I did just the opposite. I sold my shifter and bought the NSX for track. I broke my leg bad racing motocross and thought shifter kart racing would be just as fun. I really got into it, Paul Leary motor, DRACK, 50mm axle, the whole 9 yards. At first it was a blast just driving the thing (So Cal tracks). But then you start racing and things change. Karts don't resond to conventional race vehicle dynamic theories due to their nature(solid axle, frame flex, etc). It quickly became apparent that the slightest little chassis adjustment could mean the difference between winning and last place. And I'm not talking about the many "typical" adjustmants like tires, track, caster, camber, torsion bar(s)and corner weights that are all well documented but which still have differing "expert" opinions on what they do, when they do it, and particulary WHY they do what they do. That's frustrating enough. What I'm talking about could be as simple as loosening up the seat bolts, adding or taking off a seat strut, changing the stiffness of the rear axle, moving the axle up or down on it's frame mounts, moving or reclining the seat a half inch, loosening or tightening the rear bumper, etc, etc. You can chase your tail forever. Now, my background is automotive engineering and I thought I understood the physics behind all these tweeks, but the output never matched my predictions. In fact, many did just the opposite! There's just something strange about karts and how they handle that goes against all logic. It's an art, not a science. And as such, the people who have painfully either figured it out by luck or trial and error DON'T want to share their knowledge. Very frustrating. I guess I don't blame them. This, and the fact that most of the time you're racing against teenagers with no fear and visions of becoming the next Indy car or F1 champ just created a negative environment.
With my NSX I can make a specific chassis adjustment and it responds accordingly. I'm not constantly chasing my tail and I can concentrate on my driving. I'm driving with mature adults (for the most part) who use good judgement since they need their cars to get home after the event. Most of us just want to have fun which makes for a much more relaxing atmosphere. When I feel like banging bars, I'll race my MXer, It's a lot cheaper (unless you count the medical bills). Good luck on your karting experience, hope it will be better than mine. Mark