Auto racing has become a popular sport among both the drivers and the spectators and the appeal of the sport continues to attract more people as the diversity within grows as well. The span of vehicles types drivers race ranges from all terrain vehicles to Nascar and Indy racecars and everything in between. Among the large selection of automobiles being raced are go-carts, which have diversity within themselves. Go cart racing may be done on a homemade, makeshift track or races are taken to the “street” on professionally established, asphalt tracks.
Like any of the vehicles popularly driven in auto races, go carts are driven in different styles of races, depending on the type of cart you are driving. Go carts with small, compact, aerodynamic and low to the ground characteristics are the type you will see competing in short distance sprint races, sometimes referred to as “Fast and the Furious” racing. These races
are traditionally 3/8 to ¾ of a mile in distance.
Nascar racing, another style of go cart competitions, attracts many people because it closely imitates real Nascar racing by using an oval asphalt track. The Nascar go-cart races are also sprints ranging from 1/10 to ¼ of a mile long. Nascar and Indy go cart racing are popular among participants not only because the race track style is similar to the actual races, the race limitations also pleases drivers because the cart designs resemble that of real one or two seater Nascar and Indy racecars.
The last commonly known style of go cart racing takes a complete 180 degree turn to give you long distance, or “enduro,” carting. Enduro cart racing is largely a test of a go-cart’s capabilities. The races may last more than five miles, which is
an unusual distance to drive most go-carts in one race. Some “enduro” races last hours and require teams in order to have driver switches.
Any of these three go cart race styles will most likely be found at established racetracks during scheduled events that may bring hundreds of registered participants. Professional and amateur drivers usually bring their own, often customized, go carts, depending on the level of competition expected. Across the nation are many professional and amateur established go cart tracks that are hosts to the race events, but “just for fun” go cart tracks are also available for families or newly
interested go cart racers.
These tracks have rental go carts to allow their customers the experience of amateur cart riding. Races are not the norm at tracks for this purpose, however, some scheduled family events or race days let participants rent a go cart for scheduled races that are classified by age, experience level, cart type and race distance. At larger, more frequented tracks you will usually find a better selection of go-cart rentals. Any go-cart rental track has typical stock carts, but some allow you the choice of two seater carts, Indy pacer imitation carts or Nascar style go-carts.
Take your Go Carting Off the Street
There are those that understand and have the passion and those that do not, but for either type of person is it obvious that off-road go carting attracts an audience of loyal and up-beat drivers. Both the young and young at heart ride go carts off-road purely for the thrill of it. Advocates of off-road go carting get a satisfaction from tumbling over the rough terrain in their carts designed specifically for that purpose. For many, the thrill is the only purpose behind their hobby of off-road go carting, but other still thrive on the competitive aspect of it.
How to construct your own go cart
For some the thrill of go carting begins before the actual ride. Kids and adults enjoy building their own go-carts for the self-satisfaction. Building a go cart is essentially a simple task because of the simplicity of most go cart designs. For decades taking on a go cart construction project has been a typical father-son bonding activity. It is also a hobby that is just plain fun for anyone, any age. Go carts are the perfect do-it-yourselfer because they are a complex machine that runs like a car, but not too complex where ordinary people cannot comprehend the construction.
