^have you been to GoKartRacer? How does GKR rank up to the other karting places in the bay area?

deal for the place in fairfield: http://www.yelp.com/deals/driven-raceway-fairfield

 

While super fun, I've never really gotten into it because weight means so much in those things and at 240 lbs I never stood a chance I wish there was a way to equalize the power:weight ratios across the field.

-Brian

 

Yes, weight is definitley a factor when we are talking about so little power in these things, but James wasn't a tiny guy and he was still able to put down great times. The fastest guys were the lighter ones though... I watched the fastest club guys to see their techniques and lines, and even though I could duplicate them, I was still about a half a second slower because they were typically smaller and lighter than me.

 

while weight does matter, some of the fastest times at SpeedRing were from big guys. I'm 6'2" and ~205lb and could match the fastest times there also. you'll get better traction through turns with more weight also.

I also knew an even bigger guy who could get within a couple tenths of the faster, lighter people, he was 240 also and would get real close to other people who were 115lb. haha, but the real problem is just how damn uncomfortable it gets in there being large.

there is ways, lose weight! haha, but really, at SpeedRing, we also had a 9hp kart which had better bottom end power.

and, in a race, they have to pass you clean, so just get one good qualifying lap, then just drive! They have to overtake your position cleanly, or they should be black flagged, so even if you're big, you can still do well in races.

 

GKR is cool, when they combine both tracks.

I would say that when SpeedRing was around, we had by far the best track.

 

Sadly Dean is definitely is no longer with LMK, he was such an asset to LMK and now they're paying for losing him.

As for weight, NorCal paintball is right when it doesn't matter if you're 145# or 260#, it's how you use your weight to your advantage (and the way the track is set up). One of the managers at LMK was 260+# and he was able to keep up with a 145# manager. Yes the 145# guy would be faster in the straights but the 260# driver would get soo much grip in the corners where as the light driver could easily loose traction if he can't set up that corner properly.

If I were to rate the Gokart tracks in bay it would be as follows:

GKR- nice facility, great for corporate events, great location, tight track with only a few places to pass, the most expensive, mediocre customer service.

LMK- crappy facility, mediocre for corporate events, super poor location, wide track but small (great for honing in on your driving skills), one of the cheapest options (has lots of deals), great customer service, very competitive enduro league.

Umigo- okay facility, poor track surface, drift fest, poor customer service, play location.

The one in rohnert park- too damn far away from the bay.

K1 Santa Clara- I'm guessing NorCal paintballer's review is on point. So I'll go with that until I try it out.

 

There are also two Drive places up north, one in Redding and I think they are opening one in Fairfield. Havent' been to either yet.

 

FYI LMK's track is bigger now. They made an outdoor asphalt section, which is more grippy than inside.

 

Do you know his name? I know the manager drives a silver 04 wrx wagon and his name is Joey

 

I've done the outdoor/indoor combination it's fun with the change in grip levels, but they only do the combination Monday and Tuesday only, last time I checked.

I was wondering who's wagon that was on Saturday.

 

Ohhhmakes sense now... I forgot to put it up on the posted thread too.

 

they weigh some karts down at GKR. i believe the green/blue ones are +40#, red ones +20#, and the black ones aren't weighted down. so that brings back a little advantage to the heavier folks.

K1 does have an amazing facility. i can just go there and look at their art works alone. as for the track, i feel i can plateau really fast there. the corners are basically the same. fast section into hairpin and then fast section into hairpin. there's so much torque at the low end, it doesn't matter as much if you are able to carry your momentum or not. at GKR or LMK, if you get a corner wrong and lose all your speed your lap is pretty much toast.

they do the indoor/outdoor at LMK on Sunday to Tuesday now and on rainy days, they put rain tyres on...just kidding on the rain part. though i do wish they did. driving a kart in the rain is a blast.

 

I just came back. Did 2 races.

2nd race, I got fast lap of 22.82 woohoo!

#15 best lap of the week and month!

 

so youre coming next time with us right?

 

As long as I can fit it in my schedule; yes. K1 is close to my work and I just bought the 10 race pass.