Use Your Brakes in a Race Kart

In karting, nothing is more satisfying than elegantly sliding up the inside of another driver, kart pitched sideways, tires chirping away whilst delicately adjusting braking pressure to maintain traction. It is one of those times when you feel like the world is in slow-motion, and you are a driving god!

Steps

  1. Choose a sharp corner with a short straight before it. (Something within your comfort level for speed)
  2. Choose a braking point slightly earlier than normal.
  3. Make your normal approach, but give yourself more space at the edge of the track. You may find you need it.
  4. Drive flat out to your braking point, and stomp on the brake pedal. Give it a hard push.
  5. Remove your right foot off the throttle, and with your left foot, exert maximum pressure on the brakes.
  6. After the initial stomp on the pedal, release brake pressure slightly and control the kart. Be ready for the kart to snap sideways and snap back again when you come off the brake.

Tips

  • Now, if you are hitting the pedal as hard as you can with no result, get your brakes re-kitted because they aren’t working! And if you keep spinning, it means you are holding on the brakes too long. Release the braking pressure after that initial hit so the kart comes back to you.
  • The kart breaks loose at the rear and you have to come off the brake to control the kart.
  • The tires may squeal while you are performing this move.
  • The engine notes drops very suddenly (and almost stops if you are clutchless). If you don’t sense any of these you need to hit the pedal even harder and even faster.
  • When you hit the pedal you should sense all or at least one of the following.
  • For a first timer, pull over to the middle of the track when trying this, in case the kart does not come back to you at the right timing.

Warnings

  • Always make sure you have released brake pressure before you turn in otherwise you will spin

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Sources and Citations

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