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[f1ea]

Personally, I'm taking up Go Karting this year (At about 18/19 - depends when the first race is), but I don't have any interest in actually being a pro racing driver. I just really love driving Go karts for fun. Have you ever tried it? It's a good way to scratch the motorsport itch and, quite frankly, Go karts might be the most awesome things to drive in the world. All mechanical grip, tiny wheels and a short wheel base. They're squirrelly as get out, it's ace!

Yes I have tried it before. Back in the days... about 10 yrs ago, my friend/neighbor was a semi-pro Kart racer and I got to get my hands in... we were the same age, but he had enough money to have a small team running. Karts are a lot simpler because, like you say there's a lot less to mess around with (like suspension and wings and stuff), but the racing itself and the techniques to take turns is pure racing and adrenaline. Some people say karting is silly.... obviously, they have never seen or tried it. It is really racing.

I havent done it in a while, but they are building a brand new pro- spec kart circuit about 3 mins from home, so I will definitely pick it up again. And of course bring my son to see if he likes it, it will take at least 2 yrs for him to be able to drive one.... but it seems he will because the little bugger has more energy than a nuclear power plant.

[f1ea]

For girls, a umpalumpa tape seems to be a pretty good career launching move that doesn't involve studying.

ha ha.
Actually, there's a better career: Marry well.
Why spend yrs and energy studyig... when you can spend the same energy/time into finding a rich man.

[Narcil]

Personally, I'm taking up Go Karting this year (At about 18/19 - depends when the first race is), but I don't have any interest in actually being a pro racing driver. I just really love driving Go karts for fun. Have you ever tried it? It's a good way to scratch the motorsport itch and, quite frankly, Go karts might be the most awesome things to drive in the world. All mechanical grip, tiny wheels and a short wheel base. They're squirrelly as get out, it's ace!

I raced go-karts from when I was 8 until 17 (23 now) I stopped because I needed to start working weekends in order to support my study, which would get me somewhere in life. Even in Go-Karts you need quite a bit of money to compete in State or National (Australia) Competitions (money that my dad couldn't afford, being that he was using his spare cash to get my 2nd hand parts)

Go-Karts are awesome btw, you can pull some amazing G's in the corners. I think ill get back into it when I get a bit more spare cash to throw around

[Jensonb]

Personally, I'm taking up Go Karting this year (At about 18/19 - depends when the first race is), but I don't have any interest in actually being a pro racing driver. I just really love driving Go karts for fun. Have you ever tried it? It's a good way to scratch the motorsport itch and, quite frankly, Go karts might be the most awesome things to drive in the world. All mechanical grip, tiny wheels and a short wheel base. They're squirrelly as get out, it's ace!

Yes I have tried it before. Back in the days... about 10 yrs ago, my friend/neighbor was a semi-pro Kart racer and I got to get my hands in... we were the same age, but he had enough money to have a small team running. Karts are a lot simpler because, like you say there's a lot less to mess around with (like suspension and wings and stuff), but the racing itself and the techniques to take turns is pure racing and adrenaline. Some people say karting is silly.... obviously, they have never seen or tried it. It is really racing.

I havent done it in a while, but they are building a brand new pro- spec kart circuit about 3 mins from home, so I will definitely pick it up again. And of course bring my son to see if he likes it, it will take at least 2 yrs for him to be able to drive one.... but it seems he will because the little bugger has more energy than a nuclear power plant.

Nice one

Yeah, it's great because it's raw racing. You have an engine, wheels and a track and you just go for it. It's kind of always on a knife edge, so it's a total rush. It's all down to how you use the pedals and the wheel. People who think of karting as silly or pointless really don't get it - there's a pretty strong case that it's the most important kind of motorsport. Look at the top two British racing drivers, Button and Hamilton. Learned the craft in karting, where they were both legendarily successful. Meanhwile you look at Vettel, who didn't spend as much time in Karting, and skipped the top-tier, and his racecraft is nowhere compared to those two - and it looks like it's about to cost him a championship for the second time on the trot. One can't help but feel it's because he jumped out of Karts before he'd really learned how to race.