english_history

To begin with, let�s take a look at the beginning of karting abroad. It all started just after the Second World War at the Allied air bases. Already during the war air forces used gliders to move soldiers and their kit to the battlefield. Large petrol-powered drum winches were used there to assist the gliders and their tugs while taking off. The mechanics, eager to find ways around heavy work involved in moving these winches, connected the power supply to the axles, creating a self-propelled vehicle usually referred to as a �go car�. Once, moving along the runway, they tried to compete with each other, effectively putting up the world�s first carting competition. Karts started to develop relatively fast � by 1950�s they started spreading worldwide from the United States, where the sport was wide-spread by that time.
In Czechoslovakia the production of the first kart dates back to about 1958, when a short article appeared in the Svet motoru (World of Engines), a local motoring periodical. We are a nation of DIY specialists, therefore enthusiasts were quick to start development. In Communist Czechoslovakia there was very nearly nothing convenient for kart production, therefore the final products were usually of rather unearthly appearance � by today�s standards the vehicles were most unusual. They were usually based on a robust tubular frame or a frame made of metal profiles. Wheels were taken from anything at least remotely convenient � usually from anything at han dat the moment. From bantam wheels to automobile disks with tyres. Only rear brakes were fitted, drum brakes that is, taken from motorcycles. Engines were also of various origin, from small-capacity scooter engines up to 250cc Jawas. I know from people who remember these times that there were enthusiasts using 350cc engines or even four-stroke 500cc power plants.
Until these vehicles were used away from sight, only for the fun of it, nothing special was done to regulate it officially. When there were first official races organized, the Svazarm (a state authority linking youth with the Czechoslovak Army and promoting activities useful for potential army cadets � physical training, motor sports etc.) took over, issuing first regulations for the construction of the karts. One of the reasons was the contemporary political situation, the other was apparently the drivers� safety. The contemporary karts were, despite their technical deficiencies, relatively fast (reaching 80kph was hardly a problem), therefore at least a rough sketch of technical regulations for the kart construction and the maximum engine capacity were necessary. The involvement of politics was an inevitable contemporary feature.
The appearance of karts gradually developed into what can be seen on the right. Dimensions were fixed by the regulations, discs and tyres were the designer�s choice. The larges allowed diameter of wheels was fixe dat 3.30/12. The engine capacity was limited to 125cc � only those engines were allowed which were produced at least in a series of minimum 50 units during 12 consecutive months. That means that only production motorcycle engines were possible to use, with the CZ 125 C engine ranking as the favourite. Among its advantages were a light crankshaft and magneto ignition. Engine tuning was basically prohibited. The engine locations were varying, ranging from a location at the centre or on one side behind the seat through locations on either side of the seat to unusual placement of the engine between the driver�s knees. Real races were run with these karts and they actually became very popular. Up to 20,000 spectators attended kart races in Prague. In 1962, a Czechoslovak Championship was organized under the patronage of Mlady svet (or Young World, a youth magazine).
Further development took place in the 1960�s. The engine location became gradually standardized on either side of the driver�s seat. Front wheels were usually smaller (3.50/4) due to higher speed rating. Engines were still mostly production designs, with an occasional tuning here and there, usually based on articles in the Svet motoru magazine. Only rear drum brakes were fitted.
Changes came only at the late 1960�s and early 1970�s, when some karts used identically-sized small bantam tyres all round, with the frame design closer to today�s standards. Apparently the technical standards varied greatly and there were different sorts of karts running the district races and the country�s Championship. The kart became smaller though, with side-mounted engines and some Czechoslovak Championship race drivers using borrowed CZ 125 four-speed motorcross engines.
Early 1970�s brought the biggest changes. Disc brakes spread fast among the karting community, with disc brakes being fitted to the rear AND front axles, while the CZ factory started the production of a new motorcross motorcycle designated CZ 125/984. The karts of the time usually sported two simultaneously-operated disc brakes fitted to the rear axle. The reason was the general opinion that one brake hidden behind the seat would have cooling problems. Hand-operated brake designs were also around, with the brake pump engaged via a hand-operated lever and connected to the rear brake � this made up- or downhill starts much easier, especially with the contemporary pedal arrangement similar to cars. It was rather difficult to keep engine revs up, clutch down and the kart standing where it was supposed to stand.
Despite the fact that many designs were already tried and the standard kart was quite similar to others in the field, unusual designs some times appeared. An example was the use of three wheels on the rear axle, with one in the middle of the frame. But experiments were usual also abroad � double front-axle karts (similar to the famous Tyrell six-wheelers) or double rear-axle karts. Sooner or later, all of these designs were prohibited, similarly to Formula One races.
CZ 125/984 motorcross engines were in production already since about 1970, but some units appeared in karts only in 1971 or 1972. These, by today�s standards quite modern karts, had the engine placed usually to the left of the driver (perhaps following British design examples) and initially used small bantam tyres. Taking into consideration the engine output of about 20 HP and the increasing need for better road tyres, in early 1970�s bantam tyres were being gradually replaced by specially manufactured Barum karting tyres. Width-wise, the tyres could still be fitted to the four-inch discs used for the bantam tyres, but the tread was no longer round, but flat similar to today�s karting tyres. In comparison to today�s standards, they were narrow and the rubber mixture was allegedly the same as the one used for automobile tyres. Split-discs were used, with tubes inside the tyres.
Engine tuning gradually took hold, streamlining the existing piston-port system for more convenient operation in kart engines, with first appearances of rotary-valve engines. Asymmetrical air intake timing allowed higher revs and output.
Despite all their deficiencies the new Barum tyres were a huge leap forward in the Czechoslovakia�s karting � together with the new CZ engines the karts could very nearly compete with the best of the world�s carting.
Czechoslovak Championship included the cream of the karting sport in Czechoslovakia. Occasionally the drivers were even confronted with what the West had to offer, e.g. during the Sigma Grand Prix in Olomouc. The race took place for the first time in 1973, with Czechoslovak drivers scoring eight of top ten places on a wet track in 1978.
Five-speed engines, despite great efforts to fine-tune the designs, started to lag behind foreign competition. Abroad, motorcross engines were tuned by professional tuning companies or tailor-made kart engines were used (Rotax, Asco, Yasch, KZH, Pavesi etc.).
By the end of 1970�s we managed to keep the pace with the West only due to the skill and creativity of the local karting enthusiasts. The CZ factory still kept producing by that time a relatively obsolete CZ 125/996 engine (a development of the 984 design) and the new six-speed engine was reserved exclusively for the factory racing team and the national team.
Finally, in 1978 a new type entered the production � CZ 125/511. The comparatively modern design included a six-speed transmission with an output of about 24HP. By 1979 or 1980 this engine appeared in first karts. Despite the very decent performance, design faults were numerous, perhaps also due to its rather subtle design. The cylinder sleeve was under-sized for such an engine, with an inconveniently shaped exhaust outlet � both represented immense problems. Compared to motorcross use, karting presents very different operating conditions, with far higher temperatures involved. This lead to highlighting deficiencies which were so far basically unknown from motorcross racing.
By this time karts were recognized as a technically very demanding branch of motor sports. Even the CZ company had to acknowledge the fact that its engines and the kart drivers are a great advertisement opportunity, both at home and abroad. It appears that this could have contributed to the fact that a replacement of the problematic 511 cylinder sleeve was soon considered. By the beginning of 1980 CZ was developing a new design numbered 516 and some kart drivers apparently got the new cylinder for trials. M. Simak became the European Champion with this cylinder at the Sigma Grand Prix in 1980.
In early 1980�s our top kart drivers was forced to use foregn engines to keep the pace of their European counterparts. Fine-tuned CZ engines were powerful, but unreliable � obviously the nearly 100% increase in engine output was to be blamed.
After Simak�s success karting became even more popular, with many very good drivers competing successfully even in foreign competitions. Even during 1980�s CZ engines were still being used, but these were mostly modified rotary-valve units. Simultaneously, foreign karts were spreading. A local specialty were �hybrid� engines. As most kart drivers could not afford foreign engine (considering the contemporary monthly income of approx. 2,500 Czech crowns and the price of such an engine in the region of 50,000 to 60,000 crowns), anything which could be bartered or bought second hand from foreign kart drivers was fitted into CZ engines, bringing the engine closer to contemporary standards, while still maintaining availability of spares for the clutch or the transmission. Rotax cylinders were often used, creating both air- and water-cooled units.
1983 CZ 125/516
1978 CZ 125/511
CZ engines were gradually fading out from kart racing in late 1980�s, due to the strong foreign competition. They were still used in the Czechoslovak Championship, but only in the C2 Class where air-cooled units were still allowed. Foreign engines were mostly water-cooled by that time, occuping most of the C1 Class.
In 1986 a water-cooled FC Class was established, with CZ Class using both ways of cooling. The Czechoslovak and Czech Championships were divided like that till 1998, when the CZ Class was cancelled, with subsequent developments only in the FC125, FA, ICA-J Classes etc.

History of Czech karting