Agree with James, in that if she’s got good awareness and isn’t going to be erratic or a danger, let her go for it.
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I agree. If the kiddo is raring to go and shows some basic competence that will see her safely around track, race her. It’s all about confidence. This may adjust/develop it one way or the other.
That’s a good point on the safety aspect. She is scared or maybe the term cautious is better to describe it. So I don’t see her pushing the envelop like that and getting somebody hurt. She has been on the track with other karts, but not racing side by side. But in all honesty, I don’t see her being anything close to competitive. Have mixed feelings. Those dang daddy protective hormones!
So we had two steps forward and two steps back.
Since the arrival of the new baby my daughter and I hadn’t been to the track in two months. Last saturday we went out on a practice day and I plopped her on the kart and let her rip. She was doing so good the last time out, I felt pretty comfortable in her abilities.
She was SLOWLY turning laps when I snuck up from behind and gave her a bump. She picked up her speed but after 3 turns she spun out for the first time. She was a little shaken, but not overly so.
I came off the track and she continued to turn laps. Left my kart on the paddock as I was planning an immediate return. As I came back to the paddock I noticed my kart was about 30 feet forward from where I parked it.
It was explained to me that my daughter came off the track and slammed into the back of my kart at full speed. 
Then a few minutes later she came off the track again and was full throttle going through the paddock. She was able to stop but I could tell her motor was revving pretty high. I asked her why she was speeding through the paddock and it appears she forgot which pedal was which.
So I made an idol adjustment to her kart and customized her pedals. It was disheartening to see her skills diminish so quickly after being away from the track for a few months.
Lesson learned. We’re both new at this student/ teacher relationship.
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This will be the number 1 “frustrating” thing with kids. They will learn and forget a lot. They will do silly/stupid things a lot. Seat time is still the answer. The more she does it the less likely she is to forget which pedal is which (for example). My 6 year old will go out and turn his fastest laps ever. Then in the same day be a second or two off the pace (because “Thats how I felt like driving, dad”). Focus on Safety and fun you got plenty of time until speed is important.
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Thankfully she drove into your kart to stop and not something more solid…
Agree with Derek, kids this young are tough to coach. I work with a group of 7-10 year olds mostly at the regional events, and it’s exactly as Derek said; we will be P1 in one session, and lose 0.7 the next session with no changes to anything, just because the kid’s brain wasn’t plugged into driving for that hour. They’ll drive off-track for no reason, they’ll make silly mistakes, they’ll drive a completely different line session to session.
The joy of it all is when it comes together, they’re so happy to get a result or do well. Then it’s incredibly rewarding.
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The “fun” thing I had with my daughter was similar to this, but in a different way. As my daughter built up confidence and started going faster, she started going through brake pads every other race. I couldn’t understand why she was going through pads so quickly, and why her brakes were so hot after every session. Once we add brake and throttle sensors, we found out that she NEVER let off the throttle around the entire lap/race. She held the throttle wide open, and used the brakes at each corner. She said that she could drive that way because the karts at K1 Speed worked that way. They’d cutoff the throttle when the brakes were applied since they are electric. It took us a while to get her to release the throttle when she would brake, it actually took her snapping an axle to get her to stop.
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That’s a really interesting story. I realized when we went rental electric that the karts were doing just that. It is amazing that the child found a way to work around that issue, even if it was technically “wrong”. Smart cookie.
I have been noticing that as Nick ages, that has not been an issue. He seems to have absorbed the driving a bit like riding a bike. He can not race for several months and come back out as if not time had passed, now.
What’s been interesting is seeing how the karting knowledge really doesn’t seem to apply as much in his actual learning to drive. He drives the car Ok, but is hyper concentrated, almost tunnel visiony and with awkward and stuff inputs. Absolutely the opposite of his relatively chill and confident (aggressive) karting style.
I bet he’s super nervous and unsure behind the car wheel but is totally at ease in his karts.
I wonder if he was on track in a Miata or a F1600 car wether he’d be more like his karting or more like the car around town.
Growing up in racing. Its a weird curve. I was a in a couple minor fender benders when i first got my license and it was due to me being tunnel visioned and looking way to far down the road like i was on a race track and not paying attention to the things right in front of me. Took some time to separate track/road.
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So I came across a fire sale situation that was too good to pass up, and with my youngest hot and heavy to follow in her sisters footsteps (next year) provided she keeps her grades up; I figured these will be X-Mas presents. Now I have to hide them in my storage shed for the next few months.
Picked up two NOS cadet TB Karts for each of my girls. Timing wise it wasn’t ideal, but for $1,200 ea. ($3,900 ea. normally) it was too good to pass up. Plus I will admit my own biases, as I am a sucker for GREEN!
Hopefully they don’t go into the shed where I’ll be caught red handed. Figured they can continue to practice on the old Arrow kart, and once I’m sure they’re ready, they can transition into these.
I tried to hide them the best way I can.
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I thought karting helped me a lot with driving, at least with decision making. (And when I go quickly through some curvy roads) not to toot my own horn but I think I’m a good driver, at the very least for my age. And I think karting has lead to some of those skills. Or maybe it’s just because I drive a lot and live in a city
Someone’s about to be very happy… not a bad hiding job, do you happen to have an attic or basement that your kids don’t go into?
Maybe make up a monster and tell them it lives in the shed. They’ll leave it alone
No basement, attic space is big enough but the opening isn’t.
I 'm battling as to when to give them to them. A part of me wants X-Mas (since I already spent the money) but my youngest birthday is in May when she’ll be old enough. I just don’t want to gift her something that she can’t play with for 5 months.
X-mas may not be a bad thing. That could give her some time practicing before she can race. Most tracks/clubs will allow underage drivers out on track, just not in a race.
I’m going to pick it up the second kart tomorrow. Seller was nice enough to assemble it for me and sent me these shots today.
Who needs a savings account anyway, its over rated at this point . . . 
Is it wrong to be envious of my kids, they now have nicer stuff than I have . . . .
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I understand the pain. My kid officially has more karts than I do at this point.
Nice Shop! I’m jealous of all that space, let alone the contents! Property values in Dallas are through the roof right now. The house we are in now is 1/3 the size of my last house in Atlanta for nearly the same price. Unfortunately there is not enough land on our lot to build a shop, so I am stuck with a two-car garage as storage and no work space. Ugh!!!
Wish it was my shop, but that was the sellers 40x40, but yeah, it was super nice.
Stable mate arrived and is hidden in the shed. X-Mas shopping is DONE!
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