For Sale: A Lotus-Renault 98T-Style Go-Kart
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Written by Ben Branch |
January 13th 2023
This is a Lotus-Renault 98T-style go kart, it was built specifically to resemble the car driven by Ayrton Senna in the 1986 Formula 1 season in which he took eight pole positions, eight podium places, and two wins.
This go kart was built on a modified Bird Engineering tubular steel chassis, it’s powered by the venerable Briggs & Stratton 5 bhp single-cylinder engine which turns the rear live axle via a centrifugal clutch and chain drive.
This go kart has been cleverly modified to resemble the Lotus-Renault 98T F1 car, it has a fiberglass body, front and rear wings, Margay Series 24 3-piece wheels, and that classic John Player Special livery.
Bird Engineering was a popular go kart manufacturer who developed and sold a range of models, often selling them via ads in the back of magazines. Their go karts had simple tubular steel frame with a live axle rear end. They could be ordered with one or two engines, and one or two disc brakes among many other options.
As with most go karts it’s a single seater that can accommodate children and (most) adults, the controls consist of a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and a brake pedal – making it nice and easy to drive for everyone.
Stopping is accomplished with a rear disc brake, a standard arrangement on many go karts, and it’s fitted with attractive staggered-diameter Margay Series 24 3-piece wheels, a stainless steel exhaust, a fiberglass Emmick seat, and a replica MOMO-style steering wheel with a quick-release hub.
Bird Engineering produced go karts and go kart chassis for many years, selling them nationwide from ads placed in the back of automotive and enthusiast magazines.
Go karts have always offered the cheapest entry into the world of motorsport, with many future Formula 1 champions starting out in karts before working their way up the formulas into the pinnacle of racing – including Ayrton Senna.
This kart is currently being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Point Pleasant Boro, New Jersey on a bill of sale. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
+ Editor’s Note – This kart was built by Travis Weiss over at Project Weiss, you can follow him on Instagram here to see his new creations.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Ben Branch
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Published by Ben Branch – January 13th 2023
The Path From Kart Racing to F1
Some motorsport fans may not take karting seriously, but catch racing pros from F1 and other series like NASCAR on the weekend, and they are most likely behind the wheel of a kart.
Why? Well, for one, going back to karts marks a return to form for most of these guys. As Road & Track puts it: “Every Formula 1 driver had to start somewhere, and racing karts at a very young age is how most champions are cultivated.”
But even then, something about kart racing charms the most grizzled pro racecar drivers. It is, in many ways, one of the purest forms of racing. Everything is distilled into its most essential parts, putting you literally as close to the engine and the asphalt as is humanly possible. In other words, once you “get” kart racing, you can “get” racing other vehicles in an intensely meaningful way. Apex turning, brake thresholds, spotting passing opportunities — skills like these can be honed from behind the wheel of a simple platform that gets rid of everything you don’t need and replaces it with pure bliss.
That is why so many parents wake up at 4 in the morning, helping their 12 year old load up a kart in the back of a pickup and starting the procession towards a long day of karting. They know their child is developing skills that could lead them down a long road towards professional skill-building. And who knows? Maybe some day, that former child looks up from their car, sees thousands of racing fans screaming down at them and quietly thanks their mom or dad for waking up early and helping them race.
How Kart Racers Compete
Kart racing can start as young as five years old. At this age, children are riding what are unsurprisingly known as “Kid Karts.” These babies usually pack a 50cc, two-stroke engine that’s not too different from what you’d find on a weed wacker. Comer c50 and c51 engines are popular, but you may also see Honda GX35 or GXH50 four-cycle engines. At this age, no one keeps track of points, and there’s no championships, but parents and kids still clamor to do their best on the weekends and keep track of their own progress.
Once kids hit about seven years old, they can compete in the SKUSA “Cadet” class. Here, they ride 60cc two-stroke engines capable of reaching 50 mph. 7-9 year olds ride in the Micro Swift group while 9-13 year olds ride Mini Swift setups.
12 year olds can then move up to the Junior class, where the competition gets truly fierce. Full-size 125cc TaG (touch-and-go) karts are common, as are Rotax setups. Many racers also run four-cycle LO206 or Jr. II Briggs engines to keep on a tight budget. Speeds can reach 65 mph, but the sheer torque makes you feel like you have been rocket-launched after exiting every corner. Kids can learn lots of skills in these classes, and not all of them related to just driving. Preparation, vehicle maintenance, strategy and more can all be developed at a young age from behind the wheel of a kart.
Moving Beyond Kart Racing in Atlanta
Once children reach age 15, they can switch to the Senior classes of karting, which include two-stroke TaG and Rotax as well as four-cycle classes like LO206 or World Formula.
Exhausts are unrestricted at this point, letting karts reach 70 mph or more depending on the track. Older teens can also move to shifter karts, which can reach over 100 mph and use a manual gearbox that demands rapid, precise shifts.
However, many teens migrate to actual vehicles once they hit about 15 years old. Spec Miata is a popular class for beginning drivers and club drivers of all ages, and racers can move up to the MX-5 Cup once they find sponsorships or have more room to invest in their team. “Late Model” racing is also popular, and it helps teens gain footing in NASCAR-type stock auto racing.
But for teens who truly want to get into open-wheeled Formula 1 style racing, Formula Ford is the way to go. These vehicles are relatively affordable, and provide a good working environment for young drivers to cut their teeth and learn to work with a team. From there, they may be able to get a sponsorship and race in the GP3 series if they are willing to move to Europe, but most of us in the States have to once again entrust in Mazda.
The Mazda Road to Indy has been established as a driver development program that helps provide scholarships to aspiring Indy drivers and open-wheeled racers, and there are many other, similar driver development programs out there intended to cultivate and highlight young talent.
Get Your Start by Trying Kart Racing Near Atlanta at AMP
The road to becoming a professional F1 or Indy driver is long and full of potholes, but every child and teen can get a fun start competing in kart racing. Even if they never make it to the sponsored leagues, they can build skills that can help them later in life both on and off the track.
If you are interested in learning more about kart racing at Atlanta Motorsports Park, you can attend our Atlanta kart racing school or come to the track for public karting and then talk to our kart services experts — who can even build you a complete Kid Kart, TaG kart or LO206 that’s ready to race! Book your session today!
Wow Karting: With Your Own Eyes – All Formula 1 News 2023
A few years ago we talked about the Arena GP karting center in Moscow, which launched a large competition program for amateurs.
Recently, its owners invited us to a new, recently opened karting track – Arena Play, with an unusual concept for Russian rental karting. The owners themselves call it “Wow-karting”, because everything here serves one purpose – to surprise visitors.
The new karting center is located on the top floor of the Filion shopping and entertainment center, and here the surprises begin. To get to the karting track by car, you need to climb to the 17th floor of the parking lot, and then walk two more levels on foot. From this height, a stunning view of the panorama of Moscow opens up – so far only from a restaurant belonging to the karting track, but in the near future from the track itself.
“Creating the Arena Play karting center, we tried to move a little away from the purely sports theme, which is a lot in Arena GP,” tells us the Russian karting champion in the KF class, the owner of the Russian Cup in Formula 3, and now Arena sports director Play Yuri Grigorenko. – Arena Play is more of an entertainment center focused on families and children.
This is karting for an ordinary person who, perhaps, does not even know what it is yet. We want him to come, ride, say “Wow!” and wanted more.
That is why we paid such attention to the restaurant – it is a large loft-style room where you can hold corporate events, business meetings, and just sit with friends. So if Arena GP is primarily karting, and the restaurant is only an addition, then in Arena Play it’s the other way around – in the future it will be a large entertainment center, one of the elements of which will be karting.”
The restaurant in Arena Play is really impressive – it’s not a restaurant for fans of motorsports, but quite a full-fledged institution. However, the karting track remains the heart of Arena Play, and that is where we are heading.
The go-cart track impresses with its scale and unusual design. Although the restaurant is adjacent to the highway, it takes some time to walk from the table to the locker room. However, you won’t be able to get lost – the bright lines on the floor perform not only an aesthetic, but also a practical role, and will lead you where you need to go.
By the way, you can find similar colorful lines everywhere in Arena Play – in interior design, on maps and even on overalls. Thanks to this, almost any frame from here becomes very recognizable.
The check-in system is also very unusual. Here you can personalize. There are two ways to do this: enter your first and last name in a special terminal that will take your photo, or simply log in through it in a social network – for example, Facebook. In the second case, your best result will be automatically published on your social network page immediately after the end of the race – of course, this option can be canceled. And when the time of your arrival comes, you will be notified by one of the many monitors hung around the karting track – including in the restaurant.
On the way to the track, we pass by a children’s room – if it’s too early for a child to go kart, he will have something to do under the supervision of an animator. Then we get into the locker room. In addition to changing cabins, there are also boxes for storing clothes – just to use them, you need to remember to take an electronic key-bracelet to the reception.
Finally, putting on overalls, a balaclava, a helmet and gloves, we go to the track.
Arena Play’s main fleet is Rimo Evo 6 with 9 hp Honda engineshp This is a development of the well-known Evo 5, which are used in many karting tracks around the world, including Arena GP. There are also children’s Rimo Mini karts, with a 5.5 hp engine, you can start riding them from about nine years old (the main limiting factor is not age, but height). It is important that new karts were purchased for the new karting center, and not old ones were brought in, as it often happens, unfortunately. Thanks to this, the difference between the machines is minimal.
Finally, we leave the track. Its main feature is that the track is two-level – on the first part you will find a descent (very fast!), on the second – an ascent, and quite steep. It is here that one of the most difficult places of the route is located – immediately after the ascent, a blind left turn awaits you, which rests against the wall! In order not to lose speed, here it is necessary to act extremely accurately, turning the kart even more to the left at the moment when you do not see the exit from the turn.
This is also important because when you turn, you will find yourself on the starting line, and on it you will need as high speeds as possible.
In general, the track is quite interesting – there is even a banking in one of the turns! At the same time, it is narrow and technical – in most turns it is important to accurately choose the trajectory and open the gas at the exit in time. Overtaking here, however, is not easy, but for now. Because in the near future the track will become even longer and more interesting – there will be an exit to the roof! There will be a much wider part of the track – the track will turn into a four-level. Of course, this part of the route will be laid only in the spring.
Unlike Arena GP, Arena Play does not have a large competition program, but you can compete for prizes here too. Every week, the visitor who shows the best time on the track receives a special prize from the karting center, and at the end of the month, the fastest driver is awarded a certificate for extreme driving courses on the Audi quattro at the school of the famous rally driver Evgeny Vasin Vasin Driving School! But even without such awards, the Arena Play karting track has certainly become an interesting and completely new phenomenon for Moscow.
“Already now we have a lot of visitors on weekends – people come to Filion, where we are, and at the same time go for a drive in our karting,” Yury Grigorenko explains. “But we want to tell everyone that Arena Play is karting for everyone, even for those who are far from motorsport.”
The best kart racing games on PC
A selection of great kart games: choose, download, race, win!
Racing is one of the most popular game genres. The world of speed is fascinating and gives the user all the emotions that are required for relaxation after a busy day. At the same time, projects can be divided into many areas. Some developers prefer body series, others prefer rally simulators. Today we will consider karting races, better known for cartoon arcades. Nevertheless, there will be a few simulators in our list. Get comfortable! The best kart racing game on PC!
Karting simulators for PC
Racing simulators allow participants to feel the physics of the kart behavior on the track and immerse themselves in the competitive process.
Here you have to look for the right trajectory to become the first. Ramming an opponent or other tricks will not help, immediately throwing the player to the very back of the peloton. At the same time, ultra-realistic karting simulators do not currently exist. One way or another, arcade elements have been added to the games, which does not interfere with enjoying the gameplay at all.
KartKraft
KartKraft is a VR racing game that truly captures the feeling of driving a kart. You are waiting for difficult tracks and high speeds, irreconcilable rivals and an impressive level of immersion in the atmosphere of racing. You will be able to customize and tune cars, you will drive on real-life tracks that the developers have recreated using laser scanning. KartKraft is still in early access, but it already boasts a high rating on Steam.
Buy Now
Kart Racing Pro
Realistic kart racing simulator for VR: the authors compare it to a training simulator, after which you can safely drive a real car.
For this reason, the developers recommend using a game steering wheel; in turn, the game promises reliable physics, detailed simulation of the behavior of the kart and support for modding tools: you can create your own tracks, karts, engines, helmets and other content. You can play Kart Racing Pro with a virtual reality helmet.
Buy Now
Arma 3 Karts
Originally an April Fool’s joke, Arma 3 Karts has evolved into a full-blown DLC, in which fighters place themselves in tight karts and compete against each other on winding tracks. In the game, you can create your own tracks, pass various tests, and compete online. Requires original Arma 3.
Buy Now
Project CARS
The Project CARS series of racing simulators features competitions in various disciplines, including karting. You have to compete with rivals within the racing season, and the gameplay, like in other disciplines, will seriously challenge your driving skills.
Buy now
VR SUPER SPORTS
VR SUPER SPORTS is a collection of sports disciplines “sharpened” for VR devices.
There are also karting competitions in the game, which are distinguished by exorbitant speeds and the need to control the vehicle. Despite this, many gamers note weak graphics and monotony. The latter, by the way, is not a big problem for karting fans, because the essence of this racing series is the correct passage of the track. If you want to compete with other users, love VR projects and do not pay close attention to the quality of product design, then VR SUPER SPORTS is worth considering as an option.
Buy
Go-Kart Racing
Another simulator, the developers of which did not pursue ultra-realism. Just like in VR SUPER SPORTS, Go-Kart Racing presents only the basics of karting, not framed by great design. At the same time, the game allows you to feel the competitive spirit. In addition to high speeds and sharp turns, gamers are waiting for turns, collisions and massive accidents. Races are designed for 24 pilots, and opponents are endowed with good artificial intelligence.
The game does not shine with a variety of tracks (only 3), but physics and flexible race settings will undoubtedly allow gamers to enjoy the race.
Buy Now
GoKart – NewMexico
GoKart – NewMexico is a simulator with arcade elements that offers gamers to drive karts in online and single player modes. You can call three friends and compete on the speed of passing the tracks. It is worth noting the good physics of cars without a body and bright low-poly graphics. The game has a night mode and daytime races with the ability to change the camera view. If you love karting games, then you will get positive emotions from GoKart – NewMexico.
Buy Now
Arcade Kart Racing
Everything is possible in arcade racing! The fantasy of the gamer is limited only by the mechanics provided by the developers. Many users prefer arcades, because they can have a good rest and escape from hardcore or monotonous games.
F1 Race Stars
A fun game licensed by Formula 1: there are real drivers and race cars, but the tracks familiar to fans of the Royal Races have been rebuilt, and power-ups are scattered on them, with which you can interfere with rivals in every possible way.
Racers in F1 Race Stars resemble chibi dolls, and cars, although they repeat the outlines of Formula cars, are closer to karts in size and behavior. This is a very fun racing arcade game for the whole family – you can play in split screen mode on one PC.
Buy now
Garfield Kart — Furious Racing
Fun kart with Garfield the cat and his friends. You will drive on bright tracks, incapacitate competitors and enjoy a colorful picture. The game features characters with different driving styles and unique cars, and bonuses allow you to both attack opponents and defend yourself from their attacks. You can have fun with family members: split-screen multiplayer is available in Garfield Kart – Furious Racing.
Buy
Karting
Relatively fresh arcade racing game with nice graphics and dynamic gameplay. Here you can ride with bots in a single game and other players in network mode, choose skins for cars and explore tracks laid in different places on the globe.
Karting looks very budget, but it costs accordingly.
Buy Now
Team Sonic Racing
Team Sonic Racing is a game about Sonic and his team: the legendary hedgehog takes part in exciting races, but not by himself, but together with his partners: the heroes unite in “triples” and can strengthen each other to increase chances of success. Like many arcade racing games, Team Sonic Racing supports split-screen co-op.
Buy now
StarWheels
A futuristic-style multiplayer arena where players battle each other to score points to win. There are three modes, several abilities and various auto customization options. However, keep in mind that online in StarWheels is empty, and the game will only be of value if you manage to gather friends for online races.
Buy now
Coffin Dodgers
Funny racing game about old people racing Death: whoever wins will stay alive. At the disposal of the heroes – a wide range of tools to eliminate rivals, as well as customizable self-propelled chairs.
The problem with the game is exactly the same as the project with the position above – empty online, which is compensated by the presence of local multiplayer.
Buy Now
KartRider: Drift
A free-to-play arcade racing game originally from Korea in which players race in multiplayer races, customize karts and characters, and participate in various activities. The game is quite popular, but has a regional block, so it can be difficult to get into it.
Play
Super Indie Karts
Retro game in the style of classic 16-bit racing with bright acidic graphics, 2D characters and multiple modes. Cool entertainment for the company – with support for local multiplayer.
Buy Now
Moorhuhn Kart
Arcade from childhood, old-school kart with funny characters and high dynamics. The new Moorhuhn Kart is the legacy of the 2002 classic, and it’s far from being the perfect racing game. Still, nostalgic fans of the Moorhuhn franchise are sure to be thrilled.
Buy Now
All-Star Fruit Racing
A fun arcade game set in a real fruit paradise. Armed with fast cars and powerful power-ups, players race along colorful tracks. It is unlikely that you will find rivals online, but no one will stop you from playing on the same screen.
Buy
Go Kart Run!
A racing game with a modest picture, lack of multiplayer and strange physics. But it is available for free and undemanding to PC resources.
Play
Funky Karts
A 2D platform game in which you control a kart to overcome obstacles and traps generously scattered over 60 levels. The main trump card of the game is an unexpected plot for this genre, and quite intriguing and motivating to move to the end of the adventure.
Buy Now
The Karters
An arcade racing game inspired by Crash Team Racing that challenges you to compete on detailed tracks and hurl missiles at your opponents. Despite the promising description, the game seems to be forever stuck in early access, with some bugs not being fixed for several years.
However, it is likely that the authors will revive the game – with exciting modes, customization and hurricane gameplay.
Buy
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix is an action-packed arcade kart competition. The user will meet characters familiar from cartoons on the expanses of colorful tracks. In total, the game has 100 recognizable heroes who prefer a unique mode of transport.
The developers have introduced several types of races for the choice of the player, including circuit competitions lasting several laps, linear sprint, online multiplayer (up to 8 users) and local multiplayer. In addition, flexible race settings add variety to the gameplay. So, you can set bonuses on the track and increase the number of laps to the finish line.
Buy
Beach Buggy Racing 2
Despite the name, Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure with the Hot Wheels Booster Pack not only offers buggy racing, but also karts.
The user can choose from 35 different modes of transport, 13 characters and unique pilot abilities. In addition to single player, the developers have provided multiplayer, which is much more fun to play. Invite up to 7 friends to a customized game and choose your adventure. Both co-op and races against each other are possible.
More than two dozen tracks that will meet in the game will be remembered for their bright design and unusual winding roadway, twisting from side to side and writing intricate loops. In some cases, the user will come across secret detours that can be used to gain an advantage over rivals. If you are a fan of cartoon-style arcade racing, then Beach Buggy Racing 2 will be a real discovery.
Buy
Touring Karts
Touring Karts are arcade-style kart racing games that support VR devices. Competently designed mechanics, bright design and many prizes await players in single player mode and online. You will be pleased with many prizes, 22 tracks and three dozen cars.
There is nothing in the game that can be attributed to simulators, however, the arcade component is performed at its best. For those who doubt the need to purchase the game, the developers left a demo version of Touring Karts on the Steam page.
Buy now
Zero Gear
Zero Gear is a dynamic battle kart for online multiplayer. The user is prompted to create a character and his vehicle to start the game. The developers have presented a variety of modes in which you can not only compete, but also have fun, for example, “tag”, “hunt”, “football” or “race”.
Unusual physics, a dozen tracks and dynamic battles – the key to the success of Zero Gear. The game will undoubtedly suit those gamers who want to take a break from serious projects for a while.
Buy Now
Beasty Karts
Beasty Karts is a simple arcade racing game where you have to destroy your opponents to reach the finish line first. Ten tracks, weapons and some choice of cards bring some variety to the game.
The project does not claim to be the leader among the arcades, but it confidently declares that it will be quite pleasant to pass the free time with it.
Buy now
Retro Kart Rush
Retro Kart Rush is the best place to start for fans of retro kart racing. The game is very similar to similar games from the Mario franchise. Despite the apparent simplicity, the gameplay has deep mechanics. Exceptionally speed will not help to solve the tasks, and for the final success you will have to learn how to skillfully use weapons. By the way, by collecting boxes along the track, you can find boosters or items that stop competitors.
The user can choose from 9 characters, 18 tracks and several modes, including local split-screen multiplayer. Everything indicates that the project belongs to 16-bit console hits, so if you are not afraid of old-school console graphics straight from the 90s, feel free to install Retro Kart Rush on your computer. The game will definitely not disappoint!
Buy Now
Mario Kart 8
A kart racing collection is not complete without the iconic Mario Kart series, in particular its latest iteration in the form of Mario Kart 8.
bosses and incredibly addictive gameplay! You can play on the same TV and online, and there is so much fun here that you will not want to delete the game from your Switch even after you open all the existing content!
Buy now (ns)
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a remake of Naughty Dog’s classic Crash Team Racing with new graphics, a mix of tracks and a larger selection of characters from the Crash bandicoot series. Fascinating and quite challenging, the race is only available on consoles and has never been released on PC.
Buy (ps) Buy (xb) Buy (ns)
LittleBigPlanet Karting
Not to mention the famous LittleBigPlanet Karting, based on the LittleBigPlanet platformer series. As the adorable Sackboy and his friends, players raced around the tracks and battled each other, dressing the characters in a variety of outfits between races. The game, alas, is a thing of the past – on the PlayStation 3 console, and now it is impossible to buy it in official services.
The game is not available on official digital services.
Waiting
Galaxy Kart VR
A racing game that focuses on combat using each character’s unique skills. In VR, this should be especially fun: players are expected to fight in the first person, in which you need to simultaneously shoot at the enemy and try to keep track of the road.
Steam page
MagiKart: Retro Kart Racing
Low poly kart in retro style – literally, here you can turn on the stylization of a CRT TV and play like in 90th. The game uses simple, arcade physics, supports single player and local multiplayer, pleases with a variety of tracks and smiles with funny character behavior.
Steam page
Karting4Fun
Online (and local multiplayer) kart racing with a realistic visual style and authentic gameplay, a large number of tracks and a complete lack of restrictions and rules – you can push and crash, knock opponents to the sidelines and aim for victory at any cost.