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| EKN Editorial: Rob Howden’s ‘The Bottom Line’ |
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Over the past two months, karting has enjoyed the running of some of its absolute best events in the community. These showcase events highlighted some of great things that are happening in the sport right now: street racing, spec classes and high-profile endurance showdowns. This run was kicked off on the Labor Day weekend with the 14th annual Rock Island Grand Prix, and was followed two weeks later by the Rotax Max Grand Nationals in Shawano, Wisconsin. Capping this trio of major events was the Mazda RoboPong 200 at the New Castle Motorsports Park, which is fast developing into one of the most prestigious races on the national calendar. While they all produced thrilling races once again, all three did indeed suffer a decrease in entries from the previous year. As I’m sure we can all agree, this has nothing to do with the quality of the events themselves, but instead with the poor economy and ludicrously high fuel prices, which are both affecting our grassroots sport in a most negative way.
In looking at these events, as well as the assorted ‘national’ series, it is quite clear that there is a definite issue with the sport right now. Money is tight and people are just not spending the cash that they do have on racing. In my conversations with many of the kart importers and race shops, business is way down and they’re all trying to figure out what they need to do to improve for ’09, if not simply to keep the doors open. Used kart sales are up as people look to cut their racing budgets, although we are hearing from clubs that the numbers are pretty good as many drivers who would normally travel quite a bit are looking to remain closer to home in an effort to trim the costs.
I must personally carry some of the blame, as our editorial focus here at eKartingNews.com has always included a hefty dose of Stars of Karting, WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series and Superkarts! USA competition. These are national-centric programs and may often keep us from giving due coverage to the clubs, where karting draws its strength. The local club programs are certainly the foundation of our great sport. Our lack of coverage on EKN focused on the grassroots levels of the sport is not likely providing the exposure needed for that arena, and to remedy this, we plan to do more to let people know that incredible wheel-to-wheel racing is happening all over the country…and in their backyard, not just at the events that would be considered the upper echelons of the sport.
To set-up the overall focus of this debut web edition of ‘The Bottom Line’, I want to layout the simple fact that there is little doubt that the sport of karting is broken and that it needs help. The cost of racing at the national level is so far out of wack that it’s incomprehensible, from travel all the way to the equipment costs. But that’s not really the focus here. Racing is expensive and if you want to run nationally, it’s going to cost money. The price of fuel has made this even more so. The Stars of Karting organization, for example, has its own challenges, but they are dealing with a different demographic than the local clubs. It costs more money to run a Stars weekend than I spent during my first two years of karting, so we’re talking about a different animal. The issue I have is with the cost of racing for the club guy.
So what is the solution? Do we need to change the classes? Should we mandate a claimer rule? Simply put, to repair karting in general, I think we need to make karting more accessible to those who cannot afford a $4000 TaG or Rotax package. I love the Rotax program and its spec approach, but the motor is still over $3000 for the package. It’s a great deal if you can afford it thanks to its longevity and affordable maintenance costs, but if you cannot, what is your option? HPV is pretty cost-effective, but the tuning of a two-cycle engine and clutch can be very intimidating. Those of you in the sport may scoff at that statement, but to outsiders, it’s all a little daunting. Indoor karting is becoming more and more popular because it’s about the racing, not being able to tune a carburetor or properly set a clutch. It needs to be easy, folks. Otherwise, the would-be karters will be off on the ATVs, pushing the button and having some outdoor fun.
I think that the bottom line is that we need to develop and actively promote an extremely affordable class of karting that can enjoy the benefits of a $3000 turn-key package, which in turn will provide the chance for a $1500 used kart. When I was first looking to get racing myself, I was a part-time waiter and five-cents-a-word karting journalist for Performance Racing News in Ontario. If my only option to get into the sport was through a $5000 TaG package, I wouldn’t be here. Thankfully, Ontario karting is blessed to have the Honda overhead-valve four-cycle powerplant as its foundation, a motor that was only $600 in full race-prepped condition when I started in 1995. That motor is still only $1000 right now and the only mistake that the leaders of the sport in Ontario made way back when was to allow disc clutches. Just 10 years ago, the $125 Dragonskin clutch was the hot ticket. Most guys ran the basic Noram shoe clutch. It kept things cheap and uncomplicated. And that’s what made the equation so good for the sport. Back then, I worked two straight weeks, both the lunch and dinner shifts at the restaurant that employed me, just enough to buy my first used kart, a $1700 race-ready MXK with a 5.5 hp Honda GX160. If TaG or Rotax was my only option, I wouldn’t be in the sport and that would suck. So my question is, how many other potential karting lifers are we locking out now that we don’t have an truly affordable entry level class that is promoted all over the continent.
Earlier, I asked about the solution. I’m not going to lay down my concept for the complete package, because that’s not my job, but I’ll offer up some basic ideas.
1. The $3000 turn-key mark is the key number, I think.
2. We need a motor that’s cheap to buy, easy to maintain and lasts forever. The Honda is a great package that runs forever, and the Briggs & Stratton crew has a similar powerplant that could fit the bill. I think the F200 program that is supported by aftermarket companies has the ability to be worked into the program as well.
3. This concept must be focused on affordability, so it needs a cheap centrifugal clutch.
4. A basic kart, one that looks good, needs to be developed and the tires need to be hard enough to last 3-4 weekends.
The great thing about an entry-level program like this is the fact that it will get people into the sport. Once they’ve made the initial investment, they’ll have some equity with which to look further up the ladder. But the key is to get them in and not to empty their wallets during the first couple of years. This program will allow them to make the leap of faith by purchasing a kart and the running costs will be to overwhelming enough to keep them away from the track.
We all hear the statistic that a new karter normally stays in the sport for 3-4 years and then gets out. Maybe some of the reason behind this staggeringly short turnover is that we are allowing them advance their way up the performance ladder to quickly. I remember my first years, starting out at the Waterloo Regional Kart Club to learn the ins-and-outs, hoping to earn the chance to qualify for my regional license so that I could try my hand at our traveling provincial series. These days, we’ll let anyone off the street run a national race if they show up a pay the entry fee. An exhaustive rant about the ridiculous absence of a true licensing program is fuel for another edition of ‘The Bottom Line’, but suffice it to say that if we want someone to remain in our sport for five years, it only makes sense for it to take five years to get to the premier classes in the biggest races.
In my experience, I thoroughly enjoyed my first year of club racing and I learned a ton. It was easy on the budget and after three years in the Sr. Heavy Honda class, eventually moving full-time to the regional series and special events in my third season, I wasn’t going anywhere, because I was looking for the new challenge of Yamaha racing. The carrot was still there. Fast-forward to the next dream, running a shifter, and there I was, starting my fifth and sixth years of the sport, just getting to the fastest class of sprint racing. I had built some equity in my racing program and there were still challenges to keep me looking for more.
And all this because I was able to afford a $1700 used kart and about $100 per race in running costs. I think it’s time to make karting affordable again so that we can refill the pipelines full of enthusiasts like me.
Race safe. RH - EKN
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