Karting!
It's been a long time since I last went karting (probably not been since 2019!), but with the gradual return to Actually Doing Things the thanksgiving group choose to make a return to the traditional pre-thanksgiving karting. We decided to trundle down to Teamsport Brighton for a pair of open timed sessions as since we were last there they've upgraded their fleet to shiny new electric karts. And wow, they're fairly nippy!
My first impressions of the karts is they're a lot more torquey than the petrol ones, and a lot stickier in the corners. There's corners that I braked for in the petrol karts that with the electric ones I would merely lift for or even take flat - oh, they're go-karts with a live rear axle and so the back will still let go given the slighest leeway, but I found these would slide and drift a lot more before ultimately spinning out. That didn't stop me managing a couple of spins, both times at the bottom of the track's flyover - the camber for the flyover swings aggressively and that combined with the turn onto the downwards ramp makes the kart want to twitch sideways as it bounces on the track.
The whole thing actually reminded me a bit of driving twin-engined karts over at Bayford Meadows in Kent - those were similarly grippy round the corners.
The electric karts also had a boost button which does exactly what it says - extra power for 3 seconds, usable every 30 seconds. That was interesting to get to grips with both from the extra acceleration, and from the speed being suddenly scrubbed off 3 seconds later (more than just the slowdown from lifting off the throttle - I wonder if the ECU was actively limiting the speed and regen'ing back into the battery?).
I'm completely sold on electric karts now. Oh, and also as they're electric they're much quieter - there's still the shriek of the tyres, but at the pit wall you can actually talk to people without shouting. It's a little weird when there's a red flag, everyone stops, and it's suddenly silent - one of our group suggested they should play "Another one bites the dust" for every spin!
My first impressions of the karts is they're a lot more torquey than the petrol ones, and a lot stickier in the corners. There's corners that I braked for in the petrol karts that with the electric ones I would merely lift for or even take flat - oh, they're go-karts with a live rear axle and so the back will still let go given the slighest leeway, but I found these would slide and drift a lot more before ultimately spinning out. That didn't stop me managing a couple of spins, both times at the bottom of the track's flyover - the camber for the flyover swings aggressively and that combined with the turn onto the downwards ramp makes the kart want to twitch sideways as it bounces on the track.
The whole thing actually reminded me a bit of driving twin-engined karts over at Bayford Meadows in Kent - those were similarly grippy round the corners.
The electric karts also had a boost button which does exactly what it says - extra power for 3 seconds, usable every 30 seconds. That was interesting to get to grips with both from the extra acceleration, and from the speed being suddenly scrubbed off 3 seconds later (more than just the slowdown from lifting off the throttle - I wonder if the ECU was actively limiting the speed and regen'ing back into the battery?).
I'm completely sold on electric karts now. Oh, and also as they're electric they're much quieter - there's still the shriek of the tyres, but at the pit wall you can actually talk to people without shouting. It's a little weird when there's a red flag, everyone stops, and it's suddenly silent - one of our group suggested they should play "Another one bites the dust" for every spin!