HOW DOES A SPOILER WORK?

It seems like spoilers are all the rage in car design right now. Everywhere you go, you see cars ranging from old hatchbacks to the most modern and expensive of luxury cars driving with a spoiler on the trunk or roof.

Why is that? The easiest answer for most cars is that they give your ride an aggressive, sporty look that mirrors those of race cars. But why have they been so entrenched into car culture? To get the answer, let’s take a look at what a spoiler actually does and how they work.

MB2 Raceway offers various pricing options for your next go-karting adventure. Keep on reading for more info on spoilers and their purpose for racing enthusiasts!

THE PHYSICS BEHIND A SPOILER

Have you ever rolled your car window down and stuck your hand outside while moving? Odds are you have, and you can probably vividly remember how much harder it becomes to keep your hand in the same spot. The wind rushing past your car causes resistance against your hand, which pushes it backward. Well, this is essentially the same principle a spoiler functions on.

Air may not seem like much, but it actually has mass and substance which slows down objects that move through it. Objects with less surface area move through air easier than those with more, a principal known as “aerodynamics,” which is one of the key sciences of racing. Aerodynamic science doesn’t just try to make it so a car moves through the air easier, but in fact it tries to make the air around a car function how the driver wants, which includes providing more resistance in certain circumstances, such as with spoilers.

Back to the hand example. If you hold your hand flat and stick it out the window with your palm facing forward, you will undoubtedly have your hand pushed towards the rear of your car. In this case, your hand is acting as a spoiler that’s applying resistance to that particular side of the car, just on a very small scale. A spoiler on your trunk simply takes the air flowing over this area and redirects it so that it pushes down onto the trunk and rear wheels of a car.

This downward pressure is called “downforce,” and it is what racing teams use to keep their car tires sticking to the road when driving at high speeds. A car traveling nearly 200 miles per hour is extremely dangerous on its own; and without this downforce one small bump can cause it to spin wildly out of control, causing a serious and potentially deadly accident for the driver.

However, with a spoiler on the rear, the air around the car itself is redirected to push downward on the rear axle, adding a ton of extra weight to the rear tires of a car, which helps it remain stable at these high speeds. This allows cars to corner faster and more accurately, and even safely achieve higher speeds along straightaways.

In short, spoilers create downforce. Downforce holds your tires on the road, which makes going faster easier and safer for drivers.

SPOILERS DON’T ALWAYS WORK

A spoiler is not always a good thing because the downforce effect has a resistance-benefit tradeoff. It rarely becomes desirable to use a spoiler unless you are traveling at high speed (think 100 miles per hour, or more). Before this point, the air flowing over your spoiler does not provide enough downforce to create a positive impact on the performance of your car or justify the extra air resistance. You’re much better-off simply relying on the weight of your vehicle to hold the tires to the ground, and minimizing your air resistance to go faster.

This is why you don’t see spoilers on go-karts here at MB2 Raceway. While a spoiler may look cool, they don’t actually add any significant downforce that would improve your kart’s handling performance, which is also boosted by the fact that you as the driver sit almost directly over the rear axle, providing it with a significant amount of downforce just with your own bodyweight. As a result, by not having a spoiler, we eliminate the air resistance it would provide, and allow you to go faster, while still maintaining a kart that still turns quickly and is stable on straightaways.

For your family sedan, the spoiler on your trunk is likely not doing anything to help with your downforce either. In fact, many spoilers are designed purely for their aesthetic properties and don’t actually redirect the force downward at all. This simply means they’re just a piece of plastic or metal that provides air resistance, which actually slows you down a touch. However, because you’re not normally driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.

But if you want that edgy, race-car like look, you can’t go wrong by putting a spoiler on.

At MB2 Raceway, we offer lots of great racing options at our Minneapolis indoor karting facility. We have daily arrive-and-drive format races for those who wish to stop by and get some practice laps in or race casually with friends. We also offer a host of party or event packages designed for groups as small as ten and as large as over 200, all complete with practice laps, qualifying heats, and full-speed races in our fully-electric indoor go-karts.

To learn more about MB2 Raceways’ great racing options, call today at 866-986-RACE!

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THREE ODD QUESTIONS ABOUT NASCAR RACING

The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, otherwise known as NASCAR, is by far the most popular racing series in the United States. But there are some parts about this sport which some people have never known but always would have liked to. On this blog, we look at just a few of these rubber-burning questions to give you the answers you have been searching for.

“Why do they always turn left?” 

One of the most common digs at NASCAR is that races just consist of a seemingly-endless cycle of left turns around an oval track. But why left? Why are there no races where the drivers take the oval turning right? Nobody really knows how the tradition started, but today the reason why NASCAR doesn’t simply adopt right-turning races is one of safety. Because drivers sit on the left side of the car when driving and cars tend to slide outward to the right when turning, this places far more armor and safety equipment between the driver and the retaining wall.

The exact opposite is true in what was Australia’s equivalent of NASCAR, otherwise known as AUSCAR. Australia drives with the wheel on the right hand side of the car, so to preserve safety, they drove in a clockwise direction, making right turns for the duration of the race. Unfortunately, AUSCAR shut down in the year 1999 and is no longer running down under.

“Why do NASCAR cars not have doors or mirrors?” 

Similar to the previous question, the answer once again has to do with safety. Doors are prone to flying open and crunching during accidents, so engineers opted to get rid of them. This means the car will hold its integrity better in a crash. Likewise, it also gave engineers the ability to install additional safety features, such as a solid roll cage along the sides of both cars, which further decreases the chance of a serious accident and allows more drivers to walk away from the high-speed crashes.

Cars don’t have mirrors simply because they race so close together all of the time. To be more accurate, cars don’t have side-view mirrors, but they do have a long rear-view mirror that allows them to see into their blind spots easier while racing. If cars came with side-view mirrors, they’d get knocked off easily nearly every race (especially in the tight conditions of restrictor-plate racing) and a loose mirror could spell disaster for another car that strikes it.

“How big is a pit crew?” 

It’s impossible for a NASCAR vehicle to go the entire duration of a 500 mile race without having to stop for fuel or new tires, so pit stops are an integral part of the race. In a pit stop, a driver’s team members, known as his pit crew, will jump over the wall, change the tires, fill the car with fuel, make adjustments to the suspension or steering, clean the windshield, and even give the driver a drink of water if necessary. And they’ll do all of this in about 12 to 14 seconds.

While a race team is composed of dozens of members, the actual pit crew is composed generally of about nine members, with up to seven being allowed over the wall to work on the car at any given time. Each crew consists of a tire carrier and changer for both the front and rear of the car, as gas man, a jack man, and on occasion, an “extra man” who does things like cleaning the windshield or making a car adjustment. Teams also have support crew members who do things such as retrieve wrenches and air hoses and hand things to the crew members working on the car, but they must remain behind the pit wall for the duration of the stop.

If you want to learn more about the experience of high-speed racing, stop by your local MB2 Raceway for a memorable motorsports experience. Our fully-electric European-style go karts offer all of the thrills of wheel-to-wheel racing in a safe and controlled environment. Each of our tracks is designed to test drivers of the highest skill levels while being simple enough for even novice drivers to navigate without difficulty, making the experience fun for everyone involved. We even provide all necessary safety equipment to help you truly enjoy your race!

Learn more about our arrive-and-drive races or book your next event today! Call MB2 Raceway at 866-986-RACE!

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WHY ARE FINNS SUCH GOOD RACECAR DRIVERS?

“If you want to win, hire a Finn.” It’s a long-time moniker in motorsports that has a remarkable amount of truth in it: despite being a small nation with a large amount of territory north of the Arctic Circle, Finland produces many exceptional racecar drivers. Despite having a population of just under 5.5 million, they currently have two drivers on this year’s Formula One circuit (Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen). Only Germany has more drivers (3), but has a population of more than 81 million people, making Finland by far the highest ratio of F1 drivers-to-population of any country on earth.

What makes the Finns so good at auto racing? After all, Finland doesn’t have a globally-renowned automotive or motorsports manufacturer like Germany does, so why the immense interest and talent for driving? Many people have their theories but one of the most popular has to do with the requirements for obtaining a Finnish driver’s license.

Finland’s roads are frequently covered with snow and ice, and certain portions of the country see little to no sunlight during the winter months each year. As a result, drivers must be prepared for a number of challenges they might not face here in the United States. To compensate, the Finnish driver’s license test is supposedly one of the most difficult in the world to pass.

In total, the entire licensing process in Finland takes two years, starting when you reach the minimum age of 18. After a rigorous and thorough training course, which might include using a night driving simulator in a classroom, which emulates conditions that a driver could encounter, including icy roads, limited visibility, and a moose crossing the road, all at the same time.

Once you do get behind the wheel of a car, you must do so with an instructor or with a relative, but it must be done in a vehicle that has a passenger-side brake pedal. You must spend at least 18 hours behind the wheel of this vehicle, including a spell on a slippery surface, such as a frozen road, icy lake bed, or other surface. You are also required to complete a total of 19 driving theory lessons which cover everything from decision making to road laws to car maintenance. Once this is all completed, the driving candidate must pass a theory test and a 30-minute city driving test.

If you pass this test, congratulations! You’re halfway done! It’s true. This is just the test that gets you a two-year provisional driver’s license, during which point you are required to complete a range of advanced driving classes, which includes more night driving and possibly more simulator work. Once all of this has been completed and the two-year provisional license program is finished, a Finnish citizen may obtain a full driving license.

And the reasons for all of these requirements are clear: Finland also has some of the strictest driving and road laws in the world as well. Speed checkpoints and cameras are a regular occurrence in Finland, and officers can stop motorists for a number of reasons, even just to inspect your tires or make sure your signal lights are working properly. Random safety checks occur frequently, which often include a breathalyzer test to detect anyone driving while under the influence of alcohol.

However, the good news for Finnish people is that their driver’s license, once they obtain it, lasts until they are 70 years old. You won’t have to worry about renewing it or re-taking the exam every few years like you would here in America. It may seem crazy to not have to check in and have your license renewed for such a long time, but when you consider how incredibly thorough the licensing process is in the first place, you realize how skilled of a driver you must be in order to be licensed in the first place.

Perhaps, indeed, this is why so many skilled racecar drivers are Finnish: driving a night in the Arctic Circle makes for good training for the track ahead.

Ready to experience the thrill of open-wheel racing for yourself? Visit your local MB2 Raceway to get a piece of the intense racing action of real go-kart racing. Our fully-electric European-style karts are designed for drivers of all ages to drive quickly and safely while challenging even the most seasoned professionals. We offer daily arrive-and-drive races as well as birthday party and corporate event packages for all ages.

For more information about your local facility, call MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE!

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SNOW RALLY – WINTER’S FAVORITE RACING

A white, snowy winter may not appear to be ideal conditions for an auto race, but snow rally drivers would beg to disagree. Snow rally is mostly popular in Northern European countries where snow and ice are a regular fixture during winter months, including Finland, Norway, and Sweden. However, the sport has recently begun to surge in the northern United States, thanks to some international success from American teams.

Snow rally is unique from other types of rally racing because snow and ice covered tracks can change so dramatically throughout the course of a race. As tracks are used, the cars compact the snow into solid chunks of ice, which offers very little in the way of traction. However, as fresh powder, snow tends to act more like sand. The result is a type of high-speed racing that’s even more on-the-edge and chaotic, traveling over powder, ice, dirt, asphalt, and other surfaces, and switching between them faster than you can adapt to the next one.

The Swedish Rally, one of the major stops on the World Rally Championship tour, is traditionally the only race in the series held on snow, and is widely known for being one of the most difficult races of the year for drivers who are not from a Nordic country. The first was run in 1950, and it took until 1981 for a driver from a different country to finally claim the crown, and until 2004 for a driver not from Sweden or Finland to do it. No American has ever even seen the podium in this event.

SNOW RALLYCROSS

Rallycross has been growing extremely popular in the United States over the last several years, due in large part to the success of the Red Bull Global Rallycross series (which our own Christian Brooks competes in). Rallycross differs from regular rally in that regular rally is a point-to-point time attack race, whereas rallycross puts drivers head-to-head on a lap track.

Snow rallycross brings a whole additional level of insanity to the sport by combining the high-speed and low-grip aspects of snow rally with cramped conditions of multiple drivers racing bumper-to-bumper. The result is a high-speed, high-contact, and action-packed style of extraordinarily entertaining racing.

You don’t have to worry about snow and ice slowing you down at MB2 Raceway. Our Minneapolis indoor go-karting facility is open year-round, providing high-speed racing action with our fully-electric European-style go karts. We offer a wide variety of packages for parties or corporate events, plus arrive-and-drive style races on a daily basis.

Have the need for speed this winter? Get to MB2 Raceway! Call us today at 866.986.RACE!

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THE FIVE TOUGHEST TRACKS IN THE WORLD

Race fans love watching drivers go head-to-head and wheel-to-wheel around some of the most difficult and competitive race tracks in the world. Whether it’s the high-speed and high-banked corners of Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama, or the seemingly-endless desert miles of the Baja 1000, tracks all have a number of challenges that force the most skilled drivers to use everything they have to stay ahead of the competition. However, these races pale in comparison to the events held on our list of the five toughest tracks in the world. Let’s take a look at them now.

#5 – MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

We may be a little biased, but there’s no doubting this one merits being on the list. Located about a three-hour drive from our Clovis location, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has earned a reputation as one of the most beloved and extremely difficult tracks in the entire United States. The 2.2 mile course combines several high-speed straightaways with sudden tight corners that test just how long drivers are willing to stay on the throttle before slamming and testing the durability of their brakes. The track is most known for its feared “corkscrew” corner—a sudden, hairpin left-hander at the end of the long “rebel straight” followed by an immediate sharp-right, all while going down a relatively steep hill. The corkscrew is known for being one of the trickiest turns in all of North America.

#4 – SPA

A track that is packed with history and prestige, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most revered and feared stops on the annual Formula One schedule. Located in Stavelot, Belgium, this 4.3 mile monster is over 100 years old and has extreme elements of all types to test both the skill and bravery of any driver with the guts to challenge it. The modern layout has been in use since 2007, and features several long, high-speed straightaways that lead into tight corners. Turns 19 and 20 are a pair of hairpin corners first a right, then a quick left, located at the end of a long, high-speed stretch. These compose what is known as the “Bus Stop Chicane.”

#3 – MONZA

Located just north of the city of Milan in Italy, Autodromo Nazionale Monza is one of many famous Italian raceways known for bamboozling some of the best drivers in history. Known as “Ferrari’s Playground,” this 3.6 mile course is known for one thing: speed. The start/finish straightaway is more than a kilometer in length and comes at the end of a sweeping turn 11. It’s not uncommon for drivers to reach speeds of more than 210 miles per hour on this circuit, making it a contest of not just speed and reaction time, but bravery, as drivers battle to complete each flying lap just a little bit faster than the rest.

#2 – BRISTOL

NASCAR fans know it as “Thunder Valley” or “The Last Great Colosseum,” but the rest of the world knows this challenging circuit as Bristol Motor Speedway. Unlike the rest of the tracks on this list, Bristol is not a complex circuit with numerous twists and turns. In fact, it is a perfect oval shape, about the simplest style of circuit track you can get. However, the half-mile length and corners that are banked between 24 and 30 degrees encourage speeds that would otherwise be impossible on a track of this length. This track encapsulates the idea of a fan’s dream is a driver’s nightmare: the track is small, tight, high-speed, and entirely visible from nearly all of the 165,000 seats that surround it. However, the confined racing area means loads of contact, crashes, and rapidly-changing strategy, making this a gruelling battle for the checkered flag and one of the hardest races of the year for teams to run.

#1 – MONTE CARLO

There is perhaps no more famous name in motor racing circuits than Mote Carlo. Formula One’s annual race on this track constructed from the streets running through the tiny nation of Monaco is known for being the most famous and prestigious auto race in the world. The track, officially known as the Circuit de Monaco, measures just over two miles in length, but the majority of the track is extremely narrow, the vast majority of the turns are exceedingly tight, and the significant elevation changes make this track exceptionally difficult to navigate quickly and passing a test of skill and patience. This also keeps speeds down, which makes it difficult for drivers to pull away, making for a thrilling race for fans to watch.

Have the need for speed? Head to MB2 Raceways to test your skills on our indoor go kart tracks! Our circuits are designed to allow first-time drivers to learn quickly and improve while challenging even the most adept drivers for a European-style karting experience that is sure to thrill all drivers. Whether you’re looking to host a birthday party, corporate function, or just want to arrive and drive, MB2 Raceway has you covered!

Call MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE for more information!

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WHY ELECTRIC RACING IS BETTER THAN GAS

We are occasionally asked why we choose to race with fully-electric go-karts as opposed to the more commonly-known and widely-used gas engine powered go-karts. There are several reasons for this, mostly pertaining to the advantages that electric go-karts have over their gas-powered counterparts. Each type of kart has advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll explore now.

EMISSIONS

We race indoors here at MB2, which means that all of the exhaust and fumes put out by a gas-powered kart would be trapped inside the building without a complex and high-power ventilation system. When you come to MB2, you won’t be greeted with the smell of burning gasoline, grease, and car exhaust (which some people appreciate far more than others). Likewise, the noise created by a gas-powered kart is fairly loud, and placing that in an enclosed space would make the noise deafening. Then multiply it by 12 karts or more and you would need hearing protection just to be inside the building! In this regard, electric karts are far superior to gas powered ones.

POWER

One of the biggest advantages that an electric motor has over a gas engine is that electric motors can maintain their maximum torque right up until they reach their maximum speed. This means an electric car can deliver extremely fast acceleration with immense power in the blink of an eye, without the need for a transmission. This also makes them far easier to limit in terms of speed, which ensures race safety. A gas powered kart would need a transmission to maintain its maximum power, as there are certain spots along the rev band in which the engine produces more power than others. This also makes a gas powered kart more difficult to drive. So once again, the electric kart is superior to the gas kart.

FILLING UP

Topping off an electric kart’s batteries is a simple matter of plugging it in and letting the charging units do their work. However, topping off a battery is not quite like topping off a fuel tank. Whereas completely refueling a gas powered kart can take just a few brief minutes, filling up a drained electric kart can take hours. We leave our karts plugged in every night to ensure they are topped off each morning, and they can last most of the day on a single charge (and be plugged in between races to extend their life further), but gas engines are still far better in this regard.

Ready to experience the difference in driving a fully-electric European-style go kart for yourself? Head over to your local MB2 Raceway to hit the track today! We offer daily arrive-and-drive style races for drivers of all ages and skill levels, as well as a number of great event packages for birthdays, bachelor parties, corporate events, and more. Whether you’re looking to get a few practice laps in or prove to your friends or colleagues that you’re the master of the track, our San Fernando indoor karting center can help you experience the high-speed thrills of wheel-to-wheel racing.

For more information, call your local MB2 Raceway today by dialing 866-986-RACE!

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WHAT IS “DRAFTING?”

If you’ve ever watched an auto race from NASCAR, Formula 1, or any other head-to-head lap race, you’ve likely noticed cars chasing each other while driving right on the tail of their opponent. This practice is known as “drafting,” and may seem strange to someone not familiar with the practice. Why would you not drive in a spot where you can pull ahead and pass your opponent, or stay in a spot where you won’t rear-end them if they suddenly change speeds? To answer this question, let’s take a closer look at how drafting works in order to discover the benefits.

THE PHYSICS OF DRAFTING

Every car has forces acting on it while driving, but perhaps none is more powerful than that of friction. If friction didn’t exist, cars could easily reach their maximum speed, but would also not be able to drive because their tires would not stick to the road. So drivers both rely on friction and work to fight against it simultaneously in different ways during a race.

One type of friction they fight against is called “air resistance.” When a car (or kart) is driving, it is using the power of its motor to propel itself and the driver forward, but it faces resistance from the air in front of it, which it must push out of the way in order to travel through. It’s this same concept that makes you feel a gust of wind when a car travels past you at high-speed, or causes your hand to fly backward when you stick it out of the window while driving.

A kart’s ability to push through air is known as its “aerodynamics.” However, no matter how aerodynamic you make yourself or your kart, you will always face some sort of wind resistance when driving. That is, unless you have something push the air out of the way in front of you, such as another driver. When an opponent is in front of you, they are pushing the majority of the air out of the way for you, allowing your kart to use its power to propel you forward without the loss of speed created by having to push through the air.

THE STRATEGY

So now that we know how drafting works, how can you put it to use? For starters, the reduced air resistance on a kart that is drafting an opponent actually helps them to drive slightly faster. So drafting an opponent well can give you a small but immensely important speed boost. Skilled drivers can use this boost to gain an advantage over their opponents by traveling faster down a straightaway, pulling into a more advantageous position for the next corner, then completing their pass as they exit the curve. It takes some skill to pull off this maneuver successfully, as well as good instincts to know when to execute a pass in this way, but experienced drivers on all levels use it frequently to win races.

For cars that rely on fuel mileage during longer races (such as NASCAR and Formula 1), drafting also can help preserve power, meaning a driver who lives in a drafting position will use less gasoline to go the same speed as their opponent. It’s not uncommon to see drivers use drafting as a fuel-saving technique to help them ensure they have enough left in the tank to go all-out for the win at the end of a race.

Want to practice drafting to improve your lap times and win more races? Head to your local MB2 Raceway for an indoor go-kart racing experience for driver of all ages! Come take a spin in one of our fully-electric European-style karts that provide the high-speed thrills of wheel-to-wheel racing in a safe and sustainable environment that’s open to the public all year-round. We offer a wide variety of driving packages, including arrive-and-drive races on a daily basis in which anyone can drop in and head out on the track to challenge their fastest laps. We also offer great party packages for birthdays, bachelor parties, and corporate events, all featuring pulsating racing action as the highlight of your day!

Contact MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE for more information!

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CHRISTIAN BROOKS FINISHES ROOKIE SEASON IN 5TH PLACE

When we last checked on MB2 Motorsports driver Christian Brooks, the Santa Clarita, CA native was buzzing along in his first season in the series, having made the jump from karting to the thrilling short-format hybrid racing.

Brooks entered the final four events of the season in a pretty comfortable 5th place in the standings. While he was a considerable distance behind the fourth place driver, he also had a pretty sizeable lead on sixth, and was not under much threat of losing the spot so long as he continued to perform consistently.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

The series moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Brooks won his first heat in the series, taking the checkered flag in Heat 2B with a lead of 1.4 seconds over the series leader Cabot Bigham. The win automatically propelled him into the event final, which unfortunately went downhill quickly, and he was forced to retire after just three laps and finish ninth of ten drivers.

SEATTLE, WA

Moving back to the west coast, Brooks took pretty well to the wet and muddy track at Seattle’s Evergreen Speedway. After posting the fourth-best time in the qualifying round, Brooks narrowly missed out on his second heat win of the season, finishing second in Heat 2A. Once again no longer needing the last chance qualifier (LCQ), Brooks headed to the final where once again he was forced out early, making it only four laps before exiting after hard contact in Turn 2.

LOS ANGELES, CA

The final two races of the season took place at the Port of Los Angeles over two days. On Saturday, Brooks came out charged and hungry, driving in his hometown race in front of family and friends. Brooks took third place in his second heat, avoiding the need for the last chance qualifier race for the third consecutive event. This time, Brooks made it through the main event, and unfortunately fell just over a second shy of his first podium of the season, narrowly losing out to Cabot Bigham by just over a second.

Sunday’s event saw Brooks once again start off well, claiming second place in his first heat and third place in his second one to avoid the LCQ for the fourth straight event. However, like Atlantic City and Seattle, Brooks once again was involved in a crash early, and completed just two laps before retiring and settling for an eighth place finish.

The results were good enough to seal his spot in fifth place in the overall points standings, however. A top-five finish in the series as a rookie is no small feat. Brooks will now head off to the 2016 Rotax Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy, where he will once again get behind the wheel of a go-kart and attempt to bring home one of the most prestigious trophies in the sport of kart racing.

Have the need for speed? Get out to MB2 Raceway today to experience the thrills of high speed racing at our San Fernando Valley indoor karting center. We offer drop-in races in an arrive-and-drive format every business day, allowing anyone to practice their skills with our fully-electric, European-style racing karts.

For more information about any of our five facilities, call us today at 866.986.RACE.

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REASONS WHY WOMEN LOVE GO-KARTING

Just a few decades ago, you wouldn’t often see a woman who loves hitting the track to get some laps in. With women such as Danica Patrick and Alice Powell dominating the racetrack, however, more women are beginning to find the excitement and thrill in go-karting. In this blog, we share a few reasons why women love to go go-karting:

ADRENALINE

It’s true that more men would consider themselves adrenaline junkies than women, but there are still a number of ladies who enjoy chasing that feeling. Sitting in a go-kart can give women a sense of empowerment that can’t be found in any other setting. In addition, go-karting gives people the feeling that they’re invincible and free – and who doesn’t love that?

EVEN PLAYING FIELD

Once your helmet goes on, everyone is on the same level. It can be intimidating to enter the racetrack for a competition, but the only person who knows your skill level is you. Go-Kart racing is meant to be a fun competition for everyone, so leave your inhibitions at the door.

STRESS RELIEF

According to the American Psychological Association, women are more likely than men to report higher levels of stress. Go-Karting offers an outlet to relieve stress and do something that isn’t for work or school. Women who find serenity in a revving engine are likely to be attracted to the world of go-karting.

FUN FOR THE FAMILY

For women with children, it can be difficult to come up with activities that will be fun for both you and your children without breaking the bank. Regardless of age, go-karting is an enjoyable yet affordable experience for all. It gives children a moment to live out their racecar driver fantasy and adults a chance to goof off and feel like a kid again.

Looking for something fun to do with family and friends? Come on over to MB2 Raceway to hit the racetracks! Call (866) 986-RACE for more information.

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THE MYSTERIOUS HISTORY OF THE CHECKERED FLAG

There is perhaps no more iconic symbol in auto racing than the checkered flag. Every driver wants to see it waving overhead as they roll across the finish line first, signifying them as the victor. However, the history behind this tradition is somewhat cloudy, and its origins have been somewhat lost to the ages. On this blog, we examine a few of the stories and theories of where the checkered flag originated as part of auto racing.

SETTLERS OF THE MIDWEST

The earliest uses of the checkered flag are somewhat disagreed upon. Some historians believe the first uses of the checkered flag can be credited to the French, who would wave it at the end of bicycle races throughout the country, however this is not a popular belief.

A slightly-more popular but still largely contested theory dates all the way back to the initial settling of the American Midwest. One of the most popular sports on homesteads was horse racing, and events frequently also included a large public feast. Those preparing the meal would wave a large checkered-pattern tablecloth of the era to indicate that the racing should come to an end quickly and to come eat.

DAYTONA SPEED RACES

By the late 1800s and early 1900s, racing had become a sport for the wealthy, and the Ormond Beach Hotel, located roughly 10 miles north of Daytona Beach in Florida, had become a hotspot for auto races. In 1902, Random Olds (the founder of Oldsmobile), became one of the first land speed record holders when his car made a run on the hard-packed beach timed at 50 miles per hour. But whether he or Henry Ford (yes, the Henry Ford) was the first to cross under a checkered flag is a mystery: there is no photographic evidence as to whether or not the checkered flag was used for either of them.

The first evidence of this nature is a photograph of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race in Long Island, New York. That same year, Sidney Waldon of the Packard Motor Car Company used the checkered flag to indicate “checking stations,” or “checkpoints” along the route of the Glidden Tour rally race events.

EASE OF VISION

By this time, auto racing was coming into its own as a wildly popular sport across the country, with numerous races across dirt, asphalt, and sand being competed every year. The checkered flag took on a critical role in auto races because it was highly visible through the dirt and dust propelled into the air by cars, particularly in dirt track races. Dirt tracks were much more common than asphalt ones at this time.

DOUBLE-CHECKERED FLAG

The “double-checker” image, which has become an iconic part of the Indianapolis 500, one of the biggest auto races of the year in the United States, was first used in 1980 by flagman Duane Sweeny, who waved two different flags in sync to signal the winner, a practice that is still used today.

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