body kits, why not?

[Scott Minehart]

I know there is some reason for this but i dont think i am aware of it. Why doesn't WKA or IKF allow full body kits in sprint racing in stead of the CIK style. seems to not be too much room to put sponser on. I race autocross and we have to have so many mandatory stickers that there isnt enough room for a sponser. what do you think?
scott

[John Denman]

If you are running autocross (Tarheel Sports Car Club right?) I don't think they would object to full bodywork.

Full bodywork is good from a safety standpoint until the drivers realize they have full bodywork. Then a little rubbin' becomes more acceptable and any safety advantage is negated. Thats why it is not allowed in Sprint. Oval racing is more of a contact sport so they are allowed on clutch karts by most sanctioning bodies.

[Brian Kay]

Scott,

You know my opinion on this, but I'll share it with all.

If by "full" bodywork you mean something similar to Velocity style, it has no place in wheel to wheel racing.

1. It serves as a convenient "ramp" to land other karts in your lap, as opposed to the CIK pods which expand upward when hit, and absorb alot of energy.

2. They practically explode on impact. ($$$)

3. Again, IF it's anything like Velocity style, it's aerodynamically very DIRTY from underneath the kart.

I think that cool looking bodywork is a definate plus in F125 Autocross, but ONLY in SCCA non wheel to wheel.

1. The less it LOOKS like a "Go-Kart" (trick is good) the quicker you (we) will find acceptance with the big car guys (snooty $@#&^#)

2. Like you said, lots of room for the usual SCCA required stickers, and sponsor decals.

Brian K - T2 RaceKarts

[John Denman]

We ran a Lighning Lite bodywork on an HPV at club events last year and found them to be a much better in some cases. One impact came when a rabbit ran across the track and my son made a fast right (too fast) to avoid it hitting a metal fence pole head on at +30 mph. He was thrown from the kart clear over the fence. The bodywork crushed and absorbed the impact really well, saving the chassis from bending to uselessness. It also reduced a few more G's of impact before launching the driver. It took about $15 of fiberglass and paint to repair but added 4 lbs.

The profile on the front is such that frontal impact with stationary kart would not launch it in to your lap.

The biggest drawback is the fear factor of tangling wheels goes away, and opens up aggressive passing. Maybe OK on an oval, but not good on a sprint course where late braking is a key to passing.

[Geoff Dodge]

the cik stuff looks way cooler anyways.

[Bill Pyles]

I race 125 sit up on the west coast (CIK bodywork)and in the midwest, where "full" bodywork is allowed. Like anything else, there are pros and cons to both configurations.

My midwest friends insist that "full" bodywork, i/e. big nose, sid pods and belly pan are safer and allow "better" racing because the draft is somewhat less important than when running the relatively dirty (aerodynamically) CIK bodywork that creates a huge draft effect. They say that CIK bodywork is like restrictor racing. The full bodywork cars are certainly faster in a straight line, but I can tell you that you will have to do some additional chassis tuning when you bolt on the bodywork---it changes the handling!

On the other hand, CIK bodywork is an international standard, and the U.S. would do well to follow more "world" standards if karting is to be considered by the world as a viable motorsports stepping stone. Otherwise, U.S. karting is, according to world standards, sort of an outlaw hobbyist sport---but that's OK too I guess.

I like CIK bodywork because the kart is a lot easier to work on--no bodywork to remove if you want to work on the front brakes or do an alignment in the field etc. CIK bodywork is cheap and its use does have an equalizing effect on the karts, which places a premium on driving/drafting strategy, particularly on very high speed tracks such as willow Springs.

All that said, in my imaginary world, I wish the entire U.S. would run the same bodywork rules coast to coast, whether its CIK or open, anything-goes bodywork. Let's just pick one set of rules. One of karting's shortcomings is the "boutique" approach to class stucture---which allows for so many local options that are designed to try to keep as-many-as-possible permutations of the kart configuration viable, at the risk of creating dozens of classes with 3 entries per class---that's a whole'nother discussion.

[Stephen Buckley]

I, too, am an advocate for standard bodywork... for sprint anyway. Trashing noses and sidepods seems to be my forte lately!

For longcourse, I have full enclosed bodywork and it is pretty cool. And better yet, I don't have to "laydown"!

[Stephen Buckley]

Lynnwood Cycle Barn, a component of SSC Racing, is coming up with some VERY COOL, wind tunnel tested, longcourse bodywork that bolts right on to the standard sprint kart sidepod and nose cone supports. Just remove your plastc CIK bodywork and bolt this stuff on. Quick and easy! I'll try to have the manager post it on their store website. I think that it may even come with a small wing.

[Scott Minehart]

Thanks for all the info. I see exactly what your saying as far as driving style is concerned. I was talking with my brother about somthing though. You take a great shifter kart- handlesa awesome, very fast, better than most race cars, and you put little plastic bumpers on it. I guess since i am currently racing autocross (just got an 80, waiting on the chassie) and there isn't any wheel to wheel contact that their shouldn't be too much of a problem. stephen- like the body kit. We are currently working on making a kit for solo 2 that has a lot of aerodynamics and brake cooling features (kind of a prob in solo 2). I am looking into sprint racing just nothing in NC. Anybody know a website or number for the maryland track? thanks

Scott

[Chuck Skowron]

I prefer CIK...
Not only are the full bodywork kits more expensive than CIK, but with open rules on these things, then "Bodywork of the Month" occurs. Competitors start routinely investing $ in bodies to find an extra advantage. And with all the other components on a kart to worry about, why have another problem to devote our time/money/effort on?

And CIK does look better, I think, on a kart.

[John Denman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Scott Minehart:

I am looking into sprint racing just nothing in NC. Anybody know a website or number for the maryland track? thanks

Scott

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There was a sprint track somewhere in Lee County near Sanford a few years ago. They also Road Race at VIR at least once a year. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the home of WKA and is a little closer than Maryland.

Your right though, the concept of turning more than one direction in Raleigh is a little foreign. Basketball or Nascar, not much in between.

[Charlie Tackett]

Sorry, CHuck, but I think your comments are way off base and totally unfounded. Bodywork of the week??? In the last 4yrs we have had three RR noses. #1 went with the kart when we sold it! #2 we picked up a used nose for nothing from someone selling there kart to a spreint racer. We replaced it early this year when the pan section finally wore thru beyond repair. I would hardly call that the bodywork of the week! Take a look in the new SKI on page 60 at teh photos there. Ted, Bales, and Chris all have essentially the same bodywork set-up. A sprint enduro nose and the rest of the kart is standard CIK side panels, stock floorpan, etc. And these were three of the top five finishers. If somebody wants to go all out with a full body , full pan, let them, it isn't necessary to be competitive.

BTW, to find a nose to fit these thigns, one 42 in wide, your selections are very very limited.

whoops, my apologies, this topic was refering to sprint track bodywork.

[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: Charlie Tackett ]

[Erik Frank]

Uh oh....didn't we just have this conversation in another forum?