is arguably the most fun-per-dollar, and action filled competitive motorsports available today. The options available range from low-horsepower entry level and junior karts, all the way to water-cooled, 6-speed, lightening fast track demons. These karts are purpose-built racing machines significantly different from the commonly seen “fun-karts” at indoor tracks or in backyards.
The Puget Sound Road Race Association specializes in a form of karting generally referred to as Road Racing karting. Road race karting differs from other forms of karting in the size/length of tracks raced on, the length, in minutes of each race event, as well as in the design of the karts themselves.
In road race karting, most race events are a minimum of 20 minutes in length, while many classes hold races as long as 45 minutes non-stop. By comparison, sprint style races held by various other clubs are limited to a short event based upon the number of laps. Road racing events such as those held by PSRRA take place on full-size auto racing tracks usually ranging in length from 2.0 to more than 2.5 miles. Again, by comparison, the sprint tracks are only between 0.3 - 0.9 miles in length.
At typical road race weekend, the two most basic categories of karts are commonly referred to as “Sprint” or sit-up, and “Enduro” or laydown type karts. A few of the obvious differences are the length, width and body of the kart, and the position of the driver in the kart. In a “sprint” kart, the driver sits in an almost upright position with some degree of bend in the knees. An “enduro” style kart, however, is generally longer to so the driver can lay flat on his/her back to achieve better aerodynamics, with only the head inclined for visibility.
Aerodynamics plays an important role in road race karting with the high speeds that are achieved on the large tracks. Speeds achieved in road race karting can be 150+ mph at the highest levels of advanced karting. It is not unexpected for some types of entry-level Enduro karts to achieve over 100 mph during a race.
In an effort to make racing affordable for everyone, PSRRA host classes for both Enduro and Sprint style karts. Beyond these two basic categorizations, there are dozens of different classes based on engine type and size, overall weight, etc. PSRRA has several classes open to newcomers just learning to race, and as your skills progress, there are numerous other classes to experiment with.
PSRRA is always looking for new members to join our fun. We are very open to helping the curious, or the newcomers work past the list of questions that may be on your mind. If you are still reading, you must be interested in learning more about karting. For additional information or a person to contact in your area about karting, please call David Bauder 253-856-1959. Look through out our web site www.PSRRA.com, for more information or come watch a race weekend! We look forward to seeing you at the track soon!
