New to karting.

Oscar Aguilera · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1614

we generally dont have WF here in texas. it was tried in houston and failed. the chonda class is similar with good turnouts at most texas races from what i see checking web sites.

go with what you want....so if you dont like it you have no one or no shop to blame. honestly...

on the other hand. if you are in fairly good physical shape and somewhat mechanically inclined you will do fine in a shifter. if you are not in decent shape and you want to race and not just play around...i would consider getting in shape or switching to a less physical kart until you do...and in the meantime you will still be learning to drive and work on/prep a kart for races.

as for the kart you pulled up on craigslist. if you have that much money for a budget, i would suggest rounding up a little more and you can get a really nice shifter package used. check out the forums on here. that chassis would work good for a rotax/tag package or a chonda assuming it is the correct model for an 80cc...but no front brakes is about a $1000-$1500 add on. and not sure what model that chassis that is.

depending where you are in texas...i would visit the local tracks and see what is available there. search these forums for what will seem like every opinion possible and draw you own conclusions after you visit at least more than 1 track if possible.

if you live near SA...i would suggest you visit gulf coast kart track in houston/katy tx. and hill country kart club. there is a big race coming up in march in lockhart texas on the streets. look up lonestar grand prix. you would probably be able to buy a kart right after the race for the right price or at least get some ###s

racekarts.com

lonestargrandprix.us

rpmracekarts.com

3gkartracing.com

texaskarts.com

hillcountrykartclub.com

these shops/tracks cover sa, austin, and houston. not sure who is left in the dallas area? but there isnt anyone in between that i know of?

good luck on your purchase

Aj Massock · Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 11

Thank you Oscar, I'm in the Austin area. I went to iron rock once right before it closed but I just saw karting as something fun to do on a weekend then.

As for being mechanically inclined, I'm an ASE certified tech currently and work on multiple "race cars" during my off time. So I can set up cars for races.

And my physical is being worked on, currently training 5 days a week and also working on some of the pitfit exercises

As for the kart I pulled up that's pretty much off the list now.

Brian Degulis · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:58 am Post subject:

I started with shifter as many have. If you have a track near you that's open a lot for practice then starting in a shifter is managable but you do need to practice a lot before you consider racing. 125cc TAG is fast depending on the track it can be very close to shifter. On our local track a good TAG guy will smoke a not so good shifter easily.

Brian

John Matthews · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:23 am Post subject:

Hi AJ,

Welcome to karting, as you can see this is a much discussed topic here. It sounds like you have the basic skills needed to start karting in whatever class you want but as Rob and others have pointed out there are a bunch of good reasons for starting out with a lower power kart.

Just for reference I had one driver who started in a 125cc shifter and won the track championship his first season. He was 16 years old and won the money to buy his first kart in the Sim F1 championship so he had a very good idea of set-up/driving before he got in the seat. He also had parents willing to help financially and another good local shop working with him (he was also running TaG with me at the same time). He was in excellent physical shape with running and weight training on top of a very full practice schedule. He's finishing up his doctorate now in Industrial Engineering http://cidse.engineering.asu.edu/directory/lyon-joshua/ , and I consider myself very fortunate to have had him on my "team".

Like most other shop owners I also saw lots of guys start out with a shifter or TaG and end up quitting because of the physical and/or financial demands. The forum kinda skews the numbers because most of the guys who dropped out aren't here to tell you their stories. One thing I can tell you for sure is you will learn the fundamentals of race driving faster by starting out in a low powered kart. If the track you go to has a good class it will most likely give you the best chance of finding other drivers you're competitive with from the start. And the costs will be much lower so if you're not rich like most of us you'll be able to get lots of seat time in. A used clone kart will be pretty cheap and when you decide to move up it should be easy to sell, or you can keep it to run an extra class with and lend it to your buddies on practice days.

Having raced both cars and karts I can tell you there are definitely differences. If you go into karting with your eyes open and a willingness to learn you'll have a great time. This forum is an excellent source of information but a good relationship with a local shop is super important. Find someone you like and who has time to listen to you and support you at the track. There will be so many things that are counter-intuitive from your race car experience that having someone who's done it will make a huge difference getting started.

Cheers,
_________________
John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC.

Brian Degulis · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:57 am Post subject:

Borrow or rent a 125cc TAg kart. Take it out and get familiar with it. Then take it out and run it as hard as you can for 20 laps. Then decide where you want to start.

Brian

Todd Renaud · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:58 pm Post subject:

Aj Massock · Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 11

Thank you for all the tips. I appreciate any and all input into this. I just want to start racing and not be too in over my head, but I also want a good challenge..

I'm going to try Brian's idea and find a track that can rent me a 125 TaG kart and see. Where I'm at with that. I can also probably try out my friends 125cc arrow shifter and better get an understanding.

And Todd I'm in north austin

Jim Derrig · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:21 pm Post subject:

Don Guilbeault · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:26 pm Post subject: new to Karting

AJ Stop in at the LSGP and check it out. Contact Rob Miller (RMiller@miller-brown.com) he is more than helpfull. We will be there and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Welcome to karting
_________________
DRT Racing
don@drt-racing.com
www.drt-racing.com
DR Racing Kart
Authorized Rotax,
Mychron, Blendzall,
Hoosier Tires
MG tires
Fisher Racing Engines
Hegar Drive

Kyle Prokup · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:29 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that a lot of these karts that are on eBay are listed as "2008 Shifter Used 4 Times" because they were probably purchased by someone new to kart racing who gave up. They really can be a lot to handle, and if you aspire to racing a particular series in the future, anything gearbox will not help you find the final tenths in driving or setup.

If you bought a fighter jet, and say you could fly it to 60% of the jets ability; you would probably struggle to ever be a good pilot. Starting out in a smaller plane will likely allow you to build up to flying bigger planes. They may seem like the same karts with some extra parts, but shifters have a steep learning curve.

My rec?
If your local track has a HPV/KPV/Komet class that is the best engine package to start on. I wouldn't recommend anything Yamaha due to running costs. TAG or Rotax is most beginners' next option.

If you're thinking about giving local racing a shot for a while and have time set out for lots of practice AND were pretty attached to the shifter; Post an Ad in the Kart Packages Section telling where you are and what you're looking for (Stock-Moto I assume). There will be people who will be able to help you find a nice kart.
_________________
Kyle Prokup Racing
Tony Kart EVRR

Todd Renaud · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:51 pm Post subject:

Aj Massock · Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 11

Todd - I won't be able to make it this weekend, I wish I could have I just looked up that tracks schedule yesterday... But I am going to be out there for February's race.

Don - I have already started my plans to come check out the lone star gp race and will get in contact with rob thank you

Chris Hurst · Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:39 pm Post subject:

AJ-

I'm 24 and got into karting after racing autocross for 5 or 6 years. Drove everything from stock Miatas to 300whp cars that weighed 1200lbs on full slicks. I was setting indoor records at MB2 and doing well in auto-x. Naturally I thought I could go to karting without any trouble.

WRONG.

I sold my car and bought a 125cc TaG kart. The first time I got out on track I remember not even having fun because of how brutal it was. I was completely blind sided by how physical they are to steer, how the bumps slam into your ribs and back and how they corner harder than any "race car" I had driven on slicks before. It's not in my nature to quit anything, so I stayed at it and started working out etc etc. I took me close to 2 years going once or twice a month to get to where I felt comfortable in the kart.

Last Summer I took a job as a karting instructor and got to drive 100cc karts regularly. To my surprise they were tons of fun, very challenging, and offered all the things you get from a 125 or a shifter, just turned down a couple notches.

In hindsight I should have started with a 100cc instead of the 125. After practicing a lot on the 100 I noticed a huge difference in my ability to drive the TaG.

If you want to be challenged and at the same time have fun I would definitely go for the 100cc. World Formulas are also very fun to drive, but are slower than the 100ccs for sure.

You can start on a 125cc if you have good natural ability and some racing experience, it's just a bigger hill to climb. If you have the determination you can get through, but it's always more fun to bite what you can chew and leave nothing extra on the table.

Drive a TaG, drive a 100 and drive a WF if you can. Shifters are way intense and you have to have a very solid foundation to even get within striking distance of their limitations.

Good luck and above all else: welcome to karting.

Oscar Aguilera · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1614

look me up at the lsgp...i will be in a CRG shifter kart number 5...with a buddy of mine in the chonda class...intrepid #15. we will be somewhere...not sure where yet?

we can put you to work if you like you will get compensated in bad track humor and cold drinks!! lol
oscar
832-250-3806

Aj Massock · Joined: 17 Dec 2012 Posts: 11