Tenting or being on a “team” is a program where a company, shop, or individual provides race day supervision and services under their “tent” for a daily fee.
For example, I used to tent with Kartworkz, run by a fellow named Jerry White. He has a big truck full of parts and equipment. He puts up a big tent and those of us who paid Jerry a daily fee would tent with him. Jerry would make sure our karts were running properly and fix whatever went wrong throughout the day.
He also provided fuel and tires, which he’d then mount and install for us. His truck full of parts would come in handy when we broke stuff in crashes or what have you. Basically, anything that was needed to get the kart back on track, he had. And Jerry is an engineer who can very quickly diagnose and solve whatever ails your vehicle. Basically, he’s a mechanic with all the toys and parts.
In addition the tenting provides a community of sorts where we would compare thoughts etc. Jerry’s son was also the fastest guy around who pretty much won everything so he’d coach us, tune the karts, etc.
Additionally, I used Jerry to store and transport my vehicle. For an additional fee, he’d take the kart to and from the races, delivering it prepped and ready to go for race weekends.
Jerry is kind of a “guru” who knows racing karts and race days inside and out, prepared for anything and equipped to make sure you can race your next heat.
Example: I blew an engine in semis.
Piston evaporated, total loss of engine due to a rather large exit wound. Within 20 mins Jerry had a new x30 on my kart and I podiumed in finals. That’s one of the reasons I tented with Jerry and Justin. The other reason is I really like the man and very much enjoyed being a part of his gang of racers (clients).
At the higher levels, being in a team is about being with a group of top level racers and engineers that are trying to win big events. Very much about coaching, setup, engine tuning etc. think merc/ferarri/redbull.
Karting teams are also typically associated with a manufacturer. So Jerry is tight with J3 (Compkart) and was also a dealer for other brands. His son is a sponsored Compkart driver that competes in the “Big show” of karting and travels internationally for racing. (Rotax worlds, Supernats, etc).
So, as your ambitions grow and if you desire to compete in the bigger regional and national events, your team goes to those, typically.
Many karters do most of their wrenching themselves and tow their stuff to the track in trailers. Many are self sufficient. Guys like Jerry typically are who these self sufficient karters go to get parts when they crash, tires and mounting, fuel, etc.
The only problem is of course that convenience costs money. So, there are different levels of tenting. Some of the folks under the tent had agreements where they did their own wrenching (using Jerry’s tools and equipment) unless it required a Jerry intervention. They paid less than I did as a “full service” client.
Races are tightly scheduled events with zero time to breathe. Tenting with Kartworkz allowed me to enjoy the day rather than be a ball of anxiety. I knew that I’d make my heats and that if I lost, it wasn’t because my kart was not working properly or poorly setup.
Jerry at work with my son Nick
Nick and Justin being lazy in the shade between heats
