A shifter is much faster than a Rotax, and as Cory pointed out the Rotax is not a competitive package in a mixed class. Unless there is an all Rotax class in your area, I would stay away from it.

The TAG class is a good place to start for someone with a little track or karting experience. The Leopard is the most common engine for a small to mid-size driver, and Sonik for a larger driver, i.e. 200or more lbs. There will be a favored engine/chassis package for the track(s) that you get involved with so it pays to do your research.

UT, I'm not sure how you can disregard the running costs of a kart in comparison to an EVO. Fuel economy and tire costs are very valid points. That along with the costs of brakes and rotors add up very quickly.

Evo8, be careful with the full size tracks e.g. Mid Ohio in a kart. There is a much larger risk of injury than with your smaller, kart designed tracks. Endurance karting can be fun, but it will take you a little bit of time to work up to it as 5 minutes will be plenty of workout when you first get started. Good luck.

_______
Jason

 

Point taken on the cost of the kart, but you're also forgetting one major issue. When you take your car (or kart) to a track, you always run the risk of not coming home with it...i.e. a big crash. Much cheaper to write off a kart than your Evo. Hell, even a small fender bender in the Evo will cost you $3k+. If you're comfortable pushing yourself to the limits, you'll learn more and learn faster, and that's where the kart pays dividends.

When I first got into racing, I had a very nice turbocharged GC8 Impreza. Once I realized how much there was to learn, I sold it and bought a miata and a GTX for cash, so I could be OK with wrecking one (or both). I didn't like the idea of racing something that I was still making payments on.

I'm not sure how the tires comment isn't relevant. If you're serious about HPDEs, you're going to use race tires on an extra set of wheels, and you'll need race pads too. It was for this exact reason that I sold my miata...I got tired of the 2-3 hours of converting the car from daily driver to track spec, and then back again.

On the 'other karting gear' comment, I got all the extra gear tossed in when I bought my kart, and I've heard of others doing the same thing. I did buy my own helmet, but I had that already from a motorcycle I had a few summers back. FWIW, if I had bought the suit, rib vest, neck donut, helmet, gloves, its still cheaper than a HANS device.

Like you said, pros and cons of each method, its just important to look at all the angles. Its not like the OP can go wrong though, a kart and an Evo are both great!

Dave

 

Kart gear is way cheaper than car stuff because it doesn't have to be nomex, you can use a motorcycle helmet ($125), buy a cheap GForce or K1 suit ($80), GForce gloves ($16), and budget shoes for about $40 - all that stuff is less than what an entry level car race helmet cost. I actually see people on practice days wearing tennis shoes and jeans, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Most used karts come with extras: stand, gears, spare parts, starter (if needed), etc. Sometimes they come with the gear too but it may not fit. Mine even came with a all the parts for a top-end rebuild, an EZ-Up, and a gas can. All of that extra stuff adds up so it is wise to buy as complete a package as you can find.