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Welcome, Sheldon. Welcome to the machine. Welcome to the addiction.
Drive out to IMI this weekend and watch some SERIOUS racing at the TaG Worlds. People will be there from all over the country. It won’t quite be the ‘big tent’ spectacle of the Rotax Nationals, but there will be some damn good talent racing.
Then mosey on down to Centennial for the last club race of the year the following weekend. Ask lots of questions. Swing by my semi trailer for champagne and caviar. (ok, stop by my Subaru for a Pabst.) Then I’ll convince you to run TaG Masters or stock moto and you’ll be happy forever.
Start saving your pennies. Start doing your research. Enjoy the trip.
Sheldon,
I can say first hand not to let kirk “convince” you in to anything.No im sorry im going to turn this in to another tag masters bashing session, so i’ll say this.
If you do choose to race tag master it would be a great choice. The tag masters are a great group of guy’s.But seriosley (i dont know how to spell) Stop by the club race at The track in 2 weeks.
Hope to seeya there :cheers:
Welcome to a great community!
Karting its a great sport, lots of adrenaline lots of learning but a great group of people to help you and willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
Stop by the TRACK AT CENTENNIAL and look at the different packages and create your own opinion.
Sheldon,
Come out to IMI this weekend and say hello. I’ll be racing in the TaG World Finals. It sounds like you’re in my age bracket.
Charles
Sheldon,
My son and I live in Westminster and have been karting for the better part of 20 years. If you would like to bounce some thoughts off of us in reference to the wisdom of competing in one of the local series, please feel free to give me a call. Know lots of competitors and track owners in the area and can give knowlegable advise in areas from equiptment and classes available. My oldest son participated in the Basset 400 race last Sunday. He started backwards in the feature event and ran to the front and as far as were to start your karting career he is as good as anyone for competent advise.
John Ferguson
[email protected] [/u][/i][/b]Kirk, Road Runner (would I call you Road or Mr. Runner? :)), Eduardo, Charles and John –
Thanks, gang, for the warm welcome. Especially for someone who’s new to a sport of this kind, and doesn’t really know, yet who’s on first, that’s especially heartwarming.
Road, as a professional beer drinker, I’d have to give Kirk the benefit of the doubt when it comes to any “advice” he might have if he’s got a cool one with my name on it in his hauler, as his post suggests he might. And that thing you said, Kirk, about being happy forever sounds pretty good as well.
Don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to IMI this weekend, given my current list of things to put off around here, which is getting bigger, including watching the NASCAR restricter plate good old boys bash ‘n smash session at Taledaga (sp?) and hopefully a replay of the China F1 parade.
OTOH, Charles it would be nice to meet you there, as you indicated we’re from the same general time in history. 🙂 Actually, I hope to run into you soon, as the Rotax/Shockwave package is one of the ones I’m considering for my own toy, and would like to get an unbiased opinion of an actual owner.
OTOOH, I do hope to make it out to the Track on 10/14 for the last club race and see if I can guess which one of you guys is which. Hopefully there will still be a post race portion of champaign and cavier left in Kirk’s magnificent hauler at that event as a memory aid for post race analyis.
John, another Westminster denizen, great! Sounds like your son was one of several ringers that made the rest of us look bad in last weeks charity event at The Track. Isn’t it cheating to put someone in a race like that who actually knows what he’s doing? Actually, aside from the impressive performance by people who clearly did know what they were doing, I was equally impressed by a number of people from my group of amateurs who turned in fast times as well. Natural talent, and all that, apparently. Can you guys tell me which chassis/engine/tire package comes with some of *that?
I wonder how much that event took in for Sungate Kids?
Thanks so much, also, for your offer to share your experience and knowledge.
Eduardo, thanks for your welcome as well. So you’re running lucky 13 in the Masters. Cool. Really like your signature line, re. the Andretti saying. I must really be running about fast enough in my little pink rentals, then, because things are definitely not in control here. I’ve got that spinning thing down pretty good, though, already.
Thanks again, y’all for the warm welcome! Looking forward to starting to put faces, chassis/engines to the names! (btw, I’ll be the 5′ 8″ long curley-ish haired bearded middle aged guy fondling the karts)
Cheers – Sheldon Potter 🙂
Sheldon,
If you can, come up on Saturday to IMI. Heat races start @ 12:30 and you will see some great racing to get positioning for the Sunday mains. The weather should be much better on Saturday anyway. Sunday not GOOD! Look for an old dude with a grey shirt w/J2motorsports logo. Hope to see you there!
John Ferguson
[email protected]John — Thanks for the invite. I’ll see if I can get my Saturday chores done before then, I’ll saddle up old Bessie and see if I can do that, and hopefully get to watch you and some of the others running.
Cheers – Sheldon
@Rick Schmidt wrote:
Sheldon,
Welcome to Colorado karting. It’s a great group of people. What class, chassis and engine are you thinking about?
Since you’re new, you probably didn’t see Mikes avatar. It wasn’t pretty and yes, it turned many stomachs!
Come to the swap meet and introduce yourself.
Rick
The above posted by Rick on another topic to which I’d made an off the wall comment regarding certain racing garments… 🙂 I thought a reply would be more appropriate here, under my original posting..
Although, as I said way back when originally posting, a long time auto racing fan, but completely new to kart racing. So what precisely I plan to do with it is largely in the “to be determined as I learn more” department. Although I have a few initial ideas from the homework I’ve done so far, which includes limited kart driving.
As a 57 Y.O. rookie, partly based on some reading I’ve done right here, I’m leaning toward TAG, so I can focus on driving without worrying about shifting yet. I guess in my age group that would be TAG Masters, if I formally race w/ you guys and gals.
It’s too early to tell where I plan to go w/ the racing, per se. Step one is to get into a machine and run laps, learn, maybe some driver coaching/instruction (any thoughts on that?), see whether this ends up just a nice way to get some therapy (already is, even in the rentals) or hopefully participating in some club racing. Partly depends on if I have anything talent wise, I guess. Sure do like to put it to the floor and see how fast I can corner, though, and I’ve done enough passing to realize the thrill of that passtime!
What chassis, engine, cool looking helmet and suit :-), and so on…
Don’t know on the chassis, although I had a nice visit with Doug W. of ShockWave at his shop a few weeks ago and am impressed w/ what he had to say about post-sale support (if I buy new).
How much difference at this stage of the game does chassis make? How so?
Rear only brakes vs. front and rear (as in the ShockWave, which I understand can be had either way), don’t know. I’m thinking about learning advantages here too, not just ease of driving or control. Maybe rear only would be good to learn on, don’t know? I’ve already learned how much fun it can be if you brake too late w/ rear only (nice view driving backwards but kills your lap time), and I know rears only can be helpful in certain turning (e.g. hairpins) situations.
Engine, I’m sort of leaning toward ROTAX, mainly because I understand that, as two stroke power plants go it tends to be one of the more robust, lower maintenance ones around. Plus I understand this opens up what races you can participate in as well. I know there will be plenty of mechanical to this sport, but not being particularly interested in that per se, and don’t want to spend huge amounts of time in grease for every hour on the track.
Not sure about the 4 strokers at all yet. Just don’t know enough. I hear they tend to be less maintenance then the 2’s and a bit (?) more power, but that’s about all I know so far.
Hauler? I drive Honda Accord, don’t really want to invest in a truck for this yet, so that precludes all but fairly light, easy to load and handle trailers.
Other stuff for the rookie karting enthusiast understuffed? No idea yet.
I really like metallic red and blue for helmets… Which colors make you go faster? (really, I’m not that naive, but what the hell…). OTOH, who does a good job w/ fitting helmets, other racing gear, etc. in town?
So many questions, so little time! This posting is a little broken up as I’m pressing for time this morning, but hope it makes sense.
Yes, I hope to get to the swap meet and meet some more folks. I’ve been to a couple of club races, met a few folks already, and met a few folks just when running at The Track (one very nice gentleman named Tony, no last name, loaned me his ROTAX/unknown chassis one day which I promptly drove like a bad out of hell for a number of laps and that just confirmed my ambition to keep on with it!
Cheers — Sheldon Potter
@sjpkarter wrote:
As a 57 Y.O. rookie, partly based on some reading I’ve done right here, I’m leaning toward TAG, so I can focus on driving without worrying about shifting yet. I guess in my age group that would be TAG Masters, if I formally race w/ you guys and gals.
The way to go, IMO. Starting out in TaG teaches you to be smooth and learn to conserve your momentum. Should you ever decide to swap gears in the future, you’ll be faster having learned to drive in a TaG. The Masters are a great group of guys, usually put on some of the best racin of the weekend. Almost makes me wish i was old so i could race with em…….almost. 😉
@sjpkarter wrote:
It’s too early to tell where I plan to go w/ the racing, per se. Step one is to get into a machine and run laps, learn, maybe some driver coaching/instruction (any thoughts on that?), see whether this ends up just a nice way to get some therapy (already is, even in the rentals) or hopefully participating in some club racing. Partly depends on if I have anything talent wise, I guess. Sure do like to put it to the floor and see how fast I can corner, though, and I’ve done enough passing to realize the thrill of that passtime!
The biggest thing you need to concentrate on when you’re first starting out and learning is getting laps in. Seat time, seat time, seat time. Dont get too worked up about your lap times early on, just focus on getting laps in and keeping it on the black stuff (with the shiny side up). Once you start getting some laps in under your belt, and keep it pointed the right direction, your times will fall naturally. After you have some experience and maybe a couple races, then id look into coaching. Biggest thing i had trouble getting around me head when i started was; dont be afraid to push the kart and yourself. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll have to dust it off, and your ego might take a bit of a bump. Learn from your mistakes! (just dont go too crazy 😯 )
@sjpkarter wrote:
What chassis, engine, cool looking helmet and suit :-), and so on…
Don’t know on the chassis, although I had a nice visit with Doug W. of ShockWave at his shop a few weeks ago and am impressed w/ what he had to say about post-sale support (if I buy new).
How much difference at this stage of the game does chassis make? How so?
Might I recommend a G.P. through AJ Noud of Rocky Mountain Kartworks? 8)
One of my high school friends recently got into karting and kept making a big deal about getting the right equipment to start out with. I told him that he shouldnt make a big deal about it. Like i said, the biggest thing in your first year is getting laps under your belt. IMO, if you buy top-of-the-line for your first kart, sure it’s nice, but as a newbie, people tend to beat theirs up. Wouldnt you rather beat up a used chassis than your brand new $4000 shiny one?
In karting, most of your fast drivers are fast because they are fast. The chassis does definitely make the difference, but a fast driver will be fast no matter which kart hes in.
@sjpkarter wrote:
Rear only brakes vs. front and rear (as in the ShockWave, which I understand can be had either way), don’t know. I’m thinking about learning advantages here too, not just ease of driving or control. Maybe rear only would be good to learn on, don’t know? I’ve already learned how much fun it can be if you brake too late w/ rear only (nice view driving backwards but kills your lap time), and I know rears only can be helpful in certain turning (e.g. hairpins) situations.
I learned on rear brakes, i think it would be a good idea. Rear brakes bite you more if you lock em up, so it teaches you brake pedal finesse. Plus, front brake systems add to the overall cost of your kart.
@sjpkarter wrote:
Engine, I’m sort of leaning toward ROTAX, mainly because I understand that, as two stroke power plants go it tends to be one of the more robust, lower maintenance ones around. Plus I understand this opens up what races you can participate in as well. I know there will be plenty of mechanical to this sport, but not being particularly interested in that per se, and don’t want to spend huge amounts of time in grease for every hour on the track.
I’ve been running the Rotax for 2 years now (which is my entire karting career!), and i like it. It can be a bit temperamental at times, and very needy in the jetting arena, but once you get its intricacies down, its a great package. Very reliable and quite competitive at most CO tracks. And yes, if your Rotax is sealed, you can compete in the Rotax Max Challenge (feeder series to Champ Cars), which is a spec class that makes for some really good racing. Best part about the Rotax is that it has a huge following around here, which is really important for an engine.
@sjpkarter wrote:
Not sure about the 4 strokers at all yet. Just don’t know enough. I hear they tend to be less maintenance then the 2’s and a bit (?) more power, but that’s about all I know so far.
If you’re looking for nice, hands off maintenance, go 4 stroke. Initial investment is higher, but they can go something crazy like 300 hours before a rebuild (Rotax is 50)! No mixing gas, just change the oil. The Vampires and Orals make something on the order of 34hp (Rotax is 28 ), and have tons of torque. A TaG 4 stroke turned the fastest lap at the TaG World Finals up at IMI this month (amongst all the Rotaxes, Leopards and Motoris) at a 50.001! That’s only a few tenths off of the lap record…which is held by an ICC shifter! 😯 This is the future of karting, IMO….a very nice package. Plus they sound wicked! 👿
@sjpkarter wrote:
Hauler? I drive Honda Accord, don’t really want to invest in a truck for this yet, so that precludes all but fairly light, easy to load and handle trailers.
Harbor Freight has some dirt cheap open trailers that are perfect kart size for under $200…just supply your own plywood.
@sjpkarter wrote:
I really like metallic red and blue for helmets… Which colors make you go faster? (really, I’m not that naive, but what the hell…). OTOH, who does a good job w/ fitting helmets, other racing gear, etc. in town?
Metallic red and blue are some of the fastest colors out there! 8) Lots of people like to use motorcycle helmets, and they work just fine. Get the best one you can afford…this is your head that you’re protecting! (the old adage; if your head is worth $90, get a $90 helmet!) The most important thing about helmets is getting one that fits you properly, dont buy one that doesnt fit you well. If you buy a motorcycle helmet, any bike shop you buy it from (Performance Cycle, RPM Motorsports, Erico, etc) will fit a helmet for you properly.
@sjpkarter wrote:
Yes, I hope to get to the swap meet and meet some more folks. I’ve been to a couple of club races, met a few folks already, and met a few folks just when running at The Track (one very nice gentleman named Tony, no last name, loaned me his ROTAX/unknown chassis one day which I promptly drove like a bad out of hell for a number of laps and that just confirmed my ambition to keep on with it!
Come out and introduce yourself when you can…we’ve all been in your shoes at one point and are happy to answer any questions!
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