Originally posted by alexf20c
Well, in ASA and Grand Nationals I'd say so, but most of those guys in NASCAR (save for Elliott, Craven, Marlin, Jarrett, Martin, Terry Labonte, and a few others) don't know too much. Even when they raced dirt track like Newman and Mayfield or sprint cars like Harvick, they had their engineers doin' the dirty work. Only the old timers (racist bastard Spencer included) in a league as political as NASCAR really got their shit together because they've been racing for awhile.

The real racers are in outlaws, dirt cars, sprint cars, etc.
As far as kart guys not learning as much - you couldn't be more wrong. Tire pressures, tire compounds, and suspension setup (not including shock settings, of course) like caster, camber, toe, ackerman, gearing (crank and drive changed race to race guaranteed, and usually between heats), and engine setup (powerband tuning with throttle plates, reed valves, power valves, sleeves, porting, expansion chambers, venturis, etc.) make much more of a difference between winning or losing in kart racing, than they do in "big boy" racing. You try setting up a 125 shifter with front discs and triple axle carriers and see how much of a difference 1/8th-turn on that nut will affect snap oversteer under braking.

Karting isn't kiddy shit - even the Briggs/Stratton 5hp single-speeds are bastards to set up.

And, considering a bunch of the karters are only kids (think 9 years old), that means they're learning about that kind of stuff real early, and real fast. They also know driving techniques, AND how to left-foot brake (the only way to go fast in any wheeled vehicle). When you get into the big leagues with factory sponsors and shit like that, then it gets a little more gritty, but I'd say 70% of the kart teams out there are family-run.

Originally posted by alexf20c
The real racers are in outlaws, dirt cars, sprint cars, etc.