Electric Kart crash at Dragstrip

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My high speed crash at the Carolina Dragway. I walked away without a scratch. Got super lucky. If you look closely, you can actually see one of the lithium ion battery packs flying across the track. Wait for the end so you can see it in super slow motion.

I failed to install the “motor stop” bolts behind the base of the motor which prevent the motor from moving when the pedal is pressed on the go kart. The torque of the motor likely caused it to shift making the motor sprocket misaligned with the axle sprocket. Chain came loose and literally wrapped around the axle. Very bad oversight on my part but I learned a tough lesson… Double check everything.

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Gary, that was rough. Not a damn thing you could do about it either. Glad you walked away, though.

As a kart designer, this likely is useful experience/data.Not many folks wheeling at 100+ in karts so you are in new territory. The electric frontier of karting is exciting but appears to have its risks.

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Gary,

This is a scary crash. I am glad all is well :pray:

Double check always and if something feels off recheck again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

FG.

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Very glad to hear you’re ok. That crash could have been much much worse at those speeds.

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Thanks! Definitely learned a hard lesson and had luck on our side. Could have been much worse. Will be much more careful in the future.

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Thanks . I got lucky:-). Walked away without a scratch. I failed to install the “motor stop” bolts behind the base of the motor which prevent the motor from moving when the pedal is pressed on the go kart. Dumb mistake:-( The torque of the motor likely caused it to shift making the motor sprocket misaligned with the axle sprocket. Chain came loose and literally wrapped around the axle. Very bad oversight on my part but I learned a tough lesson… Double check everything. Really appreciate your message and hope you’re doing well.

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Thanks. Definitely had luck on my side that night:-)

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One thing is for certain…. once you lose control at high speeds, “it’s all physics from there”. On an interesting note, it is amazing how quickly your brain can process a dangerous incident. As soon as the electric kart started veering off the track I remember thinking…”So this is how my life ends”. :slight_smile: Within a second or two it was over and I realized that (despite the odds) I was unharmed. I then realized I had another big problem … I had to tell my wife that I could have died on a dragstrip. :slight_smile: Fortunately, she did not ban me from racing so I will be back. I will be MUCH more careful with my pre-race routine. There is no excuse for rushing when it comes to safety checks so I learned an important lesson.

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