Hi, I started rental karting in Summer 2019, really loved karting. August of 2020, i decided to buy a Rotax DD2 Kart. The Kart is extremely quick and very difficult to handle, i had my first crash in september, got a fractured wrist. Came back to drive one month later and everything was fine until i made a mistake in december, the kart slid but it literrally burushed the wall and it wasn’t a hard hit at all but the chassis got bent. The mechanics keep on laughing and taunting “dont crash”, “what are you going to do next?, blow up the engine?”. I know i make lots of mistakes but i am trying to learn and enjoy but with all of this i don’t even feel like driving anymore.
What should i do to start enjoying karting again ?.
Learn from your misfortunes and keep racing.
Sack your mechanics if you don’t like them. It might just be normal banter, but if it annoys you then mechanic yourself or find other people to work with. I am guessing this is the source of your stress? Maybe get a slower easier to handle kart if you want to make a more practical change.
Also, if karting isn’t ‘your thing’ there’s no shame in that by the way. Don’t feel pressured into having to enjoy it because you’ve spent money on it.
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Sounds like 1. You have a pretty powerful kart for a beginner driver. 2. It also sounds like you are trying too hard, settle down, work on being smooth and early throttle application. Speed will come sooner or later.
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I would say sell the DD2 and find yourself a good 206/100cc. It will be alot more fun learning to be fast and without the power a bit safer starting out.
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This might be a case of starting off in a too powerful kart. It does take some time to get competent and it’s harder the faster and grippoer the kart is.
It sounds like you are probably new to all this so it’s not at all unusual to spin, crash, etc.
Ditch the engineer that isn’t helping and go get some training. Find someone to walk you though the basics and get you pointed in the right direction.
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I’ll echo pretty all the comments here, and +1 that you have jumped into too fast of a kart too quick. You’re not able to learn the limits of it and get comfortable with it. You need something slower so you can learn the fundamentals of how to actually make the kart work properly with your driving. This happens pretty frequently. People don’t want to take the time to learn and want to go fast right away. If you look at the classifieds sections of karting websites or social media, you’ll find tons of shifters, TaGs, Rotaxes etc. that people are selling because they bought it as their first kart and it was way too much for them to handle.
Agree with Alan, that your mechanics don’t sound like they are giving you a good environment to learn in either. And with Greg, it does sound like you’re trying too hard. Don’t be afraid to go out there and go slow and build up the speed so you can feel how the kart will react. No need to try hard without the skills necessary to back it up yet.
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Not sure how long you ran the rental karts or what if any previous experience you have but as others are pointing out, it sounds like you have jumped in the deep end after just learning how to swim. No mater the class I would give it time too. I started karting 4 years ago and I would say it took over two years before I started to feel confident and comfortable racing. I can also identify with your feeling like its not fun, especially if you are breaking stuff, hurting yourself and being mocked by people that should be helping you. Karts look simple but they are far from it. If you had fun with rental karts go back to that. Get to the point you are the man to beat. Then consider a class that is more forgiving or keep practicing with you current kart till you are consistent then think about racing.
Def trying to run before you can walk. Rentals to DD2 is too much.
If you’re already at the point rentals aren’t doing it for you, then buy a KA100 or even a X30 TAG - and take some lessons. I wouldn’t consider being ready for DD2 unless you have passed or at least possess the ability to pass an Arks test and got yourself a race license
Are you the Abdul Réhman in Glasgow? Explains the slightly harsh banter…scots are generally quite to the point. Don’t let it get to you
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Honestly, all of these comments pretty much nailed it.
I personally spent a few seasons in a class, until I felt like I could fight at the front or near it, before I switched to something with more power. That way, I could scale up as I got more experience and got more comfortable.
Take your time and have fun. Karting should be fun.
None of us actually answered your question, come to think of it.
Answer is, I don’t know.
What is making you not want to kart now? Is it fear of hurting yourself again? Is it feeling like the other guys are LOL at you because it’s been a bit rough? I understand that, no one likes being made to feel small. We all gotta start somewhere.
That being said, unless you are truly incompetent, you will get the hang of it. Persevere. Presumably you found it to be fun before you broke your wrist and had those guys be jerks. If that’s the case, you can still have fun. Just think about what changed. Maybe it can be fixed.
There was a race last year where things went very wrong from the moment the track went hot for practice. For the first time in my life I threw a race. I didn’t want to kart that day and possibly not again for a while. I decided there to hang up the expensive engines and call a time out.
Maybe give it some distance for a bit. If it is something you really want to do, you will be back, stronger.
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It seems like youre a pretty competitive person, hence why these mistakes and taunting really spoil it. I am completely the same. I currently race a form of 206 4t engine, and while it may not be the quickest, its the competition and learning to get better that makes it fun. While I may love F1, and my dream a while ago was to race in F1, if I were plopped into the seat and raced I would hate it and I would never get the handle of it. Its not how quick the kart is thats fun, its the racing. By simply trying a slower kart, like 206, WF, or 100cc, I think you’ll learn quickly, become competitive, and start to enjoy what karting is really about. If youre mechanics are’nt trying to help progress you (which includes verbally) than I think you should try and find someone else or try and work on your own kart. After 2 years of karting with a mechanic I can do pretty much everything I need to do on my kart.
Try and get a couple hours in of seat time in one of the classes I mentioned or your local equivalent, and I think you’ll start to enjoy it again. You enjoyed rental karts, so you know its not about the speed thats fun. In the end, like Alan said, It doesnt have to be for you, dont force yourself to do anything. But I think you will enjoy it
Good luck!
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