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Sports Reporter
AT first glance, rental karting doesn’t seem to be anything serious. Lots of smiles and selfies mixed with sliding around, missing apexes and tyre squealing – a 100% good time and a way to inject some adrenaline without having to leave the city.
But rental go-kart tracks are not about just fun and with Pole Position Karts hosting their first one hour endurance challenge for several years in October, the gauntlet has already been thrown down between many of the teams that will be competing for overall honours.
Kevin Dufty, the owner of the venue said: ” We are very excited to be organising this event again after the Covid-19 pandemic. With 30 drivers competing in six teams, this will be the biggest karting event this year.”
Dufty adds: “Although this is a fun event with lots of friendly banter, don’t let that fool you, as the teams get very competitive when their reputations are on the line!”
The event will consist of a 30-minute qualifying session followed by a one hour endurance race, during which the top teams are expected to complete over 100 laps of the 320-metre kart track.
There will be four compulsory pit stops for driver changes, so teams have to calculate their strategies, work out when and which drivers should race and, of course, balance risk versus reward — if any driver crashes out, that’s the end of the team’s race .
“Rental karts are not powerful,” Dufty explains. “But this gives a driver an opportunity to show off his or her skills as you cannot compensate for your mistakes with extra power. If one wants to fight for the win, they have to learn to carry speed and drive smoothly.
“Let’s also not forget that all these karts are the same so you only can use your skills to overtake!”
When it comes to starting a professional racing career and creating a breeding ground for the next Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, rental karts are the perfect starting point for the journey.
Well known kart champion, Zac Dufty (18) says: “It’s the proper way to go, especially for instance, when a youngster is unsure if he/she really wants to dedicate themselves to racing. If they do choose something else, their parents are only out of pocket for the price of a few tickets, but if they choose to continue, they will have a solid foundation to work from.
“As a karting champion and Principle of my own karting team, I want people of all ages to be able to experience the joys of karting first-hand.
“Nearly all the top drivers began their motorsport life in karting as it’s a natural progression for introducing a new generation of drivers to the sport.”
Pole Position Karts offers karting to the general public at their venue in Eastlea, Harare.
Online Reporter