I’m still new to karting, I have about 4 hours of seat time. I feel like I’ve hit a wall though. I can do consistent laps finally, but I’m not getting any faster. When I review my data/video, it doesn’t seem like there’s much time to gain anywhere. The braking zones are extremely short. I’m using all of the track usually. But I’m still running the same lap times as a kid that’s in a Jr KA100 and has only been driving for a month. So there should be a second to gain, at least, probably 2.
Turns 9-10. I think I need more speed around 9 and should use all of the track coming off turn 10.
Sometimes I keep the kart below the limit, because it seems to get snap oversteer mid turn if I’m over the limit at all (Happens in the video at 4s and 11s).
Also most of the time the RPM is 13.5k+. These engines make the best power from 9-12k and drop off after 12k. Maybe I should run a smaller sprocket? Even though the RPM on the longest straight is 15.8k.
Are you running front brakes in KA Senior? Believe it or not that can actually make you slower if you aren’t exploiting them fully and they are totally overkill (and not legal) for something at KA level of speed. Can’t really coach on braking here because if you’re running front brakes your technique is going to be totally different than it would be on a typical rear-brake only kart. I was going to comment that you don’t even look close to the braking limit yet, but with front brakes all that theory goes out the window.
This track is all flowing stuff, so you’ll want to probably be around 15.8k for RPM at the end of the straight. Your max RPM range should be 15.5-ish to 17k depending on track. On a track with tight corners you’ll want to over-rev more to get off those tight corners and gain time in the infield. On a flowing track you tend to run lower RPM to stay in the torque band for longer. I wouldn’t be afraid to drop a couple teeth and just see if that helps the engine stay in that powerband longer because this track looks super fast.
In general (hard to tell from this angle) it seems like there is a lot of time spent off-throttle or coasting a bit to scrub speed. This is partially why you are experiencing snap oversteer in some corners, because you aren’t getting the kart slowed down enough before the apex where max load occurs. If you are coasting into the apex and letting the front tires scrub speed, you will be slower at apex, slower when you snap and have to correct, and then slower down the following straight (of which there are many here) as you end up later to throttle when you need to correct it. I usually tell drivers in fast corners that you need to get all your inputs basically done before you get to the apex. You want to get the kart slowed, get rotation initiated, and be immediately back to throttle before you get to the apex to extend the straights as long as possible. This might mean take off a bit more speed (braking more) before you get to the corner which seems counterintuitive to going fast, but truly is the way to get that speed on exit and down the following straight.
Here’s an example of how I approach turn 1 at Badger (90° left-hander):
On entry, there’s a slight graze of the brakes simultaneously as I’m initiating turn-in to set the kart, then it’s immediately back to full throttle waaaay before apex and then I’m letting the kart float through the apex and exit. The inputs all happen before the corner so we aren’t introducing extra force through the kart when it is at it’s most ‘sprung’ in the middle of the corner. There are other laps where maybe I do it better so there are some more examples to watch if you look at that whole race.
Another thing that helps reduce that snapping mid-corner is utilizing your bodyweight to press yourself into the seat and firm up the whole kart and reduce your floppy meat sack of ballast from influencing the flex of the frame.
Assuming you’re running KA Senior, times can be similar to KA JR depending on track configuration. If you’re only looking at your own data, then that will only help show where you are slow compared to YOUR best lap. You need to overlay your data vs people faster than you to determine where you can gain speed.
I forgot to mention, I run the kart as a shifter 1/2 the time. The brakes are adjusted as far to the rear as possible. I don’t think the front brakes are doing much of anything.
