Superkart
Encyclopedia
Open wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
.
The most obvious difference between a Superkart and any other form of kart is that they have full aerodynamic bodykits and can race on car circuits over 1,500 metres in length. The power unit, most often, but not exclusively 250 cc engines, can be specially designed kart engines or production motorcycle engines with either five or six-speed sequential gearboxes. Owing to their high top speed and superb cornering ability, a Superkart's aerodynamic bodywork
Car body style
Automobiles' body styles are highly variable. Some body styles remain in production, while others become less common or obsolete. They may or may not correlate to a car's price, size or intended market classification. The same car model might be available in multiple body styles comprising a...
includes a front fairing
Fairing
A fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.These structures are covers for gaps and spaces between parts of an aircraft to reduce form drag and interference drag, and to improve appearance.-Types:...
, larger sidepods, and a rear wing. They use either 5 or tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s and wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s and most often race on full size auto-racing circuits.
250 cc Superkarts often set faster lap times than much more expensive and technically advanced racing machines. Some British and Australian classes also include 125 cc gearbox karts.
Superkarts race on "long circuits" (e.g. Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
, Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km from Paris...
). In the UK they also race on "short circuits" (e.g. Kimbolton), "short circuits" are under 1,500 metres in length.
Superkarts are raced worldwide. There is a multi-event CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship (for 250 cc karts only), and there has in the past been a World Championship, which was last run in 1995.
Performance
Powered by a 2-stroke 250 cc engine producing 95 hpHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(71 kW) for an overall weight including the driver of 215 kilograms, Superkarts have a power/weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
of 440 hp/tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
(330 W/kg)(c.5 lbs/hp). Superkarts can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Their low weight and good downforce
Downforce
Downforce is a downwards thrust created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a car. The purpose of downforce is to allow a car to travel faster through a corner by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip....
make for excellent cornering and braking abilities. A Superkart is capable of braking from 100 mph (160 km/h) to standstill in around 2 seconds, and taking corners at nearly 3 g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
(30 m/s²).
At some circuits, Superkarts are the outright lap-record holders, at others they run at around Formula 3 lap times.
- Division 1 is open to 250 cc karts with one or two cylinders and five or six speed gearboxes. Typically the karts produce 90 hp and are capable of 160 mph - the fastest form of kart. This formula was previously known as Formula E.
- Division 2 is for single cylinder karts with 5 and 6-speed boxes. Typically these karts produce 65 hp and are capable of 140 mph. However, being lighter than the twin cylinder (Division 1) karts they can be as quick on twisted circuits. This formula was previously known as 250 International. However the main British series is for single cylinder 250 cc karts with 5-speed only, also known as 250 National.
- 125 Open - Powered by 125 cc engines and again featuring 6-speed sequential gearboxes, this sprint kart class uses lighter chassis than the 250's.
- 125 ICC (KZ) - Powered by similar 6-speed 125 cc engines to the 125 Open class with tighter tuning restrictions, this CIK sprint kart class hosts some of the closest Superkart racing in the UK.
Superkarting in Australia has, since 1989, referred to any form of racing kart to race on full-size motor racing circuits, usually as sanctioned by the Australian ASN, CAMS
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....
.
- 250 cc International - commonly referred to as twins or inters, these karts are powered by twin cylinder engines and usually have 6-speed sequential gearboxes. Several European and North American chassis are popular in addition to locally developed designs.
- 250 cc National - single cylinder class, the 250 National class is powered by 250 cc motocrossMotocrossMotocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
engines and also feature 6-speed sequential gearboxes. - 125 cc Gearbox - most often powered by 125 cc Honda and Yamaha Grand Prix motorcycle engines equipped with six speed sequential gearboxes, this Superkart class uses mostly the same chassis as the 250 classes. They run at lighter weights than the 250 classes, which makes for close racing with mid-field 250 Nationals at some circuits.
- 80 cc Gearbox - also dominated by Honda and Yamaha motor cycle engines, 80 cc gearbox Superkarts is no longer a sanctioned class in Australian racing. Some 80 cc karts were noticeably smaller than 125/250 cc gearbox karts, with 'laydown' style karts, where the driver lies flat in the kart rather than sitting upright, proliferating. Last contested at national level in 2005 and state level in 2008, some 80 cc karts survive racing in the 125 cc division at state level, but are uncompetitive as they no longer run at lighter homologated weight levels.
- 125 cc Rotax MaxRotax MaxThe Rotax Max is a two-stroke engine designed by Rotax, part of Bombardier Recreational Products , to provide cost-effective but high speed kart racing. Built in Austria, the engine is liquid cooled, equipped with a balance shaft, integrated water pump, electric starter and centrifugal clutch...
- a cross-over class from Australian short-circuit non-gearbox sprint kart racing to allow easier and cheaper graduation from Sprint karting to long circuit racing. Three national championships exist for two weight divisions, Heavy and Light, and also sometimes a Junior division for drivers under the age of sixteen which run a version of the Rotax Max engine without a power valve. Rotax Max karts frequently race amongst gearbox equipped Superkarts at state championship level, while racing for their own titles at national level. Attempts to run a title since 2009 have collapsed each year but is scheduled again for 2011. - 100 cc Another non-gearbox class, 100 cc also was split into Heavy, Light and Junior classes, and was last contested in 2002 and has since been replaced completely by Rotax Max.
United States Superkart Classes :
- 250 cc Formula/E or F/E - Twin cylinder, 6-speed, liquid cooled Grand Prix motorcycle engines such as the Honda RS250, Yamaha TZ250 or made for karting engines such as the BRC250.
- 250 cc Inter-Continental E or IC/E - Single cylinder, 5 or 6-speed, liquid cooled Grand Prix motorcycle engines.
Spectacle
Being relatively inexpensive, Superkarts are very popular, and entries of 60 or more are common in Britain. Overtaking tends to be easy, as there is room to get past, so the races tend to be full of action. Race lengths tend to be around 20–25 miles (30–40 km), because the fuel tanks are quite small, so at most meetings which feature Superkarts, the karts race is often a brief, spectacular highlight (U.S. Superkart races are a timed 30-minute race; Pre-Final on Saturday, Final on Sunday).A global category, Superkarts are endorsed by the FIA, and were featured as a support category to the French Formula 1 Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
at Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km from Paris...
in 2007 where they bettered Porsche Supercup
Porsche Supercup
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the international motor racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche AG....
lap times.
External links
- CIK-FIA - International Karting Governing Body
- 2011 Euro Superkart Sporting Regulations - CIK-FIACommission Internationale de KartingThe Commission Internationale de Karting is the primary international sanctioning body for Kart racing. It was founded in 1962, and is headquartered in Paris, France. In 2000, it joined with the FIA. Its most important event is the Karting World Championship.CIK's current president, Luigi...
- BSA - British Superkart Association
- 1990 - 2007 CIK Results