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Who here goes to Grand Prix Karting?


rb26deet32

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I'm posting to figure out if anyone knows if they do something to the karts or the track on certain days to let you pick up 3-4 seconds. I've gone quite a bit and when I go I consistently get 1st on each heat and second behind one guy that seems to hold the fastest lap time every weekend. I was 0.04 behind his time a few weeks back. But then the next week he runs 4 seconds faster on the same track. I wasn't there so I'm not sure if the track was changed or what but I honestly don't know how I could pick up half a second let alone 4 whole seconds.

 

If you read all that thanks, if you answered the question thanks again!

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I just looked through the times online again and the only thing I can think of is on the faster laps hes running with faster people which would allow him to go all out the entire time. I don't know if I have ever had one clean lap with warm tires now that I think about it lol.
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I'm posting to figure out if anyone knows if they do something to the karts or the track on certain days to let you pick up 3-4 seconds. I've gone quite a bit and when I go I consistently get 1st on each heat and second behind one guy that seems to hold the fastest lap time every weekend. I was 0.04 behind his time a few weeks back. But then the next week he runs 4 seconds faster on the same track. I wasn't there so I'm not sure if the track was changed or what but I honestly don't know how I could pick up half a second let alone 4 whole seconds.

 

If you read all that thanks, if you answered the question thanks again!

 

Just go to buckeye raceway. Problem solved.

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Plus I prefer gasoline karts.

 

This is the problem. The karts vary by how worn the torque converter is. A new torque converter can give a single kart a 3 second advantage. Heat soak the motor and you lose power. Bad chain, even slower. At buckeye the only real variable is if the karts just come off charge or have been sitting if the place is empty. My times are always .2 seconds of eachother between karts after 50+ races there.

 

Not impressed by anything going on at GPK. Give your money to good people at buckeye.

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GPK Started out with a bang and a big following. They went through some management change over in a bad way, because the original crew were good racing people. Next management buried GPK with poor service and letting lazy employees work there. They are now on revamp 3.5 with marketing and management. And, things are looking up.

 

Track prep is a huge helping factor to good lap times there. Fresh oil down, had been where my best times have come. Although, they have acted like they don't like to prep the track often. It's used oil, and there is a ton of it, put that shit down every other race. Give me a sticky track, or better tires. Track temp is a direct reflection of time of year and outdoor temps, therefore, so is grip. Best times are on a day to day basis, and within a 3 hour window in my opinion. Summer months and a warm track are going to give better times. If you just suck at driving, then you're 3+ seconds off the lead anyways. But, if you are chasing one second or less differences in lap times, the above factors are the largest issues, IMO. The cars for the most part have been good. I have had my issues with them and have been pissed off getting off the track. Henry, at the front desk, is the only OG guy in the building and has credited me when there have been kart issues.

 

I stopped going because of management and the lack of urgency to get people on the track. I went a month ago and it was just as fun. I'll be there Sunday for a xmas party for work and I am looking forward t it. According to stats, I have finished first 99.67% of the time, of 60+ races. Co-workers are going to get a beating.

 

As for Buckeye raceway. Before they were even open, they came out shit talking GPK and that their track was going to be so much better. When your karts are a very different platform, and then they are even slower (which they originally claimed would be faster), that turned me away from ever going there. Front what it looks like the track is shorter, the run time is about the same and several factors of what many like in driving are not there, like throttle response.

Edited by Mojoe
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I personally like Buckeye better, it's a nicer place to take my daughter. It's not as noisey, not as uncomfortable since there are no fumes to deal with or vent causing a drafty place. Besides their karts are more consistent and force you to learn good driving habits, they'll slow down if you try to slide it everywhere. GP is fun, but it's not well run and it shows.
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I've been there several times but the last time I went wasn't that great. They had the supertrack open the whole time, which really needs to be ground/prepped. Interesting challenge I guess, but it kind of sucks transitioning from grippy to sheet of ice in one corner.

 

They also cut one session short by about half and refused to admit their mistake or give us anything to make up for it. We went out one session and had maybe 2-3 laps in when they pulled out the checkered flag. Tires weren't even heated up yet. They said the lap timers all showed like 7 laps or something, it was complete bullshit.

 

That being said, I would still go there...

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Your times at GP are only as good as the current session you are in. I've been there for events over the course of a 2-3 hour interval and had the track change for both better and worse during just the time that I was there. Joe did a good job of laying out many of the factors involved with just the track, and then no matter how they try there will be better carts than others as well.

 

If you're there at the same time as someone that's really fast and running similar times then they go the next week and crank out a lap that's 3-4 seconds faster assume that you would likely have been able to also match that pace if you were there at the same time. They didn't find that much time in one week in drive improvement alone...unless of course you were both just really slow to begin with :-)

 

I've been to Buckeye a few times, always with work so there's never anyone to challenge me. I don't feel like the carts are any quicker, not even the whole instantaneous torque argument...but maybe it's because I'm fat an none of those carts accelerate worth a damn with me in them. I enjoy the fact that they can and do change up the track periodically, but the movable walls means the track is never exactly the same as it was previously because there are no hard boundaries to deal with.

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Ever karting place I've been to has had wildly inconsistent karts. Easily a couple seconds difference between karts- be it engine, tires, trans, alignment, etc.

 

You guys go kart racing for work? Nice.

Nationwide LOL. Business critical role LOL. Halpdesk LOL.

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I went two weekends ago for my birthday on a Saturday afternoon. The staff was good, not great but good. The track team was good as well and kept things moving.

 

We had a group of 6 people and they let us run together for the first two races. I was able to do a 34 sec lap with the first race, the second race I could tell immediately that the cart was different because there was 0 grip and could not take the turns like I did in the first race. I lost 2 seconds on the second race. The third race they joined us with another group for a total of 11 so my time naturally went up.

 

I would go back again for sure. I do want to try out the one by the casino though.

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Ever karting place I've been to has had wildly inconsistent karts. Easily a couple seconds difference between karts- be it engine, tires, trans, alignment, etc.

 

You guys go kart racing for work? Nice.

Nationwide LOL. Business critical role LOL. Halpdesk LOL.

 

Salty

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Wow, I'm impressed with the responses. I have to agree it's just a day by day thing because when my friends and I go we get consistent 33's. But I didn't go one time and they are all getting 30's. I blame Obama.

 

But seriously, I'll try Buckeye out again. It was fun and I have only ever raced 2 or 3 times when I go there. At GP I stay the entire day trying to get the lowest lap time of the month.

 

Thanks for all the legitimate posts.

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This is the problem. The karts vary by how worn the torque converter is. A new torque converter can give a single kart a 3 second advantage. Heat soak the motor and you lose power. Bad chain, even slower. At buckeye the only real variable is if the karts just come off charge or have been sitting if the place is empty. My times are always .2 seconds of eachother between karts after 50+ races there.

 

Not impressed by anything going on at GPK. Give your money to good people at buckeye.

 

I'm to that point too. I love Buckeye...super nice, they remember me by name and they're obviously in love with the product they're selling

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I'm to that point too. I love Buckeye...super nice, they remember me by name and they're obviously in love with the product they're selling

 

They remember me by name to and ask my brother what happened if I don't go in for a while. I guess I have a problem.

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Never been to either place but used to go in south Florida. Which place should I take my money up here?

 

CR kart racing meet? Anyone up for it?

 

Definitely Buckeye for experience.

 

But if i'm honest, I prefer the layouts at Grand Prix. They have 3. Forward/reverse (~35 seconds) and a full track (1mn) that combines the normal with the kids track. They run 1 of those layouts any given day. Usually the full is on Sundays

 

I must note that Buckeye also changes their layout every 3 months because their barriers make it easy to do. I think they're on layout number 4 since they opened in Nov '14

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Spent the day there with the people from work. They took care of us very well. That place is begging to be my retirement job. We were off to a rough start today, but they smoothed it out with a small heat mix up in their system. Staff was considerably better than what I saw last year, which is why I stopped going. It was fun and 100+ of out people had a great time.

 

Modern laser warfare:

It's neat. go with people who will move their ass and run with a purpose. Just like any other laser tag, you get some kills and you get killed. Sometimes you're pissed and sometimes you are still alive. Good recharging station function to get you back in the game. Several different game options; free for all, team death match, capture the flag, defend the base, and so on. Guns are accurate and have several weapon types to choose from in the settings.

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