THE KARTING
GLOSSARY.

The point where a kart runs closest to the inside of a corner. Hitting the apex correctly, often slightly later than instinct suggests, is the key to a fast corner exit.

Rental racing that needs no kart, gear, or experience. You arrive, we put you in a kart, and you race. The way nearly everyone starts.

Weight bolted to a kart so a lighter driver can meet a class's minimum combined weight. It keeps every driver in a class on an even footing.

Shown to a driver about to be lapped by a faster kart, signaling them to hold their line and let the leader through.

The plastic panels around a kart's frame. They are shaped to absorb contact and, on a race kart, must stay attached within the rules.

A class group for young drivers, roughly ages 7 to 12, where real wheel-to-wheel racing begins after Kid Karts.

The kart's frame. Karts have no suspension, so the chassis itself flexes to provide grip. Brands include Tony Kart, Kart Republic, CRG, and Top-Kart.

Waved at the start/finish line to end a session or race. The first kart to cross under it wins.

A tight sequence of corners, usually left-then-right, that breaks up a straight and forces drivers to slow down.

A group of drivers matched by age, weight, and engine so the racing comes down to skill. MCK runs 19 classes in its championship series.

Following closely behind another kart to sit in its pocket of reduced air resistance, gaining speed on a straight. Also called the tow.

The main race of a championship round. The result of the earlier heat race sets the grid for the final, and both award championship points.

An engine that completes its cycle over four piston strokes. Lower-revving, torquey, reliable, and cheap to run. The Briggs LO206 is the dominant four-stroke.

Signals that the track is clear and racing is underway.

The starting formation of a race. A driver's grid position is set by qualifying or by the result of an earlier session.

A race within a championship round, run before the final. The heat result sets the grid for the final, and it awards points of its own.

A flat-out lap run for the best possible time, as opposed to an out lap or a lap spent managing position.

A 100cc air-cooled two-stroke engine by IAME making around 22 horsepower. The common bridge class between four-stroke karting and the fastest categories.

A small, slow, closely supervised kart for the youngest racers, from age 5. The first rung of the karting ladder.

The time taken to complete one full lap, measured by a transponder to the millisecond. The basic currency of going faster.

Reaching the apex slightly later in a corner than the geometric center. It straightens the corner exit and lets a driver accelerate sooner.

The Briggs & Stratton LO206, a 200cc sealed four-stroke engine making about nine horsepower. The most popular engine in American club karting.

A class for older drivers, typically 35 and up, so veteran racers compete against peers. Karting has no upper age limit.

The most common brand of kart dashboard and data logger, recording lap times, RPM, and temperatures for a driver to review.

The lap driven from the pit lane up to racing speed before a hot lap begins. An in lap is the cool-down lap back to the pits afterward.

When the rear of the kart loses grip and steps out, rotating the kart more than the driver intended. The opposite of understeer.

The area behind the track where karts are prepared, teams set up, and drivers gear up. Open paddock access lets spectators walk among the karts.

The lane off the racing surface where karts enter and exit the track and where pit stops happen in endurance racing.

The first spot on the starting grid, earned by the fastest qualifying time. The best track position to start a race from.

Track time run to learn the circuit and tune a setup, with no points or grid on the line. Owners practice on a pass or a membership.

A timed session where each driver's best lap sets their starting position on the grid for the race that follows.

The fastest path through a corner, running from a braking point to a turn-in point, an apex, and an exit. The biggest piece of free speed in the sport.

Stops a session immediately for an incident or unsafe conditions. Drivers slow down and follow marshal instructions.

A family of water-cooled two-stroke kart racing engines, raced in their own Rotax Max classes from junior through senior level.

Deliberately driving slower than your true pace, often in practice or qualifying, to disguise your speed from rivals.

An engine sealed at the factory so it cannot be legally modified. It guarantees every engine in a spec class is identical, so the driver decides the race.

A timed segment of a lap. Comparing sector times shows a driver exactly which part of the track is costing them.

A kart with a real gearbox, typically six speeds, operated with a hand lever and clutch. The fastest karts there are, exceeding 80 mph.

A class that mandates identical equipment, usually a sealed engine, so budget cannot buy speed and the fastest driver wins.

A short, flat-out race format, as opposed to a long endurance race. Most Arrive & Drive and championship racing is sprint racing.

Touch-and-Go: a class of 125cc two-stroke engines with electric push-button starts, such as the IAME X30 and Rotax. A fast senior category.

The pre-race check, also called scrutineering, where officials confirm a kart and engine meet the rules of its class.

How soft or hard a racing tire's rubber is. Softer compounds grip harder but wear faster. Classes specify which tire they run.

Carrying a trace of brake pressure past the turn-in point and releasing it gradually as steering is added. An advanced technique that sharpens rotation.

A small electronic device on each kart that triggers a timing loop in the track, recording every lap automatically to the millisecond.

An engine that fires every revolution. Light, powerful, high-revving, and loud, but with a higher running cost than a four-stroke.

When the front of the kart loses grip and pushes wide, refusing to turn as sharply as the driver intends. The opposite of oversteer.

Signals caution ahead, usually an incident on track. Drivers slow down and overtaking is not allowed until the track is green again.