23 replies to this topic

[Admiral]

Very simple question. What is the best technique for driving a Kart? I used to beat my friends when we occasionally go indoor karting, but they have caught up, and I sometimes get beaten and I hate it!
The way I drive is pretty much like a road car. I try to brake to the apex and accelerate out, while taking a conventional racing line. I only go maybe twice a year, so my Karting experience is extremely limited. I know that there's a particular technique for Karting, but I just don't know what it is. Can anyone help me out?

[IndyIan]

Admiral,
I don't race karts so I'm no expert. I assume you're driving the rental karts(5hp)
What I do is try to be as smooth as possible, nothing sudden to lose your speed. Also I do all my braking before the corner so i can use all the traction just for turning so I can have a maximum velocity as I leave the corner. Hope this helps

[Admiral]

Thats pretty much what I aim to do. I try to be smooth all the time, and get my braking done before the apex. Throughout the whole corner, I'm trying to make sure that the Kart doesn't slide much so as not to lose too much speed, but my method still seems slow. When I see a race on TV, they seem to snap the car into the corner, and they don't seem to brake much either, they turn using the trottle. But when I try this, the thing just gets sideways and bogs down. But thanks anyway IndyIan

[Mellon]

I've only driven once but what I found useful was trying to follow another driver around the track to see where I was slower and to learn the right lines through the curves.

Then I just tried to go as fast as I dared. Mastering that I just pushed another 10% harder. I hit the tires piled against the walls (indoor track) pretty hard a couple of times giving me a sore neck and a headache for 2 days. But as Norbert Haug said in Melbourne, if you don't spin/crash you haven't found the limit.

Anyway, I had the second fastest laptime of the 25 guys on the track during our 3 hour private session (max 6 cars on the track).

[Pascal]

It all depends on the type of Kart you are using...

On rental ones, the power is usually limited and the fastest way to drive them is to go very smoothly in curves and avoid to lose any more speed than absolutely necessary.

On more powerful Karts, the driving technique is a bit different. In this case, the best way to go through curves is to throw the kart sideways while braking and to keep it oversteering through the curve. The added power can then help you straighten the trajectory when exiting the bend. This is a much more enjoyable way to drive, but very few rental places allow you to experience it since the penalty for any mistake is usually far greater!

I also wish to add that the surest way for me to go faster on a kart would be to lose weight!

[Ursus]

Pascal, you are certanly right about the wheight thing. I have friend wheighing ~20 kg less than me and is less than stellar in the karting area (not that i am that good my self ) but somehow he almost manages to keep up. But when we went to this place that has 120cc karts (outdoors ofcourse, almost as fun as expensive) he was suddenly nowhwer to be seen

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Ursus

[Ruud de la Rosa]

I usually try to brake way befor the corner, accelerate a liitle in the corner and gently to full trottle. It helps to steer in different steps ...erm... how should i explain this?? Try to divide the corner in a lot of little corners, you have to steer, not steer, steer etc etc. You can take the cornor with more speed. while the kart won't begin to slip.

But the best tip: drive behind someone who is faster. And drive smoothly!
I've got a friend who drives very aggresive(brake late early on the trottle)he crashed a couple of times, the guy that works at the indoor centre told him to go easy or else he would be send out. Well my friend drove smoothly and smashed his own lap-record by a second!

[JayWay]

On certain bends, mainly long flowing ones, it helps very much to not break, but use the throttle to get as much power as possible all the way though, and only use the break to position yourself, and prevent understeer, you will find on indoor cirquits that with the slippary surface, sometimes the smallest of taps on the break or throttle can be the difference between a great lap time time, and a bad lap time.

[Sean L]

Admiral,
I do a lot of indoor karting (hire karts) and unfortunately there's no single correct way that works with all karts at all tracks.

Some karts have drive to only one rear wheel, some to both. Sometimes the brakes are good, sometimes non-existent. Some karts require left foot braking, some right.

Indoor tracks vary considerably in the amount of grip they provide in various corners.
Example: The last time I raced the track had a right hand hairpin after the main straight which was slippery as hell right up to the apex. After the apex there was an enormous amount of grip amount right upto the following corner. It was so slippery at the end of the straight that just touching the brakes with the wheels pointing into the turn put the kart sideways. Approaching wide I tried to brake really late and hard just before the corner (and keeping the throttle half open) sending the kart into a sideways slide towards the apex at a totally suicidal velocity threatening to send me straight into tyres. Fortunately the kart bit in and I could floor it in a smooth line out of the corner.

This method doesn't always work - actually hardly ever - but it gave me over a second on the next place man and 0.5 slower than the lap record, not bad for a hefty 93kg guy . I also ended up with major bruising on my left side

It helps to know where the grip is greatest and that may or may not be the normal racing line. Generally the best technique is to drive smoothly turning in a bit later rather than earlier and moderating the throttle i.e. not taking your foot all the way off throughout the corner and braking lightly with your left foot all the way to the apex.

I also use my weight (considrable!!!) - leaning forwards on the brakes, leaning to the side around the corner and bending backwards to help traction out of the slower corners. (Read karting explosion thread)

Remember: you will never be quick if you are slower out of a corner than you were into it.
Happy karting...

[Ursus]

Hmmm, those hire karts I've driven all had rear brakes only. I Guess leaning forward while braking will only hurt then .

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Ursus
Trust me, send money.

[Fritz]

There's only one thing I can say. No, not right, I could tell you all a very good theorie, but it would be stolen from Alexander Wurz. It gave me a second a lap, and I must say that I wasn't slow before! You want to find that second too? Have a look a www.wurz.com!

[Fritz]

www.wurz.com without that extra character ...

[Ruud de la Rosa]

That advice saved you a second???? You must have been slow like a ***** then.

[Fritz]

I've raced about 5 hours in total in my life (which is about nothing, I know). I read the wurz pages in preparation for a race which I was invited to. Between pro's... I was faster than half of the field. So even without that second I really wasn't that slow... We should meet to find out who's the fastest, you Dutchie!

[Ruud de la Rosa]

I'll accept that dare!!

[Ruud de la Rosa]

When you come to THE NETHERLANDS we can go karting. where do you live in Belgium?? Where do you go karting. My Karting career started in Knokke!!(track is closed now!)
Cheers Ruud

[Sean L]

Ursus,
Strange but true, the last hire kart I raced had discs all round.

But I agree that you wouldn't lean forwards under braking with only rear brakes.
If you read my first two sentences again you'll see that I inferred that different karts required different driving techniques. It seems that every time I go karting I have to drive differently.

[Ursus]

Sean, a small question. If you look at the Kart Expl. video you see Schumi leaning outwards in the turns (or at least exiting the turns) but I feel it makes more sense leaning inwards. Then again I don't make $25M from driving cars so I may well miss something here

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Ursus
Trust me, send money.

[MattC]

Ursus:
The reason it helps to lean outwards in a Kart (but not in cars/bikes/sidecars!) is the lack of a diff. The solid rear axle means that the inside rear is always trying to shove you straight on (particularly on turn-in, for some reason). Fortunately, it becomes unloaded in corners, so it can't have as much of an effect. Leaning out unloads it even more. For some reason, this axle-induced understeer is worse in slow corners, so that tends to be where the most leaning is done. (I haven't watched the Schuey/Rubino clip closely enough to see if they confirm this!) Leaning out has other undesirable side-affects, so it is to be avoided much of the time.

And yes, leaning back helps A LOT under braking with no front brakes.

Yours, The Karting Novice

[MattC]

I've just looked at Wurz.com. What a great bloke! I was impressed by his comments about MS' karting background. Young Alex seems like a sportsman in the true sense of the word, and his site backs that view up.

[Fritz]

Ursus, your remark upon Schumi leaning outwards while exiting turns certainly makes sense. During turning you lean inwards, so that your center of gravity moves to the inside. This reduces the weight shift to the outer tires and as such you can make more use of your inside tires. When you suddenly move your body weight to the outside, you give the kart a sudden relaxation, or if you turn in sharply, you stay on the level of maximum grip. So what Schumi does is taking a line which would make him miss the turn by lets say 30 cm, but when exiting the turn, he turns in a bit more and moves his body weight to the outside. It is a normal reaction to do such when you would just miss a corner, you lean over... To do it on purpose is of course the true genius of someone like Michael.

[Sean L]

Ursus,
I could be wrong but I think that if Michael felt the car start to understeer after the apex, he may lean outwards to induce a counter-acting oversteer or at least a neutral slide to get more speed out of the corner.

Now can I get a bit of that $25M passed this way...

[Ruud de la Rosa]

We'll give you 25M golden coins

[Ruud de la Rosa]

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