Two Karting Styles, One Race: How to Dominate the Start Without Sacrificing Your Smoothness

Welcome to a subscriber only edition of my weekly articles, and don’t forget the audio version above isn’t a read through, it always has extra perspectives, so have a listen on your way to the race!

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Engage beast mode

If you are the kind of driver whose strength lies in finesse, rhythm, and intelligent race craft; if you excel with a smooth, precise style that yields exceptional tyre management and masterful mid-race pace – then you possess skills crucial for race-long success.

But those strengths can turn against you at the start. In the chaos of the opening lap, that smooth control often becomes a liability. Your real speed and race craft mean little when you're swallowed by the pack, turning the race into a frustrating recovery effort.

That pattern – getting buried early despite your pace – is how races are lost. It proves the start demands something else entirely from you. Forget reacting; the only answer is raw, assertive imposition. Taking command..

The Brutal Start: Impose Your Will

The start is not a time for delicate inputs. Consider it a physical contest demanding you bend (literally) the kart to your will. The core idea involves consciously switching off reactive and fear-based responses, replacing them with an ignorant and assertive will. This brutal style is particularly crucial here because sheer will and dominance must take priority.

The kart itself, with its tyres cold, is dopey, lazy, and disobedient – and frankly, absolutely useless.

You cannot afford to let the kart dominate you at this stage. It lacks the ability to respond effectively to gentle persuasions. It needs your will imposed upon it. Without this assertive control, you will lose positions to more assertive and clumsy drivers who don't know any better, but will dominate you in the opening laps.

This transformation towards imposing will can begin by adopting a "strength posture." This isn't just about technique; it's about a fundamental shift in your physiology and mindset. The fear that can ruin starts stems from a primal instinct.

To overcome it, you need a physiological shift, where the body leads.