Road Racing Series
The Road Racing Series (formally Enduro Series) is different from the other four WKA national touring series. Laydown-enduro and sprint-enduro karts are built specifically for enduro-style road racing. Enduro-style road races are not held on sprint-style courses, but longer road courses typically built for race cars that are between 1.5 and 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length. Gearbox (shifter) karts and Touch-and-Go (TaG) sit-up style karts also compete at Road Racing events. It is not uncommon for 40 to 50 different classes to compete throughout the course of a Road Racing weekend.
Unlike the other WKA series, road racing events are raced for a specific amount of time as opposed to number of laps. Sprint and sprint-enduro classes have 30-minute races and laydown-enduro style classes have 45-minute races. Through the mid 1980's, laydown-enduro races were 1 hour in length, hence the name "enduro," short for endurance. Most drivers have a timer mounted on their kart so they know what stage the race is at and when the final lap will be.
Again, unlike the other WKA series, road races begin from a standing start. Most other WKA national series (except shifter karts) begin races with a rolling start. At road racing events, karts line up in a traditional "Le Mans" style starting formation. The race official/starter starts a timer when he or she puts the green flag up and holds the flag in the air until he waves it and the karts take off. Road racing starts - similar to Formula 1 - are very exciting to witness and participate in.
The speeds go-karts reach at Road Racing events is perhaps the most intriguing part of the WKA Road Racing Series. 250cc karts, which look like small Indy cars, and dual-engine enduro karts reach in excess of 130 mph (210 km/h). Most other 2-cycle classes can reach anywhere from 90 to 130 mph (130 to 210 km/h). Even four-cycle powered karts reach top speeds around 80 to 90 mph (130 to 145 km/h) at Road Racing events.
WKA road racers have the opportunity to race on some of America's most historic and reputable road courses. In 2011, the WKA National Road Racing Series visits Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Virginia International Raceway, Roebling Road Raceway, Putnam Park, Carolina Motorsports Park, and New Jersey Motorsports Park. In the past the series has held events at almost every permanent roadracing facility in the U.S., including: Watkins Glen, Pocono Raceway, Bryar Motosports Park, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Gateway International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Oak Hill Raceway, Hallet Oklahoma, Texas World Speedway, Summit Point Raceway, Road America, Blackhawk Farms, Rockingham speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway (Lowe's), Nazareth Speedway, Barber Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Grattan Speedway.
WKA road racers reside mostly in the midwest, southeastern, and eastern half of the country. WKA road racing is more popular where healthy divisional road racing clubs are located. Several of these strong regional clubs include the Southern Kart Club, Woodbridge Kart Club, and Dart Kart Club. The activity of roadracing karts peaked in the mid 1980's with some events reaching over 1000 entries at a national event. The participants in modern roadrace events are perhaps the most passionate about the sport. Many of these lifelong participants have been active in the sport for over 30 years.
Read more about this topic: World Karting Association
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The passers of the past
Because their to and fro
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I owe them more today
Because they’ve gone away....”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
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—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)