What direction is US karting moving?

mike prokup · Joined: 11 Jan 2009 Posts: 228

Patrick

I know racers at the top who do as you Say. Big budgets with only the newest and freshest stuff. And their equipment and paid tuner engine builder get them good results. You are very right about the new chassis thing. We bought their used karts and they work fine for us.

The club racing near us is about dead and the costs to run regionals is pretty big. Yes the big budget teams have come to be regulars at our family oriented regionals. This prompted Kyle to ask others their opinions because I tried to get him to quit racing karts due to the high costs.

I have Kyle's younger brother racing a UMP modified which costs less to run on a weekend than a regional kart race. I tried to get Kyle to switch to stock cars but he wants to run karts. I wish he would run the stock cars but so far he refuses.

We will still run some kart races and I will help sponsor our regional series because i like the time I spend with my sons. That is the reason I fund my sons racing. (mark coats has also helped reduce costs with a one set tire rule. This will help family race budgets. That is one reason I will help him with his race series.)

So Patrick since we buy the big dollar team used junk....I know you are correct.

John Matthews · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:37 pm Post subject:

Here's one problem with kart racing, it costs more than running stock cars Shocked

That's what we get for following rules designed for folks who will eventually move up to F1....

It doesn't have to be this way, we can change it if we like on the local, regional and national level. Most kart racers run at clubs and they have the ability to set whatever program they want.

Cheers,
_________________
John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC.

mike prokup · Joined: 11 Jan 2009 Posts: 228

Can't fix the world. Everyone has their own reasons they like or dislike karting.

patrick slattery · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:35 pm Post subject:

mike clements · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:17 pm Post subject:

In the southeast and several other smaller parts of the country, you can pick up a 5 to 10 year old rolling chassis for $300 or less. You can get a Clone engine on sale @ Harbor Freight for $99. About 3 years ago, we came out with a line of dirt slicks made specifically for this type of racing. A complete set of 4 racing tires was $89. So there, besides a few nickel and dime parts, you can go racing for $500 and race all season on that package.
Here's the rub. To put it very direct, The racers are STUPID ! They don't want to race on the cheap. They obviously WANT to spend money. They think they have to have a brand new $2500 chassis, with a custom built $1600 clone motor and a $300 set of tires with $200 worth of cutting and chemical prepping done to them.
They apparently want to spend $5000 instead of $500.
The only blame for the expense of the sport is to the people who are willing to keep spending the increasing costs of it.
It CAN be done inexpensive if enough people actually "want" to.
_________________
Began kart racing 1959. Made many friends along the way.

TJ Koyen · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:18 pm Post subject:

mike prokup · Joined: 11 Jan 2009 Posts: 228

Our local club had a large Komet senior class. They are all gone...all of them over the last year. The engine was great because it only needed one rebuild a season to be competitive...but you knew when someone had a fresh engine.

The senior Yamaha never caught on at our club. If it had,we would have went broke keeping it fresh and competitive. This engine costs a lot to race and be competitive.

If the kpv class had not died, our local club races would have survived. I wish I really understood why it ended. I suspect the cost of club racing was getting too expensive for some...see everybody wants to win so new tires and the best stuff work better than old stuff and used tires.

Racing is a lot about money and this cannot be denied. It has ruined even top racing series like NASCAR. Big teams ruined NASCAR and big teams will ruin karting. Teams take away everything that is so appealing to families in karting.

If our local track comes up with a way to get kpv revived we would go back club racing.

The stock car is an affordable way to move on from karting. I cannot afford an Indy light or f3000 car.

Sorry about the arrogant thing. Laughing

mark coats · Joined: 07 Oct 2002 Posts: 500

Hey Mike,
I also like the KPP Class, that is why I am giving it one more year in the Route 66 Sprint Series. The Sporty Class is really growing, some races up to 18 entries, that is why we are keeping the JR/SR Class 13 & up the #2 pipe and at a lighter weight. The # 2 pipe puts the reliability back in the KOMET ENGINE. We allow all 3 KOMET Clutches and the only clutch test is the ramp slip test.
Your comments about the good ole YAMAHA ENGINE being expensive, it is still the best value out there. One of these days and hopefully not that far away, the powers to be will get smart and let you equalize the YAMAHA and it would not add more than $250.00 to the origional cost. Then you would know that the one you get is good.
TAG Racing is the "PREMIER CLASS" and it cost the PREMIER MONEY! In the old days you had to be 18 to run the PREMIER CLASS.
The other problem I see is that sporty & junior parents think they need to run every class that is offered. In some series juniors can run up to 4 classes a weekend and sporty kids can run up to 6 classes a weekend.
That is insane! Run less classes, enjoy your time at the race track with your family & friends and you will see better results.
Another problem with karting is that everyone pushes their own agenda, it is not organized as to when you get into the sport you have to start with this class and this class only. Depending if you are in California, Florida or Chicago is what you buy. If our sport was organized like motorcycles, it would grow.
The Clone (CHONDA - I like that name) is so f***ed up it is not funny. Someone better get ahold of it before it self destructs. I really don't understand the differances in the engines, yellow, red, blue, purple, pink and who knows what is next. To many individual rules to suit individuals needs. Somebody better get ahold of this and get it organized nationally or it will not last. I personally would not depend on CHINA to keep building the product.
Maybe we should look at the Briggs L206 for the entry leval to karting. Briggs & Stratton as a factory does support karting, does the Clone Factory?
This is just my .02 worth. I could go on for hours, but I have to get to work.
See you at the races,
Mark

patrick slattery · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:45 am Post subject:

Ray Tetlow · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:44 am Post subject:

Russell Fox · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 9

Karting is the purest form of Motorsport. It has its peaks and valleys much like any other sport. What keeps people interested in the game of karting is the ability to beat the stop watch or the racer in front of you. Having been part of the karting scene years ago I too saw the decline in a period of 5 years for shifter kart racing at the National level from A&B fields to barely 10 entries. Truly saddening but reality. Skusa does the best they can do for karting and their show is one of the finest at Vegas, but they too have seen a small decline. So basically we are in one of those valleys. Briggs & Rotax bring spec racing to a level where it is cost effective and offer bigger prizes for the competitor. They have committed to karting and without them the valley would be even deeper. There is no magic fix to the decline other than encouraging people to get into karting at the club level and offer an inexpensive product for those people wishing to go racing. Arrive and Drive programs work at bringing racers to a track and some of them will eventually buy their own equipment. The competition for the entertainment dollar (assuming karting is entertainment) is at its highest level and there is so much to choose from for that person on spending their entertainment dollar from internet games to casinos.
Lets stay positive about karting as it is still the purest form of motorsport, just ask any professional racer today.

Roger Ruthhart · Joined: 24 Jul 2001 Posts: 1298

I've been involved in the sport since the early 1990s and have seen plenty of peaks and valleys. But I agree with Mr. Fox's assessment.

This sports (and others) always revolve around money. Sometimes people have a lot and sometimes, like now, not so much. When that happens, people can't afford to race -- or can't race as often. Classes like Clones and B&S 206 flourish and TAGs and shifters struggle... but we also know they will come back. Turnout is a fight for regional and national events. That shold not be the yardstick by which we measure the success of the sport.

Through it all, we should all be working to encourage people to race at their local club ... even if it's once a month instead of every weekend. Race whatever class they can afford. While national events and drivers draw all the coverage, the MOST IMPORTANT THING to the sport is the success of the local clubs. From them the regional and national racers will come... and from that a couple of InydCar or NASCAR racers.

Local tracks are where the most karts, motors and tires will be sold. And once we get them out to the track, let's all PLEEEEEEZE do whatever we can to make sure they figure the sport out and stay.

Kyle Prokup · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:39 pm Post subject:

Greg Wright · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 2:11 pm Post subject:

Brian Degulis · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:43 pm Post subject:

Kid karts are a shining example of what's wrong. Can anyone explain to me why a kart built for a 5-8 year old designed to go around 28 MPH needs a $1000 2 stroke Comer? A $200 4 stroke would do the job and be easier for a kid to control.

Manufacturers often dictate what becomes the standard and they do so in they're own self interests.

Brian