Is it worth getting into Karting?

::: CooliceT :: · 2 Oct 2007 at 13:44

hello all,

i recently went karting with some family the weekend.
and was awhile since i been, but really enjoyed it.
first time at this circuit, and only couple seconds off fastest laptime.

did 36 laps, and lapped my brother 4 times

i think i want to get into racing more as a hobby. id rather do this then playing a lot of games.

i have been looking into go-karts on thebay, mind you i cant afford it at the moment...

but is it worth getting into before i start saving for it maybe next year?
or should i look into something different? e.g mini stocks.. mini racing?

i been a fan of motor racing for ages.. but never could afford it.
is some kind of motor racing thats affordable. for me...

any links, tips..., prices... what to look for...
if i was looking to get into karting and championships at local circuits...

i live in east anglia, near peterborogh.
and im 23.

cheers, chez

DRZ · 2 Oct 2007 at 13:49

Karting is EXPENSIVE. To do it with any kind of regularity requires a lot of money. To be competetive rather than just driving for fun takes even more money. You are too old to ever have a chance of getting anywhere serious competing in Karts, you will get lapped time and again by 14 year olds (or sometimes younger) that have been doing it for years. Unfortunately, its the kind of thing where its so expensive, if you have to save up for it you just cant afford it!

A couple of seconds off the lap record is a massive amount of time off the lap record, considering you would have been driving a relatively slow kart and the laps were probably under a minute anyway!

By all means give it a go if you enjoy it and can afford it, but don't expect to be competetive!

Dogbreath · 2 Oct 2007 at 13:50

Only you can decide wether it's "worth" it. It is an expensive hobby and one that will demand a lot of your time and money if you want to be competetive.

http://www.abkc.org.uk/

::: CooliceT :: · 2 Oct 2007 at 16:18

yea i can see it being expensive.

kart and kit i seen for about £500, and races about £50 a race.

the laptime, was my first time there, and was more friendly with family then full on racing. and only a small 300m indoor circuit. plus, im sure it was one of there own karts that set the time. not the ones that are on hire.

maybe... i shall look into another kind of motorsport racing. we see...

i guess i should start saving now.

Confused · 2 Oct 2007 at 16:20

2 seconds on a 300m circuit is a HUGE gap!

However - if you have the money to do it, then it's a good, fun, enjoyable thing to do.

Larnica · 2 Oct 2007 at 17:46

DRZ said:
You are too old to ever have a chance of getting anywhere serious competing in Karts, you will get lapped time and again by 14 year olds (or sometimes younger) that have been doing it for years. !

Just out of interest, what is the average cut off age of getting into motorsport?

NickXX · 2 Oct 2007 at 18:21

It's great fun - two of my mates have karts. Every time we go, something breaks - so be prepared to budget for lots of repairs!

Going in on it with a mate would make it a little more sensible.

kaiowas · 2 Oct 2007 at 21:53

Larnica said:
Just out of interest, what is the average cut off age of getting into motorsport?

If you want to make a career of it you really need to have the kind of parents who start you karting before you even know you want to do it. If it's just for fun then you can start at any age.

::: CooliceT :: · 2 Oct 2007 at 22:00

im not looking for a career out of it, more of a hobby and fun,
karting probably the cheapist out of the motor racing to get started with.

id love to do mini racing, but thats much more money.

PardonTheWait · 2 Oct 2007 at 22:03

::: CooliceT :: said:
yea i can see it being expensive.

kart and kit i seen for about £500, and races about £50 a race.

£50 a race to enter maybe, but then you have maintenance (lots) tyres (you'll probably kill at least one set a meeting), getting the kart there, the trailer, petrol, petrol for your car to get there, spending all weekend and probably some time during the week preparing for racing...

Motorsports are awesome, but do go into it aware that it will fully empty your wallet and probably max out your credit cards as well!

Larnica · 2 Oct 2007 at 22:03

kaiowas said:
If you want to make a career of it you really need to have the kind of parents who start you karting before you even know you want to do it. If it's just for fun then you can start at any age.

Yeah, I watched a documentry on Lewis Hamilton the other day, forgot when he started but he was very young!

Anywho, we should organise an OcUK carting event (Or a few in different areas) that would be awesome!

Conanius · 2 Oct 2007 at 22:21

::: CooliceT :: said:
first time at this circuit, and only couple seconds off fastest laptime.

as many others have said, this is a huge gap.

I used to go to JDR karting in Gloucester all the time (see link) and consistently lapped in the 21 second range. They consider 24 seconds to be the normal time round the track, but in reality, when I was lapping at the speeds I was I was usually the fastest there, but not by a significant amount.

On short tracks with the kart you get at arrive and drive events I would say at maybe 1-2 seconds a lap can be made up by getting a decent kart (brakes in a straight line, decent tyres, an engine that revs cleanly etc)

By all means, give it a go, but be prepared to be humbled by a youngun. I gave a racing scholarship a go in the end, and everyone there had their arse handed to them by a 16 year old (The scholarship was for formula ford, and he was the only person there without a driving license !!) however the whole day was fantastic fun, and I learnt a lot.

I did most of my karting when I was 20-21, and i'm 23 now and am far to old to get into it all. By that,unless you have some absurd raw talent you need to accept anything you do will just be for fun.

in reference to that costing of yours you will NOT be competitive with a budget like that

NiccoLau · 3 Oct 2007 at 00:54

Totally agree with everyone here. When i was in australia karting. the prices just makes me go mad.. it's so bloody expensive!! But it was really fun!

::: CooliceT :: · 3 Oct 2007 at 08:59

Conanius said:
as many others have said, this is a huge gap.

I used to go to JDR karting in Gloucester all the time (see link) and consistently lapped in the 21 second range. They consider 24 seconds to be the normal time round the track, but in reality, when I was lapping at the speeds I was I was usually the fastest there, but not by a significant amount.

On short tracks with the kart you get at arrive and drive events I would say at maybe 1-2 seconds a lap can be made up by getting a decent kart (brakes in a straight line, decent tyres, an engine that revs cleanly etc)

By all means, give it a go, but be prepared to be humbled by a youngun. I gave a racing scholarship a go in the end, and everyone there had their arse handed to them by a 16 year old (The scholarship was for formula ford, and he was the only person there without a driving license !!) however the whole day was fantastic fun, and I learnt a lot.

I did most of my karting when I was 20-21, and i'm 23 now and am far to old to get into it all. By that,unless you have some absurd raw talent you need to accept anything you do will just be for fun.

in reference to that costing of yours you will NOT be competitive with a budget like that

thanks for the replies,
yea looks like i would need a lot if i wanted to be competitive...
not sure what other motorsports, are cheap to run...

any links for the racing scholarship and how does one get into that...

got to remember... about times though..
i was in one of the standard karts used for arrive and drive.

but.

racing of any kind isnt about setting the fastest lap.
its about consistancy, i was putting good constant laps in. (again... this was only for fun, i wasnt pushing limits.. i was just racing with family) but you could put one fast lap in, if your not able to keep those lap times up... your end up loosing spots. and visa versa, if your slow.. but putting constant lap times in... same again..

anyway we could be here all day discussing it...

i just wanted advice if i decided to look into it next year, not that i was driving slow on a arrive and drive indoor circuit with family

its easyer to chance than to defend, and i enjoyed doing it in the kart.

i would like to do motor racing just for fun.

im not worried about being first. i just want that feel again, of putting on the helmet, and race suit, and driving around a track, nothing beats it.

what kind of budget would i need to set myself?

i probably do a track day with my mini at some point, to get a feel of it on a big circuit.

i mean, my friends brother is in the dunlop mini 2007 championship, and they racing this weekend at brands hatch, costs him £60,000+ plus thats without any damages...

so yea... its expensive. but if you have the money.. (its down to what you want)
i tend to have no money, but i enjoy myself as i spend it.

edit: still unsure... about karting... maybe just save some money and do arrive and drives, when i get a bug for it. (cheaper aswell)

i may end up just saving £2000-3000 for a new mini, thats what i really want. what that by year 2009, for the 50th anniversary