Go-Karting Workshop organised on 24th August, 2019 by yours truly.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to get a quick impromptu training on Go-karting from my friend, Amrut Kadam. Amrut is a national level formula racing driver in Indian Motorsports, having won several scholarships and sponsorships in Go-karting, Formula Racing, saloon car racing, Off-Road championships and is also a consultant/instructor with several car companies.
The 15 minutes spent with him were not only an eye-opener in terms the technicalities involved in race car driving, but also exciting and exhilarating. Not to mention mentally and physically tough. The rush of that experience stayed with me for several days. In those 15 minutes, I realised that all these years, on the Go-kart, as I wasn’t aware of the science and the technicalities involved, I was only driving around in circles.
It set me thinking. This is an experience that I have to share with people like me. In our time, Go-karting was so new, that it was never in the realm of our thoughts as a career option. Sachin Tendulkar had just started playing and had caught our imagination. In addition, the cost of karting was so high, that asking for that much money from parents regularly was not even possible. By the time we started to earn and afford it, it just became a recreational activity.
However, like any sport, if you know how to play it, you enjoy it more.
With the intention to share this experience and thrill, in partnership with Amrut, I organised a Go-Karting workshop on 24th August, 2019. Including me, a total of 12 people participated. Some of them were fellow team-bhpians.
Before the workshop, I went around several Go-karting tracks in Hyderabad and in consultation with Amrut finalised the venue as Hasten Go-karting circuit. The circuit was technical with 11 turns, and 3 hair pins. The turns too were of several different types, from long sweeping bends to Chicane and several other turn that one can experience. In addition, the place also has a cafe right next to the circuit, which we converted into a class room for the theory sessions.
Amrut arrived a day in advance, and we both spent half a day planning the entire workshop in detail. It was like a dress rehearsal for the main event. With the management of Hasten, we went through the timings for breakfast, lunch and evening tea and also the times at which karting circuit will be required. We ensured that the circuit was only to us, when our participants were on the track.
Adequate helmets and jackets were arranged for, and safety was given a very high priority while planning the workshop.
Finally the day arrived, and everybody was expected at the venue at 9 AM. The excitement of the workshop was so much, that most of us hardly slept, and all the participants reached before 8:45 itself. The entire week before the workshop was nice and cloudy in Hyderabad, however, the sun decided to come in full glory on 24th. The sun could not dampen the spirit though, and was infact a blessing, as we did not need to worry about wet track conditions.
The schedule of the session was as below: Meet & Greet- 9 AM sharp
- Self-introduction & breaking the ice
- Student’s expectations from the training
- Objective of doing this basic training programme
Having fun, while getting to know each other
Session 1: 7 laps (4 in a group) - Timed laps
This was followed by a theory session, where the following was discussed:
- Basics of Karting
- Theory of Karting
- General feedback to each individual on the aspects that they need to work on.
Rapt Attention
Many Questions and all questions answered..
Session 2: 7 laps (4 in a group)
In theory, in this session we learnt about
:
-Cornering approach
-Handling
-Braking pattern
-Clothing (aerodynamics)
Walking the track and discuss the driving lines that one needs to take on that track.
Learning from the boss himself..Breaking manoeuvres
Slalom
Lunch Session 3:
Summarise whatever has been taught and implement all together on track
7 laps (4 in a group) - Timed laps
Theory with question answer round. Discuss and answer every participant’s queries, and also compare the lap times from each ones first lap to the last lap.
Session 4: 7 laps (4 in a group)
- Motive behind having a race followed by a race.
RACE
The race was not intended to declare any winner, but to experience the pressure of a race and also to bring in an element of competitive fun.
The participants were of various levels of expertise, and we noticed that each and every participant managed to reduce their track times substantially during the course of the workshop. We also, understood the machines and the limits to which they and our bodies can be pushed.
Each and every session was intense and the adrenalin rush that we experienced was phenomenal. Some of the other side effects of the session we as follows:
- Bonding with 11 other like minded people
- Fun and Enjoyment
- Physical workout (as its tough on the forearms)
- and enough stories to pull each others legs, for days and weeks to come.