Kart Driving Tips

If karting is your passion, the following guidelines are sure to strengthen your driving skills and help make you a winner.

This article on karting will cover handling the steering wheel, establishing the right posture and chassis setup. Use your depth perception and keen awareness to hit the right spots and maneuver your kart to the lead.

By depth perception and awareness we mean plotting out the track ahead of you. Do not pay as much attention to the position of the kart driver ahead of you; focus your mind on what lies beyond your opponents’ kart and the potential gaps around your opponent.

Many multi-kart accidents on the track result from the trailing driver focusing on the position of the kart which either spun out or crashed. For example, instead of trying to avoid the wreck, the driver focuses on the kart or mass of karts ahead.

If you are the trailing driver, keep your eyes and concentration on the gap around the kart ahead. The further ahead you apply your focus, the more successful of a driver you will become. Think of it like a game of pool or golf; you always need to look ahead to your next shot by trying to leave a good lie.

In karting, you think ahead to what gaps might be available. You focus on the gaps and take control with your driving skills. To achieve this depth perception and keen awareness, these steps must be followed:

• · Have the right posture. Sit upright with your head firm and high so you are always looking ahead.
• · Look around the corner further than usual. Look at where you want your kart to go. Do not focus on the kart ahead of you.
• · Focus on the apex – the end of the track’s loop – and not your braking point when you apply the brakes.
• · Once you have followed through the apex, plan ahead to your next braking point.

Karting instincts are not taught. You are either born with them or not. To discover where your instincts lie, you must repeatedly practice. Perform practice laps until you can envision taking over the gaps in your sleep. In order to take karting seriously, you must be relentless in your desire to master the opponent and track.

Do not give in to the frustration of using your depth perception on the track. Train yourself to look further ahead than you thought possible at gaps and corners. You should notice a slight decrease in your lap time because you are a more intelligent and efficient driver.

Planning is essential to any winning kart driver.

You must plan to hold your steering wheel in the “10 and 2 o’clock” position to improve your feeling of strength in the kart. This position also allows for a correct weight transfer through your arms and body to the front of the kart.

You must plan your posture. If you sit upright and stern, you will help the weight transfer across the kart and that leads to better handling.

Finally, you must perform a chassis setup for comfortable seating and a sense of control. Putting the seat in the right place can mean the difference between a win and a loss in kart racing. If you are not comfortable, thinking ahead is jeopardized. Your attention will focus on trying to regain that comfort instead of what lies ahead on the track.