Kid Kart / Formula Kid Kart FAQ

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Hillbilly
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 11:08 am
First Name: Scott
Last Name: Sherman
City/Town: Blackie

Kid Kart / Formula Kid Kart FAQ

Post by Hillbilly »

We have had a tremendous amount of interest in our Kid Kart program again this year and there has been some confusion about Formula Kid Kart eligibility, etc. I’m hoping that this list of frequently asked questions will help everyone better understand our program.

1. What is Kid Kart?
Kid Kart is a unique program that runs 3-4 evenings per month in the summer time. This program was developed to get kids as young as 5 years old into karting on our 1.2km kart track. The program is intended to be a non-competitive environment where kids aged 5-11 are coached in race driveline. The CKRC Kid Kart program was the first of its kind in Canada. Most other kart racing clubs in Canada require that kids wait until the year they turn 8 to get onto the race track.

2. At what age can my son or daughter start karting?
Your child can begin karting in the CKRC Kid Kart program as soon as they turn 5. They must be 5 before they can go on the track (not the year they turn 5).

3. How do I sign up for Kid Kart?
Log into motorsportreg.com and register for a CKRC membership, Kid Kart is one of the options. It is $300/year and you must provide an additional RVF cheque. If you volunteer with the Kid Kart Try-a-Kart nights, your check will not be cashed.

4. What competencies are taught at Kid Kart?
The racing line, safe passing, how to do a formation lap, safe braking, meanings of the flags, race track etiquette, racer camaraderie, kart maintenance, etc.

5. What is a Kid Kart?
A Kid Kart, also known as a Bambino Kart or Baby Kart is powered by a Honda GX35 or GX35 clone engine. There is no weight restriction and tires are open.

6. What is a Formula Kid Kart?
A Formula Kid Kart is a Cadet Kart with a Briggs LO206 engine with a PURPLE slide in the carburetor. We allow Honda GX160 or Honda Clone engines to run as well provided they are tuned approximately the same as a Briggs LO206 with a PURPLE slide (we may put an experienced Formula Kid Karter in your Honda powered kart to determine the level of tune based on lap times). Vega BLUE tires are strictly forbidden. Mojo D1 or Max1 Green (M1H) tires are preferred. There is no minimum or maximum weight requirement.

7. Does the club provide the karts or do I have to own a kart to take part in this program?
Kid Kart offers 6 Kid Kart Try-a-Kart evenings throughout summer 2018. These nights allow members of the public to come out and try out our Kid Kart program. We provide 1 on 1 instruction with each child and give ~1 hour of on track time in 3 20 minute sessions. Apart from the Try-a-Kart evenings, participants must own their karts to take part in Kid Kart.

8. Do I have to buy a Kid Kart for my 5 or 6 year old? Can they jump straight to Formula Kid Kart (FKK)?
FKK is a transition step for kids that have MASTERED their GX35 powered Kid Karts. This class is intended for kids as young as 6 that can’t race yet because they aren’t old enough or aren’t quite ready for a race. We would prefer that 5 and 6 year olds start in GX35 powered Kid Karts however if a 6 or 7 year old can demonstrate mastery of a Kid Kart (consecutive 1:45 or faster laps) we will allow him to run a Formula Kid Kart (Cadet Kart with a Purple Slide or equivalent Honda / Clone).

9. Why isn’t it a good idea for my child start in a Formula Kid Kart?
We have kids in Formula Kid Karts capable of running consistent 1:13/1:14 laps (with the PURPLE slide) and it isn’t safe to have kids in Formula Kid Karts lapping at 1:30 or slower on the track at the same time. The faster kids have no issues passing but the beginners can be unpredictable when they are being passed.

10. Where can I get a Kid Kart?
Overdrive Motorsports, the CKRC classifieds, kijiji, ebay are all good sources of Kid Karts and Cadet Karts. If you buy a used kart, ensure it is properly fitted to your child prior to arriving at the track.

11. What is the difference between a Kid Kart and Formula Kid Kart?
A Kid Kart has 1.3 HP and these Karts are capable of ~ 50 km/h. These Karts weigh ~135 lbs with the driver.
A Formula Kid Kart has 3.99 HP and these Karts are capable of ~ 80 km/h. These Karts weight as much as 245 lbs with the driver, fuel, and weight.

General remarks:

Kid Kart History:

In 2015, the program was kicked off and was pretty ad-hoc but we got 5 year old kids onto the track for the first time which was the goal.

In 2016, we built some structure into the program and had as many as 9 Kid Karts out in an evening (all in Kids Karts owned by parents). By the end of the October, we had 4 kids who were 6 years old that had completely mastered their Kid Karts, all were able to run 1:40 minute laps. They were no longer developing. It was a lot of fun to watch these guys because they were so equally matched. These kids had all done 500-1000 laps around our track at this point. We determined that we needed a next step for these future racers.

For 2017, we introduced Formula Kid Kart as a means for kids aged 6, turning 7 that year to continue to develop their driving skills. We added FKK merely as a transition from Kid Karts to the JR1 Cadets they can begin to race the year they turn 8. We regularly had as many as 15 kids out to our Kid Kart nights.

For 2018, we further modified the program to allow JR1 racers to practice at Kid Kart (in their Cadet Kart with a PURPLE slide). We banned Vega Blue tires after a kart flipped in 2017 running Vega Blues. We added a volunteer requirement to the program, and will be bringing out junior racers to mentor our kids.

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