Lol. Crazy harder Than I expected!
One ten minute session at Dallas Karting Complex, and well, apparently I have muscles? That I have never used in my 64 years…… whoa. Took a credit for my second session and decided to go home . Lol.
It was crazy fun though . Mouth went totally dry by lap 1.
Survived a rear bump. Longest straight was awesome followed by sheer r terror of hitting a wall of tires.
I do wonder how my 6’3” height might be a part of the pain soreness in front and near armpits.
It certainly does take some work to steer a Kart.
I’m 6’ 4" and drove the karts just fine there (I’m also 25 and have experience ). Sounds like you’re using your shoulders too much, try to focus more on making inputs from your elbows next time you go. Once you learn how to modulate the pedals a bit, steering gets easier
Thinking back, I may have held my elbows up high to clear my thighs and hands at 10 and 2.
I have ok shoulder and arm strength… though nothing to brag about lol.
But 0 pectoral and that’s where it got super sore. While I may never race, I do like the sheer terror haha. Actually survived a push bump onto the blue in front of the stands, and gassed it right back in good shape,so yeah that was cool.
The main thing I find with rentals is adjusting the seat position. If you find it wants to keep going straight when you try to turn move the seat forward a bit. If the tail is always sliding out from you move it back a bit. Adjust it for balance of the kart not for comfort. Once you find a good balance remember the position for next time. When you find a balance it’s much nicer to drive.
Yes your pectorals do get a good work out. Push with your outer arm instead of pull with your inner.
I noticed that I was doing a lot of pulling. And left hand seemed dominant. Have watched a ton of kart videos all last week, then went out and did the opposite lol!
I’m not sore at all now however. So that’s a good sign.
Actually this hits on a point about learning in general …. Too many others on the track to practice things.
Yesterday I found that the brakes on my rental were not at all sensitive. They seemed underwhelming if anything. Since I’m a noob corner chicken, quite a few times I still had some braking into the corner and did not experience any problem other than being slow lol.
I would have loved to see what it took to lock up the brakes, etc.
The kids are out for Christmas vacation, so it was busy yesterday. 2-ish hour wait, my heat #24.
Not sure what it’s like otherwise or how accommodating the track is to driving alone on not busy days. I always have Thursday and Friday off, though usually I’m at the golf course at least once …
The ringer here is I bought a 50% off gift certificate…. So like 10 races on it maybe more.
Rental kart brakes are a crapshoot. A firm brake bites immediately and feels sharp. A tired brake feels mushy and you have to push a lot to get it to do anything. Sometimes they are really bad. Luck of the draw; Adapt, overcome, etc. The joy of rentals!
If you are there and its open and you are the only customer, most places will run you alone. That I know of.
Just got off the phone with a former dirt bike racing friend. He is 4 years older than me… 68.
Now he’s going 100+ mph on asphalt racing bikes. Lol. It’s a great life.
First time I saw karting was about 1968 to 1972. There was a cones-track on old section of the airport just a short bicycle ride away. (Also popular local dirt bike riding area in Pensacola).
Was really cool to see. Every two stroke in those days were super loud.
Anyway then Over many weeks I’m at the middle school library checking out several books on “go karting”.
Oh man did I want one sooooooo bad!
I’m really thankful I can experience it now.
). Sounds like you’re using your shoulders too much, try to focus more on making inputs from your elbows next time you go. Once you learn how to modulate the pedals a bit, steering gets easier
