Went karting for the 1st time. Good (but painful) times.

[FC]

Outdoors. Took a bit to get used to the vehicle dynamics. Karts had almost no low end torque, so it was painful to get going again after a spinout. It was also hard to judge when to be aggressive and when to take it slow as far as passing people. In avoiding seeming like a jerk, you can ruin a lap by having to hit the brakes. And if you take it easy, it takes a lap to pass 1 person since the track was so short and twisty. The key, of course, is to try to maintain speed as much as possible. After a few laps, I felt I a had a decent line going.

Still, it was silly fun. Look forward to doing it again. My top speed was 42mph and my average speed was 38mph.

I had a pretty scary moment on the 3rd heat when it started pouring and I spun out after trying to avoid someone else who had spun out only to get T-boned at at least 25mph by the fastest driver (super aggressive dude). I felt fine at the time, but I am pretty sore now. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. The very wet track helped by just letting me slide quite a bit after the hit.

Very creepy being dead stopped only to see a dude heading FAST towards you with a about 10 feet 'till impact. Now I know why the people running the track were hesitant to let us run that last heat. On the positive side I got to have tons of sideways fun and neat drifts. Amazing how little it takes to hydroplane on slicks.

[ff]

That sounds like a lot of fun. The only go-carts I've been on, are the ones at Wisconsin Dells. Those fail in comparison, but still can be a lot of fun.

[clyde]

you're probably sore more from running the kart than from being run into.

[Doug]

I karted for quite awhile. It's really fun but our tracks are indoors and sucking fumes all day me me sick. I'd have to walk outside and skip heats because you are so close and the building would fill with fumes and make ya ill.

RGAL is wicked in karts. even better than in a car.
Remember the F1 guys all started in karts.

[lemming]

F--

this was f1outdoors?

(it still sounds like it was a blast)

[FC]

F--

this was f1outdoors?

(it still sounds like it was a blast)

Yes. F1 Outdoors in East Bridgewater.

I was told by a couple of guys who did F1 Inddors in Braintree that the Outdoor track was at least twice as long and loads more fun. It was pretty cool. Other than I could not see shit out my wet helmet faceshield, and it was very dangerous in wet, it was one of the coolest things ever. The frustrating part from the competitive POV, is that once you got stock behind people who were half decent, it was pulling teeth just to pass one guy.

Of course, I didn't care about my placing, I just had fun.

[FC]

you're probably sore more from running the kart than from being run into.

Yes. I have (had last night) a generally sore/fatigued body. But the side of my neck and my side (kidney area) are still a bit sore this morning. Still not nearly as bad as I feared. I'll be fine for my soccer game tomorw, I'm sure.

[rautox]

you're probably sore more from running the kart than from being run into.
Not discounting any impact, gotta agree. The speeds you're talking about seem to be the ones where the bumps hurt most. Slower and they don't hurt that much. Faster and you just start skipping over the tops of things.

The day after one of our events, I typically have black and yellow racing stripes on my ribs. And that's from ~4 minutes of seat time.

Karts are a blast, addictive. At this point, be very wary of people trying to sell you a shifter kart. It'll seem like such a good idea at the time :eeps:

[FC]

Not discounting any impact, gotta agree. The speeds you're talking about seem to be the ones where the bumps hurt most. Slower and they don't hurt that much. Faster and you just start skipping over the tops of things.

The day after one of our events, I typically have black and yellow racing stripes on my ribs. And that's from ~4 minutes of seat time.

Karts are a blast, addictive. At this point, be very wary of people trying to sell you a shifter kart. It'll seem like such a good idea at the time :eeps:


Makes sense re: soreness.

Haha, no I'm not buying a go-kart no matter what. At least not for a long while. I have strong willpower. But I can see it happenning for sure.

[lemming]

going to same place next week for corporate fun day.

hope i don't bruise like you.

:-D

[Plaz]

corporate fun

Contradiction in terms?

[FC]

going to same place next week for corporate fun day.

hope i don't bruise like you.

:-D

My side (left lat) is still pretty damn sore, though getting better. The soccer game on Tuesday re-aggrevated things.

You'll love it.

[AF]

I don't know if you were into the fest at the time but I had bought this one I think it cost me around $2k ... after a few months I got tired of it so I sold it. I mostly drove it around my neighborhood at night since I really didn't have the time to get into the events.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26969

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26971

[lemming]

just got back from carting (company off-site).

it was fun. posted the 3-4 fastest laptimes of the day for all runs. i can see how it would get addictive. not really enough power to get you in trouble, but just enough to frustrate you when trying to really pass someone.

in other words, fair racing. like the spec miata series or something. but on a totally harmless level.

:D

am going to see now how much the carts cost and how much the racing league is and how the regulations work and all of that.

[FC]

just got back from carting (company off-site).

it was fun. posted the 3-4 fastest laptimes of the day for all runs. i can see how it would get addictive. not really enough power to get you in trouble, but just enough to frustrate you when trying to really pass someone.

in other words, fair racing. like the spec miata series or something. but on a totally harmless level.

:D

am going to see now how much the carts cost and how much the racing league is and how the regulations work and all of that.

:cool:

[Mr. The Edge]

Speaking of "karts", a neighbor of mine bought a pimped out golf cart, just to putz around the neighborhood. They came over for drinks one night, hopped in their golf cart, and headed home :)

Damn I want one now........got lots o' splainin' to do to the wife, but I really want one (and we don't even live on a golf course)...just a cool "toy" to have :lol:

[ZBB]

Speaking of "karts", a neighbor of mine bought a pimped out golf cart, just to putz around the neighborhood. They came over for drinks one night, hopped in their golf cart, and headed home :)

Damn I want one now........got lots o' splainin' to do to the wife, but I really want one (and we don't even live on a golf course)...just a cool "toy" to have :lol:

I didn't realize you were near retirement age :dunno:


A few people have golf carts in my neighborhood too -- I see them parked at our neighborhood rec center / gym / pool all the time. There's also a couple that has matching Segways. But they are all retired...

[lemming]

I didn't realize you were near retirement age :dunno:


A few people have golf carts in my neighborhood too -- I see them parked at our neighborhood rec center / gym / pool all the time. There's also a couple that has matching Segways. But they are all retired...

it'd be nice to own your own golf cart when RETIRED and living on a course.

:D

until then, owning a go-kart will have to do. me and FC should go back to this place and go at it --dunno how it works when the joint is open to the general public.

[Plaz]

A few people have golf carts in my neighborhood too -- I see them parked at our neighborhood rec center / gym / pool all the time. There's also a couple that has matching Segways. But they are all retarded...

Fixed. :eeps:

[AF]

Speaking of "karts", a neighbor of mine bought a pimped out golf cart, just to putz around the neighborhood. They came over for drinks one night, hopped in their golf cart, and headed home :)

Damn I want one now........got lots o' splainin' to do to the wife, but I really want one (and we don't even live on a golf course)...just a cool "toy" to have :lol:


I know exactly what you mean ... I always wanted one also ... they make some really cool ones out there ...

here is one you can park next to the Porsche
here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/Nascar-Style-Race-Car-Decals-Set-For-Golf-Carts_W0QQitemZ180023376233QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4015 5QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i9.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/21/0a/46_2.JPG

[Mr. The Edge]

I know exactly what you mean ... I always wanted one also ... they make some really cool ones out there ...

here is one you can park next to the Porsche
here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/Nascar-Style-Race-Car-Decals-Set-For-Golf-Carts_W0QQitemZ180023376233QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4015 5QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i9.ebayimg.com/05/i/08/21/0a/46_2.JPG

Exactly!!!! Some NASCAR decals or something equally as garish! Flames would be nice too. :D

[FC]

me and FC should go back to this place and go at it --dunno how it works when the joint is open to the general public.

I'm game. I'll suck, but I'd love to try to get better.:D

[lemming]

I'm game. I'll suck, but I'd love to try to get better.:D

people were asking me for some pointers. the dang things are so slow, i just said, "flat out the whole way around the course".

:lol: :lol: :lol:

one of my co-workers did that and spun off the track. it was so funny. he got so mad at me. i figured he'd understand judicious feathering of the throttle here and there if he needed to. :dunno:

[FC]

people were asking me for some pointers. the dang things are so slow, i just said, "flat out the whole way around the course".

:lol: :lol: :lol:

one of my co-workers did that and spun off the track. it was so funny. he got so mad at me. i figured he'd understand judicious feathering of the throttle here and there if he needed to. :dunno:

Yeah, it's pretty much pedal to the metal the whole way. They are just very hard to modulate in acceleration and braking. It took me a while to be smooth.

I spun out 3 times on the first heat by hitting the brakes too hard and locking them or just trying to learn what the max grip was. I felt once they gave up grip it was all over, you were going to spin out.

...nothing like the ZHP where you can just tell EXACTLY how much more grip you have and you can ease in and out of a slide so well.:D

The Karts varied too. I had a pretty fast kart on the first heat but it vibrated like a mofo and that helped in my spinning out. On the 2nd heat I got a kart that drove super smooth and I felt I had great clean laps, but it wasn't very fast. The 3rd heat was a mess with the rain/accident, etc.

I was by far the lightest guy but you can see a few people just pull away easily in the straight.

[lemming]

www.f1outdoors.com

(this is the place me and 'Nando are talking about) the normal run of the mill carts they have here can get up to 50mph, but there are some that can reach 90mph and they even have a nice big banked turn on the big Oval.

talking about golf carts in this thread makes me laugh out loud.

[FC]

www.f1outdoors.com

(this is the place me and 'Nando are talking about) the normal run of the mill carts they have here can get up to 50mph, but there are some that can reach 90mph and they even have a nice big banked turn on the big Oval.

talking about golf carts in this thread makes me laugh out loud.

Wow. Well that 90mph must be on the full straight with some pimped-out kart. We drove on the cut-back straight on the rental karts. The top speed the day I went was 44mph. My top speed was 42.

I couldn't help but think the rubber on the tires felt awfully hard.

[lemming]

Wow. Well that 90mph must be on the full straight with some pimped-out kart. We drove on the cut-back straight on the rental karts. The top speed the day I went was 44mph. My top speed was 42.

I couldn't help but think the rubber on the tires felt awfully hard.

my best laptime was a 58.06 second lap (i looked it up for you). :dunno:

it's way off the "track record" of 56.85. i have no idea how i could get it below 57 seconds, but those fellas there say that someone has done it.

[FC]

my best laptime was a 58.06 second lap (i looked it up for you). :dunno:

it's way off the "track record" of 56.85. i have no idea how i could get it below 57 seconds, but those fellas there say that someone has done it.

I stunk by comparison. My best lap was 61 or 62 seconds, can't remember.

Let me tell ya, which rental kart you get makes a big difference.

[3LOU5]

Ah, yes. This brings back memories of the day my buddy and I went to F1Boston.

One cool thing about that particular track was its low-grip surface. You can pretty much drift through the corners, but there was this one sweeping left-hander after a long straightaway that you can approach at max speed, then during the turn have the steering wheel at right full lock and the gas pedal buried. Man, I felt like a true WRC driver. :D

I'm sure it wasn't the fastest way around the corner, but it sure was fun.

[lemming]

it's no surprise, after my first run-in with decent karts, that most professionals start out in these things. i guess the difference is that they're doing it when they're 4 years old.

LOL.

[FC]

i guess the difference is that they're doing it when they're 4 years old.

LOL.

Exactly.:lol: