Go-kart
Encyclopedia
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
, some, like Superkart
Superkart
Superkart is a form of motor racing based around a racing vehicle sized like a kart but with several characteristics more strongly associated with open-wheel racing cars....
s, being able to beat racing cars on long circuits.
Gravity racers, usually referred to as soap-box carts, are the simplest type of go-karts. They are propelled by gravity, with some races taking place down a single hill.
Amusement park go-karts can be powered by 4-stroke engines
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
or electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s, while racing karts use small 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines. Most of them are single seater but recreational models can sometimes accommodate a passenger.
Recreational, concession and indoor karts
Besides traditional kart racing, many commercial enterprises offer karts for rent, often called "recreational" or "concession" karts. The tracks can be indoor or outdoor. Karts are rented by sessions (10 to 15 minutes usually), they use sturdy chassis completed with dedicated bodywork providing driver safety. Most of these enterprises use an "Arrive and Drive" format which provide customers with all the safety gear (helmets, gloves and driver outfits) where necessary and allow them to show up any time to race at a reasonable price, without the hassle of owning one's own equipment and gear.Outdoor tracks
Kart circuits
A kart circuit is a race track designed for kart racing. There are several types of kart circuit, depending of the type of use desired.-Short circuit:Any outdoor circuit of less than 1,500 meters in length....
can offer low speed karts strictly for amusement (dedicated chassis equipped with low powered 4-stroke engines or electric motors), to faster, more powerful karts similar to a racing kart (powered by 4-stroke engines up to 15 hp and more rarely by 2-stroke engines) but designed to be more robust for rental use. Typically, these outdoor tracks may also be used for traditional kart races.
Indoor kart tracks can be found in many large cities in different parts of the world. These tracks are often located in refurbished factories or warehouses and are typically shorter than traditional outdoor tracks. Indoor karts are typically powered by a 4-stroke gasoline engine producing anywhere from 5 to 13 horsepower, or sometimes by an electric motor. Many tracks offer competitive races and leagues. At the top level, an Indoor Karting World Championship (IKWC) exists.
There are nearly 80 indoor kart tracks in the United States.
Engines
Power is transmitted from the engine to the rear axle by way of a chain (some rentals use a belt).- 4-stroke engines can be standard air-cooled industrial based engines, sometimes with small modifications, developing from about 5 to 20 hp. Briggs & StrattonBriggs & StrattonBriggs & Stratton is the world's largest manufacturer of air-cooled gasoline engines primarily for outdoor power equipment. Current production averages 11 million engines per year.-History:...
, Tecumseh, Kohler, Robin, and HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
are manufacturers of such engines. They are adequate for racing and fun kart applications. There are also more powerful four-stroke engines available from manufacturers like YamahaYamaha Motor Company, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
, TKM, Biland or Aixro (Wankel engineWankel engineThe Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle takes place in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a rotor that...
) offering from 15 hp up to 48 hp. They run to and around 11,000 rpm, and are manufactured specifically for karting.
- Electric go-karts are low maintenance, requiring only that the lead-acid batteriesLead-acid batteryLead–acid batteries, invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté, are the oldest type of rechargeable battery. Despite having a very low energy-to-weight ratio and a low energy-to-volume ratio, their ability to supply high surge currents means that the cells maintain a relatively large...
of the cars be plugged into an array of chargers after each run. Since they are pollution-free and emit no smoke, the racetracks can be indoors in controlled environments. Most fully charged electric karts can run a maximum of 20 minutes before performance is affected. Some karts have been fitted with hydrogen fuel cells.
External controls
Go-karts used in amusement parks can be fitted with additional electronic controls such as remote speed limiters to help promote a safer operating environment. In the event of an accident or an out of control racer, the track attendant can remotely slow or stop all vehicles on the track via radio control. This remote speed control can also be used to limit young riders to a slow operating speed, while a race consisting only of adults is permitted a higher speed. These controls can be applied to both electric and combustion-engine karts.See also
- CapetaCapetais a Japanese sports manga and anime about kart racing by Masahito Soda. The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 2005.The series consists of three separate arcs. The first is about Capeta's first experiences with kart racing at the age of 10...
- CrosskartCrosskartCrosskart is a type of kart racing that takes place on autocross, speedway, dirt, or snow tracks instead of on paved tracks.Competitions take place in classes that are based on cylinder volume . The 125 cc class is a junior class, open to those 12 years of age and older, but one can begin training...
- CyclekartCyclekartCyclekart is a type of kart racing where you drive what basically is a motorised soapbox car.The mechanical design is a simplified version of a cyclecar...
- ElectrathonElectrathonAn electrathon is a competition to go the farthest in one hour powered only by commercial lead acid batteries weighing no more than . The record is as of February 2011....
- Formula Zero
- Kart racingKart racingKart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
- Micro kartMicro kartA micro kart is a small, one passenger mini go-kart. These karts typically have 2-stroke engines, ranging in size from 22.5 cc to 85 cc, and putting out anywhere from 1.2 hp to over 20 hp.-Lower class micro karts:...
- Off road go-kart