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Howdy – For us rookies here, can one of you guys give us a brief on what this Vegas competition is all about and what the significance of it is?
Thanks!
Sheldon Potter
Speaking as a propeller head who’s been both a software developer in a past life, and in the Web biz for nearly 10 years, I can attest to the difficulty of keeping stuff like this working properly.
Yup, I’ve had problems here and there too, such as posting replies and getting naughty, uncooperative links, etc. But, OTOH, especially as a karting rookie in the area, I find this forum to be just fantastic, and absolutely invaluable.
I hope folks will remember that this thing is a big complex piece of software, with many moving parts, running on a computer itself with many moving parts, so to speak, that we talk to over a very complex network. In my 20 or so years around these infernal machines I’m still amazed this stuff works at all!
And, in that time I’ve never met one that DIDN’T have the occasional issue, some of which are very difficult to debug (often infuriatingly so, and I can attest to the fact that it’s not an infrequent occurance that the debugging process can eat up *enormous amounts of time).
I understand Angie does this all for free. FWIW, in my book, I don’t think we could ask for more.
Cheers — Sheldon Potter
@TG Smith wrote:
…
Post a request for people to meet you out at the track… Even if you don’t post, show up on any nice weekend day and you will find people out there very willing to lend a hand or advice!I bet you’ll find someone willing to come out and practice with you, help show you racing lines, explain things about your kart, etc.
Best of luck…one newbie to another! :cheers:
Thanks for the suggestion, Troy. Since I don’t have a kart yet, I’m putting around (as fast as I can, but still putting) in the rentals. Most folks I meet in them are just out for their first or second joy ride, although that often makes it easier for me to feel like a big shot when I blow by them. 🙂
Hope to see you on the track some day soon when I do have a “real” kart.
Sheldon Potter
@Jim Keesling wrote:
… I will try to have a race each month if the weather behaves….
Super!!!
If these will be just for fun, any chance of adding a class (or lack of, thereof) for us rank rookies?
Maybe a pink rental kart heat (or luke warm), or a competition for new kart owners (“who can keep their shiny new kart actually *on* the track for a full lap”), or…? Might be a good opportunity for first/new timers to get some actual racing in and for the real drivers to get a laugh. Seriously, I’m wondering about something like that (the “actual racing” part, not the laughing at us part)…
Cheers —
Sheldon Potter
@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
@Rick Schmidt wrote:
Mike Jansen
PostPosted:…it was always something to aspire towards…
I like the cups…
… I’m picking up on a few things Mike would like. …a “Man (?) Thong? …He mentioned he likes cups, but we really need to try to squeeze the cup and embroidery both on this very functional trophy for Mike. Gift that keeps giving type of thing. Of course, Mike will need to model while giving his awards presentation speech….
Reading this thread while skimming for newbie related information, I see this! Oh my lord, what have I gotten myself into?
Once I get a kart of my own and eventually start trying to race a bit in the club races, I shudder to think about racing around at The Track, etc. if this standard of attire is adapted for racing.
These things tend to snowball! First it’s just awards, next thing you know people are wearing nothing but thongs and helmets or cups and helmets at Club races.
I’m not that smart, and I really worry about being able to concentrate, much less keep my lunch down if that happens. I can guess how great *I’d look (not) in an ensemble like that. Isn’t there some sort of rule about this?
Sheldon Potter
Sparky — I’m also a “new guy” (see General discussion, “New Old Guy” topic), although I only dimly remember 13, as I’m 57. I was skimming through forum postings today trying to pick up new information about this sport and spotted your introductory posting.
I gather these guys and gals are very welcoming to sport newcomers, as they were to me, and imagine you may not have received a reply to your introductory post yet because it’s located in a bit of an out of the way area (“Just for Fun”), which seems to be largely filled with very amusing oddities (e.g. videos), comments and humor (good lord, do people really use the Beans on Friday Push to Pass technique in Karting? Wow, there’s more to the techniques in this sport than I thought).
These folks have encouraged me to visit the tracks where club events take place, see what and how they race, meet people and ask questions, which I’m already doing whenever possible.
I’ve been to a couple of club races where you can see GOOD amateur racing in many Karting classes, and on my own visits to The Track in Centennial and IMI have met a number of very nice folks.
Last week a bunch of guys who were at The Track when I was out there chugging around in the little pink rentals made a point of introducing themselves and even put me into one of their ROTAX TAG karts so I could have my first taste of real power and performance (which I immediately took off track more than once due to an temporary imbalance between my enthusiasm for the speed it provided and my good judgement. Must be a geezer thing. The kart owner was very patient with me, though, after I drove his nice expensive kart through the dirt stones and dust like an idiot. Again, just another example, I think, of the nice folks in this sport. I hope to balance out more on the side of good judgement if I have an opportunity like that again, before I buy my own little toy).
I’d encourage you to do the same (not the crashing other people’s karts part, the meeting people part…), and, bring your Dad, as I’ve already discovered that a lot of these folks are also current or past racers in other forms of motorsports and I’m sure he’d enjoy that.
This forum seems to be another excellent way to get up to speed on stuff, either through reviewing old postings or posting your own. I’m still trying to get to the point where I know what to ask. 🙂
There are a lot of younger people in this sport, and in many cases they seem to enjoy full family participation and support as well; family teams and all, which I think is way cool. I attended the ROTAX Grand Nationals at The Track this summer and was amazed at how young — and talented — some of these kids are. I hope to be able to say in my later years (I know this is hard for someone of your age to believe, but let me assure you that 57 is definitely *not* your “later years”) that “back in ought-7 I saw that Formula One star when he/she was running in Kart racing.”
Maybe someday you might be one of those guys? Not me, I’m too old and crotchety, slow reflexes, too many years of beer drinking and so on (although the mid-torso spare tire that results helps keep my center of gravity lower when I’m on track). Tell Dad only kidding there, I don’t encourage that sort of disgraceful behavior in young people!
Regardless of your particular long term professional aspirations, what better way to really live life than to learn how to use your skills and talent to go nowhere fast! As one of the forum participants says in his “signature” line, “When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after…it’s just waiting” –Steve McQueen, from the movie “LeMans” about the 24 hours of LeMans.
Good luck and have fun.
Sheldon Potter
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
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 🙂
