Shifter vs. non-shifter decision

[Paul Carey]

Yesterday my friend and I went to the Dixon track with our local kart dealer and we test drove a blue printed clutch kart and an 80cc shifter. The shop owner didn’t push either one, but answered all our questions about each. Wow, what a difference. Now I see why so many people say drive a clutch kart for a while to start. Not only do you have more time in a clutch kart to focus on, and learn more about, carrying speed through a corner on the right line, but you don’t have to work so damn hard! Although the shifter was fun once I got the hang of actually shifting (hell, I sounded [only in my mind I’m sure] like Michael F’ing Schumacher ripping through the gears through the last sweeper and blasting down the straight!), the sheer physicality of holding a line while accelerating and shifting and looking for the right gear to keep it in the narrow power band was…well, a lot of work for a novice. Although I think in time I would get the hang of it, my feeling is that for a guy who is looking for fun and can only go out once a month, I’d have more fun in a clutch kart and stand a better chance of getting to have fun in an occasional club race after about 6 months of driving. NO WAY I could hope to get into a club race without looking like an idiot after 6 months in a shifter. I’m sure I’d do the same if I planned on being serious about racing. Learn the line and how to carry speed in a clutch kart first! MY THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO WEIGHED IN ON THIS ISSUE WHEN I FIRST POSTED MY QUESTION. YOUR COLLECTIVE INPUT WAS A BIG HELP.

Paul Carey