Camden Ohio - G+J Raceway Banking 1971

[Romero Llamas]

Found this photo of the Banking at Camden / G&J Raceway in Ohio in 1971. The Banking is no longer there. VKA Event is at Camden this year Aug 24th 25th and 26th.

   

[Scott Elkes]

I asked Lynn Haddock which Monza track had the most banking and size. 

His reply:
1. 1st! Most extreme - G&J Kartway, Camden, Ohio
2. 2nd - Dart Kart Speedway, Mansfield, Ohio
3. 3rd - least extreme - Adkins Raceway Park, Port Washington, Ohio

I've raced on Dart Kart Speedway in 1965 and was out of racing I believe when Camden built their Monza turn. (added 3-25-2017, G&J constructed Monza in 1968).

[Sterling Brundick]

I asked Lynn Haddock which Monza track had the most banking and size. 

His reply:
1. G&J Kartway, Camden, Ohio
2. Dart Kart Speedway, Mansfield, Ohio
3. Adkins Raceway Park, Port Washington, Ohio

I've raced on Dart Kart Speedway in 1965 and was out of racing I believe when Camden built their Monza turn.

Why are there so few if any banked "Monza" type turns in kart tracks?  Are they just too difficult to drive in a kart?

[Terry Sullivan]

I've had the pleasure of driving this track in both configurations.
I am from Hamilton Ohio, about 20 minutes away from Camden.
A friend of mine, 'Sir Charles' (only residents of Hamilton would know him), let me drive his mini-cooper there in 1972.
As I recall, the front wheel drive and attendant linkage made it hard to catch a gear and I didn't do very well, but it was fun.

[Tom Day]

Found this photo of the Banking at Camden / G&J Raceway in Ohio in 1971. The Banking is no longer there. VKA Event is at Camden this year Aug 24th 25th and 26th.

I was there for the 71 nationals. Saw 1 guy go over the top of that monza.

[Gary Wlodarsky]

I never ran the Camden Monza, but did have the pleasure of both Dart Kart Speedway and Adkins(at the time its was Port Washington),,,,,even got to do a flying 360 off Dart Kart......

gw

[Scott Elkes]

I asked Lynn Haddock which Monza track had the most banking and size. 

His reply:
1. G&J Kartway, Camden, Ohio
2. Dart Kart Speedway, Mansfield, Ohio
3. Adkins Raceway Park, Port Washington, Ohio

I've raced on Dart Kart Speedway in 1965 and was out of racing I believe when Camden built their Monza turn.

Why are there so few if any banked "Monza" type turns in kart tracks?  Are they just too difficult to drive in a kart?

Hi Sterling, Two parts to this answer. 
1 - I raced Dart Kart Speedway in 1965. It was just a lot of fun, can't describe it. It was a dangerous turn. Know of people getting hurt and karts destroyed. Like Gary W. I experienced a shot off the Monza rotating 360s in the air and down the embankment. Stayed right side up--no damage to kart or me but collected a lot of dirt. Dart Kart Speedway shutdown at the end of 1969 I believe. Plant expansions caused the demise of that track. 
2 - Ironic, I asked the same question to Lynn Haddock. Monza turns were very tough on the driver's ribs from the sidewinder karts bucket seat side supports. I think Camden Monza was removed mid/late 1970s.

[steve welte]

Never drove any of those. I did run a track in the early '60's called Dizzyland. Modified large oval with a switchback on one straight. It was fast but if you weren't on a really fast kart you still used just the bottom part. On a dual you could run up the banking part way and shoot down. Dangerous is the real answer. We run modern oval karts on and fast 17* banked oval. If you for some reason run or get run off the end at speed you will be 15 feet in the air for 40 feet. I saw one driver break the top bar off the chain link fence 40' off the track. Not good. Just a note. Many drivers try to save a lost kart. If I'm leaving the track I will spin the kart out (to get rid of almost all speed) and leave backwards but never launched forward.