Kart racing in the rain-effects?

[Jared]

Yesterday, I took my shifter kart out to a local parking lot to get some practice in. During the middle of the "test session," it started to rain. So, I packed the kart up in the back of my truck and waited it out. When the rain was finished, I took the kart back out and ran a bit in the rain. Since I don't have rain tires, I just ran on slicks. I was starting to feel like Michael Schumacher at Spa; the kart wanted to get sideways at the touch of the throttle, which had to be corrected by quick hands. What an experience. The most alive I've ever felt.

Anyway, my question is: Will racing in the rain have any adverse effects on the kart? What will it affect?

[marcus]

ohh good question Jared..Only having ran once in the wet before Im not that well equiped to answer your question..but it a hell of a lot more difficult..i also only ran on slicks and i guess i have alot less horsepower than you as i just run a clubman engine..but you have to slow everything down..easy on the brakes and very easy on the throttle..the racing line seems completely unusable ..try different lines around the turns otherwise you may just understeer straight off..when on slicks pump the tires up heaps..i usually run around 16 psi in the front and 18 in the back on a dry day ..but in the wet pump em up to 40 in the rear..this will allow more heat to be generated and give you marginally more grip...move your rear track in as far as it will go and the same at the front..try all kinds of things but try them one at a time so you know if they work..maybe a different gear ratio is needed to stop wheelspin out of corners..stiffen or loosen the chassis..(I carnt remember which one as it was 2 years ago i ran in the wet)..all these things will shange the handling of the kart and you may need variring degrees on each to get the setup that suits you best..try anything that you can think of..you just may stumble upon soemthing that works for you..your seat position in a kart is also very important..and if you have weights on the seat to meet whatever limit it is your are running under..try moving them around ..top of seat and then try bottom of seat..you may notice a difference..everything is exaggerated in the wet..so the key is to be smooth ..saty away from kurbs and painted lines and dont jerk the wheel ..just ease it through a corner..I have my day in the rain on video and had at least 10 to 12 spins..but I did enjoy it and it sure taught me a few things even about running in the dry..but go out there and experiment and find your limits..even try spinning on purpose so you can see what the kart will do and work out how to recover from a spin..

handling is the big key to wet weather in all forms of the sport..so if you can get a balance that is right for you then all you have to do is learn how to drive it on the limit without going over it..as for damage ..no damage can be done unless you hit something..but i guess wheelspin can cause some engine damage..If you have a tachometer then make sure you dont just sit there with wheelspin and rev the heck out of the motor as this can cause damage ..try to stick to a good rev limit..my engine doesnt produce any more power over 16,500 rpm and in the rain i have seen it nearly at 20,000rpm..this is not good..so the key is to just play it safe with the throttle get the kart straight before you give it heaps and hang on

dont know if thats any help ..but it sure makes me want to egt back out and have a crack at the rain right now.

[marcus]

also if you got a manual with the kart have a look for camber and caster adjustments as this also helps in the wet.

[Warwick]

Run your rear wheels in further than normal,and if your fronts adjustable move them out,you have to be smoother on the throttle and avoid the bigger puddles,because even with wets on you still can aquaplane,if you have adjustable bars in the chassis soften it up,even slightly lossening off the seat bolts,sidepod bars etc helps on some karts,last wet meeting i aquaplaned off the end of our main straight at 150-160kph because i was to lazy to fit my wets.buy wets when you can afford them,for the amount of wet days you would normally race its sometimes they are not worth buying them,after a wet days racing go over the bits that are likely to rust with crc or wd40,make sure the electrics are dry and you run a air filter as well.

[Jared]

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering if the rain would have any effects on the electronics (what little electronics there are), the engine, etc.?

[marcus]

there you go ..Warwick races a real kart so go with what he says about the chassis..I forgot that its in at the rear track and out at the front..and loosen everything up..this should help you a bit.

as for water damage ..tape up your electrics so that no water can get into them..water has a funny effect sometimes so just try to make everything water tight..if you run a airbox you can buy a cover for this to put over it in the rain..this is the best way to go as it stops water from entering the airbox and being sucked through to the engine.

[Warwick]

my electrics are totally exposed (can't fit the cover on) and despite racing in the rain several times,i've never had a problem,although i dont run factory electrics,what motor/chassis do you run,do you run sprint or long circuit?
Now if we can just persuade Marcus to ditch his ktand buy a gearbox kart!

[marcus]

oh yeh while im at it I may as well buy a brand new 18 wheeler transporter

I want a gearbox kart !!!

[DAVID PATERSON]

Who wants a dinky little American 18 wheeler, get a big Aussie 22 wheeler.

[marcus]

hehehe..Aussie trucks built big and tough

[Jared]

I have a 1996 Margay shifter kart with a 125cc Yamaha motor. I haven't race the kart yet, as I don't have all my safety kit yet, but I was practicing in an open parking lot. Since it is a parking lot, there's drainage, so standing water is not much of a problem. When I got on there, it was starting to dry.

Still, being on a wet track on slicks, what a feeling. I was starting to get comfortable and fast, and thinking "Schumacher's got nothing on me." And, about that time, I spun off. Damn those dilusions of grandeur.

[Jared]

Okay, one more query. Gearbox karts can't be much different than the ones here. I have a butterfly F1-style of gearshift: Right goes up, left goes down. The clutch is a lever extending from behind the top of the steering wheel.

Since we have standing starts, I figured I might want to practice them. So, I slow down, pull the clutch in, keep my foot on the brake, and start touching the gas. I get it revved up, release the clutch, (I've tried releasing it both slowly and quickly) and the damn thing lurches forward and stalls. How do I get it to go?

[Warwick]

Easy,move to NZ we only do rolling starts.I have done this but it is tricky to get right,practice,practice,and more practice,normally release it till it sarts to bite,start giving it heaps of rev's,and normally away you go.take the clutch cable off make sure its working smoothly too,a foot clutch is far easier to use,but harder to find room for on a kart.another gadget which is good is a fastgear,cuts your ignition and lets you do full throttle upshifts without lifting your foot.are you racing long or short circuit?

[Racer X]

I plan to get started in shifter karting once I get the $$$. I have one questioned though, "Can you change the gears on the kart".

[Racer X]

The gear ratio's.

[Warwick]

Certainly can,i have a choice of 3 rear axle sprockets and 5 engine sprockets,although there are only about 3 ratios i use,in some engines you also have alternative gearbox ratios as well,in my TZ motor i have a choice of low,standard,and high ratios for 1st,3rd,4th and 5th,although you mainly only get these options in GP bike motors,and not in motocross engines.

[gp19]

Here in quebec it rains alote so we have fun in the rain
1 set your kart to the softtes setting you could get roll bars ECT ECT unthight all the setting
2 put the lowest air in your tires as posibable
3 hide your air intake from the water depend on your kart
try that and tell me what you think.
Her once a year we run are karts on the snow supper!!!!!!
have a sssssuper race GP19

[marcus]

gp19...why put the lowest pressure in your tyres possible ???

I am curious to know what this would do ? is it because of a certain tyre you use ?? or is there another reson for this ??

I usually pump em up heaps to generate more heat and hopefully produce more grip but a low pressure surely would not generate enough heat.
that is of course that I am talking about slicks in the rain but is it different for wets in the rain ???

I havent got a set of wets yet so im not sure if thats the way they need to be set up

[gp19]

Marcus with any tire you most lower the pressure to get the most grip to the ground and the most flixabilaty from the kart in the rain you will not generate enough heat the water will cool then any way that whay you unthight all the setting toothe more flix the better you will get, try it !!!

have a super race day gp19

[gp19]

Hay
Marcus what do you drive for me its a vintage tr7 on roadcourse and I keepform on a shifter kart I just got back form seabring from a 3 day course at Panoz super teacher but the course is soso

[marcus]

Ive only got a normal everyday sprintkart gp19..reasonably cheap to run but a hell of a lot of fun.

next time i have a run in the wet I will try the tyre pressure thing and see how I go
CHEERS

[Warwick]

If you run a lower pressure,your tyres flex more and build up more heat,although we find our wets work better at higher pressures,around 20-25psi,you have to expiriment and see,what suits me may not work for you,and it will change from chassis to chassis as well.

[gp19]

Heat will not happen if the tack is wet the water will cool down the tyres and flex is what we want so that the kart is as smooth as possible so you will not over react on the wheel I find that 25 20 is way to high for me, I go with 15 to 11 back and 12 to 8 front.We have to race 4 to 5 races a year down here and we love it.

Have a super race day gp19