Go Kart Driving Tips!
07-03-2007, 10:28 AM
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Go Kart Driving Tips!
Here are some tips courtesy of www.morris-racing.com. I'm not too sure about the left-foot braking thing though. Enjoy!
- Calvin.
Driving Tips 1: For the Beginner.
This is a good read for those that have never tried karting or those that have tried it just a few times.
Throttle/Brake:
Lets begin with the basics. You use the brake with your left foot, and the throttle with your right foot. The idea is to use one or the other, not both at the same time. Being smooth with the application of both pedals will result in the best lap times and smoothest driving. Stomping on the pedals will upset the balance of the kart and you will lose overall grip.
The Steering:
Next thing to think about is the steering. Holding the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 O'clock positions is a good place to start - if another position feels more natural, use that. You may think that steering is steering, it doesn't make a difference how you turn the wheel, but once again as with the pedals being smooth with the steering is the best way to go. Think of a progressive movement, making a smooth arc every time you turn into a corner, and also take care to unwind the steering with just as much care when you exit the corner. One problem many drivers face is holding the steering wheel with an iron grip, which is pointless as it diminishes the feel from the steering wheel and it makes you tired faster. If this is you just relax your grip a tiny bit, and instead of steering with your hands, vision yourself steering with your shoulders and vision.
Corners:
So now you can make the kart go faster with your right foot and slower with your left as well as change direction with the wheel. Next we have to figure out the line to take around the track.
We'll start with a slow 180 degree right-hand hairpin corner. To negotiate a corner as fast as possible you need to make your line through it the largest possible diameter arc. This means you have to approach the corner on the outside (left side) edge of the track, then turn into the corner and get close to the inside (right side) of the track as you hit the apex (middle of the corner). Once again on the exit you will need to work your way to the outside edge of the track. The reason we need to do this is because if we try to go at the same speed, but hugging the inside of the track throughout the corner in a smaller diamter arc, the tires will be overworked and will not give you enough grip, and the kart will begin to slide or spin out. Driving through the corner in a large diamter arc stresses the tires less, so even though the distance may be shorter when going along the inside edge of the track, the time taken will be longer because you have to go so much slower in order to negotiate the corner.
Braking!:
The corner is slow enough for us to need to reduce our speed in order to not crash when going through it, so we have to brake as we approach the corner. Remember from the first paragraph, do not stomp on the brake, because it will upset the kart. Where should you start to brake? The first time you are on a track in a kart you may have no idea when you need to start slowing down, so it is best to brake too early than it is to brake too late. Start out braking early and then brake later and later untill you feel you have found the ideal braking point. Once you go into the corner sliding around, you know that you are braking too late. Eventually you will develop a sixth sense for when to begin braking, but when you are starting out it is best to start out slow and progress, rather than go full right away and never develop into a smooth and fast driver, but rather remain a ragged and slow one. At least when you begin, most of your braking should be completed in a straight line before you begin turning into the corner. This is because braking as you turn in may upset the handling and throw you into a spin. Only light braking should be done as you turn the wheel, as the tires are now being worked not only to slow the kart down, but also to keep the grip when turning. All braking should be completed before reaching the apex of the corner.
Throttle:
The throttle should be applied as soon as the braking phase is over and done with because time spent off of both the throttle and brake pedals is time spent accomplishing nothing. The throttle has to be applied smoothly to avoid unsettling the kart. If everything has gone as planned, you should have no need to get off the throttle in the middle of the corner once you have started to accelerate. If you do you may have gotten on the throttle too early, and should try a different point to get on the throttle next lap.
Complications:
The ideal line will change when we take into consideration what follows the corner. If it is a long straight, it is most beneficial to sacrifice the entry by slowing down more and turning in later in a slightly smaller radius arc. This is so that it is possible to get onto the throttle earlier to allow for a higher exit speed onto the long straight. If there is another 180 degree corner into the other direction following the first corner, the approach will once again be completely different, as the exit is unimportant, but setting up for the second corner takes priority. More about this in Driving Tips 2 (when i get around to writing it).
Almost forgot... bring an extra pair of underwear in case you shit in your pants.
- Calvin.
Driving Tips 1: For the Beginner.
This is a good read for those that have never tried karting or those that have tried it just a few times.
Throttle/Brake:
Lets begin with the basics. You use the brake with your left foot, and the throttle with your right foot. The idea is to use one or the other, not both at the same time. Being smooth with the application of both pedals will result in the best lap times and smoothest driving. Stomping on the pedals will upset the balance of the kart and you will lose overall grip.
The Steering:
Next thing to think about is the steering. Holding the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 O'clock positions is a good place to start - if another position feels more natural, use that. You may think that steering is steering, it doesn't make a difference how you turn the wheel, but once again as with the pedals being smooth with the steering is the best way to go. Think of a progressive movement, making a smooth arc every time you turn into a corner, and also take care to unwind the steering with just as much care when you exit the corner. One problem many drivers face is holding the steering wheel with an iron grip, which is pointless as it diminishes the feel from the steering wheel and it makes you tired faster. If this is you just relax your grip a tiny bit, and instead of steering with your hands, vision yourself steering with your shoulders and vision.
Corners:
So now you can make the kart go faster with your right foot and slower with your left as well as change direction with the wheel. Next we have to figure out the line to take around the track.
We'll start with a slow 180 degree right-hand hairpin corner. To negotiate a corner as fast as possible you need to make your line through it the largest possible diameter arc. This means you have to approach the corner on the outside (left side) edge of the track, then turn into the corner and get close to the inside (right side) of the track as you hit the apex (middle of the corner). Once again on the exit you will need to work your way to the outside edge of the track. The reason we need to do this is because if we try to go at the same speed, but hugging the inside of the track throughout the corner in a smaller diamter arc, the tires will be overworked and will not give you enough grip, and the kart will begin to slide or spin out. Driving through the corner in a large diamter arc stresses the tires less, so even though the distance may be shorter when going along the inside edge of the track, the time taken will be longer because you have to go so much slower in order to negotiate the corner.
Braking!:
The corner is slow enough for us to need to reduce our speed in order to not crash when going through it, so we have to brake as we approach the corner. Remember from the first paragraph, do not stomp on the brake, because it will upset the kart. Where should you start to brake? The first time you are on a track in a kart you may have no idea when you need to start slowing down, so it is best to brake too early than it is to brake too late. Start out braking early and then brake later and later untill you feel you have found the ideal braking point. Once you go into the corner sliding around, you know that you are braking too late. Eventually you will develop a sixth sense for when to begin braking, but when you are starting out it is best to start out slow and progress, rather than go full right away and never develop into a smooth and fast driver, but rather remain a ragged and slow one. At least when you begin, most of your braking should be completed in a straight line before you begin turning into the corner. This is because braking as you turn in may upset the handling and throw you into a spin. Only light braking should be done as you turn the wheel, as the tires are now being worked not only to slow the kart down, but also to keep the grip when turning. All braking should be completed before reaching the apex of the corner.
Throttle:
The throttle should be applied as soon as the braking phase is over and done with because time spent off of both the throttle and brake pedals is time spent accomplishing nothing. The throttle has to be applied smoothly to avoid unsettling the kart. If everything has gone as planned, you should have no need to get off the throttle in the middle of the corner once you have started to accelerate. If you do you may have gotten on the throttle too early, and should try a different point to get on the throttle next lap.
Complications:
The ideal line will change when we take into consideration what follows the corner. If it is a long straight, it is most beneficial to sacrifice the entry by slowing down more and turning in later in a slightly smaller radius arc. This is so that it is possible to get onto the throttle earlier to allow for a higher exit speed onto the long straight. If there is another 180 degree corner into the other direction following the first corner, the approach will once again be completely different, as the exit is unimportant, but setting up for the second corner takes priority. More about this in Driving Tips 2 (when i get around to writing it).
Almost forgot... bring an extra pair of underwear in case you shit in your pants.
07-03-2007, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Highlift,Jul 3 2007, 10:31 AM
and 
@shitting your pants
@shitting your pants
....so, Ross, you a left foot braker in your street car(S)?