Paul Platt’s PVP kart The lowdown on a top-flight 250cc Superkart Paul Platt has been karting for more than 20 years and is one of Britain’s leading kart racers. He says nothing beats the adrenaline rush and thrill of racing on Britain’s major circuits in a 135mph projectile with a power-to-weight ratio that delivers incredible performance. Warrington-based Platt has six karting titles to his name and is a three-time MSA British Superkart champion. He believes that the 250cc Superkarts are the ultimate racing machines. Platt runs under the Red Speed banner. “There is a real buzz to racing at places like
Donington Park and Oulton Park,” he says. “We get up to about 135mph at Thruxton and you’re sitting 25mm off the ground. We average 118mph for the lap at Thruxton and over 100mph for the lap at Donington. The brakes are incredible and as soon as you hit 90mph the aerodynamics are key.” With a lot of the technology based in single-seater racing, the Superkart is a state-of-the-art machine, yet it weighs around 130kg, less the driver. They sit in a tailored carbon-fibre seat and wear a custommade set of motorbike leathers as they rocket around about an inch above the track surface.
WHEELS AND TYRES
Platt’s superkart uses Hoosier slick tyres, which were newly permitted for 2014. The kart runs on six-inch rims, with slightly narrower front tyres at six inches compared to eight inches at the rear. The tyres are mounted on one-piece cast aluminium wheels produced by Ross Edwards in Australia. For the rain, six-inch Dunlop wets are preferred.
CHRIS WALKER (KARTPIX.NET)
AERODYNAMICS
A full-size rear wing and a fully adjustable front nose cone are standard: a 5mm adjustment either way can make a massive change to the kart’s handling. The set-up is said to be millimetre critical and the rear wing can be adjusted. Currently, Platt’s kart is running minimum rear wing and large end-plates, which connect down to the full-length sidepods.
CHASSIS
The tubular steel PVP chassis is made in Denmark specifically for Superkarts. The PVP business was founded by former racer Poul Peterson and has been building chassis for more than a decade. The kart’s wheelbase must be between 101 and 127cm.
46 www.msauk.org Autumn 2014
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