Chain pins take the lead in cart racing

>Carts are small vehicles powered by a small internal combustion engine. They are raced on specially built cart race tracks. Thanks to their modest size and light weight they are fast and very agile. Through their low centre of gravity - only a few centimetres above the road surface - the carts achieve a high road speed around curves, placing high physical strain on the driver.

>The cart's engine is positioned in front of the rear axle and behind the driver, usually slightly offset to one side. Originally carts used mostly one-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engines, which is also the requirement for most race series. Especially in amateur racing four-stroke and Wankel engines as well as electric motors are increasingly common. The engine's power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a chain. The transmission ratio can be adapted to racing conditions and track by exchanging the chain sprockets on wheel axle and engine. High-performance carts have three- to six-speed sequential gearboxes.

>The high forces that occur in cart racing call for special drive chains. Heller Antriebs Technik (HAT) in the German city of Eisenach has responded to this call with its specialised performance cart chains. In the course of a cart race, with speeds of up to 120mph and tight curves taken at high speed the drive chains are subjected to extreme stresses, presenting a constant risk of chain failure. To improve the chains' resilience HAT uses only chain pins from Iwis in its high-performance chain series Panther Kart Chain Classic.

>Made from high-quality materials in combination with special heat-treatment, coating and finishing processes, these pins are exceptionally strong and durable. With their high surface hardness, low roughness and tight tolerances they are low-wear and have excellent friction characteristics. The chains' geometric design further reduces friction losses. The bushings, for example, protrude beyond the outer faces of the inner elements to prevent friction contact between the inner and outer plates.

>"The Panther Kart Chain Classic performance chain is unique in its class and sets new standards in wear resistance and fatigue strength even under extreme loads," explains Ludwig Heller, engineer and founder of HAT. "In motorsport circles the Panther Kart Chain is regarded best-in-class and valued for its reliability and long service life."