https://www.gnarpowpow.com/tags/k1-speed/ Tue 05 May 2026 07:39:48 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16962/how-to-win-go-karting-tips-from-a-professional-driver-kart-racing-for-beginners2/
Welcome! This UPDATED go karting tips video goes over the fundamentals of driving fast on track! Aimed at beginners, these tips should be helpful to get you started in the world of competitive karting. You guys loved the last video I put out on karting basics, so I decided to do a refresh for 2022...a little better quality this time! :) Enjoy! -Ethan -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Intro 0:26 The Racing Line 1:57 Kart Control 2:42 Implementation -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcript! :) Chapter 1: The Racing Line The single most important concept to grasp is the racing line. This is the fastest path around a corner or circuit, and can turn a track from looking like this…into this. At a very very simplified level, the racing line stems from the idea that the less a vehicle turns, the faster it can go. This can sometimes be hard to visualize, so here’s some diagrams I found online. First, here’s what a simplified, geometric racing line is. You start on the outside of the corner, turn into the innermost point (called an “apex”) and fan out to the outside of the track on exit. But why does this work? By pure logic, it’s easy to associate a tighter turn with having to go slower, whereas a wider turn you can take faster. Let’s take a look at this concept in context. An inside line (shown in red), requires you to have a really slow speed to make the corner. You can see the radius to make this turn in a circle is really small. In running, this is the fastest line simply because it covers the least distance, however runners aren’t maximizing the grip of their shoes, they simply take steps at a relatively fixed speed in whatever direction they choose. In racing, we are looking to maximize speed with the grip available, and are almost never concerned with the distance traveled. Therefore, this is the slowest line you can take through this corner. The outside line (shown in blue) is wider, allowing a larger radius which means you can carry more speed than on the inside. But there’s still a much better option (shown in green) which is our racing line. By using all of the track available, the radius of the turn opens dramatically, and you can carry much more speed through the corner. Real quick, lets see this in action: As you can see, I start on the outside edge, turn into the apex, and use all the track on exit. Chapter 2: Kart Control Now that we’ve got the racing line out of the way, let's talk about how to get your kart through it. First off, if you’re trying to go fast, don’t drift. Mario Kart has been lying to you. Yes, drifting is fun. No, it is not fast. The wheels are designed to move in a forward direction. Anything other than that is slow so keep the kart in check. Unless it’s raining where in that case do whatever you want like I did… Second, brake in a straight line. You don't want to end up like this dude. The next tip is to avoid sharp inputs of brakes, throttle, or wheel. Karts aren’t really cut out for slowing down quick or speeding up fast, so keeping a nice, smooth, fluid driving style will keep your speed up through the corners. Chapter 3: Implementation So now you know how to drive fast, but how do you implement these tips efficiently? Well for starters, every track is different, so I would recommend going on youtube and finding an onboard video from your local track that you can use to observe these concepts in action. While at the track, identify drivers that are quicker and follow them to pick up the nuances of your track. If you need help identifying these helpers, they’re likely the ones passing you. Study their lines and learn from the way they drive. Maybe even identify a weakness and improve upon it. Same goes for people who are slower than you. If you’re faster, get ahead of them safely and continue on your way. No reason to let them hold you up. A final tip is to bring a gopro to analyze your own laps, compare them with other’s, and find areas to improve. A second set of eyes is easily one of the most overlooked strategies to improve. --------------------------------------------------------------- How to win karting How to go fast karting Karting tips Go kart tips How to get better lap times karting How to beat your friends karting Karting tips for beginners Karting tips and tricks Karting racing -------------------------------------------------------------- #kartingtips #kartracing #karting ]]> Sun 16 Jan 2022 12:05:46 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16962/how-to-win-go-karting-tips-from-a-professional-driver-kart-racing-for-beginners2/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/177/dkc-league-race-rd-7-pre-final-nov-2021-short-track/
Pre-Final Heavies at DKC. DKC is under construction and this is a temporary short track configuration. ]]> Sat 06 Nov 2021 10:46:02 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/177/dkc-league-race-rd-7-pre-final-nov-2021-short-track/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16958/how-to-win-go-karting-tips-from-a-professional-driver-kart-racing-for-beginners/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED KARTING TIPS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/SBXktNg_1M0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome! This video goes over the fundamentals of driving fast on the kart track! Aimed mostly at beginners, these tips should be helpful to get you started in the world of competitive karting. Enjoy! -Ethan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcript! :) Arguably the most important concept to understand in the world of kart racing - is the racing line. Now what is the racing line you might ask? The racing line is the path around the track that will allow you to carry the most speed throughout the corners. Many believe that the fastest way around the track is the shortest distance, like when running. However, this is NOT the case. In racing, the fastest line is the path that allows for the least amount of turning, and the largest radius so you can carry the most amount of speed. Here is a look at what the racing line looks like from a top down view. The line begins on corner entry, where the kart is positioned on the outside edge of the track. As the corner progresses, you should aim towards the apex, or the center of the corner, and then finally ending at the far edge of the track on corner exit. To see this concept in action, let’s take a look at some onboard footage from one of my League events at COTA Karting here in Austin. As you can see, as I start on the outside edge of the track approaching the corner. As the corner progresses, I move in towards the apex, and swing wide and use all the track on exit. Now that we know the racing line, I have 5 great tips to ensure you are maximizing your speed while driving. 1. DO NOT DRIFT. Drifting is slow. No matter how cool it may look or feel, drifting is the fastest way to ruin a lap. The wheels are designed to move in a forward direction. Anything other than that is slower, and should be avoided. 2. Keep your steering movements smooth. Jerking the wheel around scrubs speed into corners, and can upset the balance of the kart. Only steer just what is necessary to avoid losing time, and keeping your steering fluid will help you stay in control. 3. Use the brake when necessary. Even the best drivers in the world have to be masters at slowing down. Use your brakes in a straight line when coming up to a turn to avoid spinning out. Remember, sometimes feeling slower is actually the fastest way around the track. 4. Use all the track available. A common mistake new drivers make is not making use of every inch of available space along the track. You can find seconds of time by sticking just a few feet closer to the edge of the track along the racing line. For example on this turn, you can see I am right up against the barriers on the right, come right up to the barriers on the left, and use all of the track on the exit. On this turn, you can see I creep off the outside edge of the track to gain a bit of an advantage on entry to maximize every bit of space I can. 5. Stay away from slow drivers. If someone is holding you up, pass them quickly and safely. It’s in your best interest to safely move around them so you can continue going fast. On another note, if someone faster than you is behind, let them through!! Stay close behind and study the way they take the turns. The best way to get faster is to learn from others on the track. If you have a GoPro or action camera, bring it with you. Some tracks may have different rules about what is allowed, but generally it’s a good idea to record your race footage and watch it back later on to see where you can improve. You can also compare it side by side with faster people to see what to do differently. Alright guys so that’s it! The beginner’s guide to going fast on track. If you learned something from this video, please consider leaving a like down below! It really helps me out and shows me that you enjoyed the video. If you want to see more karting videos like this or learn about my racing as a club driver, check out my channel below, and hit that subscribe button to keep up to date with my latest videos. If you have any karting tips of your own, feel free leave them down in the comments! This is a great way for you to share your knowledge with others. Finally, if you would like a more advanced driving technique video, let me know and I would be happy to make one for all of those seasoned drivers out there looking to maximize every millisecond. Anyway guys, that’s it! Like and subscribe, and I’ll see you in the next one. Peace! --------------------------------------------------------------- How to win karting How to go fast karting Karting tips Go kart tips How to get better lap times karting How to beat your friends karting Karting for beginners #karting #kartracing #kartingtips ]]> Thu 18 Feb 2021 11:25:06 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16958/how-to-win-go-karting-tips-from-a-professional-driver-kart-racing-for-beginners/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16945/kart-crashes-spins-compilation/
Here are all of the recorded crashes and spins I still have that I've been a part of or witnessed since I started karting. They vary between racing karts and rental karts. I wasn't injured in any of these with the exception of a sore neck for a few days from one of them. ]]> Wed 23 Dec 2020 11:20:34 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/16945/kart-crashes-spins-compilation/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18495/dkc-league-race-rd-8-final-nov-2020-every-point-counts/
League Final. This is the 2nd to last race of the season and I'm in 1st place overall with Chance only 48 points behind me. ]]> Thu 12 Nov 2020 23:09:53 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18495/dkc-league-race-rd-8-final-nov-2020-every-point-counts/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18494/dkc-league-race-rd-8-pre-final-nov-2020-kart-rage-sighting/
Two races to go in DKC League Racing and I'm in the lead just ahead of Chance and Justin. Had a bad qualifying session and started 20th. Kart Rage makes an appearance in this one. ]]> Tue 10 Nov 2020 23:09:38 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18494/dkc-league-race-rd-8-pre-final-nov-2020-kart-rage-sighting/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18493/dkc-league-race-rd-7-final-oct-2020-big-f-to-you/
League final in heavies @ DKC. Mr. "Kart Rage" is a thorn through my rib protector when we're karting! He wasn't raging this night necessarily, just using bad passing technique a few times. ]]> Sun 11 Oct 2020 23:09:24 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18493/dkc-league-race-rd-7-final-oct-2020-big-f-to-you/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18491/dkc-league-race-rd-6-final-sept-2020-not-my-night/
Starting 12th, lets go! ]]> Fri 25 Sep 2020 23:09:09 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18491/dkc-league-race-rd-6-final-sept-2020-not-my-night/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18489/dkc-league-race-rd-6-pre-final-sept-2020-rough-racing/
I qualified 6th with a time of 72.680 (heavies class). It was bumper cars out there! ]]> Thu 24 Sep 2020 23:08:50 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18489/dkc-league-race-rd-6-pre-final-sept-2020-rough-racing/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18487/dkc-league-race-rd-5-final-august-2020-great-race-for-the-win/
Qualifying (Heavies): Pole - 72.052 Me (2nd overall) - 72.492 I won the Pre-Final. ]]> Sun 23 Aug 2020 23:08:36 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18487/dkc-league-race-rd-5-final-august-2020-great-race-for-the-win/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18485/dkc-league-race-rd-4-both-races-july-2020-introducing-kart-rage/
This was the Pre-Final race with a minor track change. I started in 5th position. I didn't post the entire final because I was in 4th place a few turns into it and ran the rest of it without racing anyone so it was a bit boring. Comment with your thoughts on the attempted "punt" on lap 3. Thanks for watching! ]]> Tue 14 Jul 2020 23:08:20 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18485/dkc-league-race-rd-4-both-races-july-2020-introducing-kart-rage/ https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18483/dkc-league-race-rd-3-final-june-2020-most-satisfying-race/
Chance is one of the best driver's and it was just me and him in the end for the win. Comment below on the race and whether or not you like the post/real time commentary mix. ]]> Sat 13 Jun 2020 23:08:06 +0200 https://www.gnarpowpow.com/videos/18483/dkc-league-race-rd-3-final-june-2020-most-satisfying-race/