A small tools which makes it very easy to measure the gap at the bottom of a spark plug.

Gas

It is possible to run 'pump' gas, but most people will use race gas, which has a higher octane level than pump gas.

Gauge

A gauge is a device which displayes a mesuremed vale. E.g. the tire pressure gauge. However, in the world of karting, one usually means the displays mounted to the steering wheel when referring to gauges. These particular gauges are most commonly the tach and the temperature gauge, measuring RPM and CHT respectively. These masurements are essential to proper driving and tuning of the kart. Other measurements may be taken as well, e.g. the EGT. Many gauges on the market can display 2 or even 3 values, so that only one unit needs to be mounted to the steering wheel. The most popular brands are Digitron and My-Chron. Such gauges are also referred to as displays. To get an idea about the options and pricing of these gauges, click here.

Gear

A term used for various things. Depending on the context, it means the gear ratio or a specific driven sprocket.

Gear ratio

The ratio between the sizes of the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. Different ratios can quickly be set by changing the size of the driven sprocket. In non-shifter karts, this is the only way to change gears. Also called the reduction ratio.

Gearbox

The manual transmission on a shifter kart.

Gloves

Gloves are a mandatory safety equipment for kart drivers. They are needed to protect the hands in case the driver us ejected from the kart and slides over the ground. Abresion resistant gloves are preferrable, even though this is usually not enforced. The glove should fit tightly. Karting gloves do not need to be fire resistant.

Governing body

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Grease

See lube.

Grid

Short for starting grid. The order in which the drivers line up for the race start. This order is usually determined through qualifying. The driver who managed to end up in the first position is in pole position, while the driver on the last spot is simply in a bad position.

Grip

The stickier a tire, and the larger the contact patch, the more resistance against scrubbing the tire will have. This means higher cornering speed and acceleration/deceleration. Also called traction.

The overall driving characteristics of a vehicle. Different handling characteristics may be favored by different drivers or may be necessary for different tracks, track conditions, etc. Handling is influenced by many, many factors, and it is the racer's constant quest to search for the 'perfect' setup which provides the best possible handling, as perceived by that driver. Only some of the factors are: frame, engine, clutch, tires, driver, weight distribution, front track, rear track, etc.

Head gasket

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Helmet

What you wear on your head in order to protect it from crashes, impacts, etc. Even though open face helmets are not illegal, a full face helmet is highly recommended. Acceptable helmets for karting need to be Snell rated, i.e. examined and approved by the Snell Foundation. Currently, helmets which are SA-95 (auto sports), M-95 (motorcycle) or KA (karting) rated will be acceptable. But safety standards will change and you should always check the latest regulation of your standards body. Karting helmets do not need the fire resistant inner lining that is used for many other racing helmets, which significantly increases the price of those helmets.

High-speed needle

An adjustable pointed screw in the carburetor, that leans the mixture at high RPM when screwed in, and richens it when screwed out. See needles.

Honda

Manufacturer of a 4-cycle engine used in some karting classes.

Hopping

A nasty handling characteristic in corners where the rear tires alternately grip, slip, grip, and slip, that causes the chassis to bounce up and down in the turns.

Horstman

Manufacturer of a 2-cycle engine, called HPV, used in some karting classes. Also a manufacturer of very common kart clutches.

Hub

The hub sits snugly on the axle, and has the wheel rim mounted to it. Essentially, it connects wheels and axle.

Manufacturer of a 2-cycle engine used in some karting classes.

Idle setting

The idle setting determines the RPM the engine will hold on its own, without depressing the throttle. It can be adjusted on the carburetor via the idle adjustment screw.

Idle adjustment screw

See idle setting.

IKF

International Karting Federation, which is the governing body for most of the karting going on in the western part of the US.

Intake port

The opening in the engine casing through which the air - fuel mixture (in a 2-cycle engine) is sucked into the cylinder. The carburetor is located in front of the intake port. See also piston skirt.

Slots in the back of the kart frame in which the axle cassettes for the bearings of the rear axle are mounted.

Key stock

A thin, long metal bar with a square profile, just a few millimeters thick, but usually several inches long. Key stock is used to prevent rotating of brake discs, driven sprocket and wheel hubs on the rear axle. These things which are mounted on the axle have a small groove, similar to the long groove which can be found on the rear axle of a kart. The key stock is inserted there, being half nestled into the groove on the axle, but sticking out far enough to grip on the groove of the hubs, sprockets and discs.

Kingpin

The joint which connects the spindle to the frame. The positioning of the kingpin in the frame affects caster and camber. This position is adjustable in some frames. For a discussion of these terms, see this wonderful document on Pete Muller's karting website.

Kingpin inclination

The amount of degrees the top of the kingpin leans towards the center of the kart. Most frames have 'pills' that the kingpin fits into. The caster cannot be changed without also changing the kingpin inclination.

KT-100

The most commonly used engine in the air cooled, 2-cycle karting world, manufactured by Yamaha. Just because it is the most commonly used engine does not mean it is the most favorite one. But it is mandated in many classes.
'KT-100' is also another name for the pipe class of karting.

Manufacturer of a very common kart clutch.

Lap time

The most important measure whether changes to the setup are successfull is a decrease in lap time. These days specialized software can help to analyze the lap time data you collect. Click here for a particularly good example of this kind of software.

Laydown

A form of enduro karts in which the driver lays almost flat on his/her back. This extreme 'seating' position will improve the aerodynamics, which becomes a factor with the high speeds of enduro racing. The other kind of karting, used in the sprint and short-track speedway races is the situp variety.

Lean

When the air - fuel mixture is too rich, the driver may adjust the needles to lean out the mixture, i.e. increase the air to fuel ratio. If the engine runs too lean, it may get too hot which can severly damage the engine. The piston may get stuck inside of the cylinder.

Load

The tire load is a term for the weight placed on a tire. The larger the load, the bigger the contact patch which in turn will increase the grip of the tire. It is important to understand that the load shifts and changes during a drive. In every corner the load is shifted to the side, during acceleration it is shifted to the back, under braking to the front. Tires are constantly loaded and unloaded, which needs to be understood by every race driver.

Loose

As in: "The kart is loose". Another name for oversteer.

Low-speed needle

An adjustable pointed screw in the carburetor, that leans the mixture at low RPM when screwed in, and richens it when screwed out. See needles.

LTO

'Left Turn Only'. Another term for an offset kart.

Lube

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The master cylinder is a little box, mounted on the brake pedal side of the kart. It is connected to the brake pedal via the brake tie rod, and to the slave cylinder via the brake hoses. It converts the mechanical pressure applied by the driver on the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure, which is converted back by the slave cylinder into mechanical pressure, hopefully slowing down the kart. Also see brake fluid.

Mini outlaw

Modified karts with a rollcage, wing, 5 point harness, and wrist restraints. Usually raced on small, banked oval tracks. Most mini outlaws are powered by 250 cc & 500 cc motorcycle water cooled engines. In some areas they race 125 cc motorcycle engines and modified Brigg & Straton engines. If you have ever seen a winged sprint car (most famous being World of Outlaws) than you have a good idea what a mini outlaw looks like.

Mixture

A term for the air - fuel ratio which is adjusted via the needles on the carb.

Since there are no seat belts in a kart, the driver may be ejected in case of an accident. To prevent serious injuries and strains on the drivers neck, a neck collar must be worn. It's a thick, padded ring or half ring, which is worn around the neck. It limites the tilt motion of the head (when wearing a helmet). Neck collars are mandatory. To see what kinds of neck collars are offered and at what prices, go to the LEAF Racewear homepage.

Needles

Screw adjusters to alter the air - fuel ratio in the carburetor. Typically there as a low speed needle and a high speed needle, except in some stock 4-cycle classes where only 1 carb adjustment needle is present. Oftentimes one can see a driver reach down to the engine and fiddle around with something during the race: The driver is adjusting one of the needles.

Nerf bars

A simple piece of metal tubing which is mounted to the frame between the wheels. The side panels are typically mounted to it. The nerf bars are not mounted very tightly (in fact they often appear loose and wobbly), so that they don't prevent the frame from flexing.

Nomex

Nomex is a fire resistant material used for racing suits. Karting suites do not need to be made of Nomex, though, since the driver is unlikely to be exposed to any flames, eben in the event of an accident. Nomex is expensive, and is also used for underwear worn by racers and inside of the helmet. In general, karters do not need to wear anything made from Nomex.

Nose cone

Another term for front nose.

Nose piece

Another term for front nose.

Novice sportsman class

A special class of karting, which is technically identical to the sportsman class, but in which only absolute beginners are allowed to drive. The perfect rookie prooving ground and the preferred beginners class.

Number plates

Plastic plates on which the kart number is displayed. A number plate is attached to the rear and maybe front bumper via tie wraps.

Oil is used in various ways in karting. For one, there is the oil which is mixed into the fuel of a 2-cycle engine. It provides the lubrication for the engine parts. Specially formulated oil for 2-cycles, either organic or synthetic, is used. 4-cycle engines will use ordinary engine oil, which is not mixed into the fuel but filled into the oil-system of the engine. Then there is special clutch oil which is used in wet clutches for cooling. Finally, an oil may be used to lubricate the chain. See also oiler.

Oil tray

Is placed under the kart to catch all of the dripping oil and other substances which would otherwise end up on the ground and in the ground water. Be good to the environment.

Oiler

A device which constantly applies oil to the chain during the race. An oiler is not needed in all types of karting. It is most often used in enduro racing (due to the longer duration of the race the chain needs to be prevented from drying out) and dirt racing.

Offset

Many speedway karts are 'offset karts'. I.e. the right rear wheel might be bigger and might be located further outside than the left rear wheel. The frame of these karts is designed to reflect this. The reason being is that there is consistently more load placed on the right rear wheel in oval racing. Also called LTO.

Oval

Some forms of karting (and many other forms of racing) take place on oval tracks. These may be dirt ovals or asphalt ovals. An oval may be either banked or flat. See speedway.

Oversteer

When during cornering the rear tires loose grip before the front tires, the rear of the kart will slide towards the outside of the curve. The kart rotates 'over' what the steering input suggested. It looks fast, but tends to slow down the kart, since the rear tires end ub sliding sideways across the surface, effectively scrubbing off speed. Another term for this condition is loose. See understeer, handling.

An impound area used in CIK type races to store your tires and fuel in, presumably to prevent tampering before the race.

Pea pick

Some clubs will not use qualifying runs to determine the order of the starting grid for heat races, but will instead chose these positions in random. For each driver a random number is chosen, the pea pick.

PCR

Manufacturer of a 2-cycle engine used in some karting classes.

Pipe

A special kind of exhaust which allows the most power to be developed by the KT-100. It is connected to the cylinder via the flex. Since this is the least restrictive kind of exhaust, it is used in the fastest classes of 2-cycle racing.

Pipe class

A class of karting which utilizes a pipe style exhaust. Typically this class races a KT-100 with clutch. But various direct drive classes will use the pipe as well. Also known as the KT-100 class.

Piston

A round metal cylinder which is attached to the top end of the connecting rod, inside of the cylinder. The piston compresses the air - fuel mixture on the upward motion, and is pushed downward when the air - fuel mixture explodes. This downward motion then drives the crankshaft.

Piston port

This is the basic operating principle of a 2-cycle engine. The inlet for the air - fuel mixture is opened and closed by the bottom rim of the moving piston, while the outlet of the exhaust gases is opened and closed by the top rim. No additional hardware is required which makes this the simplest and cheapest form of 2-cycle engine. The widely used KT-100 is a piston port engine. The disadvantage is that opening and closing of this inlet/outlet happenes relatively slowly, hence there is some backflow of gases into the carburetor which reduces performance somewhat. See also reed valve and rotary valve.

Piston skirt

The controlling edge of the piston, i.e. the edge which opens and closes the intake port.

Piston ring

One or more rings around the circumference of the piston, used as a seal between the piston and the inside cylinder wall.

Pit pass

A device that allows the race organizers to easily tell if you have paid for pit insurance and signed the applicable waivers. Usually a colored wristband.

Pit steward

Race official that helps line up the races and keeps the show moving.

Pitman arm

Another term for spindle arm.

Pits

The staging area in which racing teams are setting up shop on race day.

Pole position

The driver who starts from the top of the grid is said to be on pole position. This prefered position is usually earned through qualifying.

Practice

The most important ingredient to be a successfull racer. The more practice the better. Without enough practice, no races wins. It's that simple.

Pre tech

Some clubs and organizations require a tech inspection even before the race starts. This usually is mostly concerned with safety of driver and vehicle.

Pulse signal

The pulse signal is the sudden pressure change (positive and negative) occurring as the piston moves up and down inside the cylinder. This pulse signal is what cycles the 'pumper' in the carburetor. It is carried by the carburetor pulse line.

Pushing

As in: "The kart is pushing in the corners". Another term for understeer.

The positions on the starting grid are determined through qualifying. The format may differ from series to series or even club to club. It usually involves either timed runs around the track or heat races. Some clubs may use the pea pick. See pole position.