Karting Tips, Teesside Autodrome?

[LiamM45]

Hi folks, not sure where to put this, thought this would be best?

I've been karting a fair few times this year at Teesside using the hire karts, and against some very quick people.

I'm going again tomorrow, using the national track, and I am after some tips if possible? I do okay relative to my size (6ft 4 and 17.5 stone), running low 52 second laps which is about a second down on the leaders, but they are all half my size and weight too.

Just need to push it a little quicker, and short of losing 7.5 stone, I'm not sure where I can find a few extra tenths?

p.s... off to the gym now!

[cosicave]

Sounds as if you're doing pretty well, Liam, with such a deficit in power to weight ratio. Try to turn this to your advantage by getting as much weight as possible over the wheels doing most work. This may seem counter-intuitive, since it seems natural to lean into corners like a motorcyclist. However, getting more weight over the tyres already doing the work squashes them into the track more, thus increasing their grip and allowing you to exploit them still further. To put it another way, do not try to keep weight over the inside wheels. Let them have a rest until they are on the outside for their turn, where they will be required to work hard. The technique requires you to 'hang-on' to the steering wheel such that it leads your body in the direction of motion, and when done properly can be exhausting, since it makes extra demands on hands, forearms, chest, neck and stomach muscles.

In a sense, karting should be a work-out all in itself!

Have fun…