Turn up and race karting...

[pontypool]

Where is the best place in the South East to do one of these turn-up-and-race Karting events?

I don't want to enter a championship (Club 100 styley) or spend silly money (see above), but find an outdoor version of all these corporate indoor karting races - you know, where you turn up with a couple of mates and get a couple of hours racing in and it hasn't cost the earth.

Good fun is more important than outright speed of the karts.

[anonymous-user]

you get what you pay for. try buckmore park or daytona at sandown

[Marc W]

Thruxton Kart circuit is pretty good too.

[andye30m3]

I'd have a look at buckmore for 4 stroke karting.

I also read somewhere (Daytona I think) were doing an arrive and drive series with rotax max's although they might be the junior engine.

[andye30m3]

Just found it, rotax's at daytona

http://www.daytona.co.uk/news/article.php?article=...

[pontypool]

thanks for these already - the Sandown Daytona looks most promising and is not far from central London

[GBRM]

Sandown is pretty good but not as good as Milton Keynes, Thruxton or Buckmore Park IMO. The novelty of racing at horse race course is good, plus Esher has a couple of great bars (ABVs especially) for afterwards whereas the others don't.

RE Club 100 - I thought that was just an arrive and drive; is it not then?

[woof]

andye30m3 said:

Just found it, rotax's at daytona

http://www.daytona.co.uk/news/article.php?article=...

We're doing the new website for the series - so i have all the details - looks very good, the karts are very nice.
I'm going to the open day at Milton Keynes Friday 22nd August

http://www.daytonamax.co.uk/

[knighty]

This is a series I have been competing in for 2 years now, very good value and low hassle, look on the site for costs, dates general info etc.....

http://www.kartingchallenge.co.uk/index2.htm

This year the main track is Buckmore for 2 hr enduros, in teams of 4 on Wednesday evenings after work, once a month, also we do 2 Club 100 events, one at Buckmore and one at Lydd.....last year we did 3 rounds at Rye House but unfortunatley not this year as the main population of the series lives in Kent, hence numbers were always low at Rye.....I live in Essex and am gutted we dont go to Rye House more.

anyways, get yourself a team of 4 mates and contact Julian or Mark through the website and be sure to say Stephen Knight told you all about it!

typical turn out is 15 to 20 teams, skill level ranges from snail like ametuer to fast professional, and believe me its great fun and well worth the money.

[Arklight]

knighty said:

This is a series I have been competing in for 2 years now, very good value and low hassle, look on the site for costs, dates general info etc.....

http://www.kartingchallenge.co.uk/index2.htm

This year the main track is Buckmore for 2 hr enduros, in teams of 4 on Wednesday evenings after work, once a month, also we do 2 Club 100 events, one at Buckmore and one at Lydd.....last year we did 3 rounds at Rye House but unfortunatley not this year as the main population of the series lives in Kent, hence numbers were always low at Rye.....I live in Essex and am gutted we dont go to Rye House more.

anyways, get yourself a team of 4 mates and contact Julian or Mark through the website and be sure to say Stephen Knight told you all about it!

typical turn out is 15 to 20 teams, skill level ranges from snail like ametuer to fast professional, and believe me its great fun and well worth the money.

Would recommend these guys to anyone, well run but very friendly atmosphere as well, used to do these quite regularly and always had a fun.

[pontypool]

Thanks to all for the replies, have gone ahead and booked up Daytona Sandown for Saturday's event as it is the closest to get to - now just praying the rain holds off. Anyone else going to be down there?

Edited by pontypool on Tuesday 12th August 13:28

[anonymous-user]

pontypool said:

Thanks to all for the replies, have gone ahead and booked up Daytona Sandown for Saturday's event as it is the closest to get to - now just praying the rain holds off. Anyone else going to be down there?

Edited by pontypool on Tuesday 12th August 13:28

have only been once but sandown in the rain is great and surprisingly grippy. there is a long straight leading into a right hander, when it rains a puddle forms on the inside of the corner, go through the puddle, trust me.....

[woof]

pontypool said:

Thanks to all for the replies, have gone ahead and booked up Daytona Sandown for Saturday's event as it is the closest to get to - now just praying the rain holds off. Anyone else going to be down there?

Edited by pontypool on Tuesday 12th August 13:28

I'm going to MK next Friday

[ginettag27]

pablo said:

pontypool said:

Thanks to all for the replies, have gone ahead and booked up Daytona Sandown for Saturday's event as it is the closest to get to - now just praying the rain holds off. Anyone else going to be down there?

Edited by pontypool on Tuesday 12th August 13:28

have only been once but sandown in the rain is great and surprisingly grippy. there is a long straight leading into a right hander, when it rains a puddle forms on the inside of the corner, go through the puddle, trust me.....

Concur, it's got a special super grip surface, specially for wet conditions.

[pontypool]

Excellent, let the heavens open!

[pontypool]

Well, it actually remained dry all day and so good fun was had by all.

The Sandown track is a nice one, especially after farting about on small indoor ones in the winter and it was well organised and the only thing that spoiled the day was getting stung by a wasp on my thumb inbetween the first and second stints - ow!

The only downside was the twin-engined karts they had felt quite slow and particularly heavy round the twisty bits. So the search is on for a reccommendation for something just the same but with more nimble single-engined karts....

[GBRM]

Good to hear you had fun. Any pics/results??

You could try Daytona Milton Keynes, it's not far up the M1 from North London and is run the same way and I think a much better track, certainly quicker.

[pontypool]

no pics, but 3rd out of 13 teams when we'd never been round the track before I thought was quite good, although I swear there was something wrong with the kart as it just didn't pick up out of the corners, but I guess everyone says that!!

I was defintely the only person racing in brown suede brogues (don't ask).

[Marc W]

pontypool said:

no pics, but 3rd out of 13 teams when we'd never been round the track before I thought was quite good, although I swear there was something wrong with the kart as it just didn't pick up out of the corners, but I guess everyone says that!!

I was defintely the only person racing in brown suede brogues (don't ask).

Sounds like it wasn't quite right. I did a celebrity race at Autosport in January, (I'm not a celebrity I paid to enter!) and we had three karts in a row that had a similar problem. When I finally got a decent one I was suddenly loads faster.

[ginettag27]

I've been to MK and Sandown.. I'd go to MK every time over Sandown, although you'd definitely have a price differential.. and MK might not be as convenient as Sandown. At most of the Daytona tracks (if they're all still branded as that) they do sometimes tend to not use their best karts, ahem...

I've also been to Thruxton - quite a nifty circuit as well, a bit like a mini Suzuka (because of the bridge!)..

Admittedly all of these were some time ago. In order of preference it would be MK, Thruxton, Sandown.

Ultimately all of them beat an indoor circuit and many of them may well have changed since I went to them..