Newbie Questions

[Marc Abel]

Hello everyone. Hopefully I don't come across as the next Cesar, but I am brand new to karting and have a number of newbie questions. I tried to read the archives so I have some background but there are a few things I haven't seen answered.

My first question is about the cost of the sport. What is a realistic startup cost, and how much on an ongoing basis? I realize this can vary greatly but let me give some background and see if we can get some reasonable ranges. Personally, I am mid 30's, and just looking to have some fun racing. I don't have a need (at least not yet) to try to dominate the sport or run national competitions. To start with I would be content to just get out and run some laps, learn to be a better driver, and not get embarrassed. What would you say is the minimum point of entry and expense?

My second question dove tails off the first, which is how to learn economically and grow into the sport, rather than dumping a ton of money in the beginning and getting in over my head. Is there a chassis that could be fitted with maybe a chonda motor, or other cheaper 4 stroke option that could later be swapped with a more powerful TAG or shifter engine at a later date? Or are there fundamental differences between the chassis that would make one unsuitable for different types of engines?

I'm sure I will have many more in the future. Thanks in advance for any answers.

[jeff grose]

Welcome to the sport of karting, 1st where are you located, 2nd any local tracks for you to visit, 3rd local kart shops to visit, go to the tracks,shops, don't be afraid to ask ?????????'s , we're a pretty friendly bunch, we'll answer a bunch of your questions, hopefully, best thing to do is get a nice used chassis, a good motor, (2 or 4 cycle) used tires and go out and get seat time, oh did I say seat time, yes seat time and go out to have fun first and learn,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and if all fails,,,,,,,,,,you can sell your stuff and buy some cheap golf clubs,,,,,,,,at least if the golf clubs don't work right,,,,,,,,,you can throw them
_________________
jlgracing
#31 Gillard/PDBAmerica
IAME Leopards by P1 Engines
Tag Sr./FKCS/WKA
Driver: Jesse Grose
Remember: "No matter where you go,there you are"

[Marc Abel]

Thanks Jeff.

I'm in Cedar Park Tx (Austin), so I think my closest club is going to be Hill Country Kart Club. Seems like most of them use Texas Karts in San Antonio. I haven't made it to either yet but plan to check both out soon.

So far I have just done rental Karts with 9.5hp engines.

[John Matthews]

Hi Marc,

Welcome to karting, you'll see I answer a lot of these questions and hopefully I can help. I started karting back in 1977 and in the 2000's ran a local kart shop in Arizona where I helped a lot of folks get started.

The answer to your first question is kinda wide open since you can pickup used karts pretty cheap but how much you'll need to put into something to get it working is a huge range. If you're more the kind of guy that wants to start out with new equipment Margay has a complete clone package for ~ $3100. http://www.margay.com/karts/models/brava-42c.html
You could definitely upgrade it later to run a TaG engine with a bigger axle, or trade it in on a different kart. In addition to the kart you'll need safety gear ~ $250, some basic tools ~ $100, and a way to transport the kart to the track.

If you're looking for a better bargain then finding someone at your local track that's either getting out or moving up is another option. Lots of times folks will part with their entire racing operation for about half what everything costs new. If you do that though be sure to make sure the kart they're selling has been raced within the past year or two to make sure you won't have to upgrade things like bumpers or bodywork.

Looking at Hill Country Kart Club they have fairly active clone class as well as higher powered classes. Starting with the clone will give you the chance to get a whole lot of laps in for a reasonable price. Depending on how far you have to travel I would budget at least $100 for practice days and $200 for races. That's considering fairly hard tires that only need to be replaced once or twice a year, and a modest budget for repairs as well as snacks and drinks from home. Of course if you want to hang out and have pizza & beer afterwards you'll need to add that cost as well

It looks like Hill Country has it's own forum you can ask questions on so the people racing there should be able to steer you in the right direction for used karts and shops servicing the track. No matter how you go spending time now getting to know the people and businesses active in your area will pay off later. I always recommend new drivers volunteer at the club as well as driving since it gives you a totally different perspective on racing as well as club operations. Looking at their website it looks like an active and well run operation, I'm sure you'll have fun.

Don't get too wrapped up in the gear for now, what you drive isn't nearly as important as how much you drive it. Even with a low power engine and an older chassis it will take most new drivers a year or more to get anywhere near the potential from the equipment. Just take your time and ask lots of questions, it's a great sport....

Cheers,
_________________
John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC.

[Dan Haynes]

Whatever you plan on running don't jump in the deep end right off the bat. We started in 2004 with 2 older Coyotes for my son and daughter to race. We slowly added to that and my daughter quit racing. So we switched to 2 cycle and sold all of that and bought a used Birel with a Yamaha. Soon after that we had a brand new Kosmic, a couple of Yamahas and a new trailer. Buying all of that right off the bat would not have done much good as we weren't good enough or experienced enough to take advantage of it.
_________________
Blaise Haynes
#3 Arrow X1-CIK
TaG
Cook Racing Engines Parilla Leopard

[Tyson Henry]

Make sure you check out the Lonestar Grand Prix in Lockhart on March 2nd and 3rd.

One thing that doesn't get brought up enough, I think, is that cost is going to vary greatly depending upon how handy you are. I bought a 1999 tony kart shifter that was pretty rough for $1200 as my first kart (since I was a kid). Motor ran, brakes were shot, old bodywork, etc. Took me ~$800 worth of parts and such to get it up and running and updated. Now, had it been someone else that didn't have the tools and ability to fabricate all the parts and everything, cost would have been prohibitive to have someone else do it for you.

I save myself LOTS of money by simply being very mechanically inclined. I literally do everything myself. If you can/will do that, karting doesn't have to be that expensive.

[Brian Degulis]

I'm relatively new to this also so take this for whatever you think it's worth. I would see if anyone in your area offers TAG Rental. Around here (Tampa FL area) for $100 you can get 3 15 minute sessions in a TAG kart along with some guidance. See how you like it. If you want to start there you can find lots of nice TAG packages for sale. If you want to start with clone then you can probably find a nice used TAG chassis (roller) for around $1500 and for another $450 get a new race ready clone. Then if you want to move up to TAG in the future you already have the chassis.


Brian

[Ray Tetlow]

This may help. We have monitored 2 seasons. Granted, this is for a kid. An adult starting should not be too different.

www.teamtetlowracing.com/pages/karting-information

Hope it helps.
_________________
Ray & Pierce (Son)
2013 CRG Big Al 950 with Rotax Minimax
www.teamtetlowracing.com

[Marc Abel]

Great information everyone. I really appreciate it. I think if I can get started for about $3-4K and then keep it to $200-300 a month the wife won't divorce me.

[Cory Ross]

Do not forget about regular maintenance costs on the engine. How many hours before a top end rebuild, or bottom end rebuild. This varies with engines along with how much parts and labor costs. I am also a beginner and I know I want to get a lot of seat time so I went with an engine I can run a lot and not feel like I am always tearing it down to rebuild it. I went with a Rotax setup for this reason. I was looking into a shifter then I started looking at how often you rebuilt the motor compared to Rotax/TAG setup.

I got into things for around $5000, two year old CRG chassis, Rotax 125 max with only 50 hours on it 3 hours on last rebuild, 6-7 sets of used tires. I figure the start of race season I will get a top end rebuild, and a set of new tires to start. Not sure how often I will be purchasing tires yet.

The best part about going with a newer setup, the track(GJMS) I drive at has all the parts and support. When I showed up to buy the kart all we had to do was drain the old fuel, put in new, check tire pressure, and go drive. Then I could get it home and start just regular maintenance and learning the kart already having the reward of driving it. I have no regrets of the purchase just wish it was warmer outside to go drive.

[Chris Hurst]