Speed Secrets Podcast · Ross Bentley: Performance & Race Driver Coach

Davin Sturdivant: Karting and Sim Racing

·51 min·5 clips

Davin Sturtevant returns to discuss how karting and sim racing transform grassroots motorsport learning.

This Speed Secrets Podcast episode features host Ross Bentley interviewing returning guest Davin Sturdivant, a competitive go-kart racer and co-founder of the Kart Pulse community. The conversation explores the connections between karting, car racing, and modern sim racing as tools for driver development. Sturdivant details his decade in competition karting and the founding of Kart Pulse about five years ago with his partner, James McMahon. The initial goal was to create a social media-style platform to help newcomers navigate the overwhelming world of karting. The project eventually streamlined into a focused online forum to centralize the sport's tribal knowledge transfer. Sturdivant explains that karting serves as a vital training ground for car racers, offering a high-feedback, cost-effective way to hone core skills. He discusses how sim racing has evolved into a legitimate supplementary training tool, bridging virtual practice and real-world application. A key insight is that fundamental driving techniques like weight transfer and car control are universal across karts, simulators, and full-size cars. Sturdivant emphasizes that consistent, deliberate practice in any format is more valuable than sporadic seat time in expensive equipment. He argues that the accessibility of sim racing allows drivers to experiment with car setups and driving lines without financial risk. The episode suggests that the future of driver development lies in strategically blending all three disciplines: karting, sim racing, and car racing. The tone is conversational and educational, with the host guiding the guest to share practical advice from his direct experience. Listeners interested in grassroots motorsports, driver coaching, or using simulations for real-world skill transfer will find this episode highly relevant. Those seeking high-drama race narratives or technical debates about professional racing series might find the discussion too foundational.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Speed Secrets Podcast