Why don't we like karting events?
Discussion
Given that car forums are full of car nuts I'd have thought karting events (hire and race type) would be really popular but the last few I have seen organised or try to organise have resulted in very little interest. Given that the cost is less than a tank of fuel to drive your heart out and have a generally excellent time I really am confused by this.
If go kart tracks had over head LED boards with your time and gap times I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
I bloody love karting, but I have found that it's less fun when doing it with a bunch of driving enthusiasts as it all tends to get a bit serious - the couple of times I have done this there was a lot of bickering about 'track etiquette' and who had the 'right to a corner' as if they were vying for the F1 championship. When I've been with workmates or for a stag do it's been a hoot, though.
remkingston said:
If go kart tracks had over head LED boards with your time and gap times I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
That would be great fun!If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
remkingston said:
If go kart tracks had over head LED boards with your time and gap times I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
What a bizarre set of complaints.If go kart tracks had helmet to helmet intercoms so you could socialise and communicate with your friends I would be so happy.
If go kart tracks had more novel ways of including people that aren't hard core driving fans I would be so happy.
I used to go karting quite a bit and there were loads of non-hardcore driving fans turning up and enjoying themselves.
LED boards with times and gaps is a stupid idea and would just distract people from what they should be doing: racing. There are enough crashes as it is without taking people's attention away from the track, the upcoming corner and the kart in front of them.
And intercoms - why? Again, another distraction, and you'd just have people screaming in your ear all the time, you wouldn't be able to choose which of the other 15 people on track you talk to, it would be nasty.
In the odd occasion I've been (amateur days out), I've tended to come away frustrated:
On the straights, no one is really any faster than anyone else.
If someone is slower in the corners, catching them up isn't difficult but getting past is almost impossible because there's no room and if you take a wider line, you aren't fast enough to pass them.
The only time you really get overtaken is by people aggressively cutting you off at corners.
The only way to prevent this would be to refuse to back off and cause a crash.
All this adds up to more frustration than fun. What am I doing wrong?
On the straights, no one is really any faster than anyone else.
If someone is slower in the corners, catching them up isn't difficult but getting past is almost impossible because there's no room and if you take a wider line, you aren't fast enough to pass them.
The only time you really get overtaken is by people aggressively cutting you off at corners.
The only way to prevent this would be to refuse to back off and cause a crash.
All this adds up to more frustration than fun. What am I doing wrong?
The last two times I've been indoor karting, I've come away with some form of injury, because the pr**k I've attempted to overtake thinks its perfectly acceptable to ram you off the road once you're alongside of them. Once at TeamSport in Crawley, and the other was in Barcelona (of all places...) so it isn't just a UK thing.
Not sure whether it's a generation thing - as in, it's perfectly acceptable online, so why not in reality? - or what, but I doubt I'll ever go indoor karting again. I get that the proximity of the barriers etc adds to the challenge, but when people are flat out attempting to run you off the road, and do little else, what's the point? If I wanted a go on a dodgem, I'd have saved twenty quid and gone on one.
Not sure whether it's a generation thing - as in, it's perfectly acceptable online, so why not in reality? - or what, but I doubt I'll ever go indoor karting again. I get that the proximity of the barriers etc adds to the challenge, but when people are flat out attempting to run you off the road, and do little else, what's the point? If I wanted a go on a dodgem, I'd have saved twenty quid and gone on one.
JohnoVR6 said:
The last two times I've been indoor karting, I've come away with some form of injury, because the pr**k I've attempted to overtake thinks its perfectly acceptable to ram you off the road once you're alongside of them. Once at TeamSport in Crawley, and the other was in Barcelona (of all places...) so it isn't just a UK thing.
Not sure whether it's a generation thing - as in, it's perfectly acceptable online, so why not in reality? - or what, but I doubt I'll ever go indoor karting again. I get that the proximity of the barriers etc adds to the challenge, but when people are flat out attempting to run you off the road, and do little else, what's the point? If I wanted a go on a dodgem, I'd have saved twenty quid and gone on one.
1st time I ever karted (many years ago!), the operator cancelled the evening as a bunch of blokes driving thought it was fine to drive like bumper cars. The boss explained that they had other events upcoming & needed the karts in working order, gave everybody their money back & shut the event. Not sure whether it's a generation thing - as in, it's perfectly acceptable online, so why not in reality? - or what, but I doubt I'll ever go indoor karting again. I get that the proximity of the barriers etc adds to the challenge, but when people are flat out attempting to run you off the road, and do little else, what's the point? If I wanted a go on a dodgem, I'd have saved twenty quid and gone on one.
I thought they were right to close it, not right to pay everybody back in full halfway through but I guess it made their life easier.
They now have the annoying electronic nanny that can slow down or even stop karts so less of an issue these days.
Not been for a few years now, time to start organising one me thinks...
Edited by LordHaveMurci on Thursday 6th August 12:40
- Everyone expects me to be good at it because I like cars - I'm rubbish though.
- Bruised hips because the seats are designed to accommodate fat people.
- Being forced to wear stale overalls and gardening gloves.
- The karts feel very sluggish.
- The price - I would get a lot more fun out of a tank of fuel and some Welsh B-roads.
Went karting recently for a stag do. We went to Daytona Karts in MK for a 90 minute race (with driver swaps). It was outdoors and raining to start and finish the race and about 20 karts on track (of which 4 were our teams of 3 or 4)
Absolutely hilarious fun, we all loved it and don't know why we don't do it more often!
Absolutely hilarious fun, we all loved it and don't know why we don't do it more often!
Bennet said:
In the odd occasion I've been (amateur days out), I've tended to come away frustrated:
On the straights, no one is really any faster than anyone else.
If someone is slower in the corners, catching them up isn't difficult but getting past is almost impossible because there's no room and if you take a wider line, you aren't fast enough to pass them.
The only time you really get overtaken is by people aggressively cutting you off at corners.
The only way to prevent this would be to refuse to back off and cause a crash.
All this adds up to more frustration than fun. What am I doing wrong?
Virtually every time I ever went Karting, as much fun as it is... I always end up or one of our party, invariably ends up injured, for the exact reason stated above. Its very difficult to overtake without doing silly lunges or late braking. On one occasion we were in pro karts 12 of us, and suddenly out appears 6 lads in 2 strokes... The first group we didn't have any issues with, we gave them space they gave us space. The second group however, were pants, we cornered and braked way later/harder ( they were numpties with a lot of money I think ) either way, I ended up having an almighty smash with my best man as we came up behind one of them, he pretty much stopped on the apex ( he was that much slower) and well, I was chasing 2 inchs behind my mate, he slammed on the anchors, as did I. BOOM we both lifted in the air, my knee walloped the steering column, I can barely walk anyway, so was sOn the straights, no one is really any faster than anyone else.
If someone is slower in the corners, catching them up isn't difficult but getting past is almost impossible because there's no room and if you take a wider line, you aren't fast enough to pass them.
The only time you really get overtaken is by people aggressively cutting you off at corners.
The only way to prevent this would be to refuse to back off and cause a crash.
All this adds up to more frustration than fun. What am I doing wrong?
tting myself that was it, I would be in a wheelchair for the wedding, fortunately it wasn't as bad as feared) poodled round to the pits and that will probably be the last time I ever go-karting again.. Its not that I don't love it, but its just too risky in my opinion, especially if you have family/job etc etc. rather just do a track day and have a nice solid car around me. I'm getting my racing fix virtually these days, can race far far closer and the consequences of an off are the same as in a real race ( ie race over) but I can go make a coffee and wait for the next race : )
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