Choosing rental kart venues

Driving is like a drug.  Since my track event on the 5th got canceled, I just had to find something to replace the experience.  After researching some options, I decided to go to Ocala Grand Prix to try out their rental karts and check out the track.  I chose OGP based on my experience at Miramar Speed Circuit in San Diego.  I used to frequent this track chasing laptimes.  

MSC is a 1/4 mile indoor circuit.  Its a real tricky circuit.  The karts are Sodi karts with crash bodywork, with some sort of 4 stroke motor that probably puts out 4-5 hp.  They were plenty fun.  The karts were beat up though, so some karts are slightly faster than another kart.  As with most rental karts, these karts understeer a little bit.  But that doesn't matter. With karts, its very easy to use weight transfer to modify the behavior of the kart.  If you live in San Diego, I highly recommend it.  The last time I went, they still had two-for-tuesdays, where you pay 23 dollars or so for a 20 minute session.  Its a good deal and you can really work on your driving there, hassle free.

Why am I talking about Miramar? To put it into perspective.  Ocala GP had the same Sodi karts, but better maintained and not as beat up.  Furtermore, they ran 4 stroke 9hp motors! Thats about twice the horsepower.  And of course, the 3/5ths mile track is much bigger than the indoor track.  It is also plenty wide so you can choose between several different lines.  Lastly, the surface is much smoother and the tires are slightly grippier. This was pretty serious for rentals.  Now, for the most important part.  The cost: 14 dollars for a 10 minute session.  I spent 42 dollars to do three 10 minute sessions.  Lets put that into perspective, based on other experiences I've had:

1. Miramar Speed Circuit 23 dollars for 20 minutes. 

10 minute cost: $11.50 (On Tuesdays)

Kart: 4-5hp Sodi rentals

Track: 1/4 mile indoor, pretty good for an indoor track.

I go to this track almost every time I visit San Diego.

2. Moran Raceway 225 dollars for 50 minutes

(I can't remember the exact costs and time)

10 minute cost: $45

Kart: ~20hp HPV kart of unknown brand

Track: Probably the best karting circuit in the country, with elevation changes and blind corners

Unfortunately, this circuit shut down a few years back.

3. Ocala Grand Prix

10 minute cost: $14

Kart: 9hp Sodi rentals

Track: 0.6mi outdoor, no elevation changes

All three of these places are or were very good deals, and I would pay to go gladly.  In my opinion, Miramar tests your technical driving skills, as well as forcing you to move your hands quickly.  It was also great for wheel-to-wheel practice, because the track is often crowded.  Moran had every element imaginable.  But I really liked Ocala GP.  I had a lot of fun there.  In my opinion, the track tests your car control abilities more than anything else.

I almost always choose things for value.  In other words, what gets me the most seat time for an acceptable quality.  Sure, the HPV kart is the quickest and most fun, but if I do that, I can only go a few times a year.  I can go to an indoor place, but most indoor places (Miramar Speed Circuit being the exception) offer too little seat time for too much money.  A place like Ocala offers reasonably fast and fun karts that run pretty consistently kart-to-kart.  Perfect.

Dustin about to head out

When choosing a kart rental venue, take these things into consideration.  I place heavy emphasis on seat time and seat time quality.  OGP had a great seat time to price ratio, especially given the speed of the karts.

We arrived around 6:30pm.  Another thing I like about this track is that it is open late, until 8:00pm.  Thats pretty awesome for north central Florida, where everything closes early and frustrates the hell out of me.  It also makes me wonder: do people actually want money around here?  It is well lit also.  After signing in a waiver, borrowing neck braces free of charge, we went straight to the paddock area.  They also have rental helmets but we brought our own. 

We went on a Wednesday and the track was pretty empty.  There would be 3-4 karts on the entire track.  I think up to 8 are allowed.  I also later realized, even with a full grid, there is plenty of room to drive at your best and get a clean lap in, while you get to draft people in front of you.  I also brought my data logging equipment.

I spent the first session learning what the track looks like and got used to the kart.  Getting used to the kart was easy; they drove very similar to the Miramar karts.  I figured out the lines to most of the circuit, and had a general idea of how to drive it.  Also, I figured out where I could go flat out without lifting.  I think my friend Dustin spent time getting used to the kart.

My second session, I really started working on hitting all my apexes and pushing things a bit more.  I figured out that I don't have to brake most of the track.  The grid was full, so I got to spend some time trying to pass people.  That was a somewhat novel experience for me.  I haven't had to pass people on wide open outdoor tracks very much.  I got my fastest time here: 41.9 seconds.

Me striking a very corny pose

My third and last session, I was alone on the track so I really got to work on my driving.  There is a turn that is very critical which leads to a long straight where you want to carry as much speed as you can.  To do this, you had to pitch the kart around and increase your slip angle, and "four-wheel-drift" out of that corner.  It was tricky but I got the hang of it.  I have to check my data to see how much it had helped, though.  My best time here was a 42.1, but I was much more consistent throughout.  

Analysis

My fastest time was not the result of drafting; it happened at a clean lap I got in with no traffic.  The northeastern most turn is critical; you don't need to brake going in to the turn prior to that. Just lift, and be very smooth, get around the corner starting out wide, and get on the gas as early as possible.  Every time I went around this I applied Bonilla's "focus on the slowest part of the turn" principle.  

But the most critical turn is what I believe is a right hander called the "oak."  This is the turn that you make after you make the above turn, the left after that.  Pitch the kart in, get on the power early, neutral drift all the way out.  

The big left hander is flat out in the rental karts.  Hit the apex so you have more room to accelerate out.  Use the entire width of the track.

Anyways, the track record is in the 38's, and on this track the hotter it is the faster it gets.  The karts see over 1.5Gs of lateral acceleration, spiking close to 2Gs sometimes.  All in all, if you haven't been I highly recommend you try out options similar to the above ones.  If you are local, be sure to check out OGP!  Wear long sleeves or a jacket, and jeans for safety.