Tried F1 Boston last night.

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breakaway500
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Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by breakaway500 » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:36 am

A friend had a party there so I ventured east of 495. Nice facility with lots of stuff to check out.(don't touch the display cars..) During the drivers meeting,they told us about the left brake-right throttle setup and I was a bit worried.Didn't think I would adapt as I don't right brake at all. No seatbelts was another surprise. :shock: Once in the cart, It was not as uncomfortable as I had thought. The total lack of acceleration was disappointing at first,but once up to speed the carts were ok. The steering was horrendous,with lots of effort required and turning usually induced a kind of oscillation of the front wheels as the car changed direction..The brakes were weak and numb.Once acclimated with the car and track,I realized the fast way around was WOT,with a touch of the brake for the hairpin downhill,(city track)or to avoid a spun car. Nice to know I did not need the brakes much. We had 12 guys on track and ran four, 10 lap sessions followed by a 20 lap finale. Every race they would shuffle the drivers starting order and car assignment. I soon learned some carts were better than others.Most everyone posted their best lap time in car #10. Greater body weight was also a deciding factor. The 140lb guy could easily drive by the 300lb. guy. No surprise there. It was a lot of fun tangling with other drivers to pass and trying not to get penalized. I received two warnings..but of course they were not my fault. :wink: It soon became apparent that the least amount of contact with other carts or barriers would reward you with the best lap times.I managed a 20.6 and the fast lap time from our group was a 19.65. A lot of fun and physically tiring! The facility has two indoor tracks that can be linked for a large track layout.The track surface is a very sticky rubber compound,which holds the carts very well.Their tires must last forever. All in all,a worthwhile experience. Not inexpensive,but for what you get,it's money well spent.
With a bit more hp and better steering and brakes....hmm.. :lol:
It's not what you drive, it's how you drive. "Lap times matter"

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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by MiataSteve » Sun Jul 26, 2009 5:41 pm

The outdoor track is so much more fun. A true scale version of a road course. Only did it once , but the carts felt much better.

http://www.f1outdoors.com/
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by breakaway500 » Sun Jul 26, 2009 9:50 pm

I saw that they had an outdoor facility as well. Maybe next time. They say the carts get up to 150mph :shock: That is amazing from 125cc's. I doubt the rental carts can reach those speeds.
Fun..but I do prefer "real" cars. :wink: I suppose my Atom is just a big go-cart in many eyes... I see it as a "real" car,but some don't. Hey,it's all fun! C'est la Vie! 8)
It's not what you drive, it's how you drive. "Lap times matter"

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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by chaos4NH » Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:15 pm

breakaway500 wrote:I saw that they had an outdoor facility as well. Maybe next time. They say the carts get up to 150mph :shock: That is amazing from 125cc's. I doubt the rental carts can reach those speeds.
Fun..but I do prefer "real" cars. :wink: I suppose my Atom is just a big go-cart in many eyes... I see it as a "real" car,but some don't. Hey,it's all fun! C'est la Vie! 8)
Really "150 mph"?
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breakaway500
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by breakaway500 » Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:52 pm

Yea,150mph. 2" off the ground.No suspension.

I am sure those are not the rental carts. Probably the pro series carts? I think I read the outdoor carts are similar to the in door ones,with a bit more hp.
It's not what you drive, it's how you drive. "Lap times matter"

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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by WillM » Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:34 am

chaos4NH wrote:
breakaway500 wrote: Really "150 mph"?
I've watched the lay-back type carts run at NHIS a couple of years ago. Yes, I totally believe 150MPH. I doubt those speeds would be possible at the F1 outdoors track though.
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by brucesallen » Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:27 am

Long time ago when F1 first opened they hosted the COM Board for free. Then they used the usual 5hp Briggs and Stratton engines. Slow.
Cart racing at NH sometimes used Rotax shifter carts with (I think) around 25 hp and 110mph at NHMS. Shifter cart people have gotten killed when flying off Turn 6. No belts.
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by blindsidefive0 » Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:14 pm

Related note - has anyone tried On-Track Karting in Wallingford, CT?

It is very similar to F1 Boston except there is only one, longer track that does not have the same elevation changes. Typical times range from 37-42 seconds on the flat, yet very technical track. You need a helmet (but no suit), and you have seatbelts. Overall the staff is a bit more laid back, and the average driver is a bit better.

You ride in 6hp carts that get up around 40mph (comparable to F1 Boston). However, if you have 5 separate time sheets below the "qualifying" times (based on driver weight), you get to cruise around in the 9hp "super karts" which are good for another couple seconds/lap.
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Kai Noeske
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by Kai Noeske » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:58 pm

Thanks for all the info - friends and I were planning to go this winter to bridge the no-track season - do you know if you can bring your own snell-approved helmet?
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by breakaway500 » Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:01 pm

You can bring your own gear to F-1. Don't know about the CT. place.
It's not what you drive, it's how you drive. "Lap times matter"

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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by blindsidefive0 » Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:21 pm

Kai Noeske wrote:Thanks for all the info - friends and I were planning to go this winter to bridge the no-track season - do you know if you can bring your own snell-approved helmet?
You can bring your own helmet to either OTK or F1...I do not recall them ever checking the rating... A friend of mine actually took an old Snell m1990 rated helmet (not recommended, personally). Just make sure that you have a visor that can close properly as this is an additional requirement for go-karting (no open face/visor helmets).

This is a great way to get through the winter - even better is that during the colder months, the karts run a bit quicker (maybe even a full second off of a 37-38 second lap).

If anyone wants to go, send me a PM or email (nicholas.fontana@gmail.com). I live in Boston but I work in Connecticut during the week. A few of us from work (including one of COM's newest members thanks to some heavy recruiting) go on Tuesday or Wednesday nights. Tuesday's are "10 Minute Tuesday's" where you get an additional 2 minutes per session (8 minutes on other nights). Wednesday is "Ladies Night" - $5/race for ladies, standard for non-ladies.
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by paultg » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:02 pm

Indoor is fun; outdoor is better (as everyone has said). I hit 50 mph at the outdoor track on the rental carts. It's a blast to do a event with a bunch of club members/friends.
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Re: Tried F1 Boston last night.

Post by Kai Noeske » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:26 pm

Breakaway/Nick: thanks!

Nick: I will be in touch once the track withdrawal gets me - which will be early in Nov :D
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