Kart driving tips: Get off to a flying start
Would you like to start renting a kart… but you’re just starting out and need a bit of theory before practice? Or do you think a little revision won’t hurt? Great! Karting Evasion gives you some kart driving tips…
Karting equipment: helmets are mandatory!
Karting is one of those activities where you can make rapid progress. Just one 10-minute session, and you’ll probably already feel very comfortable behind the wheel. Not bad, considering how long it takes to improve in certain disciplines!
However, you should always take a number of precautions. It all starts with the equipment: at Karting Evasion, we provide you with everything you need, but if you practice on your own, a helmet is a must. We also advise you to protect the rest of your body with a balaclava, overalls, gloves, boots… and of course a rain suit if you’re practicing outdoors in bad weather.
On the track, turns can't be improvised
Let’s start with the basics. The trajectories! Well, we’ll spare you the mathematical spiel, but you should know that in karting – as in Formula 1 or any other motor sport – you’re subject to centrifugal force at every turn. This is a ratio between speed and turning diameter. In practical terms, this means that if you go too fast and steer too hard into a bend, the kart may lose its grip.
So the first lesson in kart driving is to know how to control your speed and steering when the bend comes. If you want to keep your grip (which is desirable if you don’t want to end up in the scenery!), you’ll have to either choose a larger turning circle, or reduce your speed a little.
The best way to pass a turn in practice is, of course, to first take it on the outside, then dive to the inside (“Ã la corde”) before returning to the outside. This reduces the need to steer and helps maintain speed. In the event of a loss of grip, it’s a good idea (and highly recommended!) to countersteer, i.e. to turn the wheels in the opposite direction to the bend: this helps (if you’ve followed correctly) to re-establish balance.
Brake
You can’t brake while accelerating: that’s the rule in cars, and it applies to karting too. Likewise, braking is applied before the turn, not during it, to avoid run-offs and spin-outs.
Double
Yes, overtaking your opponent is the basis of any race! Unless your opponents are complete beginners and you can simply accelerate faster than them in a straight line, it’s possible to overtake when cornering.
Here’s a tip on how to drive a kart and overtake with confidence: stay as far behind your opponent’s vehicle as possible. This allows you to take advantage of the so-called suction phenomenon. You gain a few kilometers per hour. Then, by applying the “outside-inside-out” instruction to the letter in the bend, you’ll – theoretically – have a higher speed at the exit, allowing you to overtake.
Pins and other special trajectories
Finally, a word about special trajectories: the series of bends, in “esse” or hairpin bends. In these cases, the rule seen above (outside-inside-outside) no longer applies. You have to sacrifice one of the bends, to give priority to exit speed.
In practice, in an “esse” turn, you drop the inside of the first turn: this keeps you on the outside, so you’re well positioned for the second. In a hairpin bend, the first bend allows you to position yourself correctly to exit the second bend with a good start.
Karting driving tips: the best way is to try it out!
Have you read everything? Well done! We look forward to seeing you on our go-karting tracks in Lyon. You can come alone or in a group for trial sessions and races.
