Leisure

A Novice’s Guide to the Racing Go Karts Evolution

Posted by Rachael Thomas in Leisure | Comments Off

Go kart racing started off as a kiddy sport and popular summer past time that has really grown up and evolved into an industry. Racing go karts have been embraced the world over by speeding enthusiasts and racing fanatics. Karting is now being tried out as a sport for grown ups too, and carts are being built exclusively for them. These karts meant strictly for off road speed thrills, have been appropriately christened as off road go karts.

Historically, the first go-cart, was built by Art Ingels in 1956. It was a simple machine with a two stroke engine. Go karting has since come a long way, from a popular sport for airmen in the heyday’s to the current speed demons or superkarts, some of which are reported to cross 160 mph (260 Km/h) on asphalt!

The racing go kart is slightly modified compared to children’s go carts, since they are built for more speed and more endurance over various terrain. The more noticeable changes are in the wheels, which are much bigger, to offer better traction and stability and in the engines which are more powerful, with most Off road go carts having 150-250cc engines. Besides the horse power, there are other fundamental differences in the design of these carts such as:

· Higher clearance, to clear more ground based obstacles

· The adult models, have both rear as well as front shock absorbers, since enthusiasts will definitely try it out, on rough terrain

· A reverse gear

· Unique styling features, sometimes it’s tough to tell if the carts a dune buggy or vice versa

Racing go carts are basically open wheeled vehicles with no suspension. The basic components of an off road go cart, are the chassis, transmission, motor, seating for 1-2 people and 4 tires. Since, there is no suspension, the chassis itself must provide enough strength and flexibility to allow the cart to maintain its grip on the road, whether its going straight or taking a sharp left.

An underlying aspect of off road go carting, is the focus on safety. Since these race go-karts can easily reach the speeds of a normal car, accidents, when they occur can be deadly, so a few safety provisions are always included such as seat belts and padding with helmets, gloves, shoes and thermal suits is recommended. With carts on the racing track, roll bars and caged chassis provide protection to the driver, in the event of the car rolling over. However extreme racing go carts your dealing with rough terrain and also go kart races that can be very dangerous as well.

Go carting is considered to be a stepping-stone to the world of high-speed racing. Racing greats like Sarah Fisher, Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Petty, Tony Stewart and Michael Schumacher were all karters before they ventured into Indy or Nascar. Talent scouts often pick up the best talents from the go cart tracks and hone them into professionals. In fact, if you’re good enough to reach the top classes (and mind you, there are many classes), you should seriously consider professional kart racing.

There are many places to find racing go karts for sale depending on what kind of driving level you are going to be classified in. Some are built bigger and faster than others. However, if you’re just in it for the fun, forget the competition. Remember what it was like to be kids, and just have fun!

Is Handcuffing Running Backs Dead in Fantasy Football

Posted by Rachael Thomas in Leisure | Comments Off

Fantasy Football is just a few weeks away from being full force in the hearts and minds of fantasy owners. If you are as serious as I am it’s already been on your mind for awhile now. Fantasy sports and football especially has grown leaps in bounds over the past decade. It’s estimated that over 25 million Americans play fantasy football right now and that # is continually growing with each passing year. Factor in that the people that play often manage multiple teams and you have at least 50-60 million fantasy teams being run each year, if not more. It has become a serious business and the people that play absolutely love it.

Now over the past decade or so a lot has changed in the fantasy landscape. When I first entered the game in 2003 the scene in the NFL was different than it is today. There were still a lot of holdovers from the previous decades in the NFL that affected how fantasy football was played. One of the primary holdovers was the fact that almost half the  teams had a primary running back that carried the ball 300+ times. This was considered your workhorse back. In fantasy circles it was a must to get one if not 2 of these backs in the first 2 rounds if you wanted to win your league’s fantasy football trophy.  In later rounds you almost always drafted your main running backs backup in case your back went down. This was to ensure that you covered at least some of the massive production you lost with a primary back going down. Today that’s not so much the case. Let me give you an example. In 2003 there were 16 running backs with at least 275 carries. 13 of those running backs had 300+ carries, and 4 of those had over 350 carries with Ricky Williams leading the way at 392 carries. In 2010 there were only 10 running backs with 275 carries. Of those ten, 7 had over 300 carries, and none had over 335 carries with Michael Turner leading the way at 334. In 2009 it was even less. Only 7 running backs had 275 carries or more. Of those 7 backs, 6 had 300+ carries with 1 over 335 carries, Chris Johnson at 358.

What has happened in the past 7 years. Well with the league shifting towards a pass oriented league it has caused teams to shift their focus to having a more versatile set of weapons in their backfield. A running back back is no longer just required to run the ball and block. A running back now must need to be able to catch the ball and run routes. The NFL has turned to having either elite multi-talented backs or having multiple backs that have different skills. Since elite backs like Ladanian Tomlinson are hard to come by, you see teams playing 2 or 3 different backs in every game. This means most teams will give 1 back 10-15 carries, another back 10-15 carries, and maybe even another back 5-7 carries. You will still have a back here and there that gets 20 carries a game but they are much fewer and far between.

So what does this mean for fantasy football owners? Should owners still draft two running backs in the first round? Should owners draft the backup of their primary running back? What most owners do now and what I suggest you do when it comes to drafting is this. When the fantasy football draft board software is up and it’s time to draft, I suggest drafting based on the value available in your draft. You don’t necessarily need to draft 2 running backs in the first 2 rounds unless you perceive the value as being high for where you are drafting and the running back that is available. I suggest at least drafting one running back in the first 2 rounds but it is not necessarily a necessity. With the NFL being pass friendlier, wide receivers are becoming quite important in fantasy. They are often hard to gauge after the top tier, so owners now take considerably more wide receivers in the first 2 rounds. In fact I’ve seen owners (myself included) take 2 wide receivers with their first 2 picks. This would’ve been fantasy suicide in 2003 but you can get along just fine today using this strategy.

As far as drafting the backup to your running back here is what I suggest. If you have a back that will get 300+ carries I would probably try and grab his backup. I would not waste a good pick doing so though. I would use a late round pick on him, and that’s it. I would actually try and load up on other backs that will get 150-250 carries in case your back goes down. Chances are they will produce similar to the backup you grabbed or you can always package them with another player or two and try to trade. In today’s fantasy world it is more beneficial to have as much talent on your roster as possible,  rather than a backup that is just taking up space.

Those are my recommendations when it comes to handcuffing running backs. It is no longer much of a requirement and in the long run may actually even be detrimental to your fantasy success.

Facts you don’t know about your favorite ballpark

Posted by Rachael Thomas in Leisure | Comments Off

Even those who are not true baseball fans can still be caught up in the mania every time baseball season comes around. Once you choose to join the fans in their excitement over the sport, you can no longer turn back. While the games are exhilarating, you’ll also find the traditions and quirks of the game very engaging. For example, are you aware that the ground rules in Major League Baseball vary based on the ballpark where a game is being played? Thanks to distinct features and dimensions, even the best ballparks in baseball have their singular qualities.

Nonetheless, it’s because of these ballpark peculiarities that watching a game live at the venue is extra fun. The following are some of baseball’s most interesting venues:

• The old Milwaukee Country Stadium preceded Miller Park. In the old venue, Bernie, the Brewers’ mascot, would slide down into a giant mug after every home run. At Miller Park, Bernie slides down onto a platform, which in recent years has been converted into the Kalahari Splash Zone. Fans in the vicinity get sprayed with water the second Bernie reaches the bottom of the slide.
• Tropicana Field, also known as “The Trop”, has a dome supported by those infamous catwalks, which often cause an obstruction. Rules have to be applied to consider how they affect the game.
• The Metrodome was known for its white, Teflon roof. Baseball’s were easily lost during routine pop-fly’s causing baseball games to be lost by both the Twins and away teams.
• Shea Stadium had an apple that popped up after every homerun. When the NY Mets moved to Citi Field, they had to say goodbye to the old apple and replace it with a new version. Met fans miss the Shea Stadium apple, but the tradition is being upheld: a homerun still makes an apple pop up.

We haven’t even included the swimming pool at Chase Field, the hillock at Minute Maid Park, the infamous Pesky’s Pole at Fenway Park, or McCovey Cove at AT&T. What is clear though is that baseball has many points of interest to offer besides the game itself.

Toys for Me and My Child

Posted by Marty in Leisure | Comments Off

When I was a child I never had that much chance to get all the toys that I wanted. My father did not earn that much and my mother is only a housewife so there were  few chances for us to get enough money in order to buy all the toys that I wanted. I had to content myself with playing with hand me down toys from my cousins and relatives.

I know that there was a lot of stuff that I missed out when I was young because of that. When the kids in my school would talk with each other about all the great toys that their parents are buying of them, I could not join them and I would always feel left out.

Now that I am all grown up i still feel that I have missed out on an important portion of my life. I still feel a  need to get all of those toys that I have missed out on. That is why I started collecting  classic toys. These toys are vintage playthings that  will surely bring in a flood of memories for guys like me who wants to get nostalgia and fulfillment. I do not know whether it’s true or if its just a feeling for me but I believe that toys from the past are more fun to play with than the ones that they are coming out with today.

Toys today are just all razzle and dazzle and they lack the fun quality from the old days, which I think is a pretty important in any plaything. That’s why while I have started collecting classic toys for myself I have also bought some old toys for my son, so that he could experience what it’s like to play with old school stuff.

I have also made sure that my son is exposed to a lot of educational toys even when he was too young to walk. Studies have shown that the development of a child is at its most crucial stage at that time. Parents have to make sure that they have the right exposure  at that age. I am not taking any chances when it comes to the proper raising of my kid. So I actually go for two types of toys. Classic toys for myself and educational toys for my child. One is purely for fun and one is for my child’s development.