Thoughts on Superkarts?
Posted Apr 26, 2018, 7:14 PM UTC
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They're cool, but between the cost of keeping one ship shape to be competitive, the added cost of racing at a car track vs. a kart track, and the fact that an impact at those speeds would liquify you as a human, it's not the most practical motorsport.
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This is a very common misconception, it's not that expensive relative to other forms of karting on the same level. People spending north of £25k a year to race in European and even British short circuit championships (OK/Ok Junior) and that's more than double what we spend in a year of racing in the British and European Superkart championship. Yes it's dangerous, but all the thoughts disappear out of your head once you pop the helmet on.
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You gotta go Apples to Apples, though. Comparing same number of races/practices and the same level of amateur/pro status for the participants it's likely more expensive. Still, karting in Europe seems far more amateur friendly than the US. Every race I've been to, even local club races, look like National races with ship shape gear and professional tuning.
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Well, sure the European Ok/Ok Junior have 4 championship venues/8 championship races and the European Superkart championship has 3 venues/6 races however you're racing a track thats 3 miles compared to 1 mile tracks. So comparing miles/£ would be an interesting one.
The base level club racing in the UK is very amateur friendly, can say that from experience. Superkarts are too.
In the UK the short circuit karting scene has seen a rise in karting teams come through (40ft lorries renting out karts at rediculous prices really). Coming from a lad and dad(and granddad) background it's sad to see this really as it takes the essence out of what karting used to be. These teams have access to good tuners and still turn up and non British Championship rounds/club events with the top kit.
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+manpoints Every time you sit in one tbh
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How do you get the mychron overlay in the video?
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I use a piece of software called Racerender, I own the premium version. Extract the Mychron data and import it alongside the go-pro footage. I created a theme using a stock mychron image with the display. Struggled to make the display match the real thing but looks good ish. Would happily give you the source files if you're familiar with race render.
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Good guy OP
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Check this guys out https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwxOrJS_SZ8NxtlQ5h2DdMw/videos?pbjreload=10
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Thanks!
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Thanks. I will look into that. Ill have to mess around with mychron to figure out how to get the data off it and alongside the gopro footage. It would be really cool to have laptime and speed.
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What Mychron do you use?
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5 I’m aware that you connect to it wirelessly etc. I will need to bring a laptop to the track to get data off it, which I haven’t been doing.
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I will put together a series of screenshots in an Imgur album tomorrow afternoon if I get time on how to get it off the Mychron and into aim studio. Data analysis is a useful tool and will make you go so much quicker. Guessing you have it setup through the gps to get laptimes at your local track?
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Yes. I have only slightly messed around with the race studio software as things get busy at the track. Thank you!
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You can do some pretty insane things on there, will be happy to help out!
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Sorry I haven't gotten round to doing it yet. I'm away for work at the moment and will not be back to the upcoming Monday. I'm racing at Silverstone GP on the 12/13 May weekend but I aim to get a guide up before then! Sorry for the delay.
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Had a vmax of 143mph at Paul Ricard ;)
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Yes 250cc twin cylinder 2 stroke engines, ~100hp, 6 speed sequential and 220kg.
Here's a picture, https://teamrushforthspyda.co.uk/img/Cadwell-2018-1.jpg
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What engine do you run? What are the maintenance times and costs if I may ask? Also, do you guys play a lot with aero setup? I would guess so, considering I saw 125mph. What tires do you run? Thanks for your time, trully curious.
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I run a rotax Superkart in Australia, it's great fun, events are run much more professionally than karting, but it's much more relaxed without people pretending they'll make it pro in the sport.
Cost wise it's a bit more expensive, mostly from higher entry fees, but the running costs are better than sprint karting due to longer lasting tyres, and less damage costs.
It's a very different experience to sprint karting, in general its less brutal because you are doing less rapid direction changes. Braking and drafting are much more important skills, and the drafting levels the field heaps.
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I drive an experimental super kart and it's hands down one of the best things I've ever raced. It's not a full blown super kart like the 250s or 450s, but it's still a hoot. My goal is to some day be in a position where I can afford one of the real ones. Unfortunately superkarts and road racing in general aren't as big in the states, particularly the NW, as it is in other parts of the world so it can be a small class to run in.
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They're really, really cool, they're incredibly fast (and in the 90's could even match F1 times on some tracks), the thing about them is that if you're gonna plan on driving superkarts, there's a big chance you're gonna stay in karts, few people who drive superkarts continue into autoracing, it's such a specialized and niche thing that they just don't advance into auto racing out of choice or possibility.
Definitely correct! After starting in honda cadets and progressing into Superkarts I do not plan on racing anything else unless the class dies somehow. To match the laptimes in a car I'd need a formula 3 and £230,000 more than we have!