my son started 7 months ago. i have run him myself and its been an interesting time. we have had our ups and downs but mainly moving forward.we have raced and practiced at pfi,kimbolton,bayford,clay,whilton mill,and buckmore.one reason was to give him experience of different tracks the other was to test his level with other drivers to gage where he is in his development.we mainly race at bayford as it is local and he has progressed well. as a novice he would start at the back of 24 and finish somewhere between 14 and 16.once of his novice plates he would qualify in the top 15 and his highest finish was 8th.we felt he had progressed really well and took him to pfi to race,he drove his little heart out all weekend but a combination of my below par set up and an engine that is nowhere good enough for a track like pfi. he was on average 2.5 secs a lap down,this really knocked his confidence as he spent most races being overtaken, they were just driving past him down the straights.we went back to our usual tracks and he was straight back on the pace he was doing and improving slightly.i decided i would invest in a newer faster engine, and it paid dividends he gained 1second a lap at bayford.we then went and practiced at pfi to see how we would perform,he gained over 2seconds a lap with the new engine plus he had improved as a driver he now has the confidence that he will be able to fight with the midfield at pfi in races. my suggestion would be before you jump in the deep end and race at pfi go there have a practice day and gage your sons times against the results from pfi if he is on the pace then great jump straight in pfi is a fantastic circuit, but if he is doing 1.10s or slower it might be best to take him to another circuit while he is a novice and build his race craft and speed before you throw him to the wolves at pfi.its the longest circuit in the country and he will be shattered after a race weekend at pfi. and so will you be. have fun with him on your own for 6 months at least but if you wish for him to have some tuition either protrain or ambition are great for one to one tuition. good luck to you both and enjoy your karting. cheers deano
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