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Go-karts: Not just another Boardwalk attraction
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MILLVILLE - Go-kart racing is serious business.
In a conference room on the second floor of the Officer's Club at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, Dave Davies demonstrated tuning techniques on a kart propped on a lift in the middle of the room as a group of spectators took notes.
"Karting is probably the best thing in the world as far as a starting rung on the racing ladder," said Davies, vice president of SSC East, a kart retailer and part supplier. "You can get an incredible amount of performance from these machines."
Go-karts often are thought of simply as Boardwalk amusements, but as technology improves and open-wheel racing gains a greater foothold in the United States, kart racing has become more and more viable as an honest-to-goodness racing medium, the sports' fans say.
Sunday's presentation was part of a karting seminar series hosted by the racetrack. Scott Paape, operations manager of the track's F1 New Jersey karting facility, said the demand for karting seminars exists as more people turn to the sport as a cost-effective way to race.
Davies said a race-ready, used rig could cost as little as $4,000. Higher-end models, new and tricked out, will run about $15,000. That may sound like a lot of money, but considering the cost of owning and operating an actual race car, it is more than a bargain.
On Saturday, the track featured a seminar on on-board computers - sophisticated stuff, Paape said, the kind you would find on real, bona fide race cars. The next seminar will focus on carburetors.
Those who consider go-karts something limited to summer at the shore are not likely to find several-hours-long seminars about kart specifics compelling, but those who want to race find themselves hooked.
Nick Meyer and his son Alex, of Harleysville, Pa., attended the seminar Sunday. Alex, 15, has been involved in racing for the past eight years, the past two in karts. Sponsored by Florida-based TS Racing, Alex routinely races and travels across the country to shows for the sport.
"It's real racing, it's real tech," Nick Meyer said. "When people think of karts, they think of something you can go pick up at Walmart. Most people don't realize what (karting) is all about. It's phenomenal how fast these things get and how much power you get from such a small engine."
How fast depends on a lot of things. Beginners can expect their karts to reach about 50 mph. In Alex's series, the average speed is about 80 mph. The highest level of competition can usually exceed 100 mph during a race. This, all with your butt 3 inches off of the ground.
"There's a lot of competition," Alex Meyer said. "It's not just something you can instantly be good at. It takes a lot of work."
Davies said the industry has exploded over the past 30 years. A lot of the credit goes to Europe's expanding influence in North American motorsports. In Europe, open-wheel racing is king. While formula racing represents the highest level of competition, karting is still a form of open-wheel racing.
Many of the sport's most established stars got their start in karting, including former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, arguably one of the sport's most famous athletes.
Paape said karting should not be ignored just because it is racing in miniature.
"This is a racing machine," he said. "(A kart) is like a Formula One car, which is actually what they are based after. When you're driving in a kart, you're creating the same amount of G's as a formula car. It's crazy."
At the kart track, dozens of racers waited for their turn to buckle up and drive.
Jonathan Paes, a member of the Green Flag Committee, handed out lap times to the group of friends, family and co-workers he brought to the track. His band of amateurs were able to hit speeds of 60 mph and above easily.
"If I had it my way, I'd rather have a Porsche 911. That's a lifetime goal," Paes said. "But this is the first step. It's basically what gets you your start in racing."
Contact Edward Van Embden:
856-649-2072
Posted in CUMBERLAND on Monday, November 16, 2009 5:10 am
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