Karting tips post: Braking, Slowing down to going quicker ("Braking for dummies")

OK, so even I was confused writing that title, but fear not, I know what I speak off... kinda?? regardless I shall try and share what knowledge I think I have and here comes some braking and karting tips flying at yo faces! For all you advanced folk keep your faces in the WandiSport direction for some tips on Trail braking.

So you wanna look all fly and shizz locking your brakes just before you turn? and you may have seen me do it at hooton in my latest vid, if not make sure to check it out, if not for the karting then do it for pendulum's TARANTULA (the music in the background) 

Truth is it aint all about lookin' fly. in fact locking up is a very unefficent form of braking. I could explain the physics behind it but id much rather you took my word for it, later on in your racing adventures you will learn "Trail braking" which includes a little bit of locking up.

Karting Tips post: Direct Drive vs TAG/Clutch (Part 2 TaG/Clutch))

Part 2, TaG/Clutch
Just need to quickly clarify that which engine you use is dictated by the regulations of the championship you wish to run in, if you wish to do open races or the TKM series you can choose what to run.
So same as before ill try and give a brief simplified explanation of what they are. First lets talk about the clutch, most kart clutches (shifter karts aside) are Centrifugal, to explain centrifugal force try to imagine a conker at the end of a string and as you spin the other end faster and faster the conker becomes further and further away from you. That in mind, lets move on how the rear axle is connected to the engine. this time its not connected directly to the crank, it is connected to a clutch drum that spins on the crank freely.

Inside this drum we have a TAB/HUB this has parts that expand under that centrifugal force we talked about, it has big metal conkers inside that expand and hold on to the drum (Labeled below). thus we have a connection between the crank and the rear axle and therefore POWER. We get the centrifugal force by spinning the crank (just like spinning the conker) and increase/reduce the amount by increasing/reducing throttle.

Karting Tips post: Direct Drive vs TAG/Clutch (Part 1 Direct Drive)

So you've worked your butts off either doing actual work or persuading your parents into buying you a racing kart, but which one do you go for? Here's a little karting tip.

Allow me to give you a quick brief of what Direct drive (often called DD) and Touch and Go (TAG) karts are, first off is DD, this is where the the rear axle is directly connected to the crank shaft of the engine, Confused? don't worry ill clarify with a picture

Picture from Karting1.co.uk posted by Joe Higham

The Crankshaft is the Shaft (duh! right?) that spins because the pistons in the engine move up and down and thus we get POWER, or acceleration would be more accurate. now when this shaft is connected to the the rear axle via that big golden thing called a sprocket it means as you spin the rear wheels you spin the pistons in the engine. And if you haven't figured it out yet that is how you start a direct drive engine, you push it until you gather momentum and the engine should start, (you also need to block the air intake (missing from the picture) so the engine can fill with fuel and you remove your hand when the engine turns over. so lets make a list of Good and bad stuff about such and engine.

New Weekly Segment, Videos thats more fun than a cinnamon bun

From today onwards Wednesdays shall be about 12.23% more awesome, keep your eyes here for the weekly segment where i through a little bit of YouTube awesomeness at your face. i have watched thousands if not millions of videos and some have been good, some very poor.

i have been working on a little YouTube project of my own and soon that will take over this weekly segment and the videos i shall post will be my own, but for the time being they shall be my favorites on YouTube. i want to kick today's segment off with Mr Ryan Burns in a KF3 kart in Hooton (woop woop my local track), i have never driven a KF3 but he seems to be doing it oddly, but anyway without further ado (This was recorded with a special "SmartyCam" that is how he has the overlay of data (very useful i must say))

Be Well ----------------------- Mustafa S. Wandi

Delays, delays delays

I'm afraid due to poor weather write to you from my home rather than hooton, and the videos regarding kart set up will be arriving on a screen in front of you a little later im afraid, and whilst i hold you captive i wanna say ive had a change in heart about karthakain, he recently made a mature statement saying that he and sebastian must move on, vettel who indirectly called him an idiot and a cucomber (a common german insult regarding driving, has not responded so i no longer dislike the HRT driver, i now have no emotion of feeling towards him, i nothing him.
Be Well ----------------------- Mustafa S. Wandi

Formula 1 begins!

Albert park was harassed recently by the revs and screams of 22 formula 1 cars a few hours ago, yup 22 not 24, i hate to sound cocky... wait , i love sounding cocky, but i predicted the failure of HRT in preseason testing, but they still impressed me, i assumed they would be embarrassing, but no they failed to even quilify (didn't meet 107% rule).

 

McLaren seem to have a clear advantage in straight lines and the MercedesGP looks amazingly steady and stable, Red bull seem to be in Mclarens shoes last year because the car doesn't seem to have pace in qualy but race pace was good and Vettel gave Jenson a good run for his money...
 

Barcelona Day 3 "The money bag is on the move"

Yes i know i slammed money bags (Pastor maldanado) in my last post and i know that he set the fastest lap in the 3rd day of testing but i stand by my previous words, in other news Mark Webber appears to have fallen asleep at the wheel and set an embarrasing lap time that was roughly 2 seconds slower than Maldanado. full unofficial laptimes below

It would appear the Red Bulls this year are not just going to walk away with it. The previous two years the Red Bulls chassis has been so quick that even Mark Webber has managed to top some time sheets and keep up in the top half of the grid,(No offence to Mark but the only thing slower than his driving is the answers he gives to press conferences) and i know its early days but i think the other teams have closed the gap.....

I bought a kart!!!

I recently made a trip 'round to Bolton to buy a kart, ill keep this post short and sweet and ill give details when i post pictures and stuffs, the kart belonged to current EasyKart Junior drive Will Jeavons,

As you eagle eyed readers may have guessed , i bought an EasyKart,

For those who don't know, EasyKart is a project between popular Italian chassis manufacturers Birel and the American engine manufacturer IAME, they tried to make a series that is a step up from arrive and drive karting but keep the main basic principals, as everything is provided by EasyKart, and due to this costs have been kept relatively low.
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