What do Bryan Herta, Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Alex Tagliani, and Patrick Carpentier all have in common outside of CART? They are all regulars at the Xplex Motorsports Racepark. I recently had the opportunity to go through the half-day Rotax Max/shifter kart school and came away very impressed.
The facility is located about 20 minutes South of the Las Vegas strip just off the I15. This 13-turn 0.7-mile flat road course was modeled after LeMans and is currently owned by Bryan Herta and Hollis Brown. Schools, rentals, and corporate events are their primary focus on a day-to-day basis, however they also hold plenty of races and high-profile events like the Stars of Tomorrow program.
My instructor for the afternoon was Rick Dale. In the 45 races he ran in 2002, he finished second twice - he won all the rest! He was fourth in the country in IKF Rotax Max and first in his region. When he first got started in karting he was very dedicated. He took a year off from work and drove a kart eight hours a day, every day at tracks all across the country. He learned valuable lessons in how to drive and how to set up a kart.
The half-day school starts off like many road racing schools - they supply you with driver's suit, helmet, gloves and a neck collar. A quick ground school where Rick showed me the course layout was highlighted by words of wisdom and caution based on what kart I would be driving. Of course the apexes and proper racing line were pointed out in addition to places where you could lose/make time and also get into trouble. Safety procedures were discussed and then it was time to suit up and do some driving.
He started me off in a four-cycle kart (that looks like something from the amusement park) to get acquainted with the track and racing line. Of course with little horsepower, the braking points that I would be using later were just flat-out in this one. After a few laps of droning around and trying to be smooth and practice the right line, it was time to step it up.
The Rotax Max is fast becoming one of the most popular classes in the country because of the spec nature and ease of use. It features a 125cc motor without the shifter gearbox (because it uses a centrifugal clutch) and an electric push button starter on the cowl. This kart screams down the straights and the engine reminded me of the model airplanes I used to fly. I mentioned that to Rick and he told me that one reason is that there's castor oil in the mix. I knew that smell was familiar!
The Rotax Max is a momentum kart with very little torque on the bottom end. The key thing to going fast was to keep the entry and corner speed high and roll on through. I spent a few sessions getting comfortable and quick in this kart while the shifter kart sat lonely on pit lane. After going out and doing some lead/follow with local hotshoe Matt Monti, I was ready to advance. Of course by this time I've had quite a workout. Even though the track is pretty smooth, there are a couple of key areas where the bumps tend to wear you down. As opposed to the Rotax Max, a Kawasaki engine mated to a five-speed gearbox powered the shifter kart.
By this time there was another driver on the track in a Rotax Max kart. I could really accelerate off the corners harder and dive in deeper thanks to the addition of front brakes, but I was surprised to see how fast the Rotax Max really was in a straight line.
Just like in road racing, the faster the car the more the track seems to change! One really cool aspect of the shifter kart was being able to come off of the hairpin and slightly drift the tail end out in power-on oversteer. Modulating the rotation of the chassis with my right foot was fun! After a few sessions with this and also having Matt drive it to confirm some of my thoughts, it was time to do some more lead/follow.
A few pointers in a couple of corners and it seemed to get better as the day wore on. Of course, not being used to this, a wee bit of fatigue set in. You get to the point that it's no longer productive to just pound laps so after a quick spin, I brought it in.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and in fact just purchased a shifter kart of my own to stay sharp in the off-season. They're a blast to drive and really give you a great workout. I highly recommend the Xplex School to anyone who wants to go fast in a go-kart. The instructors were supremely professional, courteous, and friendly besides being extremely knowledgeable and fast! The track is challenging and fun to drive and just minutes away from the hot nightlife of Las Vegas. Their schools range from half-day to two-day programs and their karts can also be rented on an hourly basis for drivers of all ages. They also specialize in arrive-and-drive team building and corporate programs for groups from 5 to 105.
For more information on the Xplex Motorsports Racepark, give them a call at 888-612-KART, or 702-260-6355, or visit them on the web at www.xplexlasvegas.com.
Larry Mason anxiously waits to put the power down in an Xplex shifter kart. Photo courtesy of Rick Dale.
Mason powerslides out of the hairpin followed closely by Matt Monti. Photos courtesy of Rick Dale.
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