Kart track logbook: what to write down every session (free PDF)
In short The track logbook is the technical diary of your kart: for every day you write down track conditions, starting set-up, what you changed in every session with lap time and feel, and the engine hours. After a few outings it becomes the fastest way to find the right set-up on a track and to know when to change the spark plug, the air filter, the silencer wadding or to rebuild the engine. Below you will find the TKS RaceLab track logbook in PDF, free, ready to print.
Why keep a track logbook
Every driver remembers their fastest lap. Few remember which gear ratio, which pressures and which track temperature they did it with. Two weeks later, when you go back to the same track, you start from zero.
That is what the track logbook is for: not starting from zero. You write down what you fitted, what you changed and what happened. After a few days you have a base set-up for every track and every condition, and you know which change really works.
Teams have always done it with a test sheet: date, track, driver, mechanic, chassis and engine number, weather, gear ratio, jet, spark plug, tyres and pressures, then session by session goal, best lap, engine revs and temperature. Our logbook starts from there.
The four things to write down every day
1. The conditions
Track, date, air and track temperature, weather. If you can, also the air pressure or the altitude: they affect carburation more than you might think.
2. The starting set-up
Sprocket and rear sprocket ratio, main jet, needle and position, spark plug, tyre type and set number, cold pressures, axle, track widths, camber and toe, radiator blind, ballast and weight of the kart with the driver.
3. The sessions
For every session: what you wanted to try, the change you made, the best lap, the maximum and minimum engine revs, the water temperature, the hot pressures and the driver's feel. And at the end, what to try in the next session.
4. The engine
The running hours at the start and end of the day and the parts replaced, with part number and quantity. This is the part that tells you when maintenance is due.
A golden rule: one change per session. If you change pressures and track width together and the lap time drops, you do not know which of the two worked.
Engine hours and maintenance intervals
The Rotax maintenance schedule for the 125 MAX evo has intervals in hours, and the logbook is what tells you when you reach them:
Air filter: cleaning and oiling every 10 hours.
Silencer wadding: replacement every 10 hours.
Exhaust valve: cleaning every 10 hours, on Senior and DD2.
Spark plug: replacement every 25 hours, check before every outing.
Engine rebuild: every 50 hours, at a Rotax service centre.
On the DD2 you also check the gearbox oil level every 2 hours and change it every 5 hours.
In the logbook, in the maintenance box, write down how many hours are left to each one. That way you change the spark plug or the wadding at home and not at the track.
The TKS RaceLab track logbook to download
We have prepared a track logbook in PDF, one landscape A4 page for every day. It has all the boxes above: conditions, set-up, six sessions, parts replaced and engine hours with the maintenance intervals.
Print it, keep it in a folder in your kart toolbox and fill it in right after every session, while the feel is still fresh. Two minutes are enough.
Track logbook and telemetry
The logbook does not replace telemetry, it completes it. Telemetry gives you lap times, engine revs, temperatures and lines; the logbook tells you which set-up you got them with and what you felt at the wheel.
With an Alfano 7 2T you read engine revs, water temperature and lap times: copy them into the logbook session by session and within a few days you see which change really brought the tenths.
Our advice
Keep one logbook for every kart and one for every engine. Always write down the engine number: if you use two, the hours and the intervals are different. And at the end of the season read it again: it is the best starting point for the next year.
If you want to try a racing kart with a technician who helps you read data and feel, with Arrive & Drive Pro you find the kart ready on track.
Frequently asked questions about the track logbook
What do you write in a kart track logbook?
Track conditions, starting set-up, for every session the change made with lap time, engine revs, temperature and feel, and finally the engine hours and the parts replaced.
Why make only one change per session?
Because if you change two things together and the lap time improves you do not know which of the two worked. One change per session gives you a clear answer.
How often is the Rotax spark plug changed?
In the 125 MAX evo maintenance schedule the spark plug is changed every 25 running hours and checked before every outing.
How often should the Rotax engine be rebuilt?
The full engine rebuild at a Rotax service centre is due every 50 running hours.
Is the TKS track logbook free?
Yes. It is a PDF to download and print for free, one A4 page for every track day.
Do I need it if I have telemetry?
Yes. Telemetry records the data, the logbook records the set-up and the feel: together they tell you which change worked.
Sources: BRP-Rotax, Repair Manual 125 MAX evo and 125 MAX DD2 evo, edition 1 April 2024, maintenance schedule; Rotax test report template.
Questions about this topic?
Message us on WhatsApp: we answer personally, with the experience of people who live at the track. And if you want to drive a real racing kart, with Arrive & Drive you get into one of ours, ready on track. The right spare part? You will find it in the shop.
Arrive & Drive Pro by TKS RaceLab: 2026 karts with Rotax Senior MAX and DD2 engines, Alfano 7 telemetry and trackside technical support at Lonato, Franciacorta, Cremona and Ala. Message us on WhatsApp for information and availability.
TKS RaceLab | Performance Engineering Karting | tksracelab.com
Read also: Kart telemetry: how to read the data → · Basic kart set-up → · Karting tyre pressure → · Rotax engine maintenance → · Rotax crankshaft →
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Author: Sergio, TKS RaceLab | Published: 22 October 2026
TKS RaceLab is the Italian online store dedicated to karting: spare parts, accessories and everything you need to get on track. With Arrive & Drive you arrive at South Garda Karting (Lonato), Franciacorta, Cremona or Ala and find your kart ready to go. No hassle, just driving.
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