Go cart racing, or karting, as sports enthusiasts spell it, is a motor sport in which light weight, compact, but speedy four wheel vehicles rush almost effortlessly through tracks. Building a go cart is an art in itself, and thus requires racing go cart plans that contain not only the make up of a go cart, but details on a race as well.

Racing go cart plans are the first step to not only building a cart, but winning a race. In fact, karting is considered a low cost and safe way to introduce drivers to motor racing, and is the first step in a serious racer's career. Because go carts are lightweight, they are easily subject to stresses, and are in danger of spinning out of control, turning over, or even catching fire at any time. Training in karting can thus improve a racer's reflexes, car control, and decision making skills.

And because racers sometimes build their own go carts, drawing up racing go cart plans can introduce drivers to the physics and science underlying racing. These include the way tires are positioned, how stiff chassis are constructed, the way they are designed, and the choice of fuel and gears in building a go cart.

Racing go cart plans outline how a cart is built, how it should be maintained, and what kinds of races it can run through.

The most important part of a racing cart is its chassis, or frame. Racing go cart plans will usually contain details on how flexible a chassis is. In general, go cart racers prefer stiff chassis during dry conditions, and flexible ones in wet or low traction conditions. Low horsepower engines also run best on hard chassis, while high horsepower ones need more flexible fames.

The axels, pins, and bearings will hold the tires to the chassis. Racing go cart plans will contain details on the best tires as well. Since karting happens at any time of the year, tires should be well adapted to all weather conditions. Slick tires are designed for dry weather. The small, compact rain tires adhere well to slippery tracks, and are best suited for wet weather. Intermediates or worn tires have the best traction, and are usually employed during damp conditions. Ice tires are spiked, allowing go carts to speed through frost.

Together, the chassis and wheels must not only fit all weather conditions, but all track materials as well. If racing go cart plans show a go cart with a wide front but narrow back, the go cart racing track will be made of the more stable concrete or asphalt. However, if the racing go cart plans should show a go cart with a narrow front but wide back, the go cart racing track will made of dirt. Once go carts negotiate turns on a dirt road, they are in danger of turning over, since the flying dirt can produce enough force to keep the go cart from running again.

Also in the racing go cart plans are the engine and fuel tank, which, as with all materials in the go cart, should be light enough to avoid wind drag, but heavy enough to keep the go cart's traction. Go cart engines are either 2-stroke or 4-stroke, and can run on a variety of fuels, including petrol, gasoline, diesel, methanol, pressurized gas, and batteries.

Likewise important in racing go cart plans are the placement of the driver's seat, the clutch, the break, and the accelerator. A light, fast go cart will go nowhere if its driver is not comfortable enough with the cart itself.

Racing go cart plans will also be for nothing if there are no sufficient details on the race and race track. Go cart racing can either be a sprint or endurance race. A series of short, 15 minute long races make up the sprint, and speed and successful passing are the name of the game. Endurance races take much longer, and can last anywhere from 30 minutes, to over a day. In any case, racing go cart plans will also contain details on how the cart should be maintained through the neck breaking speeds of sprints, which can cause considerable wear and tear for the small, light cart; or the long hours of endurance races, which can tax on a cart's engine.

The best racing go cart plans will contain all the details about a cart and the race it should run, but still leave room for improvement and innovation. It's science that brings racing go cart plans to life, but it's also imagination that covers all bases and anticipates changes even the plans can't foresee. In any case, make the plans, and enjoy the ride, because go carting is all about originality in the spirit of fun.

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