My handle says it all. (Old-Fart-Racing)
I’m in fair shape for my age, but I’m 6’2" and average around 200lbs. SHIFTERS! lol, There was a day when I would have gone that route. I’m thinking something a little less brutal to my body, like LO206 Sr.
I live not far from “Ocala Grand Prix” but their website doesn’t have much information about club racing. I need to figure out how much it will cost me to sustain a weekly or bi-monthly race schedule.
Ok, I need to step back a second, Is it possible for me to race karts?
I’m not looking to become the next kart champion of the world, just looking for some fun racing against those snotty little brats that only weigh 90lbs. lol, I mean competitive racing!
Well, I’m sure this post will provide many more questions and answers so I’ll stop here. Thanks for any help!
ps: My wife thinks I’m going into another mid-life crisis…
It’s an excellent mid life crisis. I approve. Yes, you can race. The fellas I raced against in f-series were generally 40-70 ish. Plenty to of fast guys in their 60s.
Physical part will need some addressing. 4 stroke is easier on the body. I’d think that ideally you’d want to get going in something not too physical so you can work into it. I was pretty miserable after starting 2-stroke. I hurt my ribs and wasn’t ready for the cardio demands of 2 stroke.
And you are in luck… OGP has masters lo206. Masters is a polite way of saying… the old guys like us.
LO is inexpensive to buy and run. It does not require a ton of maintenance and from what I understand is a bit easier to work on.
Most importantly, it will allow you to get used to reasonably sticky rubber without destroying you physically first.
I would suggest starting in LO206 if you have a decent field.
Get a good used kart and motor and the main thing you will have to do is change the oil and clean the clutch. They typically run harder tires which last alot longer.
Your other question, as to what it would cost to race a partial or full series of events at OGP, I do not know.
From what I understand 2K gets you a decent? used lo206 and chassis.
The LO does not require race fuel
.
The LO will require oil changes after the weekend, which isn’t a big deal.
The tire compound is generally less soft and you can get multiple events out of a set, apparently.
So, dunno what OGP charges for their series but I’d imagine it’s somewhere in the 75-150 range for a day on track fee wise?
Maintenance is pretty cheap and unlike 2 stroke, no rebuilds.
Outside of the kart and the gear you’d need to buy, I can’t imagine a season of lo206 (racing locally) would cost more than a few thousand bucks. There’s only so much you could break, stuff wise.
I have no doubt someone will correct me if I am speaking nonsense.
I am 65 and started when i got my retirement fund last year. I race on dirt in New Zealand. i recomend good protective gear as a wise initial outlay. Probably plenty of used on Ebay
Light helmet ,good neck brace like a LEATTE and rib protectors. I even use snowboard impact shorts so am really comfy in the seat if you have a boney butt like me
I reckon i am still on my first childhood.
DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT.
for saftey gear, I find the piece that makes my racing so much easier and pain free is the rib protector. Get a bengio bumper hands down no question. Lo206 is a ton of fun and my local series has people in their 70s still racing. Youll love it
James, Nah, you’re not too old. Been racing karts for almost 20 year and I’ll be 68 next season and will run KA100 but starting with LO206 is probably the best bet.
