Fully in agreement with the others.
Obviously, we do NOT know you and only have your brief message on which to base our views: thus, we ARE only guessing!
However..... if you lad is going to become 'quick' he WILL 'get it' in his own time.... I watched the very INSTANT that my lad made that rather sudden leap between having fun tootling around and making the kart FLY. For James, it was a change in 'focus': for a long time, he had been concentrating on the corner that he was ABOUT to enter..... the 'leap' was when he reaslised that.... by the time you GET to that corner... you are COMMITTED to a VERY restricted set of 'positions' and 'actions'..... and you SHOULD be focusing on the NEXT corner by then.
I actually WATCHED James as he made that transition. I had explained it, demonstrated it, shown him the effects with Radio Controlled cars, Scalextrics, Bikes., etc., etc., but he took his time to ASSIMILATE his 'knowledge' into his DRIVING. And his lap times TRANSFORMED within about 5 laps of making that 'change'.
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Like the others, I am VERY scared of 'pushy dads'.... we have far TOO many in karting and they really do DAMAGE to their children, not only on the kart track but for the rest of their lives. Your question SOUNDS like that of an over-pushy dad BUT.... we FULLY understand that you may NOT be...... just make sure you ARE NOT!
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Having said that, I CAN see a way of helping you and your lad move to being comfortable with overtaking.... what he seems to be lacking is MOTIVATION! If he was driving alongside FRIENDS, then... if he has any competitive streak, the wish to overtake will develop when his contemporaries overtake HIM! It's possible he is NOT the sort of person who will EVER develop that 'streak' but.... if he is ever to do develop it.... make sure he IS driving with friends! Make friends with OTHER families like yourselves at the track and/or TAKE other friends with karts to the same track. If anything is going to 'light the flame' than THAT 'spark' will do it!
Having said all that..... 7 is EXTREMELY young to be 'pushed' into competitiveness! Being brutal, stop WORRYING ..... yet! If you want him to be a racer... LET him enjoy it for whatever reasons he enjoys it. It'll develop from the FUN of racing.... not from PRESSURE! It's all to easy to RUIN his enjoyment and thus his future in ANYthing by being over-pushy!
Also be aware that David Couthard ALSO didn't 'get' the 'concept' for a LONG while... he did alright in the end, though!
Ian
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overtaking by 'rs2000' (31 May 2010 @ 19:55)
