The United States is a hotbed of not just racing talent, but also prestigious and iconic racing tracks. Karting also contributes to this by having challenging and technical circuits to race on. In this article, we will cover five of the most technical circuits in the USA.
We’re going to look at the three biggest mistakes that beginners make in kart racing. As we know, kart racing can be quite daunting. You've just gone out, bought a brand new package, and you don't really know what to do. So, when you go to the track, what are the three key areas that you can improve on when you start in kart racing?
The fifth track that we ventured out to was the Nola Motorsport Park in New Orleans. This is probably one of the biggest facilities, especially from a kart and motor racing facility that I've been to in the USA. Nola Motor Sports Park has a huge motor racing circuit there, but also have the driver training facility kart racing circuit and rental karts. The paddock space in between the car racing & kart racing paddock, it's just monumental! A big facility that offers a bit of everything for, for everyone. If you're the recreational karter, you can go rental karting and you're driving on half of the NOLA Kart circuit which is an impressive layout for rental karting.
Houston Speed Sports Park in Houston, Texas, was the next track we ventured to on our USA Road trip. This was on the back of our blog where we had a last-minute trip to Atlanta Motor Sports Park. Then we thought far where else can we go? So, we ended up driving about another 15 hours out to Houston. Pretty boring drive on the way there. We travelled through I think it was Louisiana, Alabama and down the south parts of the United States.
The next circuit we’re looking at in our USA Track review is Atlanta Motor Sports Park in Dawson, Georgia. So the track itself is a private club and it shares the facility with a car racing track. So, it's not something that you can just rock up with your car in the back of a truck or a van and just go and drive the facility. You must be a member, which I think costs around $2,000 - 3,000 for the year. A little bit more expensive than most of the facilities that we'll be discussing on our as American kart tracks, but once you experience the facility you can see the value for money!
The next track we are reviewing is the GoPro Motorplex Circuit in Charlotte, North Carolina. The facility is world-class with state-of-the-art lighting allowing this circuit to be used all day and into the evening. With motor racing being such a big part of the town, it’s common to see Indy Car, Nascar and Sprint Car drivers on track during the week honing their skills. Drivers such as Will Power, Scott Mclaughlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Larson have been present on practice days which is something that the local club racers get the privilege to share the track with at the same time.
We're going to try and do a miniseries & talk about some USA kart tracks. How to get involved in some of these different facilities around the country, but also just giving it a review on what we thought it was like driving at these places, who we drove for when we leased some kart packages, and just a general sense on what it's like to race at these tracks.
Karting has a rich history in America, with roots dating back to the 1950s. The sport was created by a group of racing enthusiasts who wanted a way to race on smaller tracks than the traditional oval tracks used for stock car racing. In the early days of karting, the vehicles were made from whatever materials the builders could find, and races were often held in parking lots or on abandoned airfields.
Go-karting is a recreational motorsport activity that involves driving small, open-wheel vehicles on a track. Go-karts are typically powered by petrol engines between 8-30hp and are designed to be lightweight, nimble, and easy to handle. Go-karting can be done for leisure or as a competitive sport, with races held at both amateur and professional levels. Go-karting is a popular activity among both children and adults and is a great way to experience the thrill of racing in a safe and controlled environment.It is seen as the foundation for a motor racing career with the majority of the Formula 1 grid having started out in go-kart racing.
Finding grip is essential to keep the go-kart on track while turning for a corner. However, finding grip is easier said than done because grip levels can change from session to session & day-to-day. Factors such as weather conditions and rubber on-track can affect how much grip is on track and where you can find it. So, with many variables to consider, where and how do you find grip? This is what we are here to tackle today.
Pure driving ability should go hand-in-hand with the right equipment. To say one has the right equipment does not depend entirely on what they use, but also how they fine tune their equipment to their preferences whilst seeing noticeable changes on track. Making changes to your go-kart is by no means easy as conditions vary. However, if you learn how to make these changes, that can be the difference between winning and losing.
“The fastest drivers are equipped with the fastest equipment”. This is a tried-and-true statement that is effective in all forms of motorsport, and karting is no different. Equipping yourself with the best go-karting equipment, plus your driving technique which you hone through countless laps will give you the best chance of winning races. But what exactly are the fastest go-kart chassis brands on the market? Well, that’s exactly what we are here to figure out.
