Well, here goes.
I raced quarter midgets and so forth for years. Held a few track records
and many victories under my belt (glory days??) But, that was several
several years ago. Someday, I'll race again!! :) Soon I hope. Anyway...
I assume this is a small oval track. (all left handed turns) I'm also
assuming that the car is directly driven and no transmission (just a
centrifugal clutch) If the cart is set up even close, you should never lift
a rear wheel, just the left front.
The pattern of an oval track is high, almost touching, the wall on the
straights and then all the way inside as close as you can to the "white
line" on the corners. Stretch the straight as long as possible before going
into the corners. NEVER use the brake in those little cars except to stop.
Just blip the throttle (breath) in the corners. Breath as you go in and
full throttle accelerate coming out. You'll need to play with your timing a
little bit, but you "feel" the car when it starts to handle correctly. By
doing this you should have some quicker laps.
Heavy people should never have faster laps, the probably just cornered
better because they were going into the corners at a slow speed, and thus,
scuffed off a lot less speed.
Now the other thing, the race. If you have another driver that has a
tendency to "charge" you in the corners, shorten the straight slightly.
Start heading for the corner sooner. You will scuff off a little more
speed, but you also shorten the other drivers window to get below you. Keep
your RPM as high as you can at all times. As soon as the driver is no
longer a threat, go back to your "fast" lap pattern. The "jutter" you were
feeling was probably skip caused from being out of the pattern. Oh, if the
operator doesn't care, "nudge" back.
Bill
Spits and Sprites
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Robert Duquette
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 1999 11:46 AM
To: Spridgets
Subject: Go-karts
I need some driving advice.
I've never raced before and this was using go-karts on an indoor track as
part of stag celebrations. I managed the second best lap time in the first
heat. ( leader had 1/100th of a second advantage over me ).
These cars were had great front wheel traction, but the back end was always
sliding out. ( term ? oversteer? ) Heavier people seemed to have an
advantage in the corners, with the exception of the guy who had the better
time. In the corners, I was always going in wide and trying to get in tight
as I went to try to reduce the tightness of the turn and keep the speed up.
He was always getting his nose in between my rear wheels and the 'rubber
tire wall' at the start of the corner. (trying to nudge me into a slide (my
ex-boss, don't you know?)) These cars are rigged with two pedals: one rear
wheel brakes and the accelerator. Acceleration from a stall on a slide out
was costly. Especially in the second heat where the car didn't seem to have
the same oomph and I experienced some rear wheel judder on cornering. I'm
told that the car lifts a back wheel as the frame twists, if you aren't
heavy enough.
I got blown away in the second heat. Dropped to 4th.
What cornering strategy can I use? We had such a gas that everyone wants to
do it again.
Robert Duquette
Ottawa ON Canada
http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertduquette
RobertDuquette@Sympatico.ca
'65 RHD BRG Sprite
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