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Post by RyRy on Apr 18, 2015 18:54:56 GMT
Hey, I'd love to know if anyone has any experiences, karting will more than likely be the most common thing for us lot.
Karting is incredibly fun when actually competing, I went with my school class in year 10 and absolutely dominated even with opting to start from the back in every race as I knew I was one of the best and we weren't allowed to start a race all at once.
I've only been karting three times but every time I've been asked by the stewards / race/track staff if I kart as a hobby because I was looked so natural and took corners perfectly. In one of the school races I got span by some guy and had to make up quite a big gap, it was funny how hardly any of them slipstreamed the other karts where as I followed karts then out-braked/out-cornered them.
I went a few weeks later with a friend and joined in with some track regulars and again I was pretty fast, in the first race I was in second only to be punted out by 3rd place who actually was black flagged for dangerous driving.
The following five races I came 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 1st and 2nd beating regulars who had been racing since they were kids, I've never felt so good, the adrenaline was awesome and the fact I was beating people who race internationally for our county felt insane.
If you get the chance to race in some karts it's well worth it.
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Post by racechick on Apr 18, 2015 19:04:54 GMT
RyRy, why didn't you stick with it??
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Post by Hammer on Apr 18, 2015 19:05:43 GMT
Used to race competitively in my childhood at a kart track nearby. They had A, B, C class karts and I was in B class since A class were powerful and there was an age restriction (13 or older) and I was 11. So it was basically 3 different classes running at the same time and your biggest competitors are really your teammates in your class of cars. In B class tho I was easily leading my teammates. When I was 12, the manager of A class told me to drive for another half a year and I'd be in A. I graduated to A and drove for 3 months...and left the country when my family moved to another country. That was the end of my professional karting career. Since then it's been for fun, but haven't been beaten as yet. The most entertaining one was a recent fun event at the track next to Sepang circuit, it was an event organized by a local BMW club. 8 of us, and a driver for BMW Motorsports (an Asian touring event) joined us. I kept pace with this guy the entire way and was literally screaming for joy in my helmet all the way YOURE NOT LOSING MEEEEEEEE....and finished 2nd. Lol. Oh, and it was my first visit to this track. I believe I can give Lewis a run for his money.  Double-Lol. |
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Post by RyRy on Apr 18, 2015 19:09:25 GMT
RyRy, why didn't you stick with it?? In hindsight I regret it, but money and some other reasons that I can't on the board publically. Used to race competitively in my childhood at a kart track nearby. They had A, B, C class karts and I was in B class since A class were powerful and there was an age restriction (13 or older) and I was 11. So it was basically 3 different classes running at the same time and your biggest competitors are really your teammates in your class of cars. In B class tho I was easily leading my teammates. When I was 12, the manager of A class told me to drive for another half a year and I'd be in A. I graduated to A and drove for 3 months...and left the country when my family moved to another country. That was the end of my professional karting career. Since then it's been for fun, but haven't been beaten as yet. The most entertaining one was a recent fun event at the track next to Sepang circuit, it was an event organized by a local BMW club. 8 of us, and a driver for BMW Motorsports (an Asian touring event) joined us. I kept pace with this guy the entire way and was literally screaming for joy in my helmet all the way YOURE NOT LOSING MEEEEEEEE....and finished 2nd. Lol I believe I can give Lewis a run for his money. Double-Lol. It's so awesome the adrenaline rush isn't it! |
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Post by CookinFlat6 on Apr 18, 2015 19:14:45 GMT
I have a theory that karting, diving, bikes, motorsport is about a mental ability and thats why almost everyone who tries it competitevely almost always knows instantly if they have the 'knack' or not. And this includes scaletrix etc.
Its all about making important decisions using a part of the brain most people are unacquainted with. Dunno what you call it, its not just instinct as it has to be trained and its actually something that the majority dont approach in way conducive to training it.
Its like sitting in a car with 2 highly intelligent people, one of them just cant read the cars around, or just doesnt want to, and as a result is harrased, hapless, jerky, panicky
and the other person is 'in tune' and so just finds the right openings and it all appears easy.
Extrapolate that to 200 mph and its the same thing, the balls ( girls can have these too) allow some to make the decision on incomplete info, whereas the panickers want complete info before making the decision - hence the hassled rushed impression they give
Its like Nico today, trying to think his way instead of having the gonads to take the right decision when its presented
This IMHO is why guys who can jump in a kart and feel comfortable will also be able to make the right decisions when holding a scaletrix controller, or riding a dirt bike or just progressing through a multi lane traffic jam
So to cut a long story short I think its a mental thing, which means having the right beliefs and approach makes all the difference
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Post by Hammer on Apr 18, 2015 19:15:05 GMT
It really is Ryry. Ever heard of that phrase 'give a man a mask and his true nature comes out'.... Well in life, I'm generally laid back and turn out to be a bit of a clown in a group I'm close to. But in a kart if you heard everything I said under my helmet you'd either call the police thinking I've gone insane. I scare myself sometimes with how much I scream but that rush, there's nothing else like it. If I had the cash to burn I'd do it everyday.  |
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ang44
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Post by ang44 on Apr 18, 2015 19:49:50 GMT
I have a theory that karting, diving, bikes, motorsport is about a mental ability and thats why almost everyone who tries it competitevely almost always knows instantly if they have the 'knack' or not. And this includes scaletrix etc. Its all about making important decisions using a part of the brain most people are unacquainted with. Dunno what you call it, its not just instinct as it has to be trained and its actually something that the majority dont approach in way conducive to training it. Its like sitting in a car with 2 highly intelligent people, one of them just cant read the cars around, or just doesnt want to, and as a result is harrased, hapless, jerky, panicky and the other person is 'in tune' and so just finds the right openings and it all appears easy. Extrapolate that to 200 mph and its the same thing, the balls ( girls can have these too) allow some to make the decision on incomplete info, whereas the panickers want complete info before making the decision - hence the hassled rushed impression they give Its like Nico today, trying to think his way instead of having the gonads to take the right decision when its presented This IMHO is why guys who can jump in a kart and feel comfortable will also be able to make the right decisions when holding a scaletrix controller, or riding a dirt bike or just progressing through a multi lane traffic jam So to cut a long story short I think its a mental thing, which means having the right beliefs and approach makes all the difference It's brain/eye to hand co-ordination....remember Lewis on Blue Peter...he didn't take his eyes off the car & got everything right...& carried on with an interview at the same time....the lads/bloke is a genius.... |
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Post by racechick on Apr 18, 2015 19:58:32 GMT
I love that Blue Peter video of the 7 year old Lewis. For anyone who hasn't seen it, here it is. Look at the intensity in his face, and look how important it was to him that he won.
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ang44
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Post by ang44 on Apr 18, 2015 20:04:08 GMT
Lewis is tiny compared to all the other competitors..It's great to see that again...thanks RC..
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Post by CookinFlat6 on Apr 18, 2015 21:02:58 GMT
Yup, the look on his face is making the right decisions about how much to press at any one time and when its ok to press harder. No different to using the right foot at 200 mph. Guys like Nico also have the ability to make the decisions at high speed, but the difference is in how much one is prepared to do it on less info - gonads - Lewis has just a bit more than all those all talented hand eye coordinators
Technique (hand eye co-ord, intelligence, practice) + balls (self confidence, bravery and trust in something beyond logic and sequence)
anyone who has raced at high speeds in close proximity knows that there is a point where one delegates mental processing to an unknown force and at that point you are truly alive and using your whole brain - adrenaline on tap
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Post by Wß on Apr 18, 2015 21:10:28 GMT
I've been getting more and more and more competitive with my Auto Crossing. It's far from dangerous (which I like) and with a properly set up and managed course and environment it's really hard to damage your car unless you're a reckless animal. That being said, I've seen cars tilt sideways at 45 degrees and somehow recover.
The nice thing about AX is that it really is more about the driver than it is about the car. I'm fortunate enough to have a handful of SCCA national champions join out PCA sanctioned AX events and it's a joy to see a guy put a vanilla mini cooper up on the time sheets where Porsche Caymans, WRXs and BRZs and S2000 normally go.
I've gotten increasingly better and more competitive in my class but there's no way that I can compete with the big boys. Still the rush of getting it right and droping time is very addicting.
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Post by RyRy on Apr 18, 2015 21:24:39 GMT
I have a theory that karting, diving, bikes, motorsport is about a mental ability and thats why almost everyone who tries it competitevely almost always knows instantly if they have the 'knack' or not. And this includes scaletrix etc. Extrapolate that to 200 mph and its the same thing, the balls ( girls can have these too) allow some to make the decision on incomplete info, whereas the panickers want complete info before making the decision - hence the hassled rushed impression they give This IMHO is why guys who can jump in a kart and feel comfortable will also be able to make the right decisions when holding a scaletrix controller, or riding a dirt bike or just progressing through a multi lane traffic jam So to cut a long story short I think its a mental thing, which means having the right beliefs and approach makes all the difference I agree a huge part is mental, it's also about being confident which like with F1 we see now with Rosberg and even Massa as their confidence increases or decreases they get better or worse. You mention the big balls thing, the second best person when I went with my school was actually a girl who from the age of 4 had been moto cross riding and her mum and dad were both huge petrol heads, she could take a car to bits and put it back together in year 10 for sure. It really is Ryry. Ever heard of that phrase 'give a man a mask and his true nature comes out'.... Well in life, I'm generally laid back and turn out to be a bit of a clown in a group I'm close to. But in a kart if you heard everything I said under my helmet you'd either call the police thinking I've gone insane. I scare myself sometimes with how much I scream but that rush, there's nothing else like it. If I had the cash to burn I'd do it everyday. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I'm pretty quiet and reserved but in the karts I was so much more confident and I was deep in concentration but smiling all the way, probably looked like a psychopath underneath because of the concentration + smiling. ahaha I was super nervous at the start hoping I wouldn't end up last, but as soon as we started moving I started to relax and then we came to a hairpin and the adrenaline started to kick in, I went in with a bit of caution so I didn't crash and look like an idiot but I slotted in perfectly behind a guy who was probably the most popular in our class and slip streamed him, pulled left and took a bit of kerb which was super bumpy, everything vibrated and by this stage I know my heartrate had gone up by at least 40beats. Lap by lap I could feel I was getting faster and faster, it's such a great feeling. When I raced the regulars I felt like a god overtaking them but whenever I got overtaken I would just be patient, watch them and figure out places I could overtake them and potentially other drivers. Patience is key as you are probably aware of. I surprised my entire class which was pretty fun because they didn't expect me to be one of the best let alone the clear standout best. It's funny too how when we were there and for a short time after (couple of weeks) I was more popular... people who I wasn't really friends with were nice to me, friendly and talked to me It's brain/eye to hand co-ordination....remember Lewis on Blue Peter...he didn't take his eyes off the car & got everything right...& carried on with an interview at the same time....the lads/bloke is a genius.... That's the concentration but yeah hand eye coordination is definitely a need. |
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ang44
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Post by ang44 on Apr 18, 2015 21:25:46 GMT
Something that can't be learned...a natural technique/talent....that separates the great from the good....
It makes my blood boil when the likes of Brundle, Coulthard et al...make comments like...another mm & that would have been a major pile-up etc...
Instead of marveling at the sheer genius...of wheel to wheel racing ..not touching, so close that you couldn't get a ciggie paper between the cars...the skill just goes right over their heads because they were unable to do it...& so they either can't see it/ignore/or belittle the brilliance.
Verstappen ...many have said that he is exciting & reminds them of a young LH...the way he takes a line thru a corner & his touch on the brakes...
Martin Brundle...seems to find it difficult to praise LH & likened Max to Senna & Schumie...
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Post by CookinFlat6 on Apr 18, 2015 21:42:51 GMT
Brundle is all over the place, Max is the biggest rookie since lewis without doubt, but so far has not been anywhere as convincing as Lewis was. He has made mistakes compared to Lewis' first 3 races. Max is obviously a cut above most of the grid when it comes to technique and ability. However Lewis was a cut above the entire grid, including his 2x reigning WDC teammate.
Brundle might think Max is the next Senna (or the next Lewis) but will still bad mouth him if the politics dictate this.
Brundle is a wannabe Murray that has squandered the position in F1 he inherited from Murray by his inability to resist the steak dinner
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ang44
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Post by ang44 on Apr 18, 2015 22:21:56 GMT
Lewis was Mega in his first season & maybe Max should have been held back until the age Lewis was, but it is exciting to see such young raw talent develop in F1.
I think I have veered way off the thread topic...Sorry RyRy...
When I about 17...on Sunday mornings...early... we used to go to a straight length of a minor road...we had an old Ford with a big engine..
You had to get up to speed smartish... foot flat to the floor to reach a ton...& then brake hard for a sharp right-hander....it was a bit hairy ...but brilliant.....
When I think of it now...scary...what ifs...people/youngsters/dog walkers had appeared...
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Post by RyRy on Apr 19, 2015 0:40:01 GMT
Lewis was Mega in his first season & maybe Max should have been held back until the age Lewis was, but it is exciting to see such young raw talent develop in F1. I think I have veered way off the thread topic...Sorry RyRy... When I about 17...on Sunday mornings...early... we used to go to a straight length of a minor road...we had an old Ford with a big engine.. You had to get up to speed smartish... foot flat to the floor to reach a ton...& then brake hard for a sharp right-hander....it was a bit hairy ...but brilliant..... When I think of it now...scary...what ifs...people/youngsters/dog walkers had appeared... You sure do love using an ellipsis... (series of 3 dots) haha, you're not off-topic the two go hand in hand (kinda)  Ang, you been karting before? |
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Post by ang44 on Apr 19, 2015 10:15:06 GMT
I do over use ellipses...usually when I can't think of word/connection...or summat.. I've never been karting...too many bully boys/blokes...this type are annoying on motorways, if a certain type of bloke sees you driving a certain type of car they have to cut you up, & behave like a complete dick...I have some good stories but I might be banged up...eek... but I mean in jail...if I related them here... Spatial awareness is so important in most things but especially driving and racing...'always you have to leava the space' When RoGro caused that big collision at the start of Spa 2011? Nando & Lewis were taken out before the first corner...(Button won,... his greatest year 2011, cos he thinks he beat Lewis..asif)...RG must have had intensive training... to a part of his brain he hadn't been acquainted with...because he has been ok since. |
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Post by Liam Catterson on Apr 19, 2015 11:23:11 GMT
Yeah I had one race and that's all. It was with ffamily and a couple of their friends and this was from me cos I was begging to do go karts. This is like some 5 - 6 years ago. So we went on and I basically won. Lapped everyone and nearly crashed at one point thanks to the sour grapes of the sisters.
I would've done it again for college this year but my class prefer Paintball to intense racing....
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Post by RyRy on Apr 19, 2015 13:19:58 GMT
I do over use ellipses...usually when I can't think of word/connection...or summat.. I've never been karting...too many bully boys/blokes...this type are annoying on motorways, if a certain type of bloke sees you driving a certain type of car they have to cut you up, & behave like a complete dick...I have some good stories but I might be banged up...eek... but I mean in jail...if I related them here... Spatial awareness is so important in most things but especially driving and racing...'always you have to leava the space' When RoGro caused that big collision at the start of Spa 2011? Nando & Lewis were taken out before the first corner...(Button won,... his greatest year 2011, cos he thinks he beat Lewis..asif)...RG must have had intensive training... to a part of his brain he hadn't been acquainted with...because he has been ok since. His spatial awareness was beyond terrible back then, he sure did improve massively though. You shouldn't be nervous of the bully boys/blokes, just have fun! If you're last you're last, if you overtake one of the bully boys/blokes giggle to yourself and have a smug inner thought Yeah I had one race and that's all. It was with ffamily and a couple of their friends and this was from me cos I was begging to do go karts. This is like some 5 - 6 years ago. So we went on and I basically won. Lapped everyone and nearly crashed at one point thanks to the sour grapes of the sisters. I would've done it again for college this year but my class prefer Paintball to intense racing.... Paintballing is fun too but I was also really good at that >_< which really doesn't make sense because I appear quite nerdy lol How many guys/girls were with you when you and your family went karting? When there are a lot of girls it always seems to become quite aggressive/dirty rosberg style. |
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Post by Liam Catterson on Apr 19, 2015 13:36:34 GMT
I think out of 10 (cos we were with another family my mum knows too well), 6 or 7 of them were females. I'm the only man in the family I live with lol
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