Kart
Track Guide to Badger Raceway Dousman, WI, United States
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Badger Raceway
expert Shawn Campbell talks us round the best kart lines round
the Dousman circuit. Shawn is one of the most observant karters
you'll ever encouter so pay attention to his quality karting
tips!
The first corner (turn 1) is almost taken
flat out. You want to be as wide as possible on the entry,
rotate the kart with the brakes, then get back to power early
apexing late at the rumble strips (don't hit it or it will
kick your kart). You should drift wide and carry plenty of
exit speed.
The next section (Turns 2 and 3) requires a good line to get
through, you drift out from the right side of the track after
one, go through the first kink turning down left to the apex,
then drift up a bit as you go through the next right kink
setting up into the switchback (turn 4).
The switchback (turn 4)
requires very late braking and plenty of entry speed. Sacrifice
the exit here for a good entry to prevent getting passed on the
inside. It is important to be smooth through here since
there is enough grip to bicycle the kart on hot summer days, and
slide around when the weather is cold. Get your braking right, late
apex close to the rumble strip on the inside, but don't touch it
our it will kick your kart out again. It is important to rotate
the kart going into this corner, but requires smoothness to prevent
getting a front end push. You will drift out to the right close
to the outside rumble strips.
Right hander (or Hairpin turn 5) is the slowest
corner on the track. It is here that you must be very smooth
and quiet with the steering wheel so you don't bog and lose speed.
You will need to cross over to the left side after you exit the
switchback on the right to set up. Brake moderatly, take a late
apex and slowly feed the steering in to a late apex. An abrupt wheel
move will improperly position the kart for a bad exit. Power up
as soon as possible (you can realitively early here). You will exit
on the left side of the track, just next to the outside rumble strips.
The left hander (turn 6). There is more than one
fast line through this corner, as some go over the inside rumble
strips with an early line and some late apex (such as myself) and
stay off of it. You will have to cross over from the left side of
the track to the right to set up for this turn on the short chute
between 5 and 6. Brake mildly, and take one of the above lines,
keeping smooth hands on the steering wheel since this corner is
also realitively slow.
The boot (turns 7, 8, 9). You exit turn 6 on the
right side, properly positioned to enter turn 7. Keep accelerating
and make a gentle turn into the rumble strip for turn 7. As you
cross the rumble strip, brake with moderate pressure and aim your
eyes directly at the inside rumble strip for turn 8. You want to
go straight through 7 and into 8, making it one smooth corner, not
two. You will need to be very smooth here since you are still going
slow and too much movement on the wheel will bog you down. You should
power up early (as you apex through 8) and be full power down through
turn 9, a gentle right hand corner. You will exit turn 9 on the
left side of the track. To prepare for the most important corner
on the circuit, you need to be all the way on the right side of
the track as you go into turn 10
Turn 10 NoMans Land
or the Tree Turn. Once on the right, brake hard (see
Terence's tips on braking if you don't know how to do this),
rotating the kart with a late apex and gently arc the kart into
the corner. Power up as soon as possible as you have a long
straightaway that will cut time if you are good out of this corner.
Let the kart drift to the right side and be super smooth so you
don't hurt your exit speed. You should stop drifting just after
the beginning of the right side rumble strips on the exit. You can
carry full power down through 11 and 12, arcing the kart into both
corners without hitting the inside rumble strips.
If you have done all of the above with good steering techinque,
lines, and proper brake points, you will have turned a fast lap
around Badger
Raceway, one of the most technical kart tracks in the Midwest
USA.
