Open wheel go carts is about as stimulating as it gets. Watching skilled Indy Car racers speed around a 2 1/2 mile oval at top speeds over 230 mile per hour is a heart-pounding thrill. Open wheel racing has been around for decades and kart racing is a variation of this motor sport. The alteration is that go carts are much smaller and run on shorter courses, but the thrill of racing a go cart can be just as high. Furthermore, lots of drivers use go karts as a prerequisite to more costly, competitive, and even faster racing. A lot of the top professionals got their initial start here.

As with just about everything else there is a big difference in the type of go karts that can be ridden. Maximum speed is generally determined by the size of the go kart engines, but is also influenced by the quality of the go kart frame, especially when maneuvering through hard corners. Super Karts are the quickest style and can hit top speeds of 160 mile per hour or more. If that's just a bit too fast for your enjoyment you can choose to drive different types of go carts that will be much slower. Recreational go carts found at local fun parks will offer top speeds that may reach just 10 or 15 mph so there's a substantial range for you to decide from.

2-stroke or 4-stroke engines are typically used in racing. Various types of the 4-stroke engine are found in many amusement parks and fun centers, but electric powered engines are rising in popularity. Electric powered engines have a number of benefits that make them perfect for small family fun center courses. They are very economical to operate and maintain and only require a recharge once their power becomes too low. There is no need to fill them up with costly gasoline since they get their power from long-term high performance batteries. And lacking a gasoline powered motor to break down they are low-priced to maintain. In addition, they can be raced inside as they don't produce any unsafe emissions. The only negative to electric powered go karts is that they require recharging after approximately 20 minutes of racing, but as battery technology improves the batteries are holding longer charges.

Recognized makers of 4-stroke go kart engines are Honda, Briggs and Stratton, and Tecumseh among others. These manufacturers make low-powered engines that will provide anywhere from 5 to 20 hp. These engines are classically used by novice racers or in amusement fun centers. But don't let the small hp fool you; a lot of these engines can propel a go kart at top speeds up to about 45 or 50 mile per hour. This may not seem speedy to you, but as soon as you begin taking corners in a small-sized go cart at these speeds you'll immediately appreciate just how fast this is.

Some 4-stroke engines have additional muscle and will produce up to 50 hp. These engines can race at up to 11,000 rpm and are commonly used in many National Championship class races, but if you need to go faster you'll have to get a 2-stroke motor. Many 2-stroke engines will produce as little as 10 hp or less, but some can also produce 90 hp or more at 16,000 rpm. Speeds around 160 mile per hour can be achieved with these brawny 2-stroke engines.

In the olden days engines were cooled by air, but with the faster speeds of today the majority of go kart engines are water-cooled. A lot of the less powerful 4-stroke engines are still cooled with air, but the premier hp engines are typically cooled by water. With the numerous differences in power and energy, there is an engine available with your name on it, no matter what type of driving you would like to do.