Wall of death
Last Sunday was my second trip to the local indoor go-kart track. Not content with driving a go-kart on a horizontal plane I thought I'd take it to the 2nd dimension:
No that's not me dressed in the lions outfit in the sidecar but I did have a go at riding the wall of death in a go-kart. For €22.50 you can terrify yourself at having a go on a full setup about 6m in diameter and 4m in height.
To be honest, once strapped in with the four point harness, helmet on and hands placed through loops in the steering wheel, I was a wee bit nervous. Sorry mum but I think I let out a few rude words!
With no brake to worry about my foot was planted firm on the accelerator and away I went. Round and round, steering wheel slightly curved into the turn zooming around the bottom building up the speed. Then I felt the car kart creep up the sloped walls and the tyres were squeeling. So I eased the steering back straight and up I went. Cue more rude words!
I made it as close as I wanted to go to the top without clipping the barrier on my first attempt but came down early as I was quite shaken. But the second go I was lapping it up all the way until the instructor called time.
How was it? Pretty nutts to be fair. There's no skill needed really but there's a lot that screws with your head as you are going around and it's surprisingly hard work concentrating. Coming down is the most difficult challenge cos you have to ease off very gently whilst you are physically and mentally drained.
Good fun though and I have Rog who's a bit of a petrolhead here this weekend so we might make a return trip.
This video is of the actual wall that I rode but the guy is a wuss and only just makes it onto the vert, let alone getting to the yellow line halfway or the red line at the top. So I also found the following video that gives a better impression of what's possible:
So what's next? Perhaps the 3rd dimension...
No that's not me dressed in the lions outfit in the sidecar but I did have a go at riding the wall of death in a go-kart. For €22.50 you can terrify yourself at having a go on a full setup about 6m in diameter and 4m in height.
To be honest, once strapped in with the four point harness, helmet on and hands placed through loops in the steering wheel, I was a wee bit nervous. Sorry mum but I think I let out a few rude words!
With no brake to worry about my foot was planted firm on the accelerator and away I went. Round and round, steering wheel slightly curved into the turn zooming around the bottom building up the speed. Then I felt the car kart creep up the sloped walls and the tyres were squeeling. So I eased the steering back straight and up I went. Cue more rude words!
I made it as close as I wanted to go to the top without clipping the barrier on my first attempt but came down early as I was quite shaken. But the second go I was lapping it up all the way until the instructor called time.
How was it? Pretty nutts to be fair. There's no skill needed really but there's a lot that screws with your head as you are going around and it's surprisingly hard work concentrating. Coming down is the most difficult challenge cos you have to ease off very gently whilst you are physically and mentally drained.
Good fun though and I have Rog who's a bit of a petrolhead here this weekend so we might make a return trip.
This video is of the actual wall that I rode but the guy is a wuss and only just makes it onto the vert, let alone getting to the yellow line halfway or the red line at the top. So I also found the following video that gives a better impression of what's possible:
So what's next? Perhaps the 3rd dimension...
Labels: Amsterdam, karting, wall of death
posted by Malcolm at
5:06 pm
2 Comments:
hi there,
i like the posting of you riding the wall of death in a go kart, well for starters that is my wall of death and i have never had anyone pay to have "a go", and secondly the person riding is not a man but my fiance Kerri Cameron, so sunshine you need to get your facts straight and come out of fantasy land, any way best wishes LUKE FOX
www.wall-of-death.co.uk
By
Anonymous, at 1/5/08 12:40
Hi thanks for adding your comment. I state the video above is not of the actual wall I rode but I am not lying. The actual wall I rode is at the Amsterdam track of http://www.raceplanet.nl
By
Malcolm, at 1/5/08 17:36
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