An idea to make kart racing more inviting and accessible

John Matthews · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:04 pm Post subject:

Yes, access is key.

If you're in a major metro area where you can operate year round it's totally different from being in a rural area where you can only operate 6 or 8 months of the year. Also relative affluence makes a difference too.

Case in point:

Phoenix has PKRA, a club operated track that's only open some evenings and weekends (at least when I was there). They have Bondurant providing training and rentals (kind of), and abundant club politics. Although it's a decent track it's pretty old and bumpy.

Tucson has Mussleman Honda (P1) Circuit, a nearly new track that's wide and smooth, rentals available from 8hp indoor style karts through shifters. It's open all the time with owner practice switching off with rentals. Phoenix is a bigger metro area but Tucson isn't tiny by any stretch.

You would think Tucson should be much more popular than Phoenix with all that going for it yet Phoenix has a thriving race program while Tucson struggles to get any kind of regular race program going.

I can't say I know why this is but Phoenix has several established kart shops while I don't think there are any in Tucson except the track. This is critical IMHO since you can't get many parts for your kart at the local hardware store and buying stuff online doesn't help on Saturday morning. Local shops give potential karters confidence that they will be able to enjoy their hobby and be supported by folks who know what a race kart is.

Also, I think the club is critical for the success of Phoenix in the long term. As much a pain as club politics are it gives the karters a voice in the organization. If you don't like how things are going then get involved and change them. At privately owned tracks you have what the owner says goes and that's that.

I really don't know what to say about people that don't want to race W2W, for me that is racing. Autox is cool but very few drivers can push themselves as hard running against the clock as when they're trying to chase down the guy in front of them. I can't tell you how many drivers I've seen suddenly "get it" when they take their first green flag. If you haven't tried it just sign up for the next club race and start in the back, you can always pull off when the leaders come up to lap you.....

I think you can pretty easily equate racing with a genetic disease, it's often passed down from father to son and once you're diagnosed you're pretty much stuck with it. Consider your local club like a support group where everyone goes to find relief. Laughing

Cheers,
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Dan Haynes · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:36 pm Post subject:

Years ago (around 2003) I went to NASCAR Speedpark in Pigeon Forge, TN. They had a track with faster karts and timing. There were about 7 or 8 on track at a time. There were about 4 or 5 sessions a day, set at designated times, that the winner of that session was invited back at the end of the day to all race together for a prize (don't remember what the prize was).

Different scenario but similar.
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Brian Degulis · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:36 pm Post subject:

We have a fairly new track around 80 miles south. A nice track but it's only open 2 Saturdays a month for practice and one Sunday for racing. Wether you want to race or not how does a newcomer get enough seat time to be competitve? It seems to me that after you've built the track and your paying the taxs utilities etc. What would it take to open it say 4 days a week for practice/testing? 60 miles north we have a major supply house with an internet presence plus dealer and shop operating out of maybe a 20,000 square foot building. Combine that with a track. It's already manned 5 days a week. It's already cheap enough to get into at the lower levels but it needs to be more acessable.

Brian

Cory Ross · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:20 pm Post subject:

Adam Castelucci · Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 12

I think it's a good idea. Basically what we're talking about is a "leader board" at the local pinball arcade. There are a ton of variables that will make a guy fast one day and slow the next, we all know that. However, if a guy gets out of bed and its a good track day then he might just say "Crap, Bob's only a couple tenths behind me this month. I'm going to go make a few laps and see how much I can pickup while the track is good today."
We're not talking about replacing head to head racing but rather a good way to bring people into the sport who might otherwise never get past wanting to do it. Everybody on here talks about how to get new Karters into the sport then we're a bunch of Negative Nancy's when a guy has a legitimate suggestion. There's no replacement for head to head racing but I think this is a great start for a guy to tap into his competitive nature and start to measure himself against other folks.

Paul Makarucha · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:26 am Post subject:

Indoor karting already has all this and more, but they struggle to keep their doors open. Even by me v17 just closed its doors.

I kart for the wheel to wheel element of it. Take that away and I've completely lost interest. Pretty sure majority of karters feel the same way. If you are a newcomer to the sport, that is what practice days are for.

If I want to just do laps I'll take my car to a HPDE day and skool a bunch of old folk in vettes Smile

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Cory Ross · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:43 am Post subject:

Cory Ross · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:49 am Post subject:

Adam Castelucci · Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 12

Our track is open and staffed 7 days a week. It's their livelihood. They'll even come out and open the track for a couple of idiots on a rainy day in November who want to practice their rain setup before Daytona Very Happy

. I think this would work for tracks like ours who just want to add something to their bottom line and who are looking for a way to grow their club.

John Matthews · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:19 am Post subject:

Greg Wright · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:36 am Post subject:

I have two words that put a hole in this idea. Tech and rules.

I could easily take a hotted up engine (pick your poison, shifter, TAG, KT100, Clone etc) and run it @ 50 pounds light on soft tires and set times that would blow everybody out.

Just won't work.

John, Track day warriors are very important to the health of the karting industy, without them the tracks and shops will suffer. Oh and yes I'm a wheel to wheel sort myself.
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John Matthews · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:19 pm Post subject:

I'm not against track day drivers. I just don't think they should be allowed to race without rules while others are trying to practice. You've all seen it, the guys who end up wrecking during practice because they aren't patient enough to wait for a good passing spot.
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Cory Ross · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:55 pm Post subject:

The track day warrior is one of the guys this idea could help draw in and control and start including in racing. I have seen it hear multiple times and heard about it elsewhere the older guy that has a DD2 comes to the track a few times a month and enjoys a practice day. Seems like the DD2 falls under this category a lot. I have not heard any ideas of how to maybe draw in and included these guys that have already have a kart yet have no interest in racing in the current system.

Worried about people racing while other practice? For kart owners limit when they can make runs. Maybe kart owners are only allowed to make a run at the top and bottom of the hour. People at the track to practice would know lets take a ten minute break while these guys go run some hot laps. This is something a track could determine on their own. Remember the driver has to arrange with the track when the timing system is setup for these runs. It would not just be a free for all while the track is open.

Tech and rules is an honor system as well, if a group wants a strict rule set it is up to themselves to police it for the track. The track maybe has to hand out transponders. Maybe this has to be done with the kart being present so the track worker can at least get a quick look at a kart. This idea is also more focused on the renter and new karters where advantages do to equipment will not play as big a role. This is something each track can work on for itself to find a system that works best. Place your focus on promoting(prizes, recognition) the classes that are more easily controlled.

Thomas Weiss · Joined: 21 Jun 2012 Posts: 11

Make it cheap and simple and they will come.