FWT FORMULA KART RACING EVENT FORMAT CHANGE / GOOD? BAD?

Bill Wright

I recently announced a new racing format for the 2013 FWT Formula Kart Racing event weekends.

It is my opinion this format, which I have personally raced many times in the past, and is used by many motorsports organizations around the world, will help all drivers, beginners to experts, develop their racing skills. And it will add some "Serious Fun!" and excitement to the 2013 FWT Formula Kart Racing events.

To my surprise I have not received one comment about this change? If you have any thoughts about this I encourage you to comment here or email me at info@formulakart.com

See the NEWS STORY HERE .

LIKE FWT and Comment on Facebook HERE .
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Bill Wright
Formula Kart Productions, Inc "SERIOUS FUN!"
Exclusive Promoter / Owner of the Florida Winter Tour
www.floridawintertour.com
Lo Rider Casual Kart Apparel

Michael R Johnson · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: Race format

Hey Bill,

It is awesome.

As basically every national organization in the world starts based on qualifying time, overtaking is very limited. Get a good start and unless you bolted on a new motor or found that your brake was dragging in qualifying you can plan on the guy ahead of you driving off and driving away from the guys behind you (in most cases).

With your new format there is an emphasis on drivers ability to navigate traffick. Should make for entertaining racing and be a lot more fun/inspiring for the guy who qualifies DFL Smile

!

Thanks for spicing it up.

Michael

Ray Mcik · Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 531

Drivers will qualify based on time. They will then start the first of two heat races based on their qualifying times, fastest qualifier on pole. They will then start the second heat race with the starting order inverted, so that the fastest qualifier starts last. The drivers will then start the final based on points scored in the heat races. The winner of the final will be the race-day winner.

Looks very similar to the Pea Pick format , first heat is random draw, then inverted, final start position determined by finishes from heat 1 & 2...

Does teach you to pass and to be passed...
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Ohio Valley Karting Association
WWW.OVKA.COM

Chuck Parker · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject:

NJ sprint series use to do it sort of like that. They did a number pick rather than qualifying. For some reason they quit doing it that way, I suspect some of the faster guys complained. I think it's a lot of fun to start in the back. The cream always rises to the top.

Jason Lee · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:58 pm Post subject:

Great way to tear up good karts.

That was the worse about not qualifying up front, you had to deal with the less experienced racers.
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Like a fat kid playing dodge ball.

Rick Fulks · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject:

Bill,
I like it! There's a difference between a good racer and a good driver. This teaches racing!!!

Rick Fulks

Bill Wright · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:14 am Post subject:

This desire to look at a different format all came about because some very experienced and influential people suggested that "our" drivers are at a disadvantage because they only race formats that put the fastest drivers up front and remove slower drivers as they are about to be lapped. Therefore "our" drivers (good and not-so-good) don't "race" as much, and this causes issues when they do have to deal with racing "through/with" drivers of varying experience levels.

Basically the thought is to prepare the good drivers to get through traffic when they need to, and prepare the not-so-good-drivers to handle the experience/stress of knowing faster drivers are behind them and could be passing.

Personally I think it's good for "our" drivers as "we" prepare more and more of "our" drivers to compete on the world level. However, I don't want it to cost me entries, so I want to see what the thoughts are.

Personally I want to do it. As a businessman I’m not so sure......... Confused

_________________
Bill Wright
Formula Kart Productions, Inc "SERIOUS FUN!"
Exclusive Promoter / Owner of the Florida Winter Tour
www.floridawintertour.com
Lo Rider Casual Kart Apparel

patrick slattery · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:28 am Post subject:

Not a big fan, unless you sell lots of parts. Putting the slowest guy on the pole, is counter productive and leads to many unnecessary crashes on the start with everyone trying to get to the front with the slower karts up front. I will bet you have many more racing incidents with that format.

Bill Wright · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:46 am Post subject:

Joe Palmer · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:16 am Post subject:

Maybe it will teach some the value of being patient? Since the finals grid will be determined by an average finish, maybe more rational decisions will be made in the second heat? Although the SuperNats uses an average to determine the final grid, and some those heat races, oh boy!!! At the very least, more racing is always better.

Bob Phillips · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:20 am Post subject:

Bill, this is my style preference as like you said, it teaches you to drive. The problem will be the dad whose son is fast and doesn't know how to pass, he will be all over your butt. It will totally change the outcome of races because many of our kids are fast out of the blocks but don't know how to drive in traffic or make good passes. It would be interesting to track a season's worth of your racers and their results and then how their results are at other venues and compare the differences. Good luck
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Bob Phillips
Any view expressed here is soley my personal view

Bill Wright · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:24 am Post subject:

I'm pretty sure the drivers meeting during the Formula Kart Racing events will see a few more parents attending!! Laughing

_________________
Bill Wright
Formula Kart Productions, Inc "SERIOUS FUN!"
Exclusive Promoter / Owner of the Florida Winter Tour
www.floridawintertour.com
Lo Rider Casual Kart Apparel

Jim Derrig · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:20 am Post subject:

It depends totally on the quality of the field.

The inverted formula only works well if the fast drivers are smart drivers and the slower ones have enough experience to start clean and allow a "good" pass when the inevitable catches up to them. I've been in several races when a fast driver volunteers to start at the back just to practice passing. I'm fine with that with some drivers, because I know they'll make good decisions. There are others where it is simply inevitable that he'll take himself out and someone else with him, and that he'll NEVER learn to do better because, in the immortal words of A.J. Foyt "he just done run outta brains."

FWT appears to have mostly experienced drivers so it might work. However, if you have one or two drivers who are stoopid fast but not very bright, grief is sure to come and their victims will be boiling mad and looking at serious repair bills. It's really not fair to the victims to use them as pawns in a "teaching" exercise.

Eric Jones · Advertiser Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 56

I think this will be great, Bill. But I am a bit old school and when I was young we really only got to "qualify" at the Nationals.

In my opinion, we are breeding more "drivers" in karting than we are "racers" these days.

The FWT attracts some of the most competitive fields in karting, and I think everyone will be talking about how great the event was when they have a chance to compete like this.

Can't wait to see the format in action.

See you there....

Ray Mcik · Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 531

First off RUBB'IN is Racing

Hi Bill , I wish you luck and hope it work out great for you guy's .
Here is some info for you to look at to see what we do..

At OVKA we run a mix of formats with a 14 race season with a Championship Memorial Race mid season at race 7, which is a 2 day event
1st day is a Qualifying session with a fast time award, then festivities, food & games . 2nd day we run the pre-final and final .

Here are the 3 formats we race at OVKA

Qualifying race , qualify 2-3 laps , sets position for pre-final 8-10 laps
Final 10-12 laps
Qualifying which teaches you how to set your kart up for a 2-3 lap timed session.. which is needed so a driver and pit crew learns to be prepared for track conditions, set up , etc etc ..to get the best times in a couple of laps,
Driver needs this to be ready for the regional and national races

Pea Pick 3 heats , generally 8-8-10 laps maybe 12 if time allows, random draw for position in heat 1 & 2 , then the winner is determined by overall finishes of over all finishes for the day.
Teaches strategy , how to drive in traffic and make good clean passes. Helps them deal with blocking. Yes there are racing incidents that will happen,when it does the good drivers learn quickly what to watch out for and to regain position when something happens.. but in the end , the best drivers will finish at the top. They will drive through the pack, the good ones do cleanly

Pea Pick Winner take all, 3 heats random draw for position in heat 1 & 2 and the winner of the 3rd heat wins for the day... ( see above )

Now that being said, IMO a green or rookie driver should not take the pole position till they know they are ready for it, in my book they should be with in a 1 second or so of the front runners avg lap times... know how to maintain their line and speed when being passed, .. not lifting, or braking etc etc..

One great thing at our club is that so many of the drivers there do take the time to help out the slower driver get better, this is key in helping them become better drivers and get up to speed.
We do have rookie and senior novice class for the brand new karters , great place for them to learn what racing is all about ..

We have mix of Local Club racers and Racers that also race the Regional and National Series , it is a happy medium amongst the membership, but it works pretty well for us... Wink

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Ohio Valley Karting Association
WWW.OVKA.COM