Go Kart

Inspired by discarded lawn-mower engines, a go kart is an open, light, miniature, sometimes 3 but mostly a 4-wheeled low ground clearance vehicle, resembling a slightly over-sized bony kid car. Go karts mostly have are rear-engined and like cute kid toy cycles, a go kart has no doors or a protective car bonnet. A go kart frame is usually made of steel. Go Kart was invented by Art Ingels, a designer for race cars at Kurtis Kraft in Southern California in 1956. However, it was introduced to the market only 2 years later in 1958 by an American company, Go Kart Manufacturing Co. Today, the Chinese have taken the lead in producing cheap, small and eye-catching go karts. McCulloch was the first company to manufacture engines for karts. Later as the sport grew, Italian companies started actively manufacturing engines for them. In America, they are also called off road buggies as they were created by modifying cars like the Volkswagon to use on beaches and sandy roads.

Go karting is enjoyed by the young and the not-so-young too being an inexpensive sport. For adults, it’s a kind of going back to their childhood days and times. There are so many different designs and types of go karts available for taking today. Right from battery operated kid karts, petrol go karts, pedal go karts, electric go karts to even gas-powered go karts. There are books written on it as well as manuals on "how to build your own cheap go kart". Available for children aged 3 and above are Berg go karts (available in over 20 models with make-believe number plates) and Dino go karts (manufactured by a German family company to promote the sport) that are popular child outdoor toys meant for off road use. Usually for kids there are some safety measures manufacturers incorporate into such products like safe, non-hazardous paint, chain guards, pedals that do not slip, large broad tires, hand brakes, seats that can be adapted for a growing child learning to go kart in a backyard garden or school playground.

A Go kart is also an economical and comparatively secure vehicle for potential drivers to practice their skills, in motor racing. Using a go kart trains a driver for progressive speeds, greater challenges, in building swift reflexes, accurate motor control and quick thinking whilst racing. Most of the famous names in Formula One motor racing today (Micheal Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, to name a few) were raised on kid go karts. Go karts are used for racing on scaled-down circuits. Many countries use go karts for tele games for adults, downhill racing, racing on sand dunes as well as racing activity for children where they can compete with their karts off the road.In the United Kingdom, the National karting racing series, also popularly called the Super I Championships have three types; the MSA, the Rotax and the TKM series with separate races for juniors, cadets and seniors. NatSKA, a budget karting association, started for schools and youth groups has 13 classes.