Kart blog

Go Kart Racing Strategy
Before the race starts, you may want to consider a racing strategy. This is something that fans of Formula 1 will be familiar with, but for those that aren’t in the know: a racing strategy is a carefully detailed plan used to achieve a specific goal. In most cases, this ‘specific goal’ is winning a race (unless you’re Sauber, in which case your ‘specific goal’ might be finishing a race).

tuck It \ Stick it: Usually used by two stroke racers to describe what happens when you run to lean and the piston sticks and usually seizes the engine.
• Tater Digger: Derogatory term used to describe a four-stroke motor in a karting application. Maybe don’t use this one.
• Tow: Another term for “drafting.”

Jug: The body portion of a two-stroke engine, which includes the cylinder.
• Pipe: The exhaust of a 2-stroke engine. May also be referred to (incorrectly) as “expansion chamber” and (correctly) as “tuned pipe.”
• Laydown Enduro Kart: A kart set up for a long track (Over 1.2mi) and races for at least 30 Minutes. The driver lays down in a horizontal position, hence the name.

Graining: Describes the appearance of a tire that looks somewhat like sandpaper. Occurs usually when the tire has been operated just outside its ideal range.
• Hot Shoe: A frequent race winner

The second type simply has no clutch at all. The motor and rear axle are permanently connected. These karts are started by pushing.
• Expansion Chamber: The section of a two-stroke exhaust system designed to capture the and time the travel of expanded gases past the divergent cone (the “balloon” part of the pipe.

The first type (by far the most common) is equipped with an automatic, centrifugal clutch that operates like a moped. This is the kind of setup you’ll find on everything from rentals, Briggs 206 and TAG.

Direct Drive: Essentially it means single gear kart, but has spawned two meanings.
The first type (by far the most common) is equipped with an automatic, centrifugal clutch that operates like a moped. This is the kind of setup you’ll find on everything from rentals, Briggs 206 and TAG.