Interested in Karting, but know nothing... help?

by **John Schmid** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 3:57 pm

I'm interested in karting. I would love to get some sort of car to autocross, but that just is not feasible for the time being. I really have no knowledge whatsoever about the sport.

What would you guys recommend for one just getting into it to know / have? What are the rules / requirements for participants (age restrictions, classes, leagues, etc etc)? What kind of karts should I be looking at? What kind of budget should I have (karts, parts, race days, etc)? Anything else?

I'm just trying to get as much info as I can so I can figure out what is right for me. Who knows, maybe this won't work out.

Any insight is appreciated.
FWIW, I'm 16.

I'm also interested in the maintenance of the karts, as I'm sure there is tons.
I didn't mention gear, but that is one of the things I'm most curious about (what is needed).

by **Dorsey Perkins** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:38 pm

HI John,

Depending on your need for speed, NTK has classes for everyone. Kid karts to seniors,9 horsepower clone honda engines to 36 hp Honda shifter karts. There are several shops around town, all advertise on our web page. Give one of them a call to see what best fits your needs. Since you are new, you might want to start out in the clone class where used karts and cheap engines are the majority. You can get into one of these for under 1k.

As for learning more about karting come see us run on January 8th in our winter series. Everyone is willing to help.

by **John Schmid** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:54 pm

Thanks for the speedy response. I'm going to talk to KAM on Thursday, and if I can make it home in time for work I'll go to the Kart Shop saturday morning. I'll be sure to request the 8th off of work and come meet some of you.

I'm 5'11" and still growing. I also realized, I'm no longer 16 (as of last Friday :oops:

). Will I be extremely uncomfortable on these machines?

by **Yaani-Mai Gaddy** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:33 pm

John,

We have several taller racers who fit well in their karts. You can get a porch extension or extended porch to add more leg room for you.

Come to the track to see what classes are run & talk to the drivers and see which class you might be interested in.

The Chonda (4-cycle clone) & Yamaha classes are both excellent entry level classes where you can hone your driving skills to where you are a smooth driver before you move up to a higher horsepower engine. They also cost less to get into so you can see how you like it before you invest more money in a more expensive engine package.

You can get used equipment to start out to see if you like it, thatis how most of us start out in karting.

When you come to the track tell them it is your first time to visit NTK & you were invited to the track in the forums they will give you a free spectator pass.