Go Karting Tips to Make You a Pro
The rule of being a pro at karting is to make sure you have the correct gear. Select a comfortable and well-fitted racing outfit that enables you to focus on your driving without any distractions. Avoid wearing large shoes or boots, as well as high heels. No open-toed shoes are allowed. Ask our professional staff for help in picking the right sizes for you helmet or bring your own (must be DOT Approved, or better, and closed-faced).
Rules are created to ensure the safety of drivers. It is important to attentively read and understand them. Making unwarranted contact with other karts and driving carelessly runs the risk of getting you removed from the track, stopping your practice and fun. Staying safe also entails being aware of other drivers on the tracks. Looking well ahead to observe all drivers and signals from the staff will help keep you attentive and aware of what is going on around you.
Karting is a physical sport which requires your mind and body to be in an excellent condition. If you are feeling tired or unwell, it’s best to reschedule or sit out until you feel better. Similarly, if while on track you don’t feel fully in control, turn down your speed. Most importantly, enjoy yourself. People perform extremely well at things they enjoy doing! Do not over-analyze your capabilities and instead enjoy your driving.
Seating and Posture
For maximum control of the kart drivers should be seated upright, knees bent, and your feet should be able to reach both pedals. Keep your hands at the 9 and 3 positions on the steering wheel, which will help you maintain maximum control of the wheel while utilizing your biggest arm and chest muscles and minimizing the strain. Keep a firm grip of the steering wheel, but not too tight.
Brake and Throttle
The Throttle pedal transmits power to the rear wheels. It is important to be careful of the amount of power you use since the rear wheels provide you with grip and too much gas might cause lose of control and speed.
Use the brakes. Every race car driver will tell you…to go fast, you have to slow down. This may seem counter-intuitive but it’s true. Slow down for the corners. You will have more control and you will corner faster. You are also required to be careful with the brakes, since pushing them too hard, or stabbing them, may cause the rear tires to lock up. If used appropriately, the brakes of the kart can help you control your speed and save time.
Key Things to Remember
Corners: Corners come in various types and sequences. The driver is required to adapt to different types of turns and often compromise speed at certain corners to safely turn.
Key Areas: Identifying key corners, such as fast and flat parts of the track, can help you prepare to either increase or decrease your speed.
Oversteer: This occurs when the driver brakes, accelerates or turns too sharply, causing the rear wheels to lose grip. To recover from oversteering, look where you WANT to go and steer where you want to go.
Understeer: This is often caused by a sharp steering action, causing the front tires to lose grip and resulting in kart’s failure to steer. Ease off the throttle pedal, look where you want to go, and steer where you want to go.
Contact Formula Kartways!
Check out our specialized training under motivating professionals and exciting driving events at Formula Kartways in Mississauga. Founded in 1994 by David Tennyson, an ex-pro-racer and current Formula 1 driving coach, Formula Kartways exhibits a technical track layout and specialized karts, built for speed and performance by Tennyson himself.
Visit formulakartways.com to view all the top-notch equipment and training offered at Formula Kartways.
All credit goes to Formula Kartways