E_Rak's Karting Saga

[E_Rak]

Right, so I know most of you boys are really more into your full-sized (BMW branded) toys, but for those who enjoy the smaller things in life, here is my build/race/blog thread about my foray into the deep dark world of amateur go karting.

I've been racing casually on and off since I was 17. For a while I was a regular visitor to F1 Boston and had some really good success in the junior leagues there. Second in the points championship, first in the big final race, yadda yadda yadda. Indoor is fun and all, but there is only so far you can go with it. After coming in second place in a team 90 minute endurance at F1 Outdoors, I knew that was place for me, but the story kind of ended there.

After turning 18 my only option was to run in the adult leagues. Those were on weekdays at six or seven PM in Braintree, which is south of Boston. I live north of Boston. A 45 minute ride wound up taking two hours, and after six rounds of getting my butt kicked by dirty drivers, I was done. Besides, I was heading off to school anyway. So why the sudden change of heart? Well, I noticed a good friend I met (and usually beat, hehe) in the junior leagues was actually going somewhere in racing. He posted on Facebook a blurb about how his application to the Skip Barber Karts to Cars Shootout was accepted. I instantly became ultra jelly, and needed to do something.

After about a week's research, I decided World Formula was right for me. This is a four-stroke series that uses Briggs and Stratton motors. These are much more reliable and much cheaper than rotax or other two-stroke motors. Although they aren't as popular as the oil burners, these motors still put out power in the range of 15 HP, plenty to get me going. It also helps that they are beginning to gain a lot of following, especially in New England. I found a good deal online, a 2013 Arrow X2 chassis (proven at a national level) that came with a dyno'd and blueprinted motor with only four or five races on it. The owner graciously lowered his price to exactly what I wanted to pay, and even offered to drop it off at my front door. Perfect.
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Now, for those of you who made it all the way through, let's get on with the pictures!

Here's the kart with its original owner on the cover GORacing Magazine, April 2013.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5564/14716995007_97b2b3d093_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oqurTe)
GORacing April 2013 (https://flic.kr/p/oqurTe) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Sitting in my garage the day it was dropped off (PO's seat padding still installed).

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/14716910659_517f16db44_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oqu1NX)
IMAG0263 (https://flic.kr/p/oqu1NX) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Test fit in the parts van from work (THANK GOD it fit!! Also happened to fit into my mom's RAV4).

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5569/14716873390_3e15cd4e24_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oqtPJo)
IMAG0264 (https://flic.kr/p/oqtPJo) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Got it cleaned up and squeezed into the basement.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/14716909969_52e0644903_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oqu1B4)
IMAG0266 (https://flic.kr/p/oqu1B4) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Organizing the work bench.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5573/14716996257_314b7e1528_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oqusfM)
IMAG0268 (https://flic.kr/p/oqusfM) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

The whole shebang; official work area.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3846/14903196872_be2308178f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oGWMdd)
IMAG0270 (https://flic.kr/p/oGWMdd) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr
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That was it for week one of ownership, here's some updates from this week.

Found these perfect wing nuts, I have to take the sidepods off to transport the kart, so they will be quite handy!

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/14880549406_59423e28e9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oEWGUE)
IMAG0271 (https://flic.kr/p/oEWGUE) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

And for the moment you've all been waiting for, NEW STICKERS!!!!!!!! What a pain in the arse these were. Still not happy with the right sidepod, plastic too rough for perfect adhesion.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/14880548886_38378ceb88_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oEWGKG)
IMAG0278 (https://flic.kr/p/oEWGKG) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr
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Coming up soon:

Getting the kart to the scales this week
First practice session Saturday

I don't care if not a single person reads this post, I'm going to update for myself anyway! :cheers

[Avetiso]

Dude, this is awesome! Karts are so much freaking fun.

[Newjack]

Oh man I'm stoked for this!

[OtterEffect]

Looks epic! I'd love to see some GoPro footage.

[E_Rak]

Dude, this is awesome! Karts are so much freaking fun.

Thanks! I was hooked from the first lap haha


Oh man I'm stoked for this!

Me too :thumbup


Looks epic! I'd love to see some GoPro footage.

I'll see if I can borrow my buddy's, think he has a mount that might work for a helmet :dunno

[ELCID86]

Sounds like a blast. Thanks for sharing.

[Oli77]

Looks great. Love karting. Puts a smile on my face and the bugs get stuck in my teeth.

[Hornung418]

Looks like fun!

Sent from my GS3.

[slater]

awesome post! and sounds like a great plan. i love karting and have been to F1 Boston numerous times, and two weeks ago i went karting on a friend's bachelor party at Action500 in montreal - my best friend and i got some one-on-one track time and got into the top 5 times for the month there - we were stoked!

i have long wanted to join a karting league, and it would be a great venue for family racing too, when my son gets older (unfortunately my daughter has no interest in karting).

good stuff! keep up with the updates!

peter

[jakksfor20]

I raced down in Sarasota as a kid. That was "low" budget racing as my Dad did it for me, my brother, and he also raced. I was competitive even being in a slower kart compared to the ones that had money, blue-printed motors, always new tires. That has long burned a fire in me. I've raced at indoor tracks all over the country and consistently could go near the top times quickly. While I was in Virginia Beach last year, I had one of the regular Top 3 guys turn me on purpose after I passed him. He was pissed that someone with just a few laps could do that. Anyways, after looking into doing league racing, I just found it too expensive for what I could get out of it. That is the main reason I have pretty much latched on with a Chump Car team. I've got into doing the HPDE's and am looking to do my first race in November.

Good luck, always enjoy reading about people actually do something about their racing passion. In anyway possible.

[E_Rak]

Sounds like a blast. Thanks for sharing.


Looks like fun!

Thanks, It sure is!


Looks great. Love karting. Puts a smile on my face and the bugs get stuck in my teeth.

Gotta remember, visor down :cool


awesome post! and sounds like a great plan. i love karting and have been to F1 Boston numerous times, and two weeks ago i went karting on a friend's bachelor party at Action500 in montreal - my best friend and i got some one-on-one track time and got into the top 5 times for the month there - we were stoked!

i have long wanted to join a karting league, and it would be a great venue for family racing too, when my son gets older (unfortunately my daughter has no interest in karting).

good stuff! keep up with the updates!

F1 Boston really is a fantastic facility, between the two tracks, quick karts, beautiful lobby, and full restaurant, it's hard to beat! It's always nice once in a while to have an open track to try and bang out the best possible time. If you you have even a thought about joining a league and one is convenient for you, just do it. The racing is much better with guys who are as quick, if not faster than you. There is no better feeling than going wheel to wheel in a great battle! How old is your son? Sometimes the sooner they start, the better they will be! Some kids in the leagues are six and seven years old if you have the resources. I'll try and update as much as possible! :thumbsup


I raced down in Sarasota as a kid. That was "low" budget racing as my Dad did it for me, my brother, and he also raced. I was competitive even being in a slower kart compared to the ones that had money, blue-printed motors, always new tires. That has long burned a fire in me. I've raced at indoor tracks all over the country and consistently could go near the top times quickly. While I was in Virginia Beach last year, I had one of the regular Top 3 guys turn me on purpose after I passed him. He was pissed that someone with just a few laps could do that. Anyways, after looking into doing league racing, I just found it too expensive for what I could get out of it. That is the main reason I have pretty much latched on with a Chump Car team. I've got into doing the HPDE's and am looking to do my first race in November.

Good luck, always enjoy reading about people actually do something about their racing passion. In anyway possible.

I definitely feel where you are coming from. My friend I mentioned who is going to Skip Barber had way more opportunity than me, racing in a brand new CRG Rotax kart for the last year or so and participating in ALL the leagues. It's really frustrating being held back by finances or a willingness to save money. I'm the same way whenever I get out onto a new track. I'm quickly up to speed and can usually post a top time in the first session or two in a new kart on a new track. Hopefully with this series the racing won't get too too expensive, as you mentioned, since the engines are cheap and reliable. Chump Car seems like a fantastic series if you can cobble together a decent car with some good friends, best of luck with that! :cheers

[slater]

F1 Boston really is a fantastic facility, between the two tracks, quick karts, beautiful lobby, and full restaurant, it's hard to beat! It's always nice once in a while to have an open track to try and bang out the best possible time. If you you have even a thought about joining a league and one is convenient for you, just do it. The racing is much better with guys who are as quick, if not faster than you. There is no better feeling than going wheel to wheel in a great battle! How old is your son? Sometimes the sooner they start, the better they will be! Some kids in the leagues are six and seven years old if you have the resources. I'll try and update as much as possible! :thumbsup


my son is 7, and small for his age, which complicates things - he's only about 47" tall. but he's got a lot of skill and good instincts (i remember pushing him on a toy vehicle when he was 4; i slid the rear end out into a drift and he counter-steered without me prompting - what a great moment that was :) ).

peter

[danewilson77]

Damn. Awesome work. Looks great.

The friendliest forum on the planet!

[jakksfor20]

I also did a league race here at AMP. Awesome track with 144 feet of elevation change. First experience since I was a kid having to add weight to meet the 175# class. Started 10th out of 18 in the first race and made it to 4th before I was punted (more experienced guy missed his braking zone into a hairpin. Ended up finishing 9th. Second race I started 9th again after inversion). Finished 3rd. First time actually feeling the effects of a draft. 55mph public karts is what they basically are.

[E_Rak]

my son is 7, and small for his age, which complicates things - he's only about 47" tall. but he's got a lot of skill and good instincts (i remember pushing him on a toy vehicle when he was 4; i slid the rear end out into a drift and he counter-steered without me prompting - what a great moment that was :) ).

Kid's a natural born racer! I promise you if you go to a real club karting event you will see a few youngins much smaller than him!


Damn. Awesome work. Looks great.

Thanks boss. :thumbup


I also did a league race here at AMP. Awesome track with 144 feet of elevation change. First experience since I was a kid having to add weight to meet the 175# class. Started 10th out of 18 in the first race and made it to 4th before I was punted (more experienced guy missed his braking zone into a hairpin. Ended up finishing 9th. Second race I started 9th again after inversion). Finished 3rd. First time actually feeling the effects of a draft. 55mph public karts is what they basically are.

Haha, I remember lugging those weights to my kart every time as well! I think I'm going to need about 40 pounds to get into the World Formula Light class, which is 365 kart and driver.

I'm going to try and have an update for you later tonight, did a few things in preparation for Saturday. If I don't have time, then Friday night for sure.

[E_Rak]

So got a few things done. Spent about five hours with a buddy trying to align the front end of the kart by hand with rulers and tape measure. We eventually gave up and had to go pay a visit to George at ApexKarting in North Reading who let me use his scales and Sniper laser aligner on the house. :thumbsup
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New cuffs on the legs of my racing suit, thanks mom!!!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/14745329800_1bed7aae22_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/osZEQ9)
IMAG0285 (https://flic.kr/p/osZEQ9) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Getting ready to pad the seat for my skinny ass.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14745329919_7035a692e2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/osZESc)
IMAG0283 (https://flic.kr/p/osZESc) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Bridgstones coming off to be changed for the harder Mojo Greens for the practice day.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3858/14745328599_246ae77c5c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/osZEtr)
IMAG0284 (https://flic.kr/p/osZEtr) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Raising the front ride height, too low for my liking, really easy to drag. As simple as shuffling spacers around. If only it were that easy on a car?? :foottap

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14745329059_6b52cf42d8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/osZEBn)
IMAG0282 (https://flic.kr/p/osZEBn) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Sitting pretty on the scales. :wub

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14931625052_60988fda9d_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/oKstVf)IMAG0286 (https://flic.kr/p/oKstVf) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Kart only, 2/3 tank of fuel.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/14931623742_ab8e1a32d8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oKstwE)
IMAG0287 (https://flic.kr/p/oKstwE) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Kart with me and racing gear on. I'll need to add between 50 and 60 pounds of ballast depending on the fuel load. :eyetwitch

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5575/14745327929_c05a934bb4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/osZEgT)
IMAG0289 (https://flic.kr/p/osZEgT) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Packed up and ready for the morning. I also managed to squeeze a small table and three collapsible chairs in here after the photo.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5566/14745428017_f9eb742e88_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ot1b2x)
IMAG0297 (https://flic.kr/p/ot1b2x) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr
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Hopefully will have some more pics from the track tomorrow!

[jakksfor20]

Just a question. Do they not require the side pods to be wire locked on? Just wondering if your wing nuts will be satisfactory.

[prowlerflyer]

Good luck! I have been running a Sodi 125 TAG the past couple of years in the Tampa area. Karts are great fun for the dollar, and is the best way to feed the speed beast economically. Although I love karting, it and car racing are very different beasts. Both are unique in there own way, with their own satisfaciton.

I started in karts as a kid, and eventually worked my way up into IMSA and SCCA Pro, and although somewhat successful, it became unsustainable with life.

[E_Rak]

Just a question. Do they not require the side pods to be wire locked on? Just wondering if your wing nuts will be satisfactory.

You make a good point. Today was just an open practice session so there was no tech inspection. I actually ran my first few laps with them like that and quickly realized they were working themselves loose. I opted to remove them in lieu of zip ties holding the bars to the frame, as per the recomendation of a local kart builder in my town. It's crazy how bolts you think are right and good to go come back barely hanging on at the end of a session! Lock nuts, lock tite, and safety wire all around as a necessity.


Good luck! I have been running a Sodi 125 TAG the past couple of years in the Tampa area. Karts are great fun for the dollar, and is the best way to feed the speed beast economically. Although I love karting, it and car racing are very different beasts. Both are unique in there own way, with their own satisfaciton.

I started in karts as a kid, and eventually worked my way up into IMSA and SCCA Pro, and although somewhat successful, it became unsustainable with life.

Thanks for the comments. As my first foray into high performance karts I think I hit a good sweet spot with World Formula for its lower running costs. I can definitely see how the sport can get very expensive, very quickly. You're right, running in a real car at speed is a completely different beast to a go kart with no suspension! Too bad you couldn't make a career out of racing, it's always been one of those dreams of mine I will probably never satisfy.
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Soo anyway. Today was the test and tune / open practice at F1 Outdoors in Bridgewater. We ran the revers (clockwise) config with the banking included, a part of the track I haven't run before. It sure was an experience. Coming from only having driven rental karts, I wasn't really prepared for the cornering ability of a proper chassis. Even on (relatively) hard Mojo D2s, the cornering speeds and g-forces in some of the corners was astonishing! Need to do some real work on the kart's setup. I couldn't really get the handling quite right all day, I was struggling with rear end grip on corner exit and stability over the bumps. I did make a few improvements though on my first day out. Gearing also was too short, I was hitting the limiter early down the main straight, and I didn't think to bring my other sets of gears. Next time.

Had a couple scary moments. Got distracted trying to watch out for a group of 2-strokes coming up behind me and missed the corner entry on a hairpin. I locked up and spun and thankfully backed away off the racing line. Second incident was near pit in. In this config, it's on the outside of a pretty fast (nearly flat) sweeping 180 degree right hander. I could have sworn the guy in front of me had his hand up and was on the outside of the track to pit in, but decided at the last minute to stay out. Meanwhile, I'm coming up the inside, noting that he is about to pit in, and get completely caught out when he stays on track. I lock the brakes and do a heart-wrenching 180 at a pretty good clip, thankfully not hitting anything. I definitely earned the rookie stripes on my back bumper today. :)
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Quick video of me coming off the final turn (scene of aforementioned off!), hitting the limiter too early down the straight. Sorry for potato quality, iPhones really like to compress their video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyazlYKOENI

Quick shot down the paddock, looking pathetic next to everyone's big trailers!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14760160267_0bfed73b83_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ouiFpR)
IMG952128 (https://flic.kr/p/ouiFpR) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Steezy as heckkkk.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14759965357_6ded370f9f_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ouhFtk)
2014-08-16 10.40.34 (https://flic.kr/p/ouhFtk) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Big shoutout to my friend Steve (SER) who helped me out a ton!

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3864/14759842660_43903c3b94_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ouh3ZS)
2014-08-16 10.42.29 (https://flic.kr/p/ouh3ZS) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3845/14946162002_f4f2f611b5_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oLJZfj)
2014-08-16 11.01.57 (https://flic.kr/p/oLJZfj) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Dad's watchful eye.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5553/14759828659_9e470ac007_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ougYQt)
2014-08-16 10.46.23 (https://flic.kr/p/ougYQt) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Suiting up.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5590/14946508185_7924ba8fa1_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oLLL9Z)
2014-08-16 10.45.06 (https://flic.kr/p/oLLL9Z) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Looking a bit flustered after my big off (note the grass on the hot tires). Girlfriend standing by feeling a bit jelly, she used to race too.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/14946507465_cb1ff5e4b7_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oLLKWz)
2014-08-16 11.01.07 (https://flic.kr/p/oLLKWz) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Will update later in the week with status on teardown and inspection, setup changes, and maintenance items! Thanks for reading!

[Hornung418]

Way cool!!

Sent from my GS3.

[prowlerflyer]

Too bad you couldn't make a career out of racing, it's always been one of those dreams of mine I will probably never satisfy.

Thanks, but no regrets here. Found another path equally exciting, with a better brotherhood.

Just too few pro racers out there that did not have some family money behind them at some point.

I think the hardest part about karting is having people understand that you're not just doing some amusement park bumper carts.... They have NO idea how fast and physical a race kart can be.

Steve

[E_Rak]

Way cool!!

Sent from my GS3.

Thanks!


Thanks, but no regrets here. Found another path equally exciting, with a better brotherhood.

Just too few pro racers out there that did not have some family money behind them at some point.

I think the hardest part about karting is having people understand that you're not just doing some amusement park bumper carts.... They have NO idea how fast and physical a race kart can be.

Steve

That's awesome you found something to fill that void left behind when you leave the track! You're absolutely right, in most situations, anybody who races at a professional level (not gentleman drivers) most likely had backing from an either racing-focused or a really well-off family.

You're also correct about trying to get normal people to understand what real karting is. Usually when I tell someone I go kart, I see them crack a smile, and have to explain that I'm talking about a serious machine that can corner at two to three g's and hit highway speeds in the straights.

[TWong1200]

Friggin awesome. I so would love to get into this.

[ELCID86]

Way cool!!

Sent from my GS3.
+1!

[E_Rak]

Friggin awesome. I so would love to get into this.


+1!

If you want to get into motorsport, this is one of the cheapest ways (less maybe auto-x). A used setup like mine can be had a for a few thousand, depending on what you're looking at. But for between 3 and 5 thousand (again, depending on engine package) you can find a reasonably recent package that is ready to hit the track! It's also a great way to learn how to set up the chassis and gearing, giving you valuable tools that might be handy one day on a full-sized track car.

[ELCID86]

Any updates!

Marin and I went to an indoor facility near Dulles today.

15574


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[M0nk3y]

Wow, how'd I miss this?

Are these shifter karts? I couldn't see too well in the photos if they were or not.


In SCCA autox they have Kart-Mod classes that have shifter karts and they seem like an absolute blast. I would love to strap myself to one of those one day.

[E_Rak]

Any updates!

Marin and I went to an indoor facility near Dulles today.



Gotten lazy, update will come tomorrow, I've done a fair bit of work. First real race is Saturday!

Looks like a really nice place, hope you had a good time.


Wow, how'd I miss this?

Are these shifter karts? I couldn't see too well in the photos if they were or not.

In SCCA autox they have Kart-Mod classes that have shifter karts and they seem like an absolute blast. I would love to strap myself to one of those one day.

Mine is a single speed w/ centrifugal clutch. My first real kart so didn't want to get too deep into it, but shifters are looking nice toward the future!

[M0nk3y]

Gotten lazy, update will come tomorrow, I've done a fair bit of work. First real race is Saturday!

Looks like a really nice place, hope you had a good time.



Mine is a single speed w/ centrifugal clutch. My first real kart so didn't want to get too deep into it, but shifters are looking nice toward the future!
Nice. I've done some minor karting at some places for fun (we've put together a couple endurance events) and they are such a blast....but take a toll on your body so much.

What is the top speed on those?

[E_Rak]

Nice. I've done some minor karting at some places for fun (we've put together a couple endurance events) and they are such a blast....but take a toll on your body so much.

What is the top speed on those?

Really gearing dependent, probably 60 or 65 in a normal situation, more so if you geared it really tall. About 15 hp.

[M0nk3y]

Really gearing dependent, probably 60 or 65 in a normal situation, more so if you geared it really tall. About 15 hp.
Gotcha. Do you have different gears depending on the course?

also...and go pro videos yet?

[E_Rak]

Gotcha. Do you have different gears depending on the course?

also...and go pro videos yet?

Yeah, you can change the front drive sprocket and the rear gear to give different ratios.

No footage from me, but here's some from a friend of mine (I'm not in it, but you'll get the idea!).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQzCq1fsP4

Anyway, so updates. After the practice session I did a once over of everything and gave her some fresh oil. I notice there was a slight oil seep from the left side engine cover, so I decided to go around and re-torque all the bolts. You can guess what happened next.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3878/15248368511_c91b05e862_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/perSHn)
IMAG0300 (https://flic.kr/p/perSHn) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Taking out the seat to assess the situation.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/15064903018_e635582191_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oXeyPd)
IMAG0301 (https://flic.kr/p/oXeyPd) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

On the plus side, I found some mismatched bolts and washers holding the seat together so I tidied that up (no pics of new hardware yet).

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/15064902578_f694239b43_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/oXeyFC)IMAG0306 (https://flic.kr/p/oXeyFC) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Motor out.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/15251460465_41b4229ac1_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/peHHQV)IMAG0302 (https://flic.kr/p/peHHQV) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

The culprit.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5565/15064902778_c9755f4843_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/oXeyK5)IMAG0304 (https://flic.kr/p/oXeyK5) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

If you remember from my practice day update a couple eye terminals broke, so I went in and fixed up the wiring. Just checking to see if that fixed the starter issue (it did).

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/15064697309_6809faccd1_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/oXdvEv)IMAG0303 (https://flic.kr/p/oXdvEv) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

First race day is coming up Saturday. I have a few things to do when I get home on Friday: finish changing over to Bridgestone YLBs, photograph seat hardware, possibly tidy up floor mounting hardware, install weights and scale the kart, purchase EVS neck collar, put in a baseline setup on the kart, figure out numbering, and pack everything up for the morning.

Will probably post an update Friday night after I'm all done, then again after Saturday.

[Stigissimo]

Subbed Brudda

[danewilson77]

Good luck Sir.

The friendliest forum on the planet!

[E_Rak]

Here's the weekend recap, it should be a good because some errrr - interesting things happened, enjoy!

First sighting of the day before leaving campus.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/15117484150_9d71bac932_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/p2T4ms)IMAG0315 (https://flic.kr/p/p2T4ms) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Bridgestone YLB's mounted from before I left. Went to the shop and seated the beads. I need new valve stems for next time these were acting up. Tires had about 30 laps on them going in.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3840/15117421199_714ab5ffa0_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/p2SJD6)IMAG0318 (https://flic.kr/p/p2SJD6) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Hitting the scales (Thanks George!).

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/15117635787_b1b2fcca61_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/p2TQqT)IMAG0320 (https://flic.kr/p/p2TQqT) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Minimum weight: 360. Crap. I had another ten pounder to add underneath the seat but it would have been a total PITA, including removing the entire setup to fit the thing under there. Luckily, George had a five pounder on hand and lent me that. Ran in the races topped off on a fuel as well and came in at about 365, perfect.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5574/15304191735_983d608f1e_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/pjnZ1K)IMAG0319 (https://flic.kr/p/pjnZ1K) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Dat lead.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/15281140396_2e1049d447_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/phkQDS)IMAG0325 (https://flic.kr/p/phkQDS) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

OK so story on this. First practice session of the day. Horrible setup on the kart, but I can deal with that later. Five laps in, coming off a turn onto the longest straight, and the kart is starting to feel a bit....... floaty lets say. I make it 2/3 of the way down the straight and decide I should slow down and see what's up. The second I lift, I instantly propel myself into a spin and wind up on the grass. WTF. I get out, fearing a broken axle and a million other expensive things, and see that this happened.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/15304188175_a57b4de3ac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pjnXXn)
IMAG0321 (https://flic.kr/p/pjnXXn) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Yes, that's my rear hub, and yes, there are supposed to be three lugs sticking out. I was three-wheeling it down the front stretch at full tilt. LOL. I (or my friend) must have either overtightened or undertightened one of the lugs, causing it to either fail or otherwise work itself off, forcing the remainder of the studs to fail under the load. The tire did wind up zipping into the busy pit area, but luckily one of the guys saw and caught the thing before it injured somebody.

So what do I do now? Well, being a karting event, everyone tried to help. I had offers to drill the studs out, offers for loaner hubs, new hubs, everything. I eventually found a really nice guy, Roger at Pro Speed Karts, who offered to drill out the studs and install new ones with new lugs as well. $44 dollars, one missed practice, and the butt of a few jokes later, and I was ready to get out.

And by ready to get out, I mean we literally finished bolting the thing back up one minute before I needed to be on track for qualifying. Truly heroic stuff. Went out there on a changed and untested setup from earlier, that miraculously worked! I qualified 4th out of six in my lightweight class (keep in mind, only 2nd day in the machine).

Installed the honorary stickers (wonder how I came up with the numbers... :shifty).

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/15301045021_efd56d93b1_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/pj6RB4)IMAG0324 (https://flic.kr/p/pj6RB4) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Pre-final race. Starting 4th, rolling start, packed really tight. I'm squeezed in on the inside curb and have to check up from the guys in front of me bunching up. Lift-off oversteer + cold tires = instant spin. I worked my way back up through the heavyweight guys and finished 5th in the class. Meh. onto the final.

So I start second to last here, so not much room to go back. By now I have a few fans in the crowd and a some helpful advice from Tom Prioli of Checkered Flag in Haverhill. I had a clean first lap and quickly made a move on the 4th place guy on the second lap. Done, bit of a gap to third place. I put my head down and push for some lap times. Eventually I catch up to P3 and have a great nose to tail battle for a few laps, with a little side by side stuff. Eventually, I make my move and get up into the podium spots! It was clean sailing from there and I was feeling great until a kid in a mini max (<13 years old) blew by me at the latter part of the race. He had no other relevant group to run with, so he went with us.

Started to really feel the strain in my neck towards the latter portion of a race, but after setting my best times of the day I had a big enough gap behind to stay comfortable, and a big enough one to first and second that I had no chance of making it. So I cruised (still quickly) to the finish and took home the hardware. Need to work on those neck/upper back muscles, my God what a punishment!

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5594/15117602168_fdb852352c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/p2TErf)
IMAG0323 (https://flic.kr/p/p2TErf) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Big shoutout to Roger for helping me with get on the track with four wheels, and my friend Steve who gave up relaxing on his 21st birthday to help deal with my shit. :cheers

[danewilson77]

Nice job!

The friendliest forum on the planet!

[E_Rak]

Nice job!

The friendliest forum on the planet!

Thanks boss, had a blast!

[johnrando]

:like

[E_Rak]

I take no photo nor driver credit, but here's a good friend of mine at F1 on Sunday during the 150 lap Rotax team endurance. Brief update coming - I have a crazy week of school unfortunately!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10473603_967771893239654_1578102441430533339_n.jpg ?oh=b589e25e94daaac9eb1ed38208ac66da&oe=54F83E5A&__gda__=1421147371_eaee17283bbc01f11ddb48944891c3c 2

[E_Rak]

Sorry it's been a while, but here's an update from about a month ago. Came home to do a practice session and got a lot of work done, no photos from the track unfortunately, but it was a fairly uneventful day.

Little workshop upgrade: electricity is nice!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/15854363932_03b716f4b5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q9ZL3h)
IMAG0359 (https://flic.kr/p/q9ZL3h) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

I was pouring way too much oil out of the top of the valve cover under certain cornering conditions, so I decided it time to install the breather/return kit I had laying around. Quick shot of the top end, looking fresh and clean.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8626/15854364942_7e35671efb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/q9ZLkG)
IMAG0353 (https://flic.kr/p/q9ZLkG) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Drilling through the valve cover.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7520/15667647870_4f3c29e94e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pSuMRQ)
IMAG0354 (https://flic.kr/p/pSuMRQ) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Here it is installed, you can see the return line taking oil from the top end back down to the main fill port.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7582/15667479398_048f408893_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pStVM9)
IMAG0355 (https://flic.kr/p/pStVM9) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Here it is from the front; install was very clean.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8654/15235346473_ac05ebabe9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pdi8Ht)
IMAG0358 (https://flic.kr/p/pdi8Ht) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Also decided to freshen up the floor hardware with some nice aluminum conical washers and new countersunk allen bolts all around. You can see one set jest next to the black frame wrap.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8661/15667647060_93cdb342ac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pSuMBS)
IMAG0357 (https://flic.kr/p/pSuMBS) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Here's the front of the floor. I plan on ditching the plastic heel stops and machining new ones out of aluminum to my own design. Currently they are not in the most comfortable spot for me, and I'll design a new setup during winter break. We have a great machine shop at school that I'll use to make them out of aluminum.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15669224357_32e4c37a9d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pSCSuD)
IMAG0356 (https://flic.kr/p/pSCSuD) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Glam shot.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/15669223427_86158f39d7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pSCSdB)
IMAG0361 (https://flic.kr/p/pSCSdB) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

[danewilson77]

Nice!

"No flamesuit required"

[derbo]

great upgrades! I love conical washers.

[E_Rak]

Nice!

"No flamesuit required"

Thanks! Hope to get more work done over winter break.


great upgrades! I love conical washers.

Hahaha, me too!

[E_Rak]

FINALLY got a camera!. Decided to rip around the neighborhood. Update coming and hopefully more footage in the future.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUifysxQU9E

[WOLFN8TR]

Nice!! [emoji2]

[johnrando]

Looks like a blast.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[bcleaver]

cool thread man, looks like a total blast. There is a pretty neat looking outdoor karting track called, go figure, 'the track' in Centennial, CO right across the road from the garage where I keep my car. I've been tempted to roll over there and check it out but fear it would result in me getting a kart.

Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to more updates.

[E_Rak]

Thanks man I'm having a great time with it! You should definitely head across the street and check it out, you won't regret it even IF you walk away with your own wheels!

Working on an update for tonight. Nothing too exciting but the best I can do in the winter! Struggling to get good photos because of my HTC M7 camera... hope you like a tinge of purple.

[E_Rak]

Changed my mind and decided to write this update now! Apologize for the photos, having some camera issues.

First order of business: take care of that rat's nest!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7510/15998309128_2b604e9350_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvW1)
IMAG0399 (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvW1) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Much better. Brand new custom wiring with a much tidier route.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7557/15999958557_a69d34b2b1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnRYfr)
IMAG0401 (https://flic.kr/p/qnRYfr) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Closeup of the heat shrink and connections on the starter.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8652/15999956387_09e71a4205_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnRXB2)
IMAG0403 (https://flic.kr/p/qnRXB2) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Next order of business was chassis protection. PO had some interesting frame wrap rather than full on chassis blocks, so I decided to pull out the toasted wrap and replace it. Reason you need protection is because the kart rides so low that the frame rails scrape the pavement in heavy compression or when the tires are not up to temp. This flattens the bottom rails and over time reduces the stiffness of the frame.

State of one of the existing pieces.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/15565962123_8de5263b01_b.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/pHvCei)IMAG0405 (https://flic.kr/p/pHvCei) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

20 feet of freshies! This stuff was super difficult to find at a reasonable price. Eventually paid $27 for the reel after weeks of searching.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8652/15998435930_301c894898_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnJaCf)
IMAG0406 (https://flic.kr/p/qnJaCf) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Floorpan underside complete.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8682/15565959123_a8259a3a79_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pHvBkz)
IMAG0412 (https://flic.kr/p/pHvBkz) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Critical front bar area. Some of this wound up ripping itself apart when I ran the kart on my street, so I'll have to come up with a new system of protection.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7489/15563380794_329d796200_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pHhoTC)
IMAG0411 (https://flic.kr/p/pHhoTC) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Tried my hardest to cover all the area possible. Sometimes it takes many pieces to do a tube because of different mounts and tabs welded on.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7508/16185755545_f2f570ff4e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qEhedM)
IMAG0410 (https://flic.kr/p/qEhedM) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

Also picked up a set of barely used Douglas Mags with a scrubbed in set of MG Yellows. Thanks to George at Apex Kart Sports!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15998308768_330d755b26_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvPN)
IMAG0416 (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvPN) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

In case you didn't realize how wide the rears are.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7526/15998308468_cc8d322d0c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvJC)
IMAG0417 (https://flic.kr/p/qnHvJC) by 686erak (https://www.flickr.com/people/93742270@N07/), on Flickr

That's all for now. Still have to do the remainder of the kart's frame protection and a few bits and bobs. Have a good one!

[E_Rak]

Update / not really an update. Season is coming up! In two weeks I'm doing an open practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, so really looking forward to that. Been doing a bit of work on the kart in the meantime. I actually managed to spend my entire spring break trying to bleed those God-damned brakes!!! Small master cylinders FTL. In the meantime, here's a video of me indoor karting this weekend. Updates soon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PZ27KOPoak

[ELCID86]

Whoa. Where you been bouy!


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[E_Rak]

Uni! Not been on the forums much lately, preoccupied with engineering and other shenanigans. Hoping to get back into it :thumbsup

[ELCID86]

Uni! Not been on the forums much lately, preoccupied with engineering and other shenanigans. Hoping to get back into it :thumbsup

'Mon back! Good to see you.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[E_Rak]

A taste of the action from NHMS last weekend (language warning!). More coming soon!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUbbIDd2h3Q

[danewilson77]

The guy with the hoodie on is a card.

What do you figure you have invested in this hobby?

[E_Rak]

Haha yeah that's my friend Steve.

I got the package for 3000 last summer. 2013 Chassis and blueprinted motor w/ the stand, gears, oil, tires, etc. Everything to hit the track. Probably another 6-700 in driver's gear, extra wheels, etc. Brand new the stuff probably totals over 7k. If you go new 2-stroke (rotax and the like) look at paying 3-4 grand for the motor alone. The Briggs motors I'm running go for 1000 ready to race. Chassis new can be upwards of 5 grand. Used was definitely the way to go!

Also, "towing" aka stuffing the whole getup into the back of my mom's Rav4 saves a bit :)

[danewilson77]

Sweet. Thanks.

"No flamesuit required"

[E_Rak]

No problem! Slowly editing/rendering/uploading the uncut footage. Two more long sessions coming along with some stills.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3bLgX8CAxg

[E_Rak]

Trickling some more out...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otudPtKG_vA

[E_Rak]

Final video from NHMS practice, this is from the best / most interesting run of the day! Next time in the kart will be May 17th at F1 Outdoors for the first race of the season. Content coming!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLukphfKPa0

[E_Rak]

Long time no post, but here's what I've been up to:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPr2ohOD8_8

Check out the YouTube channel for full race edits! Haven't sat in a ZHP in over a year :(

[ELCID86]

Hey. Good to see you. Looks like a blast.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46f member

[BMWCurves]

Very cool, I've always wanted to go karting beyond local sub 25 mph courses.

[E_Rak]

Very cool, I've always wanted to go karting beyond local sub 25 mph courses.

If you ever get the opportunity, jump on it! If there are any races in your area, it's worth it to even go and spectate to see the difference in the karts and the drivers. Many of the shops that attend the races do rentals too. You would be blown away by the performance of a real kart compared to even some of the best hire karts.

It's a long video, but it gives you the sense of driving quality/competitiveness.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScCd-jAlp2o

[derbo]

Thanks for sharing that awesome video!


-Sent from Mobile

[johnrando]

Looks like a blast.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[E_Rak]

Thanks for sharing that awesome video!


-Sent from Mobile

Referring to the edit? Looking for some constructive feedback, it was my first time making a video like that, so I'm glad you liked it!


Looks like a blast.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

It is!

[E_Rak]

Still alive!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbFDLNzX_80

[theothersawyer]

Nice! Cool video too!

[E_Rak]

Nice to the still alive part? :rofl haha just kidding! Glad you liked it.

[theothersawyer]

Hahah yes of course!

[E_Rak]

Event Recap: Destroyed the field by over one second in qualifying, and took first in the heat race by an unheard of FOURTEEN seconds... only to be taken out by the genius maneuver in the second video. Meh.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6Q_GGa9w7E


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyRXSdx4hIE

[ELCID86]

Glad you're ok. Nice going (in heat 1!)

[E_Rak]

Glad you're ok. Nice going (in heat 1!)

Thanks! I was great, but my tie rod was bent a full 90 degrees!!!