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Race Go Kart Research Essays

Christopher Bodea

Dr. Sweigart

Research, Design, and Project Management

28 October 2019
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Table of Contents

Operation and Application……………………………………………………………...…….3-4

History/Current events………………………………………………………………………...5-6
Impacts…………………………………………………………………………………………7-8
Individual /organization contribution content……………………………………………...9-10
Work Cited……………………………………………………………………………………...11
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Operation and Application

A go-kart is defined as an open-wheeled vehicle. Go-karts come all different shapes,

sizes, and have varying engine displacements. A go-kart usually contains the following parts: an

engine, an axle, a steering wheel, wheels and tires, a seat, and more. Go-karts are broken down

into two main groups: street karts and off-road karts. Like their names suggest, street karts spend

most of their time on prepped road surfaces while off-road go-karts spend most of their time on

the beaten path on surfaces like gravel, mud, mulch, and dirt.

The two main differences between street karts and off-road karts are their suspension and

gearing. Since off-road go-karts spend most of their time going over rocks, dirt paths, and even

water, they need to have a raised suspension to have more clearance to get over these obstacles.

Street karts have no suspension, mainly to minimize body roll and weight. Having no suspension

also means the center of gravity is a lot closer to the ground allowing the driver to have more

control of the vehicle. Another difference between the two types of karts is gearing. Street karts

tend to be geared more toward high speeds. This is done by changing the number of teeth on the

clutch and sprocket gears to increase the number of revolutions the wheels make per one

revolution of the engine. This gearing however results in less torque which is why off-road go-

karts don't use this setup. Off-road go-karts are geared to have more torque, which allows them

to climb over obstacles a lot easier.

The main similarity between the two types of karts is their engines. The most common

engine used on today’s go-karts is a predator 212. It’s a cheap and reliable engine, and due to its

opportunity for upgrades, the community praises them. Another similarity between street go-

karts and off-road go-karts is that most of them only have one gear. Due to expenses, as well as

maintenance, companies, and consumer tend to build karts that only have one gear. Another
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similarity is the materials that are used to build them. The most common material used to make a

go-kart is lightweight steel tubing. Manufacturers have found that ¼ inch tubing is the best

balance of a lightweight material while still being extremely durable. Builders also use plastic for

non-essential parts like floor pans, steering wheels, and other miscellaneous parts to keep the

weight of their karts down.

The operation of a go-kart is relatively simple. A go-kart uses a chain-driven system. The

chain connects the driveshaft coming from the motor to a sprocket gear located on the drive axle.

The sprocket gear is connected to the shaft, so as the gear spins, the axel turns. The gas pedal is

connected to the engine by a piece of metal cable known as the throttle cable. Once the pedal is

pressed, the cable extends, opening the valve in the engine, allowing the motor to produce

power. The brake system uses a brake cylinder. Once the brake pedal is pressed, one side of the

brake cylinder gets pushed and which allows brake fluid to flow to the brake caliper. The brake

caliper squeezes the brake rotor using brake pads, intern slowing the go-kart.
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History/Current events

The history of the go-kart dates back to 1956. Created by fabricator Art Ingeles, the kart

has a relatively short history compared to the automobile. The first go-kart was inspired by a

soapbox derby car, a scaled-down version of a vehicle that uses gravity to race downhills. Art

Ingeles was the lead fabricator at Kurtis Kraft, a shop whose name is known in racing all around

the world from Indy car racing to quarter-mile events to road sports car racing. Ingeles saw these

soapbox cars and thought it would be a great idea to add a motor, and the idea of the go kart

began. Art Ingleles worked with the rest of his team at Kurtis Kraft, and before they knew it,

they had designed and built the world’s first ever go kart.

The go-kart didn’t take off until 1957 when Duffy Livingston asked to have the rights to

build them out of one of his shops. After a couple of months of building in 1957, a group of

Duffy and his friends came together at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and raced their karts

head to head. From there, the dawn of the go-kart began. In 1957 Livingston built the first-ever

go-kart track right outside Azusa, California. The track contained a full array of twists and turns

and was where racers could go head to head for prize money. Soon after racing began, a hot rod

shop owned by Dean Moon, a racer himself, started looking at ways to make their karts go faster.

In 1959 the first dual-engine kart came out. Over the next couple of decades, racing continued,

and shops started to build a more powerful, more light way and more capable karts. As we came

into the 2000s, electric karts became a newer and safer alternative to the gas-powered go-kart.

The main use of the go kart has not changed much over the years, however constant

improvements have been made to it allowing it to be used by consumers all around the world for

different purposes. The initial use of the go-kart was for fun. Race shops wanted to build small-

framed vehicles with a lot of power to race them against their friends. Over the years, go-karts
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started to be used for applications other than racing. They began to be used on farms, by search

and rescue teams, and by everyday consumers. The go kart is also responsible for the innovation

of the quadbike, which is used in the US armed forces, in racing, and in transportation. Go-kart

racing is by far the most popular use of the go-kart; however, it also makes for a great

engineering project.
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Impacts

Arguably the most importation components of any motorized vehicles are the tires. Tires

are the only component of any vehicle, keeping it connected to the road. With the wrong tires, a

car and even a go-kart can become extremely dangerous. In today’s market, there is a wide

variety of go-kart tires drivers can choose from. The two most essential components of a tire are

the tread pattern and the tire compound. Tire tread has a huge impact on a go-kart’s performance.

Off-road go-karts use tires that have chunky notches in them to allow them to better grab onto

rough surfaces. This results in better traction when the paved road ends. This chunky tire set up,

however, has a negative effect on a go-kart’s performance on the road. Off-road tires have a

smaller contact patch on the road, and due to the deep grooves, provide less grip. For street karts,

the tire tread that is used is called a slick. There are little to no groves in the tires, which means

there’s more rubber touching the road. This increased contract patch means the go-kart has more

grip, which results in better handling and control over the kart.

Engine size has a massive impact on racing. Racing events commonly limits the

displacement size of go-kart engines to keep drivers safe as well as keep the cost of racing down.

Limited engine sizes mean the risk of a crash is significantly lower, and the cost of building a

kart is cheaper as well. The most common engine displacement in racing is 212cc engine, and

even with just his amount, karts can hit speeds upwards of 50mph.

Racing rules are put in place to make the playing field level as well as to keep drivers

safe. Go-kart rules include no bumping and no contact. Karts must be fitted with the right size

tires and tire tread, a four to five-point harness, and more. Drivers are also responsible for

wearing the proper safety gear like racing helmets, fire suits, and racing gloves. All these rules

are put in place to make racing as safe as possible while still allowing drivers to have fun.
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There are all different types of racetracks go karts can race on. There are small technical

circuits to open road courses. Track size has a significant effect on a go-kart's set up and racing.

Smaller and more technical circuits usually mean there is a limit on engine size to minimize the

risks of an accident. Go-kart tires are also affected by track size. The smaller and more technical

the track, the more braking and cornering involved. Soft compound tires are commonly used on

tight circuits for added grip and traction. Since the track is more technical, more stress is put on

the tires, which means they ware out a lot faster. Broader and more open tracks usually allow for

more powerful karts and allows racers to use harder compound tires, which last longer on a tack

where each lap is significantly longer and where cars are averaging a higher speed.
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Individual /organization contribution content

One of the main contributors to the go-kart world is Kurtis Kraft. Kurtis Kraft is an

American company that designed and build race cars. The company is known for having vehicles

that have competed in a wide variety of events ranging from sprint cars to Bonneville salt flat

cars.

The shop was founded in the early 1930s by Frank Cirtus. The shop started by building

midget car chassis. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, as the shop grew, it began to build two-

seater sports cars made out of fiberglass. Over these years, the company was able to create over

600 cars and was known all around the world for its success in racing as they won over five Indy

500 races.

The company made its first impact in the world of go-karting in 1957 when it brought the

world the first-ever go-kart. Art Ingels was the lead fabricator on the job and took some

lightweight tubing and built the first-ever go-kart frame. From there, he and one of his buddies

installed a two-cylinder 2.5 horsepower lawnmower engine, and the first-ever go-kart was born.

The birth of the go-kart took place in Southern California just outside Pasadena in the Kurtis

Kraft race shop.

The reason for biulding the go kart is simple. The idea of the go-kart spawned from the

idea of creating a small, fast, and agile mini car that could only seat one human. The main goal

was to have fun so Ingels went into the shop and started designing a frame that had a wide track

for stability; however, also strong enough to hold the weight of a full-size adult.

Being one of the most well-known race shops in the world, the builders at Curtis Kraft

had access to all the parts, machines, and tools anyone could ask for. This was the perfect
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environment to build the go-kart, and due to the team's experience, they were able to build the

go-kart without a problem.

The shop made huge profits from the go-kart. Once the shop was able to show off their

new creation, buyers from all around the country called in wanting one. The shop started selling

complete go-karts for $129.50, equivalent to $1000 in today's money. Go-karts sold relatively

well, and before the Christmas of 1958, the company had already sold six go-karts.

As a result of this shop, the go-kart world took off and became what it is today. Go-kart

tracks started to be built around the country, and more shops began to get involved in racing and

selling go-karts. Before the 1960s, go-kart shops became common, and the rest is history. Today

the impact is still seen as go-kart racing is still going strong and has a strong following.
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Work Cited

Boulix, et al. “Go Kart Materials.” KartFab.com, kartfab.com/go-kart-plans/go-kart-materials.

Eker, Hasan H, et al. “Trauma Mechanisms and Injuries Associated with Go-Karting.” The Open

Orthopaedics Journal, Bentham Open, 17 Feb. 2010,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2847818/.

“Go Kart History: What Is Go Karting?” Pole Position Raceway - Indoor Go Kart Racing,

www.polepositionraceway.com/blog/what-karting/.

“History of Go Karting.” Lehigh Valley Grand Prix, 12 Dec. 2016,

www.lehighvalleygrandprix.com/history-of-go-karting/.

History, www.rysaracing.com/history.htm.

“How To Build A Kart: Go Cart Materials.” Go Kart Materials for Go Carts,

www.limestonemedia.com/how-to-plans/go-kart-materials.htm.

“Indoor Kart Racing.” K1 Speed, 14 May 2019, www.k1speed.com/blog/art-ingels-inventor-of-

the-go-kart.html.