Speaking from experience the karts are safer than you think!!
Last weekend I got to test out how good the equipment is. Team Tool is a
kart team some of us soloists and a couple road racers have put together. We
were racing at Mid Ohio last weekend.
I ended up pushing turn 11 (thunder valley) a little to much. When you crest
turn 11 you are airborn on a kart. Well I went a little to fast and slid
out to the curbing which crossed my kart up and I hit the wall at I don't
want to even know what mph!!
I ended up with some road rash on my shoulder from hitting the wall and a
minor scratch on my elbow. I feel lucky, but I got away pretty unscaved.
The suit was barely torn on my shoulder, about a half size dollar hole, and
no other damage. Considering the suit brushed the wall, and protected me as I
slid down the track.
For those that think the kart will flip, I disagree. I rode with my kart the
first time it hit the wall, then I got slung out. My kart did a 180 and hit
the wall with the other side and came to rest. I bent the axle on both sides
and the kart did not flip. And trust me I was going a lot faster than you
would on a solo.
So minus hitting the wall I would have had no scratches on my body, and I
slid further on concrete than a solo kart racer would.
After being on two wheels in a neon and thinking of the safety you wear in
solo I feel I would have been hurt more rolling the neon. And I was probably
doing 40 mph in the neon.
--Brian Priebe
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