Karting, and why I love it

Karting. It’s something I have been obsessed with since the age of six. And here’s why:

If you do not know, for whatever reason, what karting is I’ll give a quick explanation. Karting is a form of motorsport, and the vehicles used are called go-karts. A go-kart is in many ways just a smaller, lighter and simplified form of car. A traditional kart will consist of a small engine in the back, producing around 20hp, which powers the two rear wheels. A gearbox containing one single gear, pedals at the front controlling throttle and brake, a steering wheel, connected to a steering column which steers the front wheels. And finally a fuel tank which sits right in front of the driver’s genital region. It’s all very simple, which is what I love about these vehicles. In fact, a go-kart will only weigh about 150kg, meaning that although the power that is produced from the engines is quite minimal, you do get around quite quickly. There is also no ABS or TCS, to stop you from locking up, spinning and crashing straight into that wall, which seems to be travelling very quickly towards you. It is all down to driver skill to get around the circuit quickly, whilst keeping out of the walls.

When competing in a karting race you are constantly on the limit of your capabilities whilst driving. You’re always going to be pushing to catch up to the driver in front, or you’re going to be pushing to pull a gap to the driver behind. Maybe you’re pushing to set a new fastest lap, but no matter what, from when the lights go out, to when the checkered flag is waved you shall be pushing. There is no worry of tyre management, fuel management or the kart blowing up, as it isn’t your’s usually. You’ll just want to push as hard as you can to the line to be the first person to see that black and white flag be waved. This will also be the same for all the other competitors too, meaning that the racing will almost always be incredibly intense.

The racing when you are out there competing in these go-karts is almost always extremely competitive and close. As I mentioned before hand, everyone is pushing out there on the circuit, meaning that if you are doing a five minute sprint race or even a three hour long endurance race you will be fighting for a position. There have been times when I have been side by side with another driver almost throughout the entirety of the race, swapping positions every corner. There have also been times when I have gone for an extremely small gap, sometimes pulling it off, sometimes not. And when I do crash out it is always good fun to climb back up the field, making as many opportunistic moves as possible. This all makes for fantastic racing no matter where you are in the order.

I do hope this small article has persuaded you to visit your local kart track and try out kart racing, as you shall have a fantastic time and possible improve your driving skills at the same time.