Karting has never been highly rated as a sport. But, says Sandra O'Connell, it can be a useful stepping stone on the road to becoming a racing driver
In terms of sport, it is not rated very highly by the general populus. To those who have never karted, as a motorsport it may rate only slightly higher than the dodgems. Indeed, even those who have driven karts might dismiss it as little more than riding around on a lawnmower.
What they don't appreciate, however, is that not alone does karting offer the chance to pretend you are a Formula One driver, but, believe it or not, it is actually a recognised first step on the road to becoming one.
Irish motorsports professional Michael Devaney is a case in point. The 17-year-old, tipped for a bright future in motorsport, took up kart racing just four years ago. Today he has graduated to cars and is based in Germany competing in Formula BMW for a living. Karting is where he first discovered his race talent.
"I took up karting at 13 - which is very late in racing terms - and progressed to cars when I was 16," he explains. A past winner of the all-Ireland karting championships, he has maintained his form at higher level, having notched up a major win in Belgium earlier this summer.
His ultimate aim is to make it to the very top of Formula One racing. As befits the activity that started it all for him, he has the utmost respect for karting. "All the top drivers in Formula 1 started out in karts," he says simply. "It's how you learn the ropes."
IT engineer Oscar Christie is another karting aficionado. Having discovered the sport in his 20s, he progressed swiftly to Formula V cars which he describes as "karts with a body", which he raced at Mondello.
Having bought his own car in the early 1990s, paying what was then the highest price in Ireland for a car of its kind, he went on to take joint first place in his category in the Formula V championships.
Although he then sold his car to put a deposit on his house, he still harbours the bug and has high hopes that his two-year-old son, Jack, will inherit it. "I wouldn't push it on him, but if he shows an interest in racing - and he already knows who the best F1 drivers are - I will buy him a kart," he says.
At around €2,000 for a second-hand kart - plus the cost of suits and helmets - this will be no small outlay. It is, however, money well spent for a sport that provides a number of benefits to youngsters, he believes.
"Once you're over seven you can start karting. This means that by the time Jack comes to getting his driving licence, he will have had 10 years of driving experience, which can only stand to him when he gets on the road. More importantly, he will have learned to respect speed and to respect other drivers around him.
"He will also know how to better control a car in the event of difficulties. The most important attraction of karting, however, is that it's just great fun."
For those who want to experience this fun for themselves, Dublin is particularly well served with karting venues such as Kylemore Karting off the Naas Road, and Kart City in Santry. Hilary Hughes is marketing manager of Kart City. It has three dedicated karting tracks: one for six to 12-year-olds; one for over-12s, and an Irish Karting Club registered professional track.
Not every visitor harbours hopes of becoming racing drivers, she says. "Most of our customers are leisure drivers. They are provided with all the safety gear required, including helmet, gloves and a race suit. They get a practice session before the race proper begins and all racing is computerised so times are race accurate."
The venue is a particular magnet for corporate parties and social groups. "We get a lot of stag parties over from Britain, for example, who come here to race before heading out for the night."
To the uninitiated, kart speeds of up to 50 mph mightn't seem very Grand Prix-like. However, as anyone who has been karting will confirm, having your backside just inches from the track gives the impression of travelling at much faster speeds.As if that wasn't enough, many karters relish the prospect of driving on the wet. "We have people that we know come specifically because it is raining," explains Hughes. "It makes the track much more slippery and adds to the adrenaline rush."
Karting has some very high profile fans. Eddie Irvine hosted a party at Kart City earlier this month. While the rules are the same as those in F1 racing, the behaviour of some of the drivers may have been equally familiar to him.
"We recently had a staff party in from one of the big hospitals," says Hughes. "What sticks out in my mind is seeing one of the country's top neurosurgeons being bumped off the track by one of his colleagues, only to take his helmet and bounce it off the ground before taking off home in a sulk."
Now there's a man who takes his karting seriously.