Go Karts Are Fun, But Are They Safe?

Go karts are fast, exciting and easy to handle, and there are tracks all over the country catering to every age range from kids to teens to adults. Gokarts are generally easy to drive, easy to control and are how you can experience the excitement of Formula One racing without as much of the danger.

Go-karts are just beginning to come into their own and are geared toward beginners in either off road or paved track go kart racing. They are built to withstand years of use and abuse and are terrific when it comes to performance, styling and low maintenance.

There are many types of vehicles that are built for fun. These include ATVs, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds, mini bikes and go karts. If you are looking to find some excitement with 4 wheels then you have to discard the dirt bike, scooter, moped and mini bike. And the all terrain vehicles are typically made for traveling off road. That leaves the go kart. If you want to go racing like the big boys, with a mighty gasoline powered engine and relative safety, go karts are what you will want to be racing.

Whether you just want some cheap racing fun or would like to someday become a professional race car driver, the go-kart is a great way to begin. Many NASCAR drivers today got their start by racing go karts when they were as young as five years old.

Carts have been around for a lot of years, but have increased in popularity only recently. Back in the olden days, carts were only available at the neighborhood Family Fun Center or Amusement Park. And these gokarts only had two speeds, slow and slower. But were they safe? Let’s just say it wasn’t easy to get hurt traveling at just 5 mph.

But even at the slower speeds they were still loads of fun. Imagine the thrill you can experience now with the faster speeds and the bigger and better track selections. Great go-cart tracks have been sprouting up all over. But have the increased karting speeds made the go carts unsafe?

They used to be so terribly slow that no helmets were even required. But with the speeds attained today helmets are required at tracks everywhere, even the kiddie’s tracks. But don’t let that scare you, they are still extremely safe and there is never any need to go faster than your own comfort dictates.

You can control, for the most part, the amount of danger you experience in a go kart. Your decisions, from the go kart you buy, to the safety equipment you use, to your level of caution expressed on the track, determine how safe you will be. The faster you go the more chance of sustaining a substantial injury. So taking every safety precaution is always a smart idea.

Carting is generally very safe if you follow a few simple rules. The number one rule is “always wear a helmet.” In the event of a crash it can spare you from a serious head injury. Also, never forget to fasten your safety harness. This will prevent you from being tossed out during a roll. Never race at speeds that you don’t feel comfortable with. If speed is not your thing you should remain in the lesser levels of racing groups.

If you decide to race, even in a kid’s competition, you should be wearing a fire safety suit, racing shoes and protective gloves. The shoes and gloves should also be fire retardant. There is not much gas in a gocart, but if it should happen to catch on fire the fire-safe equipment you use could save you a lot of pain and discomfort.

Gocarts today all have roll bars that rise above the driver’s head. In the event that you lose control, causing your go kart to flip over, the roll bars and safety harness can keep you from harm’s way. You may think that it could not happen to you because you are such a great driver, but the other racers on the track may not be so great. This is the reason why a gokart has side bars that will protect you in the event that another racer loses control and rams your kart.

With all of these precautions how can anyone get injured? It’s possible, but the chances of experiencing a serious injury are severely limited by simply following a few safety rules. Go karts are just about as safe as you want to make them.

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Go Karts - Exciting At Any Age!

Are you ready to discover a thrilling recreational activity? Racing or off road go karts could be the ultimate in excitement!

The thrill of skidding sharply around a blind corner in your go kart is an experience that is hard to surpass. Racing down the track in one of your speedy go karts, maneuvering around curves and slower gokart drivers, is fun at its best. Pressing down hard on the accelerator as you pass by slower drivers is about as adrenaline-pumping as it gets. And with gokarting for every level anyone can experience the fun and heart-pounding excitement of go karting.

The smell of the dirt track and the distinct aroma of the gas and oil burning in the gocart engine is enough to excite any enthusiast, even when watching from the stands. If you have ever watched an Indy Car or Formula One race in person or on TV you know how exciting it can be. But imagine climbing into one of those off road or racing gokarts yourself. Starting out slow, taking out to the track, the anticipation is almost unbearable. But then, once on the track, you press the accelerator on your go cart to the floor, feeling an immediate thrust forward, and your adrenaline pumping just as fast. What a thrill. Go karts cannot be beat.

Go karts are how you can experience the thrill of Formula One racing without the danger. At least with the beginner go karts. And you can find those just about anywhere, at family amusement parks, fun centers and other recreational areas where you live. And if you are really serious, it is a good way to get started toward a career in professional racing. Once you master driving go karts it is time to take the next step into the arena of professional racing. But if you are not quite so brave remaining in a go kart can still be exciting.

Go karts are geared toward beginners in either off road or paved track racing. Beginner go karts are easy to drive and control. And if you do lose control there are usually not serious consequences to deal with afterward. No, it is just plain fun racing go karts. Go karting is a simplified version of Indy Car or Formula One racing. But like anything else there are different levels that you can become involved in.

From total beginners to professional go kart racing. From the least experienced drivers to ones that are training to become professional drivers. You can choose your own competition. No need to get involved over your head. The main objective is to have fun. And once you get into your own go kart, no matter what level you are competing in, the fun just never ends.

Once you get addicted to go karting there is no limit as to what you can do. You can purchase a brand new gokart ready for racing, or you can buy inexpensive kits and build your own go carts. Installing rack and pinion steering to changing tires will become easy over time. Or how about the installation of a brand new engine designed for improving the speed of go karts? Maybe you will be after a brand new frame that will be the envy of all around. Perhaps you will want to get into electric gokarts instead of gas powered go karts. The way gas prices are climbing these days that might be a good idea.

But the bottom line is this: speed is where the excitement comes in. And these go karts can reach speeds up to 90 MPH or more. That is fast. But once again, there is no need to start getting nervous just yet. There are opportunities for thrills at every level. You do not need to go 80 MPH to experience a thrilling ride. So if you have ever thought about getting involved with go karts it is never too late and you are never too old. Go out and experience the thrill of go karting now.

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009