A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of small sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing karts. Karting is a type of racing in which a compact four-wheel unit called a go-kart is used. Art Ingels created the first go-kart in Los Angeles in 1956. [1]
The exact origin of the term is unclear. One of the first appearances of the term is an 1885 painting by the Scottish artist Hugh Cameron's "The Go-Cart". [2] It is also unclear why the C was later changed to a K. In the film The Ivory-Handled Gun (1935), the crippled father of Buck Jones refers to his wheelchair as a "go cart". Charles Dickens also used go-cart in Master Humphrey's Clock and other Stories when talking of his travel to Italy. In Genoa, he talks about "a man without legs, on a little go-cat". [3]
Gravity racers, in North America usually referred to as Soap Box Derby carts, are the simplest type of go-karts. They are propelled by gravity. Go-karts without motors (quadracycles) may also be propelled by bicycle pedals.
Traditionally, small two-stroke and four-stroke internal combustion engines are used in motorised go-kart racing. Power is transmitted from the engine to the rear axle by way of a chain (some rentals use a belt).
Four-stroke engines can be standard air-cooled industrial based engines, sometimes with small modifications, developing from about 5 to 20 hp (4 to 15 kW). Briggs & Stratton, Tecumseh (company closed in 2008), Kohler, Robin, and Honda are manufacturers of such engines. They are adequate for racing and fun kart applications. There are also more powerful two-stroke engines available from manufacturers like Yamaha, KTM, Biland, or Aixro (Wankel engine) offering from 15 to 48 hp (11 to 36 kW). They run at up to 11,000 rpm, and are manufactured specifically for karting. PRD makes the PRD Fireball, a two-stroke engine delivering 28.5 hp (21 kW) at 15,580 rpm.
Electric go-karts are available, requiring only that the batteries of the karts be plugged into an array of chargers after each run. Since they are pollution-free and emit no smoke, the racetracks can be indoors in controlled environments. Electric karts powered by lead-acid batteries can run a maximum of 20–30 minutes before the performance is affected, while those powered by lithium batteries may last up to 2 hours on a single charge. Some karts have been fitted with hydrogen fuel cells. [4] High-performance electric go-karts for amusement parks and indoor tracks may have external electronic controls in the event of an accident or other hazards, in which the track attendant or the race referee can remotely slow down or stop all vehicles on the track via radio control. This external control can also be used to limit young riders to a slow operating speed, while a race consisting only of adults is permitted a higher speed. These controls can be applied to both electric and combustion-engine karts.
In some countries, go-karts can be licensed for use on public roads often referred to as street tracks. Typically there are some restrictions; in the European Union, a go-kart modified for use on the road must be outfitted with headlights (high/low beam), tail lights, a horn, indicators, and an engine not exceeding 20 hp (15 kW).
Besides traditional kart racing, many commercial enterprises offer karts for rent, often called "recreational" or "concession" karts. The tracks can be indoor or outdoor. Karts are rented by sessions (usually from 10 to 30 minutes) or on a day basis. [5] They use sturdy chassis complete with dedicated bodywork, providing driver safety. Most of these enterprises use an "Arrive and Drive" format which provides customers with all the safety gear (helmets, gloves and driver outfits) necessary, and allow them to show up anytime to race, without the problem of having to own their own equipment and gear.
Outdoor tracks can offer low-speed karts strictly for amusement (dedicated chassis equipped with low powered four-stroke engines or electric motors), or faster, more powerful karts, similar to a racing kart, powered by four-stroke engines up to 15 hp (11 kW) and, more rarely, by 2-stroke engines, but designed to be more robust for rental use. Typically, outdoor tracks are also used for traditional kart races.
Indoor kart tracks can be found in many large cities in different parts of the world. These tracks are often located in refurbished factories or warehouses, and are typically shorter than traditional outdoor tracks. Indoor karts are usually powered by a four-stroke gasoline engine producing anywhere from 5 to 13 hp (4 to 10 kW), or sometimes by an electric motor. Many tracks offer competitive races and leagues. At the top level, an Indoor Karting World Championship (IKWC) [6] exists.
There is a separate category of go karts in the powersports industry that includes off road go karts. These are similar to a miniature dune buggy. Off road go karts typically feature large tires, a full roll cage, heavy duty suspension, and featured to protect the riders from wind and mud. There are no longer any American made offroad buggy brands due to legal issues, so all brands will come from China. The top ranked brand of off road go karts is Trailmaster, owned by BV Powersports out of Texas. Although there are some brick and mortar dealers around the country, Trailmaster go karts are typically sold online.
Other brands of offroad go karts include Coleman, Tao Tao, Kandi, and Hammerhead (now owned by Polaris).
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method of propelling small watercraft. As well as providing propulsion, outboards provide steering control, as they are designed to pivot over their mountings and thus control the direction of thrust. The skeg also acts as a rudder when the engine is not running. Unlike inboard motors, outboard motors can be easily removed for storage or repairs.
Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motorsport circuits. Karting is commonly perceived as the stepping stone to the higher ranks of motorsports, with most Formula One drivers—including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, and Max Verstappen—having begun their careers in karting.
Radio-controlled cars, or RC cars for short, are miniature model cars, vans, buses, trucks or buggies that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter or remote. The term "RC" has been used to mean both "remote controlled" and "radio controlled". "Remote controlled" includes vehicles that are controlled by radio waves, infrared waves or a physical wire connection. RC cars are powered by one of the three energy sources—electricity, nitro fuel or petrol. Electric RC models are powered by small but powerful electric motors and rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride(NiMH), or lithium polymer (LiPo) cells with the former two being the most used. Both NiMH and LiPo have advantages and disadvantages in various RC applications where NiMH is mainly used for recreational and LiPo for more demanding purposes. There are also brushed or brushless electric motors—brushless motors are more powerful, long lasting and efficient, but also much more expensive than brushed motors.
A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not require a road or trail, but most are driven on open terrain or trails. Snowmobiling is a sport that many people have taken on as a serious hobby. Common brand names in the United States include Arctic Cat, Polaris Inc. and Ski-Doo.
A kart circuit is a race track designed for kart racing or other forms of short-length motor racing, such as small-scale motorcycle racing, pocketbike racing, or radio-controlled model racing. There are several types of kart circuit, depending on the type of use desired.
Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Historically known simply as "big cars," distinguishing them from "midget cars," sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
OK-Junior is a kart racing class for top drivers aged 11 to 15.
The Rotax Max 125 Engine is a two-stroke 125 cc (7.6 cu in) engine designed by Rotax, part of Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), to provide cost-effective but high speed kart racing. Built in Austria, the engine is liquid cooled, equipped with a balance shaft, integrated water pump, electric starter and centrifugal clutch. Its combination of onboard electric starter and centrifugal clutch simplifies its operation. This concept is called TaG (Touch-and-go).
KF2, is a kart racing class for top drivers aged 14 and up.
Superkart is a form of motorsport road racing that uses karts on long circuits. The bigger difference between a superkart and most other forms of kart is that they have full aerodynamic bodykits, as well as having a longer wheel base than sprint chassis, and are generally raced on car circuits over 1,500 metres in length. The power unit, most often but not exclusively two-stroke 250 cc engines, can be specially designed kart engines or production motorcycle engines with either five- or six-speed sequential manual gearboxes. Owing to their high top speed and superb cornering ability, a superkart's aerodynamic bodywork includes a front fairing, larger sidepods, and a rear wing. They use either 130-or-150-millimetre-diameter tires and wheels and most often race on full size auto-racing circuits.
A micro kart is a small, one passenger mini go-kart. These karts typically have two-stroke engines, ranging in size from 22.5 cc to 85 cc, and putting out anywhere from 1.2 hp to over 20 hp, or an electric motor with rechargeable lithium ion batteries.
The 2si 460 is a family of in-line twin-cylinder, two-stroke, single ignition, aircraft engines that were designed for ultralight aircraft.
The 2si 540 and 2si 500 are a family of in-line twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual ignition, aircraft engines that were designed for ultralight aircraft.
Microstock is a form of full roll cage go cart or kart racing that originated in New Jersey invented by Bill and Bob Wagner.
KF1 is the top level of karting. It is open to drivers aged 15 and up.
An electric go-kart is a type of go-kart powered by electric motors and batteries or supercapacitors, as opposed to a traditional petrol engine.
The PRD Fireball is a two-stroke go-kart racing engine manufactured by Pro Racing Design Co, Ltd. Pro Racing Design is a Taipei, Taiwan based company, manufacturing an array of racing engines for use in professional go-kart racing worldwide. Pro Racing Design was founded by Chris Dell from Australia and it is now an Australian based manufacturer. The Fireball represents an engine targeted for multiple racing classes: International Kart Federation (IKF), World Karting Association (WKA) and Touch and Go (TAG) USA. The PRD Fireball is the cheapest TAG motor available to purchase new in the USA.
The Puritalia Berlinetta is a hybrid grand tourer manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Puritalia Automobili. Introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, it is the first car produced by the company. The car is intended to be a representation of the classic grand touring cars produced in the 1960s.
The Maserati MC20 is a two-seater, rear-mid-engine sports car produced by Italian car manufacturer Maserati.
