Once you get up and performing, you will need a set of WET tyres.
Ideally, fitted on a set of quick release hubs, so if the heavens open up, all you need do is undo one bolt on the SLICK wheel and bang on the WET, all done in thirty seconds.
Speaking of racing in the rain, you will find that unless it is just a fun race day or it is torrential rain, the race meeting will continue. Ooo Yuk, you say, you'd better believe it.
So... you can buy an excellent one piece rain suit for karting, keeps you nice and dry. Around $120.00.
Also a device that fits over the front of the helmet called a whirly for around $70.00. Once you get racing, the wind revolves the whirly and throws the rain off, good value if half the other competitors don't have them, as the visor gets so gunged up, you can't see.
Also in wet weather, you will need to make up and fit some sort of a shield over the intake silencer (noise box) which will stop water from being sucked into the carby. Water is big no no's for your precious motor. These shields are usually home made jobs, knocked up out of a plastic bottle or similar.
Well, we have covered a lot of ground since you first went to look at buying your kart, eh?
The finer points of engine tuning are best left to the experts, you will soon get to know who they are after a few race meetings.
There are those that are extremely conversant with legal sizes and know exactly what they are doing and I would strongly advise that you leave it to them rather than poke your finger in where Angels dare to tread.
Sometimes after a race meeting, the place getters are required to remove their engine and submit it for dismantling and checking. Failure to comply deems you disqualified from the placing you may have won.
The Technical officer will check the cubic capacity of the engine, port sizes and other relevant measurements to ensure the engine is legal. If it is outside the legal standards, you're out! So.. fingers out.
Simple things such as a spark plug protruding too far inside the head or a head gasket that is too thin can cause disqualification, so I can't stress enough to seek professional advice rather than " She'll be right, mate, do it meself!"
If when you are fully kitted and sitting in your kart, weigh over 155kg, you are in the HEAVY class.
If you are less than 150kg but over 135kg you are in the LIGHT class. Some drivers bolt small amounts of lead to their karts to attain the LEGAL kart weight requirement.
THE DAY IS NOW
Let's be efficient right from go. Pack up your kart and all gear needed on the day before, so you don't have to panic. Make up a check list. Petrol, tools, entry money, drink, licence, spare wheels, wet gear, even if the weather forecast is for a drought tomorrow, PACK YOUR WET GEAR AND WET WHEELS, it might rain!! and... you might be the only one with wet gear, yay an instant winner!
Make sure you arrive at the race meeting in plenty of time.
Reasons:
So you can get a good spot in the pits.
A good parking spot for your car.
So you have plenty of time to unpack your gear and kart, give it a good check over and relax.
If you arrive late, you'll be uptight, panicking, running around like a one armed paper hanger, end up with a spot in the pits way down the wrong end, have to park the car a million miles away, what a saga.
As soon as you are set up, check with other members, what time is machine examining, (scrutineering) all karts must be checked out by the club scrutineer prior to practice or racing.
Make sure you submit licence, helmet, gloves and race suit.
If the kart doesn't pass you need to put it right or miss out on racing.
Once through scrutineering, you must pay your race entry fee for the day, usually about $10 to $12, sign an indemnity form to release the club from any liabilities should you wreck your kart or hurt yourself and register for the class you will race in.
Ensure that your kart has it's racing numbers well displayed, front, rear and both sides as per the requirements in your licence.
The last thing we want is for you to be a place getter and the lap scorers can't see your race number, eh? "Who was that man?"
At the determined time, practice will commence, usually starting off with the CADETS, through all the classes. Two practice races is the norm then it's drivers briefing.
The steward of the day will have his say, reminding you of the regulations, but you'll know all that eh? you'll know your rule book inside out. GOOD!
As this is your first meeting, it might be a good idea to ask the steward if you can run off the back of the class until you start to feel comfortable. You are required to put a big black cross on the back of your helmet, with insulation tape, so the other drivers know you are learning and will give you plenty of room as the lap you!
Don't worry about a thing, who cares if you finish two laps behind, this is your first day.
Your first race is now, "Senior Light to the dummy grid" cries the pit steward, that's you.
Check your grid position on the notice board, it was drawn up earlier by the officials.
You are ready to go, your heart is in your mouth and pounding like hell.
"Move on out." announces the steward and away you all go. Once you are mobile, get in behind the kart in front of you, warm your tyres up, carefully without banging into the kart beside you.
The group will usually go around the circuit once, then get into close formation as you approach the start line. If every-one is lined up as they should be and the starter is happy, the flag will fall.
If the field is a shambles, you will have to go around and around until the starter is happy.
The pole driver (the leader on the inside) sets the pace, no more than half throttle.
If the number two car gets in front on the start straight, the starter won't start the race and the number two car may well get a stern finger waved at him as a warning to get back level with number one.
The flag goes, every-one slams their foot on the throttle, a great blue cloud of built up fuel and oil fill the start straight and it's all on.
Keep to your side of the track, don't make any sudden changes of line, if you are presented with a BLUE flag by a flag Marshall, it means you are about to be lapped, someone is right on your tail and you are holding them up. HOLD YOUR LINE. Point to the side you prefer them to pass you on and stick to that path until they are passed. If the whole field is coming up behind you, you'll soon hear them, DON'T change your line, let them drive around you, they know how and it won't be long before you do too. Keep driving, but let them get by, your day is a'comin'.
Read the licence/rule book and remember what the flags mean, there are a few of them and they all tell a story.
Green: You're racing.
Red: Stop racing immediately or where specified by the steward.
One Yellow and one Black: Reform and restart race.
Black unfurled: Stop racing IMMEDIATLY, return to pits immediately and report to that steward.
Black furled: Report to that steward after that heat.
Yellow: Caution accident ahead, don't overtake, hold position.
Blue: You are being lapped.
White: Final lap.
Chequered: Race over.
Failure to abide by flags can mean disqualification.
Know your flags.
As a rule, there are four heat's in each class, followed by the final round.
Your starting grid position's for the four heat's are drawn out of a hat. Your grid position in the final round is determined by your results in those four heat's.
So if you're consistently say third in the previous four heat's, your starting position in heat five will almost certainly be grid three.
Sometimes, if there is time, the officials may well decide to run a GRAND PRIX.
These are also run in classes and can be fun, but tiring, especially if it's twenty laps, yolks.
Then it's pack up time, prize giving at the clubhouse, a few raffles and refreshments and home to bed, worn out.
As soon as possible after the meeting, dismantle your machine, drain all the fuel out of the tank and fuel line, flush the in-line fuel filter, remove the motor, which is only held on by two mounts, off with the wheels, sprocket, side pods and what ever else is readily removable.
Take off the carburettor and clean out the jets and filters. Wash and oil the inside of the intake silencer.
The oil will catch a lot of the track dust before it enters the engine.
Remove and wire brush the spark plug and flush out with C.R.C. BRAKELEEN. (No I don't get commission from C.R.C. for plugging their wares, I should do, eh?)
Put the engine in a drum or similar container and gently brush solvent over it to remove all the dirt and oil, then let it stand until it has dried off.
The same with the sprocket and whatever else you took off.
A clean cloth and turps will clean up the number plates and paint work, finishing with the gungy, greasy rear end.
While cleaning, have a good close look at all welds and make sure there is no cracking, if there is, now is the time to scoot it in and have it TIG welded. TIG welding is quick and uses a higher but more concentrated heat than ARC or GAS. Too much heat will weaken the frame and cause more cracking and twisting.
A final polish and it can be put back together.
After re-fitting the throttle cable and before replacing the intake silencer, pull the throttle foot pedal hard forward and ensure that the throttle butterfly is open fully. If not, you won't be getting full horse power, if it is opening further than full throttle, i.e. the butterfly is starting to go further around and close, again you are losing H.P.
Make sure the fuel line is fuel resistant and soft and also wired on at the engine and fuel tank. If the tubing is hard it can and will crack, just when you are winning. You'll hate it when that happens!
Also if not wired on, it can fall off or worse, allow air to get into the fuel line which causes all sorts of problems, lack of power, back firing or even seizing the motor due to lean fuel mixture.
Check tyre pressures now and at the next meet. Some drivers like to release all air from the tyres when not racing, as they tend to weaken if left under pressure. It only takes a few minutes to inflate them on race day.
There, everything is ready for the next meet, no need to panic the day before now, is there?
Well my friend, you've bought a kart at a real sharp price, got all the bits together, joined a club or two, picked up your N.Z.K.F. race licence, had a practice, run your first race day, you did pretty good too, let's say you finished thirteen out of twenty. Good on you.
You've stripped, cleaned, serviced and re-assembled your baby ready for the next meeting.
Isn't karting a neat sport? Trust me, it is. To cover all the different types of machines is another story.
It's one you'll soon hear about if you really want to, first let's see you master the track, the bunch of competitive drivers and a few WINS.
If you want to know more, e-mail me below, for up to the minute news on our club, for sales and race calendar click on the Rotorua Kart Club link, or a few questions and you'll soon locate your nearest kart club.
When you get your race licence, you automatically receive the National Karting magazine called KARTSPORT. It has details of clubs, addresses and up and coming events.
If you join the Rotorua Karters Inc you will receive a complimentary club magazine every month.
I hope you have enjoyed this information and that you have learned and are now fizzing at the bung to get into karting.
It's a wonderful family sport.
I’ll see you at the track
Ray Tombs.
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