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Frequently Asked
Questions
What are the Goals of the club? How can I contact a Club
Officer?
What Kind of Engines Do They
Use?
What Kind of Clutch Do They Use?
Is Kart Racing Safe? What
Safety Equipment is Required?
Are There Schools for Kart
Racing?
Where Can I Practice? Can I
Drive a Kart Even if I Don't Want to Race?
What's the Best Way to Get
Started?
Blue Max started as a mini-bike track in the 60’s and has progressed into one of the longest continuously operated kart tracks/clubs in Northern California. A great feature of the track is that it is close to I-80 and the town of Davis, yet far enough out to keep from offending neighbors with the sound of kart motors. The Blue Max
Kart Club hosts periodic sprint kart races. We have about 200 members of all
ages. You do not need to be a member to race at BMKC, only to accumulate club
points for the season championship. We host one IKF race per season and an IKF
membership is required to run at those races.
GOALS of Blue Max include:
How can I contact a Club Officer?
Feel free to
contact a representative of the Board of Directors, using contact information
found on the Board of Directors (link) page.
The club mailing address is: Blue Max Kart Club,
Get Map The track is on
It varies
depending on the class, but many of the faster karts go about 65 mph at the end
of the straight.
What Kind of Engines Do They Use?
Classes at BMKC
use a variety of engines: First is a 100cc, single-cylinder, two-stroke,
air-cooled engine developed especially for kart racing. "Shifter" karts use a
80cc or 125cc motorcycle engine and a six-speed gearbox. Newer "TaG" classes
use 100cc or 125cc engines that include a built in starter for "Touch and Go"
convenience.
What Kind of Clutch Do They Use?
The 100cc
classes usually use a multi-disk centrifugal clutch and a single gear. Shifter
(gear-box) karts use a multi disc manually controlled clutch. Newer electric
start TaG karts use a centrifugal clutch that is activated at a preset engine
rpm.
A new,
race-ready 100cc kart costs between $4000 and $5000. A good-condition, clean used
kart costs between $2000-$3000 and you may be able to pick up some extra parts
as well. Good places to shop for used karts and accessories are larger
metropolitan newspapers (try off-road vehicles) and the NorCal-Karting web site
at www.norcal-karting.com which
includes classified listings and lots of links to other karting sites.
Safety
equipment costs between about $450 and $800 depending on how extravagant you
get. You will need a driving suit (a jacket with jeans is an "acceptable"
alternative although doesn't provide the same protection), full-face helmet,
gloves, racing or high-top shoes, and neck collar. A rib vest is recommended
for adults and a certified chest protector is required for all drivers under the age of 12 (effective 3/1/06).
Special tools,
a starter, and a kart stand costs about $400. A set of tires (the most commonly
required by the IKF are Bridgestone tires with about three commonly used sprint
racing compounds: (hard, medium sticky
and "sticky") cost about $160 and will last you between two and five race days.
Yes, but it's
not worth it. Race karts chassis have been subjected to great amounts of
research and design, and competition between manufacturers is so fierce that if
you wanted to build a competitive chassis, you would have to spend far more
money in research than it would cost you to buy one off the shelf. But don't
worry, in karting there are enough adjustments you can make and little gadgets
you can build to keep the engineer in you quite content.
Is Kart Racing Safe? What Kind of Safety Equipment is Required?
There is risk
in every form of racing. Though fatalities do occur in kart racing, they are
rare. All kart racers are required to wear a full-faced Snell 2000 or newer helmet,
skid-resistant race suit or jacket, durable long pants like jeans (shorts are
NOT acceptable), racing gloves, padded neck brace, and high-top race shoes or
tennis shoes. Many racers wear a rib-protector, as bruised and occasionally
broken ribs are one of the most common racing injuries. This is mostly due to
the especially high side forces that can be generated by the wide grippy tires
on the karts. Beginning March 1, 2006, junior racers are required to wear SFI
Certified chest protectors as well. An EMT or paramedic is required at all IKF
and BMKC club races.
Karts can
generate more side force than virtually any other form of auto racing. It is
not uncommon for a kart to exceed 2.2 G's and nearly 3G's are possible with
'sticky tires'. A well setup new Corvette can rarely exceed 1.0 G's and even
NASCAR's best road racers generate less than 2Gs.It is interesting to note that
a number of NASCAR drivers routinely use karts to keep their skills finely
honed and physically conditioned. Blue Max hosted both Kurt Busch and Bobby La
Bonte in the week before the
How Old Do I Have to Be? What is the Oldest I Can Be?
You must be at
least 8 years old to race with most kart clubs. Blue Max offers a "Kid
Kart" class for 5 to 7 year olds.
There is no
maximum age in kart racing. A large number of competitive drivers are well into
their 50s or 60s! Some "Masters" classes have a minimum age limit. These
classes are among the most popular and competitive at our club.
No, you do not
need to be licensed, but it is a good idea to attend a school. You should
develop basic kart control skills before attempting to race.
Are There Schools for Kart Racing?
There are
several kart racing schools in
Where Can I Practice? Can I Drive a Kart Even if I Don't Want to Race?
There a several
kart tracks in
Appropriate
safety equipment is mandatory!!!
You don't have
to race to enjoy driving a kart. A number of kart owners attend open practice
days at other local tracks and never enter a race.
What's the
First things
first. Come up and visit us on race day. See the karts in action. Does it look
like fun to you?
Then, attend a
kart school. You'll get a chance to drive a kart and decide whether or not you
really want to make an investment in the sport. A school is the most cost
effective test drive and it can cut huge amounts of time from your learning
curve.
Next, come back
and attend another kart race, perhaps even several. Ask questions and start
looking more closely at the different classes. Introduce yourself to some of
the karters. You may find it helpful to know a few by name on your first race
day. Blue Max Kart Club is a Non-Profit
Corporation staffed by volunteer workers. The club has been in existence for
over 30 years and some of the original members are still participating. Our
club members generally have quite a bit of experience and are quite happy to
offer advice and helpful tips, lend a hand or a tool.
Once you've
narrowed down which class or classes you are interested in, it's time to find
your first kart. New or used? It's up to you and your pocketbook. Many racers
start with used equipment while they learn the ins-and-outs of kart driving and
set-up, sell it after the first season and buy new equipment when they feel
that new equipment will make them both more consistent and competitive.
After that, practice,
practice, practice. Become comfortable driving the kart fast. It's best to get
your seat time at an actual kart track. Large, empty parking lots are tempting,
but the curbs, parking standards, and other immovable objects are dangerous. It
may also be illegal in your area.
When you feel
comfortable in the kart and you've mastered basic kart maintenance, you should
be ready to enter your first race!
If sanctioned
racing isn't what you feel you want, we frequently see groups of friends who
love to race each other no matter what class of kart they have. Some of the most fun racing takes place on
the open practice days.
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2006 - Blue Max Kart Club |
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