Oppoeducation: Shifter Karts

"Tripper" (tripe46) 11/03/2020 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

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I was kicking around the internet yesterday, trying to find out what age kids can start kart racing (just for kicks, my kid is just 2). In doing that I found a dusty little track right near my house! It has been around forever and so have I, but I never knew about it.

This is a fast go kart

I figured, “Eh it’s probably closed.” I checked their Facebook and there was a post from the day before , so I messaged them that I was interested and asked how to get involved. Some one responded saying I should come down and rip a few karts to see what chassis I liked then go from there...

Obviously I’m going to do that. So, a ny of you have them/race them? What can ya tell me?

adamftw > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:07

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I’ve driven one a couple times , I don’t know much about it other than it was the fastest accelerati ng thing with four wheels I’ve ever had the pleasure of pushing the throttle in. Pretty close to high power streetbike levels of crazy.

whatisthatsound > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:11

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I had a CRG with a DD2 Rotax engine. I loved it.

Get a used one and go for it. 

Maxima Speed > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:12

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Never a shifter kart, only done the electric indoor karts but even those were a crazy blast.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:13

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When I was doing Formula SAE in college, we had a little shifter kart with a Honda 125cc engine built by CKT, and that thing was FREAKING INSANE! We used it as a “driver training aid” since it was somewhat similar in performance to our Formula car. It was a hoot to drive, tons of fun, until one guy stuffed it. He hit a small puddle, spun out, and slid into a curb. He bled enough speed that he was okay, and the th e frame and engine survived , but it smushed a rim, steering knuckle, and steering tie rod.  But the upshot was it wasn’t terribly expensive to repair/replace all that stuff.  

Thomas Donohue > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:17

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Go electric...

(this is a completely uniformed suggestion, but I really do want the Segway kart, or any electric cart for that matter )

WRXforScience > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:30

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Shifter k arts are for adults and are ridiculously fast, basically motorcycles for the track. Junior Karts are for kids and are still pretty quick. Most karting tracks have a Junior Series and you can get your kids involved at pretty young ages (varies from place to place but it isn’t unusual to have a 12&under series).

That being said, I did watch a 14 year old gear die driving a junior kart at an autocross, so I would urge caution and recommend only karting on karting tracks. As much as I love the SCCA’s programs, the Junior Kart program always seemed like a stretch and I’m not sad to see it go. Our region hasn’t run the program since the fatality more than 6 years ago now, and we have no plans to bring it back.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:30

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I’m interested in this as well...I know there are a couple of outdoor tracks around me. One of them is like $5 per day unsupervised too!

jeepoftheseus > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:34

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I’ve not done anything with shifter karts but there is an indoor track near me that does 200cc karts. It’s a damn good time every time we go. 

Tripper > adamftw 11/03/2020 at 10:35

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I have also driven one once just around someone neighborhood but had the same experience ...SO FAST

Tripper > whatisthatsound 11/03/2020 at 10:36

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Yeah I mean odds of me coming home without a (used) kart are slim

3point8isgreat > WRXforScience 11/03/2020 at 10:45

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All I had to do was type in scca junior karts to find that incident. Sounds terrible. And seeing that its the same club I'm running with now, I now get why they have a no karts rule. 

nermal > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 10:49

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I’ve done the PittRace rentals, they are only 50 or 60cc and CVT . Faster than the completely neutered gas or electric ones at other places, but nowhere near as fast as the 125cc shifters.

Been in the pits while a kart race was running at the same time I was on the big track with my bike. Some of the competitors are.... intense. The spectrum of pit setups was similar to the bike side, everything from people racing out of a pickup and a cheap canopy to bazillion $$$ toy haulers with every racing luxury available.

I think 4 or 5 years old is the earliest that kids are allowed on track, but check where you plan on going. Also the time to start if the kid plans on making a car eer of driving . 

Tripper > WRXforScience 11/03/2020 at 10:58

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Yikes, yeah I’m only looking to run on karting circuits. I’m going to get my kid involved when and if she wants to and obviously at the appropriate level. Definitely seeming like she will want to, haha.

WRXforScience > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 11:57

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Sounds like a great plan, I know a family that did that with their kids (a son and a daughter). They started out in karts and moved on to cars for autox and rally as they grew up. The whole family raced with Mom, Dad, and two kids sharing a couple of cars.

When they really got into karting they had a van to transport the karts and parts, they usually loaded everything inside but could also use it as a tow vehicle whenever needed (really sweet and efficient setup).

NYankee1927 > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 12:20

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Let me know what you find out, my kid is reaching karting age at 15 months. I don’t think we have that many kart tracks by us. Sonoma is the closest. There is however a quartermidget track like 20 min away. So there is a strong possibility there.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > WRXforScience 11/03/2020 at 12:24

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Yeah, we’re kinda lucky right now in that our region’s karters were all old enough to move to cars this year. It does sound like the SCCA has put together a plan of how to keep that aspect of our sport running (with a lot more checks on safety).

I’ve always been a bit nervous at our site because  we have a 2-wire electric fence running along the entire length of our runway. We’ve put a couple cars into it over the years, but never had any karts go near it (then again, our karters were multi-time National champs, so I worried less).

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 12:49

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That’s not how you create a Formula 1 Champion. Start her right now.

Tripper > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 11/03/2020 at 12:55

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Weve been doing laundry basket drifts since she was a baby, then graduated to a tricycle. Prob a pedal car/power wheels next. 

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 13:06

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Thisismydisplayname > Tripper 11/03/2020 at 19:27

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Yes power wheels with an 18v battery... much drifting fun ensues.

mhr555 > Tripper 11/04/2020 at 07:37

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I’d recommend getting a TAG (single speed) kart to start.

They’re certainly fun but s hifters are pretty hectic for a beginner. I ran one for a season of autocross and messed around at open track days with it.

Karting is certainly a great family activity. A couple friends of mine have gotten their kids into karts, first with autocross and now W2W. They seem to be having fun and kicking ass on track. 

James Zucker > Tripper 11/04/2020 at 08:16

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I race shifters c ompetitively (2019 CRG with a vortex Rok motor) in Colorado with CKT and am also a member of the board of directors of our club....

That being said, I would certainly recommend you get into adult 206 before jumping into a shifter. You learn alot more, and won’t break your wallet immediately. Shifter is fun (best time I’ve ever had with my clothes on) and I will recommend everyone try it, but to be competitive or even close to the front takes quite a chunk of change to do. I personally only finished 2nd in the championship this season and im almost 20k deep into 7 races that are local.

Over half of our club is going to national level events these next two weeks and the comparison in price tags is quite astounding. Rok the Rio in Vegas will be over 6k at a minimum for any shifter to show up and basically be there (guys towards the front will be at 10-20k) where as the 4steoke super showdown in Glendale Arizona for the 206 crowd will be in the 1-2k range to be competitive for the race week....

Again pick your poison, but 206 is the way to go, and it will have a great knock on effect for your kids as they will most likely go from kid karts to junior 1 cadet, junior 1 and finally junior 2, all 206 run classes. They might jump into a 100cc, or rotax style class for more speed, but they learn just as much in a 206 without mortgaging the house to run the event....

Hope this helps.... J ames

Tripper > James Zucker 11/04/2020 at 08:32

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Hey thanks! I’m in PA. Do you recommend reaching out to an organization first? I was going to head down to this track, talk to some people and see how feasible it is for me to get into karting at any level. I had not considered the cost to race, only the cost of the cart+ parts and consumables.

UserNotFound > Tripper 11/04/2020 at 08:55

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Thanks for reminding me that there’s a karting track at BWI, 20 minutes from my house ... and my kid is old enough to get started ...

He’s still pretty skittish driving his McQueen power wheel though ... but maybe he can be the nextdoor kid’s crew chief. That kid is a born daredevil ...

ETA: wait, we might be talking about the same track? United Karting in Hanover?

Tripper > UserNotFound 11/04/2020 at 09:12

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Nah Chester county raceway, I think I’m a couple hours from Hanover but not out of the question.

66P1800inpieces > James Zucker 11/04/2020 at 09:59

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This is great info, thank you for sharing. Compared to even Miata or compact racing it appears carts are quite frugal (but clearly not inexpensive). I have watched some youtube videos and the speed things happens in shifter carts is amazing. Talk about reflexes and I assume decent arm strength. You must be completely drained after a couple laps.

66P1800inpieces > WRXforScience 11/04/2020 at 10:01

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So your saying Tripper also needs a D ajiban for transport duties.

WRXforScience > 66P1800inpieces 11/04/2020 at 10:34

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That would be epic, daddy (and/or m0 mmy) could race on the big track while the kids race the karts. My favorite though was the time the family I mentioned showed up in the van towing their autox car and the kart was inside. Mom, Dad, and the older sister drove the car while the younger brother drove the kart.

James Zucker > Tripper 11/04/2020 at 11:41

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Dont be sold by a shop pro. Try to talk to fellow racers, and certainly try a few different chassis! My CRG handles completely different to a OTK style kart, and does not compliment my driving style at all!

I would try to reach out to an organization if you can and see what local classes run. Buying a kart that you won’t be able to race, or a class that has only a handful of drivers in it is not very fun. 206 is so huge right now across the country that it might be wise just to stick with that.

Be careful if you jump into a TaG kart as you can get into a class with very little support or hard to get parts. Same with shifter. The Honda is still prevalent, but is starting to fade quick since skusa has dropped the class. Club racing is strong, but most of thw online retailers are starting to drop parts support. Right now the rok shifter and KZ motors have the most support. KZ are very touchy to tune, whereas the rok is quite simple and just rips!

All in all, see if you can have the frame checked to be straight, get a seat that fits you perfectly, check the bottom of the frame for wear, and look for how many hours are on the motor.

jminer > James Zucker 11/04/2020 at 20:11

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This is excellent OPPO! I would love to hear more of your journeys and races. It sounds like a really fun and semi-affordable way to get into racing. Seeing some  posts from you on OPPO would be great.