?

Is there a prep to get tires to fire off quick?

Any chassis adjustments to make the kart faster for qualifying?

Dirt oval tracks
 
I don't make any specific adjustments just for qualifying. The brand and compound of tire will determine what prep you might want to use. Are you running Burris, maxxis pinks, el, ect...?
 
You should be trying to find your best setup during practice. Unless you see the track changing, and you know of something specific that you could do to match the changing track conditions, I wouldn't change anything.
 
I have seen many use a "special" or dry air filter that improves flow just for qualifying. I have seen some use less oil and lighter oil in thier engines. I have seen many tape and seal thier side covers up completely. Ive seen many add just a smidge of air to the tires so as to be at the pressure they get to when the tires get hot on a long run. Ive seen some "loosen" the kart (by various means) just for qualifying knowing there will be no traffic and they could use the whole track if need be. These are the "legal" things Ive seen. If anything, I have added air for a 1 or 2 lap qualifying lap but rarely have I done so. I am sure that there are many that swear by a particular kind of wipe on prep that does wonders. Most do something with the sole purpose being that it makes it appear they have a "secret" qualifying trick whan in reality they do nothing. This stuff happens much more than some realize on may different levels.
 
b1racing said:
Running Burris 33's. And say in practice your fastest laps are your last couple?
Click to expand...

Is the track getting better, or your tires just then coming in?
If it's tires, then...
You might want to get more aggressive with your PRW prep. Do you have tire warmers? Just something to consider.

In general...
I tend to free the kart up for qualifying (thin, flatter cut tires with slightly more psi.) My thinking is that you aren't busy racing with someone, so your racing line will be unobstructed and you can run a free-er kart. I don't make chassis adjustments per sea just for qualifying. The chassis should be close before you left the house. I make small chassis adjustments as the track changes and as the chassis somewhat dictates.



-----
Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
27 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com

Looks like jsstump is a quicker typist than me. Beat me to it. ;)
 
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Thanks for the response. I run an icon which loves hard tires. I was marking 33's punching 60 in hot laps. So going aggressive on the prw without softening the tires is a little tough.
 
b1racing said:
Thanks for the response. I run an icon which loves hard tires. I was marking 33's punching 60 in hot laps. So going aggressive on the prw without softening the tires is a little tough.
Click to expand...

A lot simpler than what you think. Another thing, aggressive don't necessarily mean a softening product.
 
If things at the track are working out well, you might be able to find your best set-up during practice. Around here, "practice" is just the track's excuse for getting the racers to work in the track - usually the track is too wet and sloppy, and there are too few laps, to find your set-up. So for set-up we refer to our notebook.

Generally for qualifying we'll use a softer tire with higher air pressure than what we expect to race. We may wipe it before going out with one of those tire preps that's supposed to make the tire "fire off" faster. We may loosen the rear of the kart, especially if the track is getting hard already. But the main thing we do is get the driver to concentrate on hitting his marks precisely - especially during the first timed lap.
 
At our track, if your loose in practice and maybe the heat, the track will come to you and more than make up the lose of positions come feature time. That is barring murphy's law, which always lurks nearby. Tire accordingly.....
 
If you have to race the tires you qualified on then I agree with M.D. - pick tires that you think will work for the feature, and do the best you can with them during qualifying. You can still play with air pressure (in this case, if you think your tire is too hard then a little less air pressure might help). You can also move your left rear tire on the axle if you really need to.

Or, like a team I noticed a few years ago, you can have a set of paints and duplicate the marks onto other tires... :>)
 
"Or,like a team I noticed a few years ago,you can have a set of paints and duplicate the marks onto other tires... :>)"

So wrong. What you gonna do. Or what some people will do. A go kart race.
 
Agree with bmur66 the last turn before the lap starts is very critical, if you are not up to speed coming out of turn 4 then that lap should be used to set turn 4 up for the next lap. At most tracks there are racing grooves and also a fast lap groove you have to know that fast lap grove and nail it. Most of the time on dirt tracks as someone mentioned above it doesn't do much other than run the track in, on asphalt it puts rubber down. Don't forget Green ,white , checkered is only two laps,,,so many say its a three lap deal.
 
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