Do you think that bringing a Rental Kart to the limit is relatively easy? This is a false belief, even for novice drivers. It is certainly easy to drive, even without track experience and without having the natural talent of Max Verstappen, but taking it to the limit and being among the fastest on the track is a more complex matter and should not be underestimated. Emerging in the challenges between friends or in the most demanding sprint and Endurance races in the Rental world is not easy at all, not even for those with some experience of competition go-karting. In fact, finding the most profitable driving style with this type of kart is not immediate. Let’s see why and with the help of some experienced drivers of Rental Kart races, let’s try to give some advice to improve your driving and, above all, your performances. Firstly, you should remember that rental karts are equipped with a limited-power industrial-derived engine and therefore nothing can be wasted. Furthermore, the tires are specific to these karts with a hard compound and the weight is far from content.
These factors added together require a very specific guide and these 5 tips could be very useful:
- Drive clean. Few HPs, tires that offer little grip and a lot of weight require a very clean ride. Your every mistake will be amplified by the little power available. Often it will seem like you are going very fast because you never remove the throttle, brake late, enter corners very fast and control your go-kart with spectacular counter-steering. But then look at the times you realize and the best are long gone. This is one of the most important lessons to learn: skidding makes you waste a lot of time and to avoid it you have to brake first, enter corners more slowly and accelerate as soon as possible with straight tires. You have to drive with great precision and never beyond the possibilities of grip that karting offers.
- Use as little steering angle as possible. You have to find feeling with the steering and face every corner by turning it as little as possible because the front tires slow down the kart at every turn. The fastest drivers manage to tackle the correct lines with imperceptible steering movements and this must become your priority goal. Do not go too fast when cornering and use all the track on the exit, leave the kart flow, then go flat out on a straight line. A suggestion? Train on a very technical indoor circuit.
- Focus on driving. A Rental Kart requires a lot of focus on details: braking points and lines in particular. These aspects must be followed regardless of the traffic on track and remember that the rhythm is very important especially in Endurance races when one has to drive long stints. Focus is very important to avoid mistakes even when driving alone.
- Try to understand the kart you are driving. Rental karts at circuits do not always have the same maintenance level and it can often happen that in the same track or in the same race you change kart and you find a completely different vehicle. This is often due to the wear of the front tyres that provide directionality and grip entering corners, but some differences might be due by some impacts that the chassis might have sustained and differently worn brakes. Understanding the limit of the chassis will allow you to get the most in terms of performance. For example, if the kart is struggling in entering corners, you will have to brake earlier to avoid understeering. If your kart has some braking deficit, then you can improve the situation using the steering wheel a bit more while entering the corner so that the grip of the tyres will slow down the kart more.
- Learn from the best. This simple advice is valid for all sports and karting is no exception. When you are overtaken by a faster driver, try to follow his/her lines and look at how he/she moves the steering wheel. A trick? Watch the braking points closely: current Rental Karts have the posterior led lights that make this easier.
