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| EKN Editorial: Rob Howden’s The Bottom Line - Conflict Free |
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I’ve always found it fascinating that the karting industry seems to get ‘shot out of a cannon’ during the first couple weeks of January. When you speak with racers and industry members in mid-December, they often talk of being ‘burned out’ and that they’re looking forward to the holidays so they can get a chance to re-charge. Regardless of the true strength of the economy, many industry members will lament their difficulties from the past season, and state their hope for a re-invigorated sport in the new year. I hear calls for the organizations to ‘finally work together’, so that karting will one day realize its true potential. To be honest, December chatter is often pretty negative.
However, once January comes around and everyone has cleared their heads of their New Year’s Eve cobwebs, I almost always get the clear sense of renewed energy and optimism. I’ve been in this sport for almost 20 years and it’s always the same. The industry gets jacked up and ready to attack, which is a great feeling coming off the occasional taste of self-pity from the previous month. Maybe it’s the fact that the new calendar brings a new chance for success, but it’s normally a great feeling and helps everyone get right back at it.
Coming fresh off a strong week for the WKA at Daytona to cap December, great numbers at the Palm Beach stop on the Florida Winter Tour, and a strong increase in participation on the opening round of the Challenge of the Americas, we’re all basking in the glow of great optimism in the industry right now. Personally, we’re finalizing our own event travel plans these days and I have to say, one of my primary issues with the sport’s organizations seems to have been avoided this year. When I survey the major national, regional and special event schedules for 2012, I dare say that we are clear of any true conflicts. To put it bluntly, I’m blown away…and equally as impressed.
It looks as though all of the major national / regional series and special events have been scheduled clear of each other, which is a great thing for the sport, and in particular, its industry. Our business sector needs as much racing as possible, as the use of consumables like tires, oil and chains, etc, all lead to better bottom lines for the shops that serve as our backbone. But the absence of conflicts will also provide the opportunity for teams and shops to support more than just one series, which is great for the series as well. During past years, conflicts would force certain shops to forgo additional series with other potentials customers simply because they couldn’t be in two places at one time. And that’s just a loss of potential income, which hurts everyone.
 | Non-conflicting schedules in 2012 should provide the opportunity for large fields in all programs
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
One of the primary examples of promoters actually working together for 2012 can be found in Southern California. Get this…late last year, Andy Seesemann of the Challenge of the Americas and Tom Kutscher of Superkarts! USA actually called each other to discuss their schedules and to avoid any conflicts. This is not to beat on either Andy or Tom, as I know that they speak regularly to support each other, but what a wild concept! Who would have thought? Seesemann did the same with the Florida Winter Tour, to make sure the snowbirds from the north could attend both ‘off-season’ programs if they wished. The FWT and COTA are all on their own weekends and there are several drivers and mechanics supporting both programs. The SoCal cooperation continued when Stewart Willis – the new IKF Region 7 coordinator – contacted both Seesemann and Kutscher to work out a calendar that would give all three series the chance to pull maximum entry numbers. It’s crazy, isn’t it, what picking up the phone can do? California has a great deal going right now and hopefully they get the chance to reap the rewards of cooperation.
The two largest travelling series in the United States – the established WKA Manufacturers Cup in the East and the surging SKUSA Pro Tour in the West – have battled either direct conflicts or back-to-back weekends over the past two years, and this again eliminated the chance for shops to field teams at both races. The U.S. Rotax Grand Nationals was also part of the mid-summer traffic jam of races that likely hindered full participation all three events. This year, however, there are open weekends between the Man Cup race at South Bend (July 7-8), the SKUSA SummerNationals (July 21-22) and the U.S. Rotax Grand Nationals (Aug. 2-4). From where I sit, this is incredible progress in our sport. I can only hope that this type of awareness will continue.
I know that I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, and as such, I often look for the positive in situations, even when there are big issues. For me, this year’s schedule is one of the most positive steps our sport has taken to grow and stabilize. My congratulations and heart-felt thanks go out to anyone who made a choice with their schedule this year and elected to try to work with or around other competing events. Cooperation like this could go a long way towards taking us to the promised land of national karting unity.
Race safe,
Rob Howden
Editor-in-Chief / Publisher
eKartingNews.com |
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