Ok I am thinking about really getting in the seat and start Karting. I am 60 yrs old. I still ride my snowmobile as fast as I can, most time younger riders get pissed when I take off my helmet. They just got spanked by an old guy. I also took many track race classes for sportbikes. I know all about turning your head and apex theory.
I am tired of driving 5 hours for snowmobiling.
I need to get started and need class advice and best kart to start with. I am guessing its best to start with rentals. I am in Northeast Pa. Please, I love advice.
Yay. PA! I’m one state over although yours is very wide. Nearby in NJ we have the winter warm up practice session at Englishtown raceway coming up in a couple weeks. Sat and Sunday open lapping.
Kart wise since you are 60, I’d recommend a 4 stroke if that runs in your neck of the woods or a 100cc 2-stroke. You could run whatever you want really but at 49 I feel the pain pretty hard the day after on the higher horsepower stuff.
Find the nearest track and find out what classes they run and what appeals to you the most. Buying a kart that can be serviced locally by a dealer and who has access to parts is important. I’m 61 and race X30 masters. Your body is going to be in for a shock. Going fast is about tolerating G forces so make sure you wear some form (or two!) of rib protection. The only other things that get sore are your back, your arms, your neck, your core, your hips, and of course your pocketbook. Best of luck to you. It’s a great sport and the people you will meet will be amazing.
Speaking for myself, I’m 73 and drive a IAME X-30 that puts out approximately 36 HP on a Birel chassis in the TAG heavy class . When I was 65 I started out with a 4-stroke clone (@ 6.5+ HP) , then moved up to a Yamaha KT-100 (@ 20 HP) and then a IAME Leopard ( @ 30 HP), I don’t plan on going back. Just get the best race gear you can afford; helmet, suit, gloves, shoes and rib protector then go out and have fun.
You’re way too old for this stuff. Time to settle into that soft recliner in front of the fire and dream about the good old days…
A guy in my crew is 64 and still quick and fit enough to go the distance in 500km enduros. And an Englishman (I think) was racing the euro superkart championship until a smash stopped his career a few years back also at 73.
92 horsepower and 150 miles an hour is proof that you’re never too old for race driving if it’s what really turns you on.
If you can survive 8 hours on a snowmobile, you’re definitely fit enough for karting, A hire kart league is a great place to start because it’s cheap and there’s no logistical overhead - your energy is used on the track and not wasted in the pits lifting and pushing. Together these things mean you can do a lot of it, and really polish you’re skills. It’s an awesome way to build the stuff the fast guys share here into your craft. You’ll be surprised at how satisfaction and fun you can pull out of a heavy, low powered machine.
So get out there. We need more old guys, (like Dom).
Good day Gary,
Glad to hear you are going to join the ranks of us “Older” Karters.
I am 67. I started karting again five years ago after a 20+ year hiatus. The club I race with runs the old EasyKart setup. 125cc air-cooled engines on a Birel chassis. It took a while to catch on, but, I have finally moved up to the front of the pack. I know have the honor of being the oldest person to win at the Monticello Karting and Motor Club track here in North Florida.
Yes, I get sore. I move a little slower the day after a race. But, damn, it sure is fun! I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My advice: Go for it!
Gary,
One of the families I tent with at Englishtown comes all the was from Long Island. Apparently there’s nothing there series wise. I’m not sure about Staten Island.
Hi Larry… I am 65 years old… height 185 … thin build… post 3 years had a Radical cystectomy (with urine bag on the side)
I would welcome any tips that will allow me to limit the physical pain as much as possible…
I am much more concerned with safety and comfort then speed
Do you thing that having a deep seat and making an expanded foam insert that would be moulded to the shape of my body would be the safest and most comfortable…?
Would be grateful for any suggestions …Cheers
This is the video explaining how to make the custom insert : Kirkey Molded Foam Seat Insert Kit Racing - YouTube
Interesting idea. I have never seen any custom fitted seats in karting. I know in cars, folks will make seats using foam pellets in a bag with a solution that makes it foam up.
I do t know if that sort of thing is practical with a kart, tho. We might be too tight on space.
Thank you for your reply…
Thats my point… in my non expert thought process I would say that making a custom foam insert into a “deep” seat should keep your body absolutely “snug” preventing any injuries…!!!
Having said that the fact that it does not seem to be used in the karting world there must be some elements that I am missing…
Even more that could be a good concept for seat manufacturers who could create seats with custom shape but I cannot find anything available on the market…Why…?
Please pass the word in the Karting community and let see if we could get the answer to this “mystery” and who knows maybe someone could make some money with the idea…!!
You can definitely get a seat that’s a little too big or a deep-style seat and insert foam pads in it to cushion where you need it.
Fully-custom poured seats are possible but not something commonly used. The driver’s body and how they posture themselves in the kart has a massive effect on the handling of the kart, so a custom fit seat probably won’t allow you to move yourself around the way that you want if you’re competing at the top level.
It’s a neat idea, but not sure the expense and effort is worth it when you could just buy a couple rolls of foam and pad up your seat the way you want for a few bucks.
Frank,
I wasn’t aware of a product like that, I guess it would work to provide a better fit in the seat because it would fill in all the gaps.
It looks like you have to be very careful to follow each step in order to get the desired results.
I fit quite snuggly into my seat wearing a rib protector so I don’t need any additional filler.
Larry
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