How do you prep a JrKarter?

[Jayson Woodruff]

Watching Will's kids for the first time last week jogged my mind; Holy crap, my kid will be elgible next year.

So, where do we start? It's hard to imagine my little Sponge Bob watcher could learn and focus enough to get around the same course I sometimes lose. I've got plenty of cones, and figure I might start setting up mini courses in the front porch, then expand them at the school parking lot later. Start showing him elements. He's just getting started on his two wheeler bike, so I might start him on his sister's motorized ATV (goes about 1mph), then move to the much faster bike when he can handle it. Where to from there? He too small to ride shot gun at any race. Time to start looking for a kart as well I guess.

Training suggestions?

Jay W

[Max Hayter]

Beat them when they do it wrong. They'll learn quick.

[Richard Jung]

Watching Will's kids for the first time last week jogged my mind; Holy crap, my kid will be elgible next year.

So, where do we start? It's hard to imagine my little Sponge Bob watcher could learn and focus enough to get around the same course I sometimes lose. I've got plenty of cones, and figure I might start setting up mini courses in the front porch, then expand them at the school parking lot later. Start showing him elements. He's just getting started on his two wheeler bike, so I might start him on his sister's motorized ATV (goes about 1mph), then move to the much faster bike when he can handle it. Where to from there? He too small to ride shot gun at any race. Time to start looking for a kart as well I guess.

Training suggestions?

Jay W

My kid, when he was 3, and Julian Garfield started out the Hot Wheels electric kart. It has a kart-type seat, ~ 7 mph, corners hard, brake and gas pedals. They can learn to brake and countersteer instinctively with it. Fast enough that I had other kids do braking practice first, so they wouldn't run under a parked SUV, plus wear a bike helmet. Comes with fake cones and a lap timer.

http://www.modifiedpowerwheels.com/foru ... IC_ID=3178" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rick


[Steve Ekstrand]

Robert had a small fisher price kart that did like 4mph. He was very proficient in that. We took him to Go Kart World in Carson and watched him run the little kids karts there to make sure he liked it and could focus on the controls before we dumped big money on a kart and stuff (it adds up even buying mostly used).

Then right after he turned 5, I took Robert to a Junior Kart camp day with Dave DiMond at Apex in Perris. $175 for the full day with lunch for kids and parents. Yeah, expensive. But it really amped up Robert's confidence and skill. He went from stop and go's with a tether to hot lapping and staying up with some of the top 5-7 karters in SoCal in a single day. The next step was the introduction of following a cone course, which wasn't as hard for Robert (or Dane and Cyan as I thought it would be). But first time was a little trying on a big course. Better start would be one of our El Toro practice days like we did last year.

[Richard Jung]

The Jr Kart camp at Perris sounds like a very good experience. We went down to Miramarspeed and took the Jr driving school class. Student needs to be 48" tall, 9-10am on weekends for $50.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

...
Then right after he turned 5, I took Robert to a Junior Kart camp day with Dave DiMond at Apex in Perris. $175 for the full day with lunch for kids and parents. ...

I took a few videos of the karting action at the autox last weekend and my 6 year old has been watching them every day since and constantly ask when he can go drive karts at Cal Speedway.

BTW, took him to Go Kart World in Carson and he had fun running the kid karts there... although one time he snuck by to get one extra lap when the time was up and when he came around he ran right into the back of one of the karts that was standing still... luckily everyone was OK.

I looked at the Apex website to see if there is a class he can take, and only found this:

Junior Introduction and Coaching
(Full day) -$395.00 – (Half Day) -$359.00
Without compromising what our adult programs provide in teaching. This program has an emphasis on language and coaching skills. This program addresses both student and parent from beginner to national level. Developing a family team effort that focuses on results.
http://www.apexracing.com/getstarted.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was a bit more than I had expected... I assume this includes the kart, helmet, etc... but still...
Steve, did you bring your own kart, helmet, etc and that is why it was so much cheaper?

[Steve Ekstrand]

That was up when we did it too. Several times a year they hold these special kids camps. More kids and cheaper fee I guess. But I've never seen them advertised online and their website is always hopelessly outdated. We stopped by on the 26th and found out they were having a camp on the 27th. Good fortune!
We provided the Kart, but they provided all the equipment (suit, shoes, gloves, chest protector, and helmet).

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

That was up when we did it too. Several times a year they hold these special kids camps. More kids and cheaper fee I guess. But I've never seen them advertised online and their website is always hopelessly outdated. We stopped by on the 26th and found out they were having a camp on the 27th. Good fortune!
We provided the Kart, but they provided all the equipment (suit, shoes, gloves, chest protector, and helmet).

Thanks Steve, I guess I will have to give them a call.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

The Jr Kart camp at Perris sounds like a very good experience. We went down to Miramarspeed and took the Jr driving school class. Student needs to be 48" tall, 9-10am on weekends for $50.

http://www.miramarspeedcircuit.com/juni ... school.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This looks good for a cheaper taste of a real kart... and he is 48" now... too bad there is no place like this in the OC... K1 Speed does not do it AFAIK... may have to make a trip down to SD.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

Look what I found on the K1 speed web site:

...
Children ages 5-10 between 48" (4ft) and 58" (4ft 10in) in height can drive our junior karts – available at K1 Speed Carlsbad, K1 Speed Anaheim and K1 Speed Ontario
...
http://www.k1speed.com/parties.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They only show this as part of the bday party section, and there is a min of 8 participants...

[Jeff Stuart]

I go to MB2 Raceway in Thousand Oaks a lot, and there's also one in Sylmar.

http://www.mb2raceway.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They have kid carts that require 48" hight.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

I go to MB2 Raceway in Thousand Oaks a lot, and there's also one in Sylmar.

http://www.mb2raceway.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They have kid carts that require 48" hight.

Thanks, MB2 Raceway in Thousand Oaks/Sylmar are both just a little over 1 hour away, so still a bit far but closer than San Diego, so I will probably take him there sometime soon.

Tried calling K1 Speed to find out more about the junior karts and if they run them at other times than just the bday parties, but was not able to get through to anyone... besides the person at Miramar Speed Circuit told me that K1 Speed used to do junior karts in SD but that they stopped... and the only SD location they have is Carlsbad which is still listed as doing junior karts... so maybe stale web site... I will have to ask next time I go there as I have a gift card to use...

So, I called and signed my son up for the "Junior Driving School" at Miramar Speed Circuit in SD.
The person I talked to pointed out that it is a good deal as it is $50 for essentially 3 races and comes with instructions.
Now we just need to decide on something wife and 3 year old daughter friendly to do afterwards in SD.

[Philip Strong]

Do the Zoo - it really is a great one.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

Do the Zoo - it really is a great one.

Yeah, that was my first suggestion too... we have been several times... if you ask my son what he liked best at the zoo he will say "when the hippo pooped in the water"...

[Jayson Woodruff]

Well my kid is a midget. He just went through an aggressive growth spurt and now barely makes the bottom of the height chart. 48" is probably well into 6 or 7 years old.

I searched on that electric kart. There was only one on Ebay for $20 non-working, and it happened to be just a couple blocks from me (what are the chances?). Batteries were toast, and I got it to jump with a 12V source, pretty confident I can fix it for cheap.

This thing is pretty neat. The paperwork it came with originally goes on to explain oversteering, understeering and proper late apexes. Pretty sophisticated for a Fisher Price toy.

[Dan Shaw]

This may sound really stupid, but have you started them on Gran Tourismo yet? Believe it or not GT- really go me started in driving seriously. I would read the manuals that came with the game (GT1) and take them to my local Malibu Speedzone to practice technique. Dunno if that's viable but it could serve as a good basis. He would at least understand visually how to make the right line/etc. The manuals with the game had technique discussions in them by Skip Barber.

At that age I would hound my parents to take me to any karting place we could. No name/big name, didn't matter as long as I could drive. Sometimes even if it isn't a good facility leArning the basics and coordination isn't about having good equipment. Just lots of seat time. FWIW

[Steve Ekstrand]

Maybe a really bright 5yo would get the GT1 manuals.

In the case of my genetically deprived 5yo, it was all we could do to instruct on "go" and "stop".

[Dan Shaw]

Maybe a really bright 5yo would get the GT1 manuals.

In the case of my genetically deprived 5yo, it was all we could do to instruct on "go" and "stop".

::shrug:: such is my inexperience with kids. :-/ Seat time, a-plenty then! Maybe watching races on TV too...I watched videos of myself when I was around 10 at a go kart place we used to go to a lot...for some unknown reason -- I know my parents never trained me on driving but -- I knew the right line. not sure why though...TV maybe? watching nascar every once in a while you can see the guys go up and down the track as they enter the banks and mimick that in how you drive?

[Steve Ekstrand]

Maybe a really bright 5yo would get the GT1 manuals.

In the case of my genetically deprived 5yo, it was all we could do to instruct on "go" and "stop".

::shrug:: such is my inexperience with kids. :-/ Seat time, a-plenty then! Maybe watching races on TV too...I watched videos of myself when I was around 10 at a go kart place we used to go to a lot...for some unknown reason -- I know my parents never trained me on driving but -- I knew the right line. not sure why though...TV maybe? watching nascar every once in a while you can see the guys go up and down the track as they enter the banks and mimick that in how you drive?

After a year of Karting, Robert thoroughly kicks ass on MarioKart. Not so hot on the coin collecting battles and such, but on the main track races, he is amazingly smooth.

[Will Kalman]

The biggest hurdle and fear when they're just starting out is the thought of them getting the brake and throttle mixed up and then panicking and flooring the throttle into a wall or something. Once you're solidly past that point, it's just a matter of them being able to look ahead, navigate the course, ramping up their aggression, THEN teaching them how to drive the proper line, etc.

Robert beats my kids on the aggression part. My kids tell me they're trying to navigate the course correctly but I also see that they're not accelerating when they have a clear path so we're working on that angle. Dane will go really fast once he's confident of the course - about run number 20 ;)

My kids are in FJB in August so this will be the season where I get a bit more pushy with them to take some competitive risks but I never want to "little league parent" them or have them dislike the idea of racing because they're always "getting in trouble".

[Steve Ekstrand]

Robert is very aggressive and has great control and confidence. But he drives the dead middle of the course. This year we are trying to nudge him towards those orange things. Poor kid watched his dad mangle them for 4 years before driving himself. Dane will get right on the cone but I think sometimes he is looking at the cone he is passing and not ahead.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

...
So, I called and signed my son up for the "Junior Driving School" at Miramar Speed Circuit in SD.
The person I talked to pointed out that it is a good deal as it is $50 for essentially 3 races and comes with instructions.
...

It went well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwdkc1RTXU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kurt Rahn]

...
So, I called and signed my son up for the "Junior Driving School" at Miramar Speed Circuit in SD.
The person I talked to pointed out that it is a good deal as it is $50 for essentially 3 races and comes with instructions.
...

It went well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwdkc1RTXU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good to hear! I'm going to take Maddie there to show her what the pedal on the left does.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

BTW, from Sunday morning last weekend:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3310&p=51738#p51738" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Richard Jung]

...
So, I called and signed my son up for the "Junior Driving School" at Miramar Speed Circuit in SD.
The person I talked to pointed out that it is a good deal as it is $50 for essentially 3 races and comes with instructions.
...

It went well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwdkc1RTXU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cool, glad it worked out.

Kurt, the instructor takes them on a course walk and he sets up cones to show the proper line.

Rick