THSCC Forums

Is Rush Hour Karts a decent way to get "seat time" that relates to autocrossing a formula car?

Any estimates of the grip level (i.e. g's)? Need for braking? Transitions versus more "road course like" direction changes? Acceleration versus momentum?

If so, any hints on when are good times to get reasonably open track space to actually learn the karts and to push the limits?

Thanks,

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Sort answer: no
Long answer: not even close...but having never driven a formula car, I can't be completely certain, but the Rush Hour Karts are just a small step up fromFrankie's or Myrtle Beach GrandPrix. Fun, but not educational. Maybe go to a Skip Barber school?

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Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

I would think that VIR karts are better for what your looking for.

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2000 miata se Estreet,going to rally
2004 mazdaspeed miata bsp #77
shifter kart also(someone buy this $1500)

Thanks for the input guys. I'll check into the VIR karts.

I did Skip Barber. It is road race oriented.

For those of you who haven't driven a formula car the easiest comparison to "real cars" would be well balanced sports car but with more grip and very few, if any, "bad habits". Finding the limits in a few runs is the hard part, especially with significant rust on the driver.

My cornering g's are around 1.4 (smoothed over 0.3 seconds) on a good surface. Max braking about 1 g (briefly of course). Power to weight is about 1 HP per 10 lbs. Transitions are "how fast can you move your hands with a 1.5 turns lock to lock steering ratio. Balance is pretty much whatever you want.

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

CMod looks like it would be fun..I suspect you'd have to commit to a vigorous scheduled over a season to get a lot of seat time.

BTW, I've been looking into some CMod cars via apexspeed, racingjunk, racecars.com etc. Very hard to find one within driving distance of NC, and when you do it's an older style Crossle or Duhon--seems like the VD is the best choice from what everyone else runs. Also, I doubt an owner would let a noob-to-formula-car driver like me test drive one--could be embarrassing for sure! It does make for a tough entry barrier to CMod, though....

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Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

Steve,

http://apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48812

Pensacola isn't "too far away". (we went to Atlanta for ours).

I think ours was the first formula car I ever actually sat in and certainly the first one I autocrossed. I came straight from alternating between a Lotus Europa and an 88 5.0 Mustang. The only formula car driving experience prior to autocrossing it was a 2 day Skip Barber after we bought the car and the road racing driving school and 2 slow associated races before autocrossing it. My wife drove it for the first couple of seasons in regular autocrosses.

I went from "tentative" to "ahead of the car" in a few local events and 2 and 1/2 Pro Solo's in 1993. Of course I was kind of in my prime then.

How tall are you? What shoe size?

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Sadly, Pensacola is too far away when one hasn't a means for getting the car here, and I'm a little leery of shipping companies for formula cars, not to mention the spares package that accompanies it... But that midnight blue/white combo is gorgeous, isn't it?

FWIW, I'm 5'10", 155#, size 9 shoe. Unlike Rodney, I can fit into just about anything

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Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

And don't think I'm not jealous of that fact. Too tall to fit into some very nice cars and not tall enough to play Bball. Stuck in the middle again

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Rodney

'08 Bullitt mustang, CAM 7
Autox VP '09-'10, President '11-'12, interim President 2nd half of ‘14
proud recipient of the Bowie Grey service award '12
Now just a guy driving a mustang....

Ha! If you'd just practice that 18' jumper, it'd be a different story...couldabeenacontenda!

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Steve Carter
1972 Datsun 240Z-- resto pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/srcartermd
2007 GPW Honda S2000-- STR 86

Our car would fit you . . . if it wasn't currently set up for 5'7'' driver. The 88 is longer I think so you shouldn't have an issue. Even Rodney's height might fit.

The seller delivered our car using his trailer which he was keeping. I then had our custom single axle trailer built in Atlanta that I could tow with my 88 5.0 Mustang. Picked it up about one month later. The first time I drove the race car was months later at Roebling Road in drivers school.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

I'm with you there Steven. My dad is 6'5" and when I was 18 and realized I would likely never be 6'5" I was disappointed at the time. However 20 years later I can say I'm glad I stopped at 5'11", for the most part it is good to be closer to the size person the world is designed around.

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'07, '08, '11 Autocross VP
'06, '10 Mike Dishman Cup
'21 MX5, '13 Corvette GS, '92 Corvette 383 c.i. 413whp/390wtq, '03 Expedition

try flying on an airplane as a 6'6" guy. Ugh.

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2012 MX-5 Sport SUV

It is bad enough as a 5'7" guy who doesn't fill the seat width.

A friend of mine in California was "just under" IBM's height requirement for being authorized to fly first class in the 70's.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

i was unaware there was height requirements, to fly first class.

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hey yall,watch this...

Pete,

IBM travel policy required coach seating for employee travel (like most companies do for anyone other than executives). There was an exception for exceptionally tall employees. My friend didn't quite qualify.

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT