From
its inception in 1956, karting has been a part of motor racing. There was
an explosion of interest as the world discovered the fun of karting. The
number of weekend participants grew rapidly and soon a need developed to
organise the sport and set rules for competition.
.
The Australian Karting Association was formed in 1963. In just over thirty years, karting has spread to most countries in the world and become a truly international sport. The popularity of karting stems from the fact that it offers so much, to so many different types of people. Karting can be an inexpensive hobby in which the whole family participates.
.
Karting
can be a sport in which the young learn the use of motor vehicles and rewards
for competition. Karting can be the Walter Mitty in each of us who wants
to share the experience of Peter Brock, without the costs or the risks.
Karting can be for the mechanically minded who like the challenge of extracting every ounce of performance from a racing machine. Karting is fun, competitive and challenging. The first look at a kart is usually deceptive. It's hard to take anything so small seriously, yet closer scrutiny reveals that whilst a kart is simple in construction, it is quite sophisticated in design and theory. The chassis of a kart is also its suspension as it is designed to flex and maintain its tyre contact with the road.
.
A
kart chassis incorporates a multitude of adjustable parts that can be used
to enhance its grip or road holding. The use of lightweight materials developed
for other forms of motor sport reduces the weight to make exciting performance
possible from the small motors. Karting is divided into two forms. Sprint
karting where the competitors race on circuits ranging from 400 metres
to lkm in length with karts that have no gearboxes. The second form of
karting is road racing karts which use larger motors up to 250 cc capacity,
race on the same circuits as our Group A or Formula Mondial Cars and utilise
gearboxes. The road race karts are also known as "superkarts" whilst sprint
karts are simply referred to as karts.
.
Kart
race meetings are usually run under one of two different formats. Each
meeting is divided into between 3 and 5 heats with drivers accumulating
points from each heat to find the overall placegetters on the day. Alternatively,
drivers race in a series of heats with points accumulated to determine
grid positions for a final which then determines the placegetter for the
event. At major meetings, a time trial system may be used to work out the
grid positions for the first race. Where this is not done, the grid positions
are picked at random for the first heat and reversed for the next. There
are so many kart tracks in Australia now that in many states there are
up to three kart meetings on the same weekend and it is possible to race
every weekend of the year.
..
.
Race
meetings are a controlled form of motor sport carried out on both bitumen
and dirt tracks. Each track has to be licensed and is subject to annual
safety inspections. Whilst bitumen racing has proved the most popular form
of karting, dirt track and speedway karting are gaining in popularity.
Whilst today's kart bristles with modern technology, its construction is
simple in terms of both motor and chassis. Parts are easy to fit and a
host of small specialised kart shops can economically oversee
the maintenance of motors in the same way that most people are able to
undertake home renovations, so maintenance of a kart chassis is a matter
of commonsense and a little expert guidance. As karting does not have a
high-powered approach, expert guidance and advice are in abundance.
Perhaps the greatest benefit the entire community derives from karting is the involvement of the young in a healthy, competitive sport, which invariably produces better drivers. What better grounding for a boy or girl than a sport where they can develop their confidence and driving skills. This means that these drivers may have years of supervised motoring experience well before they are old enough to qualify for a road licence. Karting develops their sense of responsibility. Karting is not a free sport and both officials and parents frown upon damage to equipment. They learn some basic mechanical understanding of their karts and develop a sympathetic approach to its use. It can be a sport that will give them a good grounding for future development within a motorsport or simply be a fun way to spend their weekends. They will soon be tomorrow's road drivers and karting teaches them car control, defensive driving techniques and an appreciation of other vehicles in close proximity and the dangers of overdriving.
 |
South West Kart Club
South West Victoria's Premier KARTING Club |
 |