Why do the available karts at public kart tracks just get slower each year?

[GAIAjohan]

Public kart tracks. As a poor man I'm bound to this kind of racing. And what nagging me is that karts get slower each year it seems.
TBH I've never really seen fast karts at Dutch tracks, but still.

Today I was at outdoor kart track Ulrum. Last time I was there I was 14 I think and maybe 25kg lighter.. But that time was the first time for me. I remember I drove a 27.32 laptime. In the mean time until now I've driven several tracks etc and honestly I've never faced a real challenge when it's about the kart but I like the feel you get.
The worst I've seen was the kart track at Vaals. Seriously: 100% full throttle, no braking point at all.:bad:Why? because the karts were restricted so much you were constantly running on the limiter..
Best experience was Mariembourg in Belgium. I remember it was a wet day and we had some pretty quick karts that span easily in T2. Strangely the kart I, a friend and my father drove was much faster on the straight than others. We still don't know why. But that was some nice experience.

Further I've seen a lot in between but closer to Vaals than to Mariembourg, with one good exception in Germany, also a nice outdoor host, but I can't remember the name.

Now back to today: Yep I was back at the track where some real racing started for me. I'm pretty sure my lines were much better now, but my laptime was a disappointing 29.591. More than 2 seconds slower than my first drive. Also I had the feeling I had to brake for only 2 corners. All other was full throttle or coasting. it can't be just my weight as the fastest guy had a 29.4xx while back in the day the fastest guy had 26.8x

 

[William Levesque]

Used Karts... A brand new rental Kart is "fast" (Depends where you go), a 3 years rental Kart is slower... Especially if it's from a "amateur" track... They don't seem to take care of them enough...

 

[Linus Broström]

the ones at Gelleråsen here in Karlskoga just keep getting faster

 

[William Levesque]

The Sodi GT4 270cc at Chateau-Richer here in Quebec are quite amazing too !

 

[Tom Barratt]

Public karts in the UK are slow too, when i went to spain their public karts were so much faster than any kart i had been on in the uk. Its mostly to keep cost low because if the karts weren't limited you would get loads of people crashing them and breaking them. Last time i went to a public track the karts were horribly slow but people still managed to crash them. But thats what you get when you have a hobby like motorsport, you can only really do it properly if you have the money.

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

What will they top off at? My friends and i go to a place called TBC Karting here in town. They are not bad, top speed is around 60kph which is quick enough for the track they use their karts on.

 

[Nick Deeley]

Different countries have different laws, and the biggest thing really that determines the type of karts are insurance and cost.

Maintaining a fleet of karts is very hard work, and can get quite expensive. Things wear down, get old, parts are replaced at different intervals. The very nature of that means the karts will not perform the same a few months down the line than when they were brand new.

Insurance and liability: Would you seriously allow Joe Public in a 130mph kart with little to no track driving experience and only a road going license? One accident there and you'll be closed down before you can say "bananas". No insurance company would cover you either for it.

It maybe fustrating for people who have track experience, but we're unfortunatly in the minority, and tailering a business towards that spells doom.

Having a business (i.e a public kart circuit) that is aimed at almost anyone, and it makes motorsport alot more accessible to everyone, and that can only be a good thing right?

 

[GAIAjohan]

What will they top off at? My friends and i go to a place called TBC Karting here in town. They are not bad, top speed is around 60kph which is quick enough for the track they use their karts on.

I guess back in the day they topped at 70kmh or so, now maybe at 50-60?

They're 200cc 6.5bhp karts..

I think them karts at Mariembourg in Belgium topped at 100+..

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

I guess back in the day they topped at 70kmh or so, now maybe at 50-60?

They're 200cc 6.5bhp karts..

I think them karts at Mariembourg in Belgium topped at 100+..

Wow! 100kph is that a outdoor track? l

 

[William Levesque]

Here in Quebec, at the Chateau-Richer track, they are 270cc Sodi GT4, 9hp...

85km/h +, so it's not bad... And I think they can go faster with a longer straigthaway and better gearing

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

Here in Quebec, at the Chateau-Richer track, they are 270cc Sodi GT4, 9hp...

85km/h +, so it's not bad... And I think they can go faster with a longer straigthaway and better gearing

I,m hoping to go to Ottawa to visit friends for a week during summer. I will drive to Quebec just to go karting. I should look you up when i get to Quebec. Maybe get together for a night of karting :doublethumb:

 

[Dave Stephenson]

one word explains why they get slower I think. 'Brussels'

 

[GAIAjohan]

Wow! 100kph is that a outdoor track? l

This one:
http://www.kartingdesfagnes.com/index.php?lang=en

 

[William Levesque]

I,m hoping to go to Ottawa to visit friends for a week during summer. I will drive to Quebec just to go karting. I should look you up when i get to Quebec. Maybe get together for a night of karting :doublethumb:

Haha that would be awesome