Thinking of getting into Karts. Advice??

[GOLFBALLS]

Hi.
Anyone here ever done any competitive club level go kart racing with their own kart?
I'm thinking of getting involved and was wondering about costs and categories...?
Any info appreciated.
Cheers,
Wade

[lankfert]

If you want to be competitive it is fairly expensive. The best class to go for would be TAG (Turn and GO) Restricted. You can get almost any kart and race as often as you like.

AKA membership is around $450 for first timers and then you have to register at a club or two.

Some clubs run open days where you can compete with others as practice or test and tune etc.

Prob looking at around 5k for a good kart (second hand) and good setup with licence etc.

Alternatively you can get any old kart and race at a few tracks whenever you like. There and 2 in VIC and charge $40 for the whole day.

[Water Boy]

I had a good go at karts as a young blokes, awsome fun and taught me a lot of things, how to drive, how to be competitive, when to be agressive and race craft, it also taught me there are some complete knob jockey's out there that are sour about losing (but thats very sport).

Pretty sure Preen was a state/national competitive karter and has just got back in the seat.

You can have a heap of fun juts doing club days but if you want to race/be fast it guna cost the $$$ which IMO id rather put towards a full size car.

[kaanage]

I loved karting but the introduction of side pod and nose cones (so you can tell that when I raced them was way back) has ruined karting IMO as drivers can now ram each other with abandon (and they do) as they no longer have to worry about wheels overlapping which would lead to a flip.

This has driven the cost of karting through the roof as you continually have to repair crash damage so it is no longer the cheap introduction to racing that it once was. It is GREAT fun to drive them, though, and NOTHING handles as well as a decently set up spring kart.

[GOLFBALLS]

Yeah cheers for the info.
I'm just looking at maybe the Senior National beginner classes first up. Maybe then 125cc TAG and going in halves with a friend.

Yeah I realise there are downsides, but the tossers dont bother me (you'll get them everywhere in life) and although it can get pricey, its nowhere near as expensive as building up a mk1 golf as a track car that i have to import parts for from o/s. One set of car semi slicks could almost pay for a beginner go kart!!
I'm not that interested in chasing stage times/lap times in car events. At least with karting I can race wheel to wheel which is what I enjoy the most.

I've done some karting days at a few places and been told by the operators that I would do well in races...

I'll have a chat to the preenster

Cheers

[dave_r]

it also taught me there are some complete knob jockey's out there

This has driven the cost of karting through the roof as you continually have to repair crash damage so it is no longer the cheap introduction to racing that it once was.

+1 to both of those. I had a Rotax 125 but never raced. Just used to go down to todd rd as often as I could to have fun against the clock but the amount of wanna be Schumacher was really annoying. I went through a few sidepods, axles etc due to said knob jockeys.

But other than the outlay, ongoing costs were pretty cheap for me just lapping on my own. But I guess if I raced, I'd have to factored in spare wheels/tyres, engines etc. So I could see it getting pretty expensive.