Those new to karting may be wondering what a typical race day looks like with The Colorado Karting Tour.
As someone new to karting, we strongly recommend visiting us and our racers on an actual race day! This will allow you to see some great racing action, talk to a variety of racers and officials, and get a general look and feel for what The Colorado Karting Tour is all about.
If you are not a competitor, CKT does allow all to come and spectate. As an IKF sanctioned series, we do require all spectators on the facility to sign a liability waiver and purchase a spectator wristband. These are typically $10.00 per person, and can be purchased at registration.
Typical Schedule
| 06:00-07:00 AM: | |
| Facility gates open, race day registration opens | Racers file into pits to begin to unpack their equipment, set up pit areas, and prepare for the race day. Depending on the track, some racers may camp or stay near the track overnight. Often, our officiating staff is at the track, setting up tech inspection areas, preparing the track, equipping the team with radios, timing system, etc. |
| 07:00-08:00 AM: | |
| Racers continue to prepare for practice and race day | Common to see engines warmed on kart stands, tire pressures set, chassis adjustments made. Between 07:30-08:00 is typical window for arrival of ambulance (which must be present to begin morning warm ups). |
| 08:00 AM-09:00 AM: | |
| Morning Warm Ups | Morning warm ups begin for all classes, assuming all is on schedule (All staff present, ambulance there, timing system operational, etc.). In these sessions, drivers will have 4-6 minutes to turn a few laps around the track, to make sure karts are operational to their standards, and to give them a chance to finalize setup adjustments before qualifying. |
| 09:00 AM-09:30 AM: | |
| Driver’s meeting | This allows our racers to hear from several of our lead racing officials about the race day. Commentary can range from officiating issues seen at previous events and to be stressed today, to commenting on track conditions. For all new racers, we recommend attending one of these to see what is important to the officials monitoring the events. After the main meeting, CKT officials host a meeting for first-time racers and our Kid Karters to go over the flags to make sure everyone understands what they mean. |
| 09:30 AM- 11:30 AM: | |
| Qualifying | Drivers take to the track to set their fastest time possible, which governs where they ‘grid’ for the heat races. If a driver sets the fastest time, they will start on the ‘pole’ position, also known as first. The second fastest drivers starts second, third fastest in third, etc. All times are posted after the completion of sessions on a board, which racers are often checking. If you are near the grid, note that many racers opt to mount and use new tires for qualifying, as this gives them an advantage in terms of laptime. Officials will mark tires used for qualifying, making sure they are used the rest of the day. Technical documents are also given to the grid marshal before going on track. |
| 11:30AM-12:00PM: | |
| Lunch Break | Often, racers will bring their own food to the track. Others will opt to head over to the food truck or caterer, which CKT often partners with at various tracks. Options on hand depending on the location and vendor range from BBQ to taco stands. Many racers that do bring their own food prepare meals or grill near or in their pit area. |
| 12:15PM-2:30PM: | |
| Pre-Finals (“Heat Races”) | To the newcomer to racing, heat races will appear exactly the same as a final. However, most heat races are typically shorter than the main event, and the position a driver finishes in at the end of the heat race determines their starting position for the final. At CKT, we do not award points for qualifying or the heat races, only for the finishing position for the final. For all classes except for the shifter karts, races will begin with a ‘rolling start,’ where the drivers proceed slowly around the course until they reach a starting zone, upon which the head flagger has the ability to display the green flag, starting the race. Depending on the track, our Kid Kart racers may run a shortened version of the race course. |
| 2:50PM-5:00PM: | |
| Finals | Similar in nature to the pre-finals, but the finishing position determines your final classification for the race day. These races are often slightly more aggressive, and the finishes that much more exciting! |
| 5:00PM-07:00PM: | |
| Trophy Presentation, Leaving Facility. | Typically the trophy presentations are done around 5:30, as our racers and volunteers set up the podium and microphone. Drivers and teams celebrate their accomplishments, while the officiating staff and other racers pack up their trailers and equipment. Most racers are out of the facility by 07:00PM. |