Welcome to kart.co.za
This informative karting website was
established in 1999. 25 1730 visits have been recorded
since then and we hope for many more. This site deals
mainly with Motorsport South Africa and International
CIK sanctioned kart racing. There is a section specifically
for rental karting and corporate ent
ertainment at Zwartkops Raceway.
A Brief History of Kart Racing
Go-karting started in the USA in the
1950's when a few DIY enthusiasts built a simple frame
with scooter wheels and a lawn mover engine. Loads of
fun followed in the parking lots and the idea of low cost
good power to weight ratio took off.
By the mid 60's a few Italian manufacturers
were producing purpose built 100cc 2-stroke engines for
karts while other produced really neat chassis turning
this into a very fast and competitive sport. As karting
spread to more countries a world championship evolved
and by the later 1970's it was clear that most F1 drivers
had cut their teeth in karting.
The relatively simple concept of a single
cylinder 100cc non-gearbox kart, with rear brakes only
remained the most popular, while other categories came
and went. 125 cc and 250 cc Motorcycle engines, karts
fitted with two 100 cc engines, rotary engines, rocket
engines, etc. have all been used with varying degrees
of success. Stunning performance thanks to the light weight
and simplicity have seen karts embarrass many other categories
of motor racing over the years. A 250 cc super kart from
the early 1990's would still match a Wesbank Modified
V8 on most circuits in this country!
Racing karts continued to evolve and
by the late 1990's the top 100 cc engines were producing
34 bhp and revving over 20 000 rpm. Sadly by now the simple
cost effective sport was spiraling out of control and
becoming an expensive game for experts only. Many alternatives
were tried ranging from one or two industrial four-stroke
engines, to a twin cylinder four-stroke 250 cc engine,
etc. The twin industrial engined karts - called Pro-Karts
- became reasonably popular for endurance racing having
the added advantage of cost sharing amongst several drivers
but as sprint karts nothing compared to the light weight
single cylinder two-strokes.
Enter New Age Karting
In 1998 Austrian engine manufacturer
BRP-ROTAX launched a completely new concept - the ROTAX
FR 125 Max. A completely new level of reliability as well
as stunning performance was obtained by applying modern
technology to a single cylinder water cooled 125 cc engine.
An electric start, auto clutch, balance shaft, digital
ignition, lower emissions and a six month warranty –
a world first in motor racing! Such was the success of
the new concept that in 2000 the first annual ROTAX MAX
World Final was held in Puerto Rico. The top competitors
from 35 countries qualified to participate in this all
expenses paid World Final - all racing on identical factory
sealed engines!
This economical and level playing field
provided the ideal opportunity for young South African
talent to shine on a truly international stage. Since
the first World Final, South African drivers have claimed
no less than seven World Finals, four Euro Challenge titles
and many other top achievements. Most of these drivers
have gone on to higher levels of Motorsport including
Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula 3000, A1 Grand Prix,
SA Production car championship, rallying, off-road and
professional international kart racing where they continue
to impress.
Older competitors started their own class
using the identical equipment but with a higher minimum
mass of kart and driver. By 2002 a Junior version and
Mini version for younger and even younger competitors
had been developed from the very successful ROTAX MAX
engine.
Using the same design criteria (maximum
enjoyment, minimum maintenance) an innovative two speed,
direct drive, 35 bhp engine was added to top the range.
Known as the Rotax DD2 ( direct drive, 2 speed ) this
high performance engine has a unique hollow shaft through
which the rear axle passes and a drive coupling - no more
messy sprockets and chains. Today European and World Finals
series exist for these categories grown out of successful
national racing in more than 50 countries
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