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| May 11, 2012 News |
| EKN Project: Entry Level Karting - Part 1 – The Introduction |
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‘Project’ - defined in the dictionary as ‘a specific task of investigation’.
Readers of the former Howden Media Group publication Super Kart Illustrated will likely remember turning the pages of the magazine to see numerous projects that were developed over the years, including a few that made their way to the EKN website as well. There was Project ProMoto in the early years of SKI, where the staff took to the SKUSA ProMoto Tour, detailing the program from the build-up of the chassis through to the end of the season. The team also developed SKIGP250, a 250cc Superkart project, which former staffer Marc Miller then took to the podium at Barber Motorsports Park. There was also our ‘Pimp My Kart’ segment, which was the most recent. We received a great deal of positive feedback on these programs, but they do take up a massive of time, and time has been at a premium these last couple of years. That said, as the 2012 season gets underway and people get back to racing, it only seemed prudent that we follow suit, and fire up a new project for eKartingNews. This time around, we’re taking a different approach. One of the hot topics of late is the discussion of how we can introduce more people to the sport of karting. With the price point of some new 2012 chassis and engine brands coming in far above what a certain group of people can afford, there has been a growing grassroots effort to bring new racers into the sport at a more reasonable investment level. Karting’s position as the most affordable motorsports category has once again been strengthened, and it’s time for us to really focus on that. Welcome to Project Entry Level Karting.
The sport of karting began in 1956 in Southern California by the ‘father of karting’ Art Ingels. From scraps of metal, Ingels created a product that many of us love and live for today. After creating this new form of motorsport, he and others - including many of the of the historic fixtures that we recognize today in karting - began manufacturing more karts, creating gatherings in the parking lot of the famous Rose Bowl stadium. At that time, it was about going out with friends and family to have a good time.
Now 56 years later, the sport of karting is worldwide. Often times, however, we forget the core of what karting is meant to be. Based off that numbers that we see throughout the year, about 10% of those involved in karting make up the national level participants, with another 30% filling out the regional level. The foundation of the sport is the weekend warriors who support the local club events at tracks across the country. While karting is a sport, it’s also a hobby for 99.9% of those who don helmets. It’s a chance to cure that need for speed, gain some engineering knowledge at a young age, or just as a way to spend a Saturday with the entire family. For a large percentage, I can bet that many do not know or understand the foundation of the sport itself. Some see it as a ticket to motorsports glory, becoming the next Daytona 500 or Indy 500 champion. While the odds of that happening is similar to that of winning the lottery, it does serve its purpose of teaching racecraft to those wishing to move up the motorsports ladder. Moving forward, I think all of us believe that there should be more of an emphasis on the foundation of our sport, so that we do not step away from what makes it such a great hobby.
Like all hobbies, however, participation levels vary from year to year. While it seems that numbers were on a steady decline in recent years due to multiple factors, the past few seasons have enjoyed positive growth in certain areas of the country. One of the growing factions has been the ‘Entry Level’ style of karting that is bringing in new people into the sport. Yes, motorsports can be expensive, as we all know. The great thing about karting is that not all of karting is expensive and, generally, it can be affordable for the average family. That’s where Entry Level karting helps to bring new and some of the old generations back into the community. For roughly $3,000 or less, you can get off the couch and behind the wheel of a kart. Many former karters are returning to the sport with 5, 10, sometimes even 20 year-old karts that they’ve pulled out of their garage and put back out to the track. One of the keys to this return to competition has been the development of ultra-low cost powerplants, like the Clone and Briggs LO206 packages. When you can bolt on a motor for $600 or less, the chances of bringing more people out the playground increases dramatically. This new project series is going to shed much light of these levels of competition.
This summer, eKartingNews.com is going to show first-hand how you can get into the sport at a reasonable price with EKN Project: Entry Level Karting. The program will first hit the purchasing process and build-up of a used kart to help new people understand where and what to look for when buying used equipment. Unless you have the help of an experienced karter or you’re working directly with a kart shop, there is no set guideline to help you get on the track. EKN will point out things to look for when purchasing your kart, your engine, and safety gear. Once you have that all in the garage, we will detail some of the final steps you may need to take to get your kart ready for action. The next chapter in the program is getting the kart on track. When you make your first lap in your new kart, there are many things you need to keep in mind and understand, especially for race day. The final article in the series will review the complete program, going into the final costs while discussing the pros and cons of entry-level racing. We’re also going to look at the Clone engine program and how it’s rapidly developed over the past few years, and we’ll be hitting the track with the Briggs LO206 to detail this structured programs, which has been a huge hit with many clubs, both in the United States and now north of the border in Canada.
The best part of this new project is that the EKN staff is going racing again. Like you, we have a deep love for the sport, but the demands of the website with travel and trackside coverage make it difficult to find time to get on-track. Remember, if you’re seeing our coverage or listening to the live broadcast of an amazing race, this means we’re not in the races ourselves. This is one of the sacrifices we make to produce EKN to the level we expect from ourselves. That said, we have off-weekends from travel, and on these weekends, we figure it’s time to get out there with you. Our new project will need track time and we’ll be pleased to provide it. We’ll also use this opportunity to track test as many new products as we can, from safety gear and data acquisition to video cameras and specialized tools. This is all about bringing detailing the best options for bringing new people into karting, and educating potential racers is important. Ideally, this article series can help answers some of the many questions new racers will have.
We’ll be back next week with the first installment, as we have picked up a couple used chassis and it’s time to start prepping. |
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