Getting started in 206 senior class racing (OVKA)

Getting Started in Karting
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Hello, I’m a new racer that’s 14 (going to be 15 by the time the season starts) just started racing in real life since February of 2024 in an electric karting league in my town Columbus, Ohio. I’ve done sim racing for the past 6.5 years and just never really had the money to go anywhere with it except just buy new wheels and setups. My current budget is around 3100 dollars for just the kart and the kart stand. I will have a budget of around 1000 for tools like the sniper alignment tool, kart tire changing kits, and overall, just stuff I would need to have for lo206 engine. Currently, I don’t have a tire budget since I don’t really know how much they would cost because the brands vary on prices.

My Goal: Overall, my goal is to mainly just have fun and not take it that serious. I’ve always been interested in mechanics of cars/engines, and I thought karting would be fun since it’s a cheaper way compared to actual cars. I am currently wanting to join this league called OVKA due to it just overall looking like a chill environment compared to the stuff they do at mcc (like uspks).

What I’ve done already: So, I’ve done around a full year of rental karting leagues, finishing around 3rd or 2nd most of the time. I’ve also been to the MCC rentals they have 4 times and went to Newcastle motorsports park once to check out their facility’s and do one session of their rental karts Aswell.

Questions:

How often would you need to change tires for you to be semi competitive? (4-5 tenths off pace is fine with me)

Is the sniper alignment tool really needed if I know my kart is aligned?

What type of stuff is normally at the OVKA swap meet?

What are some good lo206 engine builder companies for G&J kartway?

Can a go kart fit in the back of a truck? (2020 otk chassis)

Is a mychron 5s really needed for 206 racing or could I just buy a mychron 4?

Is their normally splits in karting or is it everyone in one race?

What’s a good sprocket to run at g&j kartway? (if I’m saying the wrong thing I’m asking what’s a good setup for a senior 206 engine to run decently fast)

If anyone can answer these questions it would be really helpful since I’ve been researching for the past 4 months, and these are some questions I’m stuck on and don’t really know what to do.

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Hey Andrew,

First off, welcome! You have come to the right place and are asking the right questions! Also, your selection of OVKA is a great step as well. You’re already on the right track! There will be others from OVKA that can chime in as well, but I’ll do my best to answer as much as I can:

Your budget is plenty for your goals, which are perfectly realistic. Don’t buy any specialty tools just yet. Find a used chassis with a used engine and just turn some laps.

The tires OVKA run (Hoosier R70) will last a long while. I am on weekend 4 for mine and I would say for a new person, you can expect them to not be holding you back for a half season or so. So, just budget 2 new sets over the year or shop around for take offs on the cheap.

No, don’t buy snipers. Use a tape measure/string method or even just borrow some at the track.

The OVKA swap meet will have a TON of good used stuff at half the price of new. From wheels to sprockets to even complete chasses and engines. Literally anything can usually be found there.

As for engine builder, do you already have an engine? If so, you can get a rebuild very cost effectively. If you’re shopping new, you have some options.

Yes! My son and I actually both race out of the bed of my truck. Really not that hard at all.

A Mychron 5 is definitely not necessary, but is fairly helpful for data analysis. You can look for a used 5 or Alfano 6 at the swap meet. I would expect a lot of used Mychron 5’s to be hitting the market cheaper because the just came out with a Mychron 6. If all those are still out of your budget, grab a Mychron 4 and go have fun.

No splits in karting, but remember this is club level. There will be someone there at your skill level to chase/race and have a good time. You may be battling for 10th place to start but that’s ok. Sure, the leaders will be fast but we’re all just having fun.

Sprocket choice will depend on which chain type you end up with (search 219 vs 35 chain on this site). I use 219 and use 18T or 19T driver and 62-69 rear gears for almost every track I go to in the Midwest.

Keep asking questions! Welcome to the community and get ready to have fun!

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Welcome!

I’m the guy in charge of digital communications/marketing for OVKA, so I’m glad you’ve found us!

@fatboy1dh already did a great job answering a lot of your questions, but I’ll reiterate.

  1. The Hoosier R70 tire that we run should last a LONG time for a 206 kart. (I’m only expecting to use two sets of tires for the whole year and I run in the high HP KA100 class)

  2. Don’t worry about buying the sniper tool yet if you’re on a budget. So many people in the club have them and would be glad to help you.

  3. The swap meet will have a ton of stuff, including a used kart corral where we will display karts that people are selling. We should have members there to help guide you on what’s worth buying.

  4. There’s a lot of good engine builders in the Ohio/Indiana area. Lawson is probably the most nationally know. Craig Bogan’s “Boganator” are popular at OVKA, because he attends all our races. Also, @CrocIndy is a regional dealer and super helpful.

  5. Yes. Do not be intimidated by large trailers and toy haulers. The guy that got 2nd in 206 Senior championship last year showed up with his kart in the back of a truck.

  6. Mychron 4 is really all you need to start out.

These are really good questions. Please don’t hesitate to ask if anymore come up.

Also, add me and @Bokeno_Racing on Facebook and instagram and we’d be more than happy to answer your questions there AND hook you up with people that can continue to point you in the right direction. (We also run the OVKA social accounts so you can DM us there too)

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The guys already summed most everything up! OVKA is a great club to be a part of.

My transportation of choice is dumping everything in a truck bed of back of a van and rolling to races, even Grands… :grin:

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Regarding the truck, it depends. I have a Tacoma and started off pulling a basic utility trailer. I don’t think I could run out of just the bed though without fully disassembling the kart. An F150 would probably be okay. I don’t carry many spares because a local team runs the same brand, so I just run a tab with them if things go badly

For tires, I think the idea of running two sets is misleading. If you are out there running practice sessions in between races, you will need new tires every 20 sessions or so which is easily 10 sets a season. I run MG SH2, so maybe the others are made of stone, but I think the idea of running two sets per season is predicated on the idea of not running outside of race weekends. Then, sure, two sets will last a while.

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The Hoosier and Mojo are both the perfect 206 tires - 2-3 sets for the season for 90% of the racers. Great choice for their racers by OVKA.

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Good answers here. Bed of a pickup works super easy. I will provide some detail on the truck question, as we have done that exclusively for almost 3 years now and gone to races from Amarillo TX, to Garnett KS, and New Orleans LA that way.

Many older pickups are narrow at the wheel wells and will require the sidepods be removed. Newer pickups from Chevy, Ford, and Dodge can all accommodate the width, both 1/2T and 3/4T. I cannot speak for Nissan or Toyota trucks, haven’t used one.

With a short bed 1/2T you will have to remove the nose to run with the tailgate up, or strap it in and run with the tailgate down. With a 3/4T short bed from Ford or Dodge you can fit the entire kart in the bed with the tailgate up.

We put the fuel cans in the front corners and it just fits. We put the streeter folding kart stand at the tailgate now, when we had a large electric stand we made a wooden frame and stacked it over the kart in the back. If its going to rain we use a 10x12 tarp and cover the kart and tuck the tarp under the tires and run rope or straps across the top so it doesn’t balloon and pull off. Lawn chairs go on the side pod/wheel well motor side. Canopy goes on the side pod/wheel well non-motor side. Extra wheels and tires usually back corners. Tools and parts go in the back cab of truck, or we have used a couple water tight boxes from Lowes on a hitch basket when we had a couple people in the truck with us on a longer trip.

As for loading the kart, just set it back a little on a streeter type stand and push down on the bumper to tip the nose up and push forward till the front tires are over the tailgate. Then lift the rear and roll forward. Easy 1 man loading!

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Correct. The Hoosier R70s last way longer than the MGs Reds which are a great tire in their own way.

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The R70 was pretty remarkable for us in KA100 Masters at 390 lbs last year. I’m pretty confident that the top 4 of us in the class all ran 13 of the 14 races on 3 sets total each (the 14th race was on wets). They took a couple (3-4) 5 min practice sessions to be at their best, but you never got to that sensation of the rears being burned off after the 2nd day of use like you do with softer compounds

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AND the level of grip isn’t that different. I never felt like I was on ice or anything. I’ll go to the mat claiming it’s the perfect club tire.

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Hey everyone thanks for all the help! I’ll give you guys some more clarity on things

Truck I would use- Ram 1500 2021?? (I don’t know the exact year but it’s between 2021 or 2022). I know how to dissemble most of the 2020 otk body due to video tutorials just to prepare.

Tires- Thanks for the help with this one! I would probably buy 4 tires (3 r70s and 1 Hoosier wet tire just in case)

My kart choice- currently I am looking at a 2020 Tony kart chassis, with a brand new (30 mins on motor) Lawson built engine, new clutch, new chain (don’t know what type yet), new bearings, newish wheels, and some new hubs. It was originally selled without the stand, but I negotiated the stand with it and going to check it our currently on Friday.

sniper tools- I saw that @fatboy1dh said that there is a tape measure/ string method and I’m just wondering how that would be done? Any video tutorials on that?

Swap meet- I already started saving up to prepare for the swap meet (350 dollars this month so should have around 850 by the time the meet comes around). I would mainly be looking for Gloves, Helmet (if they sell them there), Ovka stand to sign up for the league (if that’s possible), and maybe a karting suit if one can fit me (I’m pretty skinny so it may be hard). I also am coming with two of my friends who own karts themselves. One of them owns an early 2000s tonykart shifter and the other owns a early 2010s 2 stroke chassis (I don’t really know the engine he has on it, but I assume it’s a kt100).

Stuff I already have- So I already bought a vp racing fuel jug, a pop-up canopy, impact gun, torque wrench, safety wire pliers, and a wrench and some sockets. I mainly went off the into to karting book made by ovka since if I’m going to race in their league, I should follow in their advice.

Why I chose 4 stroke karting rather than the ka100- The main reasons why I chose 4 strokes because it is very slipstream reliant ( been a huge stock car racing fan since I was 4), Cheaper rebuilds and also less often of rebuilds, 206 engines seemed easier to maintain compared to the KA’s, and overall the 4 stroke karts fitted my budget the best. I would be open to joining 2 strokes in the future, but I don’t know if I would do good in them since I’ve never even driven in a 2-stroke engine before.

other questions now that I thought of it overnight-

are shifter karts allowed to run during test sessions at g&j kartway?

How long do OVKA sessions normally last?

How often do most people get in an incident? (like in a crash)

I know the acceleration is very diffrent comparing an lo206 kart to an electic one, but is there any other major diffrences between them?

Is there a good simulator to pratice karting on? (asseto corsa mods or rfactor 2)

I will also share some photos of the kart if I do buy it and just get your guys advice and what to do from there.

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Yes, you can practice anything you want at G&J Kartway on open days where there aren’t races

OVKA Race Days typically consist of 2x 5 min practice sessions, a 5 minute qualifying round, a 8-10 lap prefinal, and a 12-14 lap Feature race

Extremely driver dependent, but I would say in your first year you’re going to spin on your own a few times and probably going to have some small tangles with someone hopefully only once or twice. If you touch with someone you’ll most likely just scuff up the stickers on your kart (no big deal) or bend a tie rod on your steering ($10-20 to replace) if you bend a rear axle (which is more rare, but happens), you can usually get it straightened out for <$50 or find a used one from someone around the paddock for cheap.

A racing kart is always going to feel like a step up compared to rental karts because of the added grip, higher speed, and more open track. Watch some onboard videos of 206 racing and onboards from G&J kartway to know what to expect for racing etiquette and racing lines.

There are some great mods for Kart Racer Pro and Assetto Corsa where someone has scanned and reproduced G&J Kartway:

There is some advice for buying karts here in the powerpoint and in the “How to Get Started” pdf here: How to get started - www.OVKA.com - Ohio Valley Karting Association

I’ll try and update those guides with class and schedule info for 2025 tonight or tomorrow.

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Accidents will happen…especially if you are in the back of a larger field. You, and those around you in the back are less skilled, so wrecks are an expected outcome. Plus anytime anyone in front has a problem, you have to drive through it! Just pound out laps and get confident in your driving. Crashes will happen… The most typical crash damage we see is bent steering links, bent kingpins, bent steering shaft, and bent rear axle. If you start out with some steering links and kingpins for spares you can likely buy an axle or steering shaft at the track if you get in a bind. Lots of folks with OTK parts at the track!

Acceleration between a 206 and a rental isn’t hugely different, in fact some rental electrics hit harder on the bottom end. The difference is the corner speeds that a proper race chassis can manage versus a rental. It is substantially different!

Unfortunately there is not a good karting simulator out there. The best sim out there is no longer supported.

I did not see mention of a rib vest in your safety supplies. I would definitely recommend you look into one. We had a cheapo K1 when my son started and he cracked some ribs. Went to a Bengio and have had some pretty sketchy rides and not had an issue since.

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I have a lot of vids from OVKA running the LO206, so you can get an idea of duration and speed. You’ll probably have to run Junior class (I think), which isn’t super big, and probably good for starting out. Everybody else pretty much covered it. I bought two sets of tires last year, and honestly, I don’t think either set is used up yet. I plan to still use both.

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Hey so I have one more question. With the new format and rules, will I still be in the senior class if im 15? My kart is set up for senior class racing and I dont know how hard it will be if I have to convert it to a junior kart.

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It says 15+ so you should be good for senior.

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When’s your birthday?

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January 20th. Is that good to run senior? I would turn 15 before the season starts

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Yes, you can race an age group, without the need for petition, on of after your birthday. If you’re 15 when you show up at the track you’re good to go.

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Hey guys, been a bit of time since I posted on this forum. I finally purchesed the kart. I went over the checklist (ovka tech inspection in the rulebook) and overall it is good. Qualisfied for main events in ckna multible times and a handful of club wins aswell (I dont know what club it was since I wasnt fimilier with the area).

What I got: So, I think I got an amazing deal, the guy was getting out of karting due to just family issues. I originally wanted to just puchess the kart and its stand, but I got way more. I got 10 sets of tires 6 Hoosier r60bs, 3 mg reds, and one set of mojo rain tires (total set of rims is 4 if you include the set put on the kart). This kart was involved in a crash where the axel was bent, no damage the kart and the chassis were checked if it was still straight, and all was good. I also got a lot of spare parts Aswell with it (couldn’t even name them all). I also got a fresh decal kit, but I don’t know what I should do with it (if anyone could give me advice on it that would be appreciated). Also, people were mentioning a rib protector, so I got one of those Aswell included into the deal. This kart was also run in the master’s class, so I’ll definitely be good on weight for the senior class. Got around 40 spark plugs and 3 sets of hubs for the wheel

Overall, im just wondering if this was a good deal, I just saw it and thought it looked good so I met up with the seller. Here are some pictures below of some stuff

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(not all tires are seen in the picture)

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I do not have any pictures of the spare parts since I was in a rush to get back home and inside since I was freezing cold in 9-degree weather for 4 hours unloading and setting up everything. If interested I can get pics of them sometime soon. If you guys can help me on what to do with it first or find some cool video tutorials on how to setup stuff like the mhycron 5, it would be really beneficial to me.

TOTAL COST NOT INCLUDING GAS MONEY: 3000

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