Bracing for Bumps

Hi , me and my son are new to karting , he’s going really well and putting in some good lap times , one track that we visit has a really bumpy fast corner , the bumps always unsettle him so he backs off because they shake and bump him around, how should he brace himself as the advice I have been given is to just squeeze the fuel tank ?? Should he be using the steering wheel to push himself back into his seat?? Cheers Andy

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I usually fire my abs just before the bump. This tenses the muscles and seems to widen me somehow. It seems to protect the ribs and make the bump less violent.

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It’s a good habit to get into to brace yourself by pushing back into the seat. Pushing yourself into the seat will help keep the driver more stable and help keep the kart predictable through all corners, especially bumpy ones.

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If you don’t have heel stops on the kart, it’s probably worth installing them for bracing. The tank can get hard on the knees… at least for adults.

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The tank? With my long legs, my knees end up bouncing off the upper steering block! :rofl:

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thats my problem… I always come home with knees twice as big as they were in the morning… weirdly, I no longer bruise or swell up as much in that area. all scar tissue by now?

Proper seat fitting is important, and can make bumps literally 10x worse. A good rib protector also helps protect against bumps. I tense up my abs, as if I were about to get kicked, and that also helps. (Ive done taekwondo for 9 years). if your knees are bumping the fuel tank, some low profile knee pads are a good option.

It also takes a lot of work to stay in the proper seat position in bumps, you really have to tense up parts and push yourself into the seat. If youre body is relaxed and loose, itll bump around and bang things.

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It’s funny that you mention it but time does solve this problem. I used to beat my knees up badly against the gas tank. I used to always bang my elbows. Basically, it hurt.

Somehow, over time, it stopped being a thing. Not sure what changed.

They still swell a little, but no coloring or pain. We are evolving to be the perfect karting drivers

My knees are above the tank and my elbows are below the head. It was so bad, I wrapped the steering block in foam and wear an elbow pad on my right arm. I was getting huge bruises! :rofl:

That is rather snug! As a tall guy, would your weight be more back? I’m 6’, which isn’t very tall, but it seems to me that as a slightly above avg height karter, I like weight forwards, generally, which seems counter-intuitive. Your seating position reminds me a lot of what mine feels like, very upright, mass centered, upper body-dynamic.

Curiously, my # is 369

What is an ideal seating position for a driver of your height? I’m 6’ and 150, so not the average body.

I was further back, but was getting a hop with too much weight over the rear. Moved the seat forward and eliminated the majority of that. Its a flat bottom seat and I leaned it back slightly to help lower my shoulders. Front edge of the flat is 10 mm higher than rear edge. I may go with a T9 next time, as it has more lean built in.