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A la kart
Carlo Niederberger whizzes around the track for a weekend
of unlicensed thrills and shrills.
Sitting in the cramped quarters of a kart waiting to be push-started
by your team can be quite a bracing experience-and
downright addictive. The tiny machines boast a minimum of
skeletal bodywork, with tires the size of CDs and a steering
wheel much stiffer than those on arcade racers. You, in fact,
are the heaviest component. Once rolling, it's hard
not to be amazed at the power surge when your foot hits the
gas, and it takes nerves to keep the pedal pressed down. When
the race is finished it matters little whether you've
come in first place or last, because the ride itself was thrilling
enough.
Welcome to the world of Tokyo kart racing, a thriving scene
that offers customers the chance to literally walk off the
street and into a racecar-albeit a small one. Not to
be confused with go-karts, their smaller cousins, karts have
become so popular that they've spawned professional
racing leagues here in Japan. Indeed, illustrious Formula
One racers like the late Ayrton Senna and the Schumacher brothers
were weaned on karts, and participation at the higher levels
requires drivers to obtain licenses. But with a half dozen
tracks lying a stone's throw from the city center,
and with prices starting at around ¥2,000 per spin,
Kanto's tiny racetracks beckon even non-racing residents
with the lure of cheap-and fast-thrills.
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| Going for a spin in the
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Bare bones racing
Although it's not much to look at, Akigase Circuit
in nearby Saitama Prefecture is one center of Kanto's
kart universe. "Compared to other, prettier tracks,
this one looks bare, but its atmosphere is incomparable, with
hundreds of drivers who show up on weekends," enthuses
Yamaha karts sales expert Yoshizo Ozaki. The 550m track with
a 150m straightaway awaits even the most inexperienced novices,
offering a "time attack" run that costs ¥2,000
for seven laps on a first come, first served basis. Drivers
are issued a helmet and gloves, and the only requirements
are that they be over five feet tall and wear sports shoes
and clothes that cover every limb.
But seven laps go by quickly, and once the racing bug bites,
drivers often seek out organized competitions. For them, Akigase
offers two types of races, both of which see 6 to 12 drivers
out on the track at a time. The "sprint pack"
(¥12,000) involves an 8-lap qualifying race and a 12-lap
final with up to 8 competitors, while the "race pack"
(¥10,000), with up to 12 drivers, features a 20-minute
qualifying session followed by a 45-minute all-out racing
session. Drivers can rent karts that come mounted with Honda
RX160 four-stroke engines, and both events end on a podium
with trophies doused in champagne.
Seasoned kart drivers, many of whom own their own vehicles,
often claim that rentals are un-serviced and under-performing
and don't offer a great deal of fun. Ozaki counters
that rental karts are usually fine, which is reassuring for
those who don't want to shell out tens of thousands
of yen for a secondhand vehicle. Most rentals, and, in fact,
most racing karts in general, do not have transmissions, and
are simply operated by an accelerator under the right foot
and a brake under the left. Karts reach speeds of anywhere
between 40 to 160km/h, depending on the model, engine, tires,
how they have been tuned and serviced and so on-much
like options on full-size motor vehicles. Karts are just less
expensive and do not require a license to ride.
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Ticket to ride
Getting more deeply involved in the sport requires honoring
weekly on-track commitments and enrolling in a league, which
does require a permit. That kart licenses are expensive and
troublesome to obtain, though, are misconceptions. The Yamaha-sponsored
SL Kart Club issues licenses honored at all tracks for as
little ¥12,000, and this involves only a half-day's
academic and practical training, including understanding the
mechanics of karts as well as the manners and regulations
pertaining to official races. SL's licenses come in
several categories corresponding to different classes of vehicles,
from the S Stock karts for novices and intermediates racers
all the way up to the YZ Stock 125, which are designed for
experts. The Japan Automobile Federation also issues licenses,
as do individual circuits, albeit for use on their tracks
only.
So for those young and willing enough, establishing a reputation
on the kart tracks is a passport to great things in the world
of motor sports. Others, meanwhile, can join the ordinary
crowd and kick back at any of the numerous kart circuits that
dot the Kanto region and beyond.
Photos courtesy of Yamaha
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