Trackdays or Karting?

[Varn]

Ive been thinking about getting a dedicated trackcar for a while now, with the view of competing in a series once a) good enough and b) my bank account lets me! Whilst on holiday I discovered karting (outdoor) - I found it just as enjoyable if not more so than the trackdays ive been to.

(1) Is there something like trackdays but for karts? i.e. owning my own kart and taking it to tracks?

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?

(3) Will a kart day be cheaper than a trackday?

(4) Will karting in a series be cheaper than competing in a car series?


Thanks in advance

Edited by Varn on Friday 4th July 13:02

[stockhatcher]

Varn said:

Ive been thinking about getting a dedicated trackcar for a while now, with the view of competing in a series once a) good enough and b) my bank account lets me! Whilst on holiday I discovered karting (outdoor) - I found it just as enjoyable if not more so than the trackdays ive been to.

(1) Is there something like trackdays but for karts? i.e. owning my own kart and taking it to tracks? there are some bring n buy type races, sorry i mean owner/driver meets

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?
yes
(3) Will a kart day be cheaper than a trackday?
depends on how seriously you take it
(4) Will karting in a series be cheaper than competing in a car series?
as last points

Thanks in advance

Edited by Varn on Friday 4th July 13:02[/footnote]

[footnote]Edited by stockhatcher on Friday 4th July 13:06

[Get Karter]

At your size, I'd stick to cars

[Varn]

stockhatcher said:

Varn said:

Ive been thinking about getting a dedicated trackcar for a while now, with the view of competing in a series once a) good enough and b) my bank account lets me! Whilst on holiday I discovered karting (outdoor) - I found it just as enjoyable if not more so than the trackdays ive been to.

(1) Is there something like trackdays but for karts? i.e. owning my own kart and taking it to tracks? there are some bring n buy type races, sorry i mean owner/driver meets

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?
yes
(3) Will a kart day be cheaper than a trackday?
depends on how seriously you take it
(4) Will karting in a series be cheaper than competing in a car series?
as last points

Thanks in advance

Edited by Varn on Friday 4th July 13:02[/footnote]

[footnote]Edited by stockhatcher on Friday 4th July 13:06

If I were to be equally serious about karting and car driving - then which would be cheaper?

[graememac]

your weight wouldn't be so much of a problem if you did gearbox karting. also a lot of circuits have classes with a higher weight limit in such karts as rotax max

[nick997]

Varn said:

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?

Take a look at gearbox karts big fella.

[Varn]

nick997 said:

Varn said:

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?

Take a look at gearbox karts big fella.

Live in the southeast - any tracks/companies nearby i should give a call?

[graememac]

do a search for buckmore park or i think bayford meadows is in your neck of the woods. its best to go down to a meeting and have a chat with a few people, you'll find karters a friendly bunch on the whole and you'll hopefully get the answers to all your questions.
Alternatively check out www.karting.co.uk

plus i have never had as much buzz driving any car than i have racing 2 stroke karts!

[Regional]

You could race Rotax Max 177 which is the heavy category and is 177kg driver and kart combined.

I have raced cars and karts and for the buzz I prefer karting (I race TKM Extreme currently)

[mark69sheer]

I race karts and I am strugling with the weight now. I weigh just over 85kgs so I can almost make the weight for my series (165kg kart and driver).

Not close enough to challenge for wins though..

Karting is great fun and you get a LOT more track time than cars. You can practice a full day for only around thirty pounds.

Get a second hand rotax Max you will have lots of fun in one of those and then you will be able to decide wether you want to compete after a few months. If not sell it again for roughly the same as you bought it for..

You should get a usable one for just over a grand.

[nick997]

Varn said:

nick997 said:

Varn said:

(2) Im 6'2 and 15 stone - will that make competitive karting unrealistic?

Take a look at gearbox karts big fella.

Live in the southeast - any tracks/companies nearby i should give a call?

Shenington near Banbury or my personal favourite Little Rissington in the heart of the Cotswolds. Rissy has a couple of bends where you are flat in top gear and just turn in, absolutely wonderful feeling. Shenington is about being a late braker, long straight into a hairpin where you are trying to get into the bend just at the point of lock up, smack it down a few gears and accelerating away through the gears - the power band is so narrow in 125's that you are only in each gear for about 1 second until you get to 6th.

I hired a kart through these guys http://www.century-karting.co.uk/ before buying one, fairly expensive for the day but let me know what i was getting into.

Have fun.

Nick

[anonymous-user]

buy a 100cc screamer or something with a trailer and spares for around a grand, then its only about £30 at the circuit, loads of circuits run "test sessions" during the week so if you think you might not be competitive, why not just spend all day racing round with others. if you enjoy track days its ideal. thing there is a website called superkart trackdays for erm, super kart trackdays, but better the smaller engined stuff for the not-so-mental. value for money wise, you will not have more fun for such little cash.

www.karting.co.uk has all the answers.