A week or so ago when my son and I were were headed back from the range, he mentioned that we should go kart racing one of these days.
Well.....we went today.
Now I've done more than just a bit of racing in the past. I used to run SCCA B-Production cars, and even won the regional title back in 1974.
And I've done my share of after-hours racing out on the deserted two lane blacktops back in Illinois. We knew the roads very well, and blocked off both ends, and any intersecting roads, and went at it. Not "Street Racing" in the sense that you hear about in the news, but still pretty illicit. The cops knew we did it, and pretty much left the group I was with alone, as we NEVER did anything in town, and strongly discouraged all our peers from doing stupid shit on the main streets, side streets, or any other streets in town.
A few years ago, one of my buddies talked me into going to driver's school down at Lake Perris. My buddy continued his kart racing, and last I heard was doing quite well in the Denver area.
ANYWAY....we went to the K1 Speed indoor track today, and I had an absolute blast. The karts are electric powered, with a 20 h.p. motor, and can reach speeds of 40~45 mph.
The facility is clean, well-equipped, and the staff are very friendly and helpful. If you have a question, or need some help, somebody is there pronto to assist you.
Now some people might say this isn't "real" racing, but then they've probably never raced anything in their lives.
Trust me, this IS "real" racing. The karts accelerate very quickly, have more than enough power to slide through the corners controlled by the throttle (NOT the fast way around), have hydraulic disc brakes, real racing tires, a 3-point harness, roll bars, and look to be fairly well built.
My first race had me throttled back electronically, but the second race they let me have full power. Took a few laps for me to get on my game (it's a perishable skill, just like marksmanship), and I started turning faster laps.
I'm sure we'll be going back, as my son wants a rematch after I beat him!
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<i>The Fisher Saga</i> Continues - Act III -
Been working on this post since right after Thanksgiving. I'm making very good progress on the Fisher, and will most likely power it up...
Sounds like a LOT of fun.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I miss ALL the fun...LOL And yes, it IS real racing!
ReplyDeleteAnd I forgot how stiff and sore I was the last time I went!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my mid-20's, I could do a 30 minute sprint race, or a one hour full race, and be recovered the next day.
It's now Monday night, and my deltoids are sore, my pectorals are sore, and the "tips" of my shoulder blades are bruised from the hard seat.
But I had a great time with my son, and that's what counts!
Im definitely going to try these go Karts. Thanks for sharing the fun.
ReplyDeleteDriving fun. Don’t we all fancy to race like the professional drivers. However, only a few of us even make it to that professional racers; the rest don’t get that chance or give up that dream.
ReplyDelete