Beginner's Info
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- Humble Beginnings...
- Art Ingels, a veteran hot rodder and race
car builder from Kurtis Craft in California, USA was the first to build
a kart in 1956. His first kart was a simple construction with the
chassis assembled from steel tubing, mounted on a set of semi
pneumatic tires, and driving one rear wheel via a bicycle chain.
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- The first test drive of the contraption
surprised himself and his friends when his little kart took off like a
rocket across a neighborhood parking lot.
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- The first possible gathering of kart
drivers took place in the Rose Bowl parking lot ( Pasadena, CA) in 1957,
based on a recorded picture as shown below. From the impromptu racing
and gymkana type of events in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl, more
individuals were involved in the birth of the kart sport.
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- Three notable individuals who started
with Art in Pasadena were Duffy Livingstone, Roy Desbrow & Bill
Rowles. From the initial design from Art's kart, many other designs soon
flourished from the joint venture of Duffy & Roy. Their
creations included the "Drone", "Go Kart" and the
"Dart Kart". Their close cooperation was possible as both of them were already business partners of
"GP Mufflers" when they started the hobby and were also experts in fabricating welded
components. Meanwhile Bill had located a source of inexpensive engines
from a failed West Bend rotary lawn mower venture and the three operated
the partnership initially from the premises of GP Mufflers, naming their
venture Go Kart Manufacturing Co. Inc. in 1958.
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- In 1959, responding to their business
success, they built a new Go Kart Mfg. facility in Azusa, California,
for manufacturing karts. The facility included a test track on which
they tried to incorporate a variety of turns from sweeping corners, to
tight turns and even a high bank turn. It incorporated one straightaway
of sufficient length to allow the karts of the period to reach speeds of
approx. 100kph ( 55-60 m.p.h.)
The sport soon flourished to the rest of
USA and other parts of the world, and the rest, as they say is
history...
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- Karting in Malaysia...
- The sport grew globally and reached the shores of Malaysia ( then Malaya )
at the end of the 1960s. The most popular category of karting in
Malaysia today, remains at Sprint Karts. This is due to its
simpler design and also the shorter and far more simple tracks they run on. It was a common sight for go-karts to be run on
closed public streets during our various States' public
holiday throughout Malaysia in the seventies & eighties. Races
held in car parks were also common, as some will remember.( like the Asia
Jaya carpark in Petaling Jaya )
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"The purest form of motor racing" - Ayrton Senna
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The sport of karting is governed by
CIK/FIA ( Commission Internationale de Karting / Federation Internationale de
L'Automobile ) , which controls the type of
karts and engines available today, to ensure a regulated competition &
healthy growth to the sport worldwide. The most
popular category of karts are the 100cc engined karts ( Sprint Karts ), producing 27 - 29
hp and capable of reaching a top speed of 120 kmhr to 140kmhr ( depending on
gearing & track ). Seated at only 100mm above
the road surface, the speeds seem much higher in a kart! Age of kart drivers ranges from 7 - 70, so
there is almost no age limitation on who can participate.
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- Kart Drivers in Formula 1.....
- Kart racing is often very close &
exciting as the techniques of driving and competing are
more emphasised rather than equipment superiority. As such, it is no wonder that many of today's best
Formula 1 drivers started out in karting. For
example, drivers like Alain Prost, Michael
Schumacher, Mika Hakinnen, Nigel Mansell, Johnny Herbert and the late Ayrton
Senna, all started their racing career in karts.
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Competing in
karts require intense
concentration, lightning quick reflexes, stamina and controlled aggression. Knowledge of
kart setup and also engine fine tuning while driving are some of the technical skills
required of the driver. It is not uncommon to know that some of the best F1 drivers use
the kart as a training tool in their winter season, to keep their reflexes sharp....just
like Schumacher here on the right. |
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The sports also teaches responsibility, good sportsmanship and respect
for machine and fellow competitors; all excellent personality traits to have in an
individual. This is recognised by our Sports and Youth Ministry ( Kementerian Belia &
Sukan Malaysia ) and hence their sponsorship of the KBS Ford Malaysia Kart Prix Series.
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- Cheap Thrills...
- Perhaps the biggest bonus of kart racing is its relatively cheap
competition cost as compared
to other forms of motorsports racing. This also encourages wide variety of
participants and it is common to see drivers from the same family competing,
like the few father-son teams who race regularly at our Shah Alam Stadium Circuit. Also
observed is the friendly environment at our kart track which promotes multicultural &
international level friendships amongst the drivers & teams.
At our Shah Alam Stadium Circuit,
the races are controlled by the local
kart club; the Kelab Kart Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan ( KKS ). For a more
comprehensive of the categories of Sprint Karting races which KKS sanctions, please refer
to our Kart Classes & Rules page. ( Click on the icon below )
Yes, we want you!....in kart racing!!!
The sport of karting is always keen to recruit more drivers, members,
supporters and even spectators, so please drop by at your local track and have a friendly
word with some of the karters. We at City Karting Enterprise
can definitely offer you some free advice on how to start in this exciting sports, so
please visit us.
Do drop by our track in Shah Alam!
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