Karting is exhilarating, it's the kind of fun you can't match with any ordinary pastime. But one of the most rewarding aspects of Karting lies in the preparation and anticipation of trying out your hard work and seeing the fruits of your labor put to the test against others with just as much desire to win. A lot of work goes into getting your Kart setup just right, and yet each track is different and conditions will always play a part, that's why it pays to know what's working for you and what's working against you. At DynoCams we invest countless hours into this relentless pursuit of more HP and harnessing the advantages that are available to every aspect of what makes a winning combination.

 

If this is your first venture into Karting, congratulations on choosing a fun and rewarding pastime! Whether you're in it for fame, fortune, or fun, you are sure to find your experiences rewarding on some level. To begin, you will obviously need a Kart and a few other essentials to meet the requirements as a racer. Getting started can be expensive so it's important to know every expense involved before you start, to avoid overspending your Karting budget. The essentials to getting started are as follows:

Kart Chassis Selection

Take care when choosing your chassis. It is the foundation of what you will experience on the track. There has been major improvement in chassis design within the past few years. You will notice a real difference in the way an older chassis handles and feels versus newer models. Another point to make is that older chassis will show there age in the amount of "flex" they've acquired over the years due to metal fatigue. Newer chassis feel much tighter and hold up longer against this phenomena. If you buy a used chassis to start with, make sure it is as new a model as you can afford. DynoCams recommends purchasing a chassis manufactured by a reputable chassis builder. Be sure if you buy new the manufacturer or distributor is willing to help with tech support until you are off and running.

Engine Selection

Here is another area to make careful consideration. Your three major options for traditional style Kart racing is Briggs Raptor Flathead 5HP model, Briggs Intek Animal OHV 6.5HP, or the new Box Stock Clone 6.5HP OHV. Each class of engine will have it's advantages and disadvantages. Here are some brief thoughts on each:

Briggs and Stratton Raptor Flathead 5HP model

Pros: This motor is the original power plant for Karting. Much research and development has been poured into this motor, so many parts and accessories are available. There are many established classes and events available for this motor.

Cons: Event sanctioners tend to be moving away from this motor towards the newer platforms. Building this motor to be competitive can be much more expensive than the other motor options available. This engine is no longer available as a complete unit, you will either have to build it from the kit, or purchase a complete one used.

Briggs Intek Animal OHV 6.5HP

Pros: More powerful than the raptor. OHV (Overhead Valve) design is the newest standard for motor designs and is an improvement over flathead style engines. Many aftermarket parts are available for this engine. Many classes and events exist for this engine, it is the latest standard in racing.

Cons: Be sure as a beginner that your track offers a novice animal class. Most beginner classes are flathead only.

Box Stock Clone OHV 6.5HP

Pros: Box Stock Clone 6.5HP OHV are very inexpensive. This engine produces good HP right out of the box. Classes and events for this engine are picking up in certain locations.

Cons: Classes and events for this engine are just getting started so there may not be events close to your area to race at.

Clutches and Gears

This includes axle assembly, chain, clutch, and sprockets. All of these components should be purchased new and should be well maintained and inspected before each race. Decisions on these components should consider weight, quality, and performance. 

Body Kits

Body Kits will all be similar but there are subtle differences from manufacturer to manufacturer. As long as the body style is legal for the events you want to race in your choices are mainly design aesthetics. Shape, color, and composition are all considerations. Be sure to tell the distributor what chassis you have so they can make a recommendation on the body kit based on the width of your chassis.

Wheels and Tires

If you've ever seen inside the back of another Karter's trailer you've probably noticed they have a lot of wheels and tires. Why so many if you can only race on four at a time? The reason is each track will have different characteristics. Some require softer tires some harder. Different brands and different stagger setups may be advantageous in some instances. Tire selection can be confusing getting started but do not neglect this important consideration. It is a major component in how well your Kart will perform. Also be sure and check with your local track on possible restrictions or tire rules before making a purchase.

Safety Equipment

This is the most important consideration, your safety! Make sure your helmet is SNELL rated as determined by your event sanction. A good race jacket with heat sleeve is recommended, as well as a quality pair of driving gloves. Approved chest protection is required for kids under 12 years of age.

DynoCams is a major distributor for most Karting businesses and manufacturers, but you probably recognize our name most from the manufacturing of the camshafts that the majority of Kart racers use today. 

You may not realize it, but just like our camshafts, every single racing component on your Kart has been scrutinized by someone with a great deal of knowledge to it's finest detail. Depending on it's function it has been lightened, strengthened, hardened, polished, or refined to it's ultimate to meet the sole purpose it was intended for. 

But wait! We're not just about camshafts...

Although our primary focus in Karting  is manufacturing camshafts, some of our finest work comes from our engine building and machine shop. We don't just make parts and then send them to someone else to put our engines together. We provided everything from block boring to welding. Whether you need beefed up lifter bores, oversized valves, properly flowed and adjusted carbs, polished or blue-printed components, heads decked, cylinders honed, etc.,  we do it all. We employ one full-time master engine builder and several full-time race technicians with enough knowledge to dizzy the best motorheads.  Why are they so smart and competent? Well they don't just build engines or karts every day they also race them on the weekends! Out of the seven technicians we currently have on staff, four race almost every weekend. The type of knowledge these guys have was learned the hard way, race by race. Some of us know carburetors inside and out, some know camshaft dynamics, some know block specifics, some specialize in chassis setup. One thing's for sure, between us all we've got you covered!

Your Karting distributor...

But don't just expect camshafts and engines, our Karting parts warehouse is fully stocked with all the best aftermarket parts as you can buy for your Kart. When it comes to Karting related products you can shop here alone and meet your every racing need. We distribute for all major Kart product manufacturers including Phantom Racing Chassis, Briggs and Stratton, Clements Racing, E.C. Tillotson, Horstman, Bully Clutches, Rapp Fab Pipes, My-Chron, Outerwears, Longacre, Palmetto Speed Shop, Burris Racing, ARC, RLV, G-Man, Maxxis, Douglas Wheel, Regina, Noram, Tomar, FHS, K&N, Vortex, Denso, Fel-Pro, Walbro, Mikuni, Sox Racing, CV Products, Digatron, Intercomp, Lunati, Wiseco, EZ-Bore, ProLine, Thor Oil, Track Tac, Pro-Blend, Simpson, Coleman, Firestone, Vega, WMS, SMC, Cramac, Power Plus, Stroke Oil, and many more...

DynoCams and you...

So as you see we are more than just a camshaft manufacturer. We handle most every aspect of Karting. If you haven't checked us out before or in a while then why don't you give us a call to see what we can do for you. Our sales and technical staff is friendly and waiting to hear from you to help with all your Karting needs. Maybe you need a free catalog to get you started so you can see what all we offer? Just give us a call at 910.655.9035, we're here to help.

And if you're into something a little different, we can still help...

Realize that DynoCams is a small engine camshaft powerhouse of capabilities. Although we haven't advertised, we also regularly grind camshafts for the following small engine applications:

We grind profiles for virtually all 4-stroke small engine applications, so just because it's not listed doesn't mean we can't do it, give us a call if you have a special need camshaft project!

How we make a stock Briggs camshaft...

A stock Briggs and Stratton camshaft starts out as a hunk of cast metal in the crude shape of a camshaft. From there it's ends get turned down on a special turning center so that there will be two true ends to work from to produce the rest of the camshaft. Then, what will be the gear gets turned down, or faced, and the spaces between the gear teeth are punched out by a gear hobber. A small timing mark is now drilled so that the cam can be properly indexed for grinding. The cam lobe profiles are now ready to be "roughed in" by a profile camshaft grinder setup specifically for this job. Two specific  profiles are used to rough in all of our stock flathead camshafts to approximately .030" within final size, we use a Fadal CNC milling machine to rough in our Animal cams. After the cam lobes are roughed down to approximate size, from this point it gets heat treated. This special proprietary process gives our cams the strength they'll need to endure the punishment you'll throw at it lap after lap, race after race on the track. Our cams are known to withstand extreme pressures and hold it's running profile for a very  long time. Camshafts made for the Animal engines get treated a little differently, they get a stellite material added to the lobes to prevent wear. After heat treating and/or welding the cams, they get prepped for finish grinding in our Landis 3L CNC camgrinder. This special computer-aided grinder is normally reserved for high-end jobs like NASCAR cams, but at DynoCams we have the best equipment and that's what the Karters get. With the Landis, we have the ability to grind lobes offset (advanced or retarded, over or under-sized) in any manner you see fit for your particular block. Racers have found this special fine tuning allows you to maximize your horsepower for your particular block even under stringent spec rules. Yes every little fraction of extra HP helps. This method also helps keep you in check if you have a block that is not quite on spec but you need your cam to meet perfect profile. Afterwards, the cams get cleaned and polished and then after a quality inspection, are ready to be packaged and shipped to you. We currently stock over 15 camshaft profiles to choose from for the stock flathead class alone. Each cam profile will have slightly different characteristics that make it advantageous for a particular need. Talking to a technician will get you pointed in the right direction to determine which camshaft will best suit your needs. Camshafts for modified engines undergo an entirely different process due to there special nature. Unlike stock cams these cams are made from the finest tool steel metals available and are meticulously crafted through a very labor intensive process. We take great pride in our camshafts and guarantee you will see and feel the quality that we provide.