250 Superkart Racing

"this is the most frightening
thing I've ever had to do"

David Coulthard, Autosport Magazine, 1994 after doing a test drive of Formula/E World Champion Martin Hines' ZipEagle 250cc Twin Superkart while a test driver for McLaren.

The start of a European Championship title race
Talk about a GoodTime! 

Awesome!

"Some commentators have likened this class of racing as the closest thing to Formula 1 without suspension!  This class uses a twin-cylinder Grand Prix bike motor producing up to 90 HP.  With an incredible power to weight ratio, these karts are capable of speeds upwards of 260 kph and can actually produce faster lap times than many V8 Touring Cars."   Victorian SuperKart Club

"Without question, SuperKarts are one of the most exciting forms of 4-wheeled motorsports available.  With competitors in the 250cc International class lapping Eastern Creek at times faster than Mick Doohan, and reaching speeds in excess of 250km/h (around 160 mph), it's easy to see why this has become one of Australia's most breathtaking sports."   RB Imports-Tuners, Australia

"On full sized racing circuits, the real maniacs can indulge themselves in the SuperKart class. With its liquid-cooled 250cc two-stroke engine and manual clutch six-speed gearbox, a SuperKart can deliver truly impressive performance (0-100km/h in well under 3.5 seconds, 240km/h top speed, 2.6g of cornering power.) SuperKarts cut some embarrassingly quick lap times and have been known to match the lap times of Formula Atlantic or Indy Light cars!! At two circuits in England, Oulton Park and Lydden Hill, the outright lap record is held by SuperKarts; faster than Formula 1 on these tight tracks." Capital City Kart Club, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

"Encouragement for me to do this test had been rare: a few days earlier at the Formula "A" Danish Championship Erik Magnussen (brother of the Stewart F1 driver Jan) told me that no vehicle had frightened him as much as the 250 kart which he had tried out.  I can well believe Coulthard when he says that a 250 kart brakes harder than a F3000." Vincent Caro, Karting Magazine, Jan. '98 on his test drive of Poul Petersen's 256 PVP SuperKart.

"Everything about this class reaks of professionalism, excitement, speed, money and sheer guts and courage!  With the use of exotic materials such as carbon fibre and minutely adjustable chassis, this class is of true international standards.  It is little surprise that some karts are worth upwards of $20,000."   Victorian SuperKart Club

"On a long track without its spoiler and wing the 250 kart would be as ill at ease as a skier without poles. I always knew these prominent accessories were not just there for show, but I had to drive the kart to verify and appreciate what they do."  Vincent Caro, Karting Magazine, Jan. '98

"The 250 International class SuperKarts, or Formula/E, represent the pinnacle of kart performance and technology.  This class is not for the inexperienced or faint-hearted, with considerable skill and driver experience needed to handle such a powerful unit safely and competitively.  Lap times at most Australian circuits are substantially lower than those of the top Group A Touring Cars.  This is definately not a budget racing class."   Australian SuperKart Home Page

250 Formula/E Tech Specs

Chassis:              Zip, Anderson, PVP, Stockman, EMA, Nissag, P1, Nemesis,
                          Cobalt, Stratos, ADE and others. (see manufacturers page)
                          Fully adjustable components.

Steering:              Rack-and-pinion on the newer chassis models

Motors:               Twin-Cylinder 250cc:  Rotax 256, Yamaha TZ, Honda RS,
                           FPE, BRC, Hemingway, V-dot, SGM

Transmission:      Six-speed sequential gearbox

Horsepower:        Take a guess!  It's somewhere between 90 and 100+ depending
                           upon who's telling the story!

Cooling:               Water-Cooled

Ignition:                Programmable Electronic on most.

Drive:                   Chain drive

Brakes:                 Four-wheel disc brakes

Tires:                    12.0 x 8.0 rear, 10.5 x 5.5/6.0 front

Wheels:                 6-inch front and rear

Top Speed:           175 MPH   
                             Martin Hines, three-time World Champion, was said to have
                             been clocked at 175 at Daytona, circa 1990.
                             Road America ~ 160 m.p.h.

0-60                       3.2 Seconds

1/4 Mile:                 9 Seconds

Cost:                      New or Used?.....$5,000 - $25,000+
                              How fast do you want to go?

250 IC/E Tech Specs

The tech specs for Formula InterContinental/E, or IC/E as it is known, are the same as those above for Formula/E, the difference being the motor. In the IC/E class, competitors are limited to a single cylinder 250cc motor where F/E is twin cylinder 250.
Popular motors for IC/E are the Rotax 257, Honda CR250,Yamaha YZ250 and GasGas.

How Does It Compare?

Some have said that Superkarts are the closest thing to a F/1 or IndyCar.
That may be an exaggeration........maybe not

                                              Weight            Horsepower          Ratio

F/1                                 1320            800-900          1.5

WoO Sprint Car             1200               750               1.6

IndyCar                          1550               800               1.9

   F/E Superkart      274            90*         3.0 

Indy Lights                     1400               425               3.3

Ford GT 40 Mk IV         2200               500              4.4

Trans-Am                        2600               570              4.5

NASCAR                        3400                710              4.8

  F/Atlantic                       1200                240               5.0
*Some of the new motors are pushing
the 100HP envelope and beyond

The ultimate high....................
is only an inch off the ground!