Back to basics: Enthusiastic CarWale Editorial guys go Krazy on go karts

Why Go Kart?

 Because it is a great platform…nay, THE ONLY PLATFORM to learn the basics of going fast on the race track. Every single top level racer, be it in Formula Renault, DTM, Formula Maruti, Volkswagen Ameo Cup and of course Formula, 1 have all found their groove by starting off in Go Karts.

Many of them see great value in this miniature form of racing and today have their own circuits, custom certified Karts and tournaments. In fact Felipe Massa of Ferrari and Williams F1 fame conducts an annual 12 hour race in his home country to celebrate zipping around in what is in essence a large metal tray with four wheels and a four-stroke petrol engine.

We also give a thumbs up to Karting because it is damn good fun! You have various stages of Karts available depending on your skill level. What’s more if you bring along a set of friends you will get to experience a great sense of a camaraderie and competitiveness.

The Kart

Here are some of the facts and figures about the Karts that we rode in.

1. Unassissted steering

2. 200cc four-stroke petrol engine producing 5.5bhp

3. Disc brake attached to the rear wheels

4. 10/4.5 slicks in front and 11/7 slicks at the rear

5. Tubular steel chassis

6. Tie-rod linkage for steering

 If you can prove your skills, there are also 6.5bhp Karts available and these have better acceleration and dynamics giving you faster lap times.

The Track

We travelled over 150km from our office in Navi Mumbai to the track at Kharadi in Pune. This would seem like a lot for an afternoon of racing but to us the journey seemed worth the distance when we got our first look at the track.

At 465-meters, the track is small by global Karting standards but is one of the largest in India. It is also pretty much a power circuit. It’s a combination of tight hairpins as well as whole bits where you are going hard on the throttle for a significant time.

Being the enthusiasts that we were, we decided to find similarities with famous turns from famous circuits. To begin with, the entry onto the start finish straight resembles the wall of champions from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada. The main straight and the section succeeding it had a close resemblance to legendary 130R from the Suzuka circuit in Japan.  Finally, the inner section bore close resemblance to turn 1-3 of the Shanghai International Circuit in China. 

The Experience

In its purest form, competitive racing is about nailing the corners and there is no better way to learn this than at the Karting track. The unassisted steering, thrummy single cylinder engine angrily buzzing below your right elbow and lack of run off space are all meant to assault your mind but at the same time force you into that special zone to focus on the racing lines.

 The approach, braking point and exit are very crucial for every turn and more importantly to extract the full potential of the Kart. Many of us struggled on turn 9 as this was a super tight hairpin and it was only towards our final runs that many of us managed to figure that you had to carry perfect pace on the racing line from turn 7 onwards to hit that sweet spot on turn 9.

After two rounds of technical driving and trying to keep things on track everyone decided to have some fun and test the limits of what was possible. This instantly changed the on-track action from racing lines to a large number of people catching slides, opposite lock and even a whole load of dust and debris flying all around. This also meant spins, crashes and lots of wheel-to-wheel contact bringing out the true racers in all of us.

Quite impressed with what he had seen, Pratik, the instructor at the track, decided to take on Vikrant, Ameya and Sagar in a 10 lap race. With his level of access to the track and his experience behind the wheel, the speed at which he outpaced our trio was quite impressive. Nevertheless it was still a lot of fun to watch the race.

Conclusion

For automotive enthusiasts (like us) there can be no greater experience than punching out lap after lap in a GoKart. The ingredients that make Karting so simple, pure and fun are the very same that also make it so important to the core function of driving both competitively and on the road.

About IndiKarting  
The IndiKarting track is recognised by the FMSCI for providing racing licenses to enter higher forms of racing in the country. This very track has seen the likes of Saraubh Bandopadhay, the current championship leader for the newly formed Volkswagen Ameo Cup as well as Rayomond Banerjee a six time national karting champion and current manager of the track.

The track hosts monthly ‘basics in Karting’ session which provides theory as well as track time as a part of the package. In addition to Karting, IndiKart also has the Zipline activities included in its offerings. The IndiKarting track is located at Tulaja Bhawani Nagar, Kharadi, Near Shubh Mio Plaza, Pune, Maharashtra 411014.  
  
Photos: Kapil Angane