Hey there guys,
So since we’ve been working on some podcasts and articles recently, I wanted to ping the forums and see if anyone had any thoughts about topic ideas relating to new people getting into the sport.
I’d like to focus on more functional advice for someone new like “How to find a track”, or “What to look for when purchasing your first kart”, rather than trying to compare engines, ‘which chassis is better’ or something more subjective like that.
Feel free throw down any thoughts you have, and I’ll either write an article on it, or find someone to make it a topic for an upcoming podcast in some way.
This idea could tie into what to look for when buying your first kart… Perhaps make mention of different rails. For example American and International rails and the abnormal 120mm rails for motor mounts. Me and two friends say a TonyKart Extreme and urged one of us to buy it thinking it would be a good first chassis for him.
Little did we know it was the Extreme that had the 120mm rail spacing for the mount. For a new driver understanding the rails and what they mean can make a good impact of the first kart purchase.
I would say first of all go to the local track and see how everything runs and talk to the club members. On top of that see what the more popular classes are. You don’t want to spend all that money to get into the sport and have 3 other people in the class.
I’d go with looking into what’s big in the area, both engine and chassis wise. Yamaha and 206 are larger in the midwest (well 206 is getting bigger everywhere) but I wouldn’t tell someone from California to buy a KT100 when S3 Stock Moto Rookie is a popular class at SKUSA, or TaG on the east coast. Granted they have F100 out east but I don’t know anything about them other than they can run Yamaha.
On some forums (not this one) I’ve seen some people giving advice like “Oh this one engine is really fast and revvy and yadda yadda” or recommending some brand of chassis without putting any thought into where the new person is and what’s supported in that area. We’ve covered this topic a couple times already on here and I think it’s been really good advice for anybody that sees it.
The biggest problem I’ve noticed is that there’s not a good way to find a kart track unless you’re already in the community. The only kart track I knew of in Wisconsin before I started racing was at Road America. The KP track finder helps, but the problem is getting it to the people who are so green to karting they wouldn’t even know this website exists
That does yield a discussion for another thread about how do we get more people to get to know about Kartpulse, so they can ask questions and get help about the sport.
Lot’s of stuff just comes down to advertisement. Not just here, but in general. If we could get a commercial on MavTV or something that’d be ideal but that’d be so expensive. Maybe if we had a general ad for karting and then at the end said “Find your local track for more info” and give them our track finder?
I am of the opinion that the best way to share karting is to put your friends in YOUR seat. Track time is relatively cheap around central Indiana. I take anyone who is interested out to Newcastle Motor Sports Park, put a big tape “X” on a backup helmet, give them a little instruction, and after I make sure the track regulars know a novice is about to take the track I send them out for a few laps. It has been my experience that people do not try to drive over their head and are exceptionally respectful of my equipment.
I Actually spoke with a show on MavTV about advertising that but the deal fell through. Also considered doing something without SKUSA too… But…
For it to have a real impact and “conversion” we need to get a few things in line first.
That’s the mistake I see often in karting is advertising that’s not actionable, doesn’t give basic required info, points to an outdated website or the value proposition is misaligned with the target demographic.
Best thing we can do right now is spread the word of KartPulse in the karting community, get more people involved and continue to build a resource that we can send people to when they are interested in getting started, or coming back.
Getting someone in your kart definitely works too, that can be precarious though
We broadcast MavTV at work sometimes for people to watch, we’ll notice a lot of people just sitting and watching the races. At one point we had the SKUSA SuperNats on but then our manager changed it to some football game that wasn’t even relevant
Karting is tricky because so much information is trackside or in kart shops, and not much digital beginner info for all the hours spent researching before ever visiting a track or shop for the first time.
Things that would be nice to know starting out and not knowing anything.
What are the nearest tracks to me, and what does it take/cost to drive there?
What if there are no rental options easily available to me?
I see and read about many different types of karts and engines, what should I look for?
What if I just want to drive and don’t really care what the other guys race, what should I buy?
What should I look for in a kart I am looking to buy used private sale?
What’s a reasonable minimum list of tools and spares I need to maintain my kart, change tires, and spares to be prepared with?
What are typical service and maintenance lifespans on components?
What do you always bring to the track with you?
Where are good places to buy gear online?
How often should I practice?
What should I be trying to do in my practice?
When do I know I’m ready to race?
What’s up with data logging, what do I need to get started?
What’s the ideal line around the track in a kart?
What should I feel through my kart while driving?
What should I expect each setup change to change in feel, and why?
What would a 30mm frame kart feel like compared to a 32mm frame kart?
How should I brake on a kart that only has a rear brake?
How should I turn the steering wheel on a kart, and what should I sense as clues in how to make a setup change?
How should the kart react when I get on the power?
How should the kart feel on the exit of the corner?
Should I gear for max rpm?
How should I set tire pressures?
I think some of these are pretty good, while to be honest, some of these are a little subjective. For example:
How often should I practice? - How fast do you want to be?
What should I be trying to do in my practice? This depends on what you need to work on - Granted I did write an article on a similar topic a few years ago
When do I know I’m ready to race? Are you ready to go race? Then go race!
