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kart insight january 2012 what is new on the market want to be the best get started using simple tips that will head start your climb to the top page 3 exclusive the best kart drivers started out small tips and tricks on how to give you the head start in the karting business shave of the seconds getting into serious kart racing demands taking the kart to the limit on as well as off the track how to get the maximum out of your kart and your body eu 2.00 euro us 3.00 dollars

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ter fas sodi kart defining excellence since 1981 s ligh ter bett er n tro ge r the new sigma kz 2 better than ever new features include -5 kilo lighter -slick design -reenforced frame -easy grip wheel go to www.sodikart.com to find out more.

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kart insight 01/12 overview tips and tricks introduction kart tires page 2 page 3 page 4 optimizing lap times kart engines page 6 page 8 work out shop overalls page 10 kart gloves kart shoes rib-protectors page 11 fun stuff quiz page 12 page 13 1 answers and fun facts!

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kart insight 01/12 tips and tricks go-karting is a motor sport that involves racing small motorized vehicles with various amounts of horsepower on racetracks this may sound easy but it is harder than it sounds and certainly looks the hardest step is always the beginning many people buy a kart and start driving with no experience or knowledge and this is bond to create bad habits and rubbish lap times the following pages are here to help these sorts of people and give them a head start the tips and tricks do not certainly just apply for kart sports they also apply for many other motor sports before we start this guild can also be useful for more experienced drivers looking for methods to decrease lap times and to get the most out of your kart this is going to be covered -the right engine -tire types -optimizing lap times -workout 2

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kart insight 01/12 kart tires may not seem to differentiate much on the first view even under closer inspection they all may seem the same this is a false impression kart tires are the most essential aspect when it comes to race strategies lap times and especially grip the tires come in many different sizes and compounds and these are distributed by a large variety of manufacturers the compound of a tire determines if the tire is classified as a soft or a hard tire the slightest difference in the compound makes a difference in many factors these tires have different compounds see the difference hard tires are most commonly used in training sessions because they are long lasting while providing a decent amount of grip they do not deliver as much grip as a soft tire compound the reasoning behind this is simple a soft compound creates more frictional heat to the asphalt and therefore the compound will heat up quicker and become even softer this means more grip soft tires also have a advantage because the provide more grip than hard tires from the beginning onwards this does not necessarily mean that all soft tires will provide more grip than hard tires all the time tires heat up to a certain temperature until a insufficient amount of frictional energy is transferred to heat up more the tire anymore this means that for example if a hard tire and a soft tire are both 80°c 176°f warm during a race then the grip difference will be minimal the occasion that tires will keep a constant temperature is very rare and will certainly not occur during a race so the soft compound provides a better all-round grip than a hard compound this does not mean that hard tires are only used in training there are also endurance races where hard tires create an advantage compare to the soft tires due to their durability 3

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kart insight 01/12 optimizing lap times it is very important to drive solid lap times at kart tracks that you are going to race at driving good lap times can be difficult at times but there are some tips that can get you to trim of that one second sometimes it can be difficult to condemn yourself flying into corners at high speeds because the logic reasoning is obvious the faster you drive the better the lap time will be this is semi-true driving at high speeds on the track is one thing but driving the optimal racing line is another the optimal racing line or the ideal line is the line you need to follow to drive reasonable times this includes driving tight corners driving as straight as possible through chicanes approaching the corners correctly this also means that if you want to stay on this ideal line you must keep the speed at corners in limitation so you do not drift or fly off the track to prevent this from happening you must approach the curve at a pace so that the kart does not lose grip and slip away and that you are also able to keep tight in the curve this has one advantage which is that you stay on track but also another critical advantage which is that you can get out of the corner with maximum speeds this can be the crucial key to overtaking opponents on a curvy track out of the corner remember do not approach a corner to fast stay tight exit with a maximum amount of speed and momentum find an ideal racing line be fit finding an ideal racing line is the key to succeeding in hot laps at kart tracks an ideal line is as already mentioned a line at which the maximum performance can be achieved by the kart at a track this means that the line is tight in corners as straight as possible in chicanes builds up maximum momentum exiting corners ect finding this ideal line for you may take some time getting used to the track is essential before attempting to find an ideal line when practicing at the same track for a while you will notice that you will start creating a racing line without noticing it you will start to follow a similar route across the track lap by lap a good method to optimize your racing line is to experiment how far can i push my kart compare your times lap by lap and see up to what point you can push before kart racing is often underestimated in terms of physical strain driving go-karts stresses your body with g-forces up to 2g also remember that the weight of the whole kart including your own body weight has to be handle with a direct steering wheel without assistance over a long amount of time this can get tiring working out regularly is defiantly needed if you are going to be a successful go-kart racer jogging regularly and keeping your muscles inform will only lead to a positive remember with physical endurance you will also increase you capability to focus on track read more on how to keep yourself at an physical standard for karting on page 8 your time gets worse there is a certain point where to much speed can make your time worse for example when you start drifting too much in a corner experiment slowly to tap your way to finding the limit adding in ideal braking points is also part of the process this takes time as you are also going to have to find your way to reaching the ideal point to brake at you should not go to wide in a corner yet being to slow is also a negative know your track knowing the track that you drive on is a hidden key that many people do not think of knowing your track off by heart contributes to learn your ideal line and it makes it easier to anticipate the next corner making you ready to tackle it a good was to memorize or to get familiar with the track is driving a few slow laps around it look closely at each corner the straights and any key features that you see afterward start virtually driving the track in your mind pretend you are sitting in a kart driving the track each night this has incredible influences because it takes away the extra stress of having to think about the track whilst you are driving 4

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kart insight 01/12 what does a good race line look like the picture above clearly show the race line of the race track you can see how the race line is tight around the corners the picture below demonstrates what a single curve looks like when a race line is placed over it take a look at the labels notice how the line comes from the outside goes tightly in the corner and goes back out wide example of a good race line 5

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kart insight 01/12 kart engines there are many types of kart motors out on the current market to newcomers it can be very hard and confusing to chose which one suits them best there are different traits that each engine has here is an overview to different kinds of motors and their individual traits 2-stroke engine 125cc these engines are the most popular engines amongst the kart racing business they can develop as little as 8hp up to 50hp depending on the class it is categorized in this engine is ideal for you if you enjoy to work on the motor this includes regular inspections tuning abilities and having to change a few parts every now and then the 2-stroke engines demand quite considerable amounts of maintenance apart from that these motors are great fun they run up to 16,000 rpm and are aggressive from low rpm all the way to the maximum there are many racing classes for these types of motors so it is the ideal choice if you are eager to race there are also many international manufacturers for these engines so there should be no big problems buying one there are also twin versions of this motor that have 250cc and up to 90hp but these are less popular this is a 125cc 2-stroke engine by vortex 4-stroke engine 250cc these engines are widely considered as rental kart motors delivering 5 to 20hp there are also other versions that are adequate for kart racing these usually deliver 20 to 50hp and run to and around 12,000 rpm these karts demand less maintenance so they are great starter karts they are not as aggressive as the 2-stroke engines at low rpm but their real power comes when they run from mid-high rpm and they have great top speeds compared to 2-stoke engines in the same horse power range there are also racing classes for these motors but not as much ranging as in the 2-stroke engine section this motor is the ideal choice if you are new to gokarting and would like a engine that does not demand much maintenance is not to aggressive at low rpm yet still delivers big amounts of power and reaches high speeds these motors also have a nice and deep sound compared to the high buzzing sound of the 2-stroke engines this is a swissauto 250cc 4-stroke engine conclusion deciding on what engine to buy is completely up to yourself yet it is always best to know what you are going to buy there are some kart tracks that allow people to test 2-stoke/4-stoke powered karts apart from regular rental karts it is always best to get a good feel for the engine before buying one 6

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flux kart rims light as carbon fibre strong as steel cheap yet outstanding quality the new ultralight magnesium rims affordable price for a unbelievable long lasting quality the only right way to start a race day flux rims

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kart insight 01/12 work out you may be asking yourself right now if this is still the tips and tricks section and what work out has to do with kart racing well i can tell you it has a whole lot to do with racing read the following page and you will quickly understand why 8

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kart insight 01/12 general work out information es o t do have t r t a wh kout spo r ar t wo ith k w do how often should i train ho w sho uld i tr ain in wha t ways does w help m orkout e race what skills do i have to imp rove with m y worko ut above are some of the questions you are probably asking yourself first off workout has quite a lot to do with kart sport when you are racing a kart you have to keep in mind what physical and mental strains you are set to many people do not know how tiring kart racing really is the g-forces that are working against your body are huge the driver also has to maintain a steady concentration throughout long sessions lack of concentration will easily result in mistakes that can have a nasty aftermath being able to endure the physical and mental effects are key to winning a race because performance is lost with every lap once a driver gets tired to slow this effect down daily workout and the right determination is the right was to go you should be aiming to do small daily workouts for example push-ups sit-ups and pull-ups weekly training should include jogging and cycling the aim of these exercises is to increase your upper body strength and stamina these are both very important factors when racing another pleasant side-effect of this workout rhythm is that over time your concentration will be treated too it is also a good idea to have a good diet especially on a race day fruits are ideal the night before a race because they are easy to digest and wont make you feel weighty the next morning on the day of the race be sure to stock up on carbohydrates if you follow these simple steps then you should find yourself improving on the track in no time besides a little workout has never harmed anyone 9

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kart insight 01/12 online shop sparco single layered overall this overall features -one layer -multi-color -zip fastener -tight fit -stretch -high protective collar -available in different sizes 49.90 xs,s,m,l,xl,xxl sparco double layered overall this overall features -two layers -multi-color -zip fastener -easy fit -elastic material -high protective collar -comfortable fit -shoulder padding -available in different sizes 79.90 xs,s,m,l,xl,xxl online shop by www.kartoverall.de please visit the website above for more information on the products and for further purchase details 10

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kart insight 01/12 kart shoes high quality material offers a high protective shield for the foot and ankle the comfort level is high due to the natural cotton lining inside the shoe more features include -different colors -hard shell front -velcro straps for extra hold -1 year warranty included 119.90 sizes 38-45 available kart gloves these premium kart gloves offer high safety standards for hands and fingers they also offer good grip of the wheel to exclude slipping off high quality lining makes the gloves comfortable to wear in any situation they are very thin to get the right feel for the wheel the are available in the black/gray color constellation only 39.90 sizes s,m,l,xl rib-protector this rib-protector delivers protection against bruising and broken bones while offering a high movement freedom due to the elastic straps on the side this rib-protector is available in the colors red blue and black 59.90 sizes xs,s,m,l,xl,xxl online shop by www.kartoverall.de please visit the website above for more information on the products and for further purchase details 11

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kart insight 01/12 interesting facts quiz here is a small quiz based on true and amazing kart facts the way this is works is the follow the questions are on this page you can either chose a,b,c or d there are no multiple answers the answers are on the following page test yourself with truly amazing go-kart facts 1 what is the record speed that a kart has achieved a 130 mp/h 209 km/h b 160 mp/h 257 km/h c 175 mp/h 281 km/h d 190 mp/h 305 km/h 2 how long does it take a 125cc shifter kart with 6 gears to reach 60 mp/h 96 km/h a 8 seconds b 2 seconds c 5 seconds d 3 seconds 3 when was the first kart built a 1880 b 1956 c 1932 d 1975 4 what kind of engine was the first kart specific engine ever built a 2-stroke chainsaw engine b 2-stroke lawnmower engine c 4-stroke motorcycle engine d 4-stroke car engine 5 how long was the longest recorded kart race a 77 hours b 31 hours c 52 hours d 24 hours 12

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kart insight 01/12 interesting facts answers here are the answers to the quiz all of these are true and based on verified internet sources see for yourself and be amazed 1 what is the record speed that a kart has achieved so far the speed record that a kart has achieved is a astonishing 175 mp/h 281 km/h this kart was powered by a yamaha tz250 engine many say that this powerful kart can keep up with formula 1 track times 2 how long does it take a 125cc shifter kart with 6 gears to reach 60 mp/h 96 km/h the time that it takes to accelerate a 125cc shifter kart from 0-60 mp/h 96 km/h is around 3 seconds these karts are very light and through their gears they can accelerate incredibly quickly their top speed is at around 115 mp/h 185 km/h 3 when was the first kart built the first kart that was ever built was back in 1956 by a man named kurtis kraft in southern california 4 what kind of engine was the first kart specific engine ever built the first engine to be used in the first kart ever to be built was a 2-stroke lawnmower motor later on karts could be power by motorcycle motors 5 how long was the longest recorded kart race this record is truly amazing the longest non-stop race that was recorded was 77 hours long a total of 562 drivers and 43 teams managed to race till the end they were also challenged by extreme weather conditions yet they managed to finish all of the drivers in total drove a distance of over 5 times the distance around the world 13

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