Discussion on the future of Karting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darren Swisher

There has be some serious discussions about a continental Pro series and how to get the average American race enthusiast to get into Karting and grow the sport to new levels.

These may be separate issues in themselves but lets put our thought down here to begin a dialogue on how this can come to realization.

My original thoughts are start from the ground up.

Start with the new Indoor Karting centers that are popping up all around the U.S. Us these centers as a starting point to get people excited about Karting. We need to set up a transition from this type of leisure sport to competition racing. Local kart shops around the areas of the indoor centers needed to get involved with the center on some type of basis that will get the interested parties out of the center and into a kart with ease and speed. Once they have an option they can begin to attend a local racing series.

We need to stop trying to please everyone and reduce classes to a minimum. Which ones are not important at this time but a reduction is needed.

Sanctioning bodies need to have a single set of rules for everyone to follow for each specific class. Making it easier to travel longer distances and race with the same setup as local. With reduced classes and universal rules you can have local, regional, national and International competition with ease. National series could thrive by using a system where a local karter can work his way from the local scene to regional to national similar to a world series where you must place in a certain position to advance. This will bring the cream of our sport to the top. This works for all types of sports.

National Licensing testing program: basically a driving test to show competence and ability as well as safety.

At the pro level we need to use what has already worked and not try to reinvent the wheel. It seems the cross over similarity of motocross racing and shifter kart racing is obvious. Can we use the same system they used to propel us in to the national spotlight? Do we need to piggyback on the coattails of another series to propel us forward? Is using an arena the way? What about temporary Circuits in parking lots? What about Temp Street courses with in our cities?

Paying the way will require sponsorship, sponsorship, and sponsorship. Do we have the resources to acquire they proper sponsorship for the series? Can we help the average racer with sponsorship proposals? Does Karting have the spunk to attract sponsorship?

Lets keep the discussion on track and to the point.

Darren

Terry Tilton · Joined: 20 Jul 2001 Posts: 58 Location: Austin, Tx

Just my opinion.
Until ONE class decides to say the hell with everyone else, were making our own series, then karting in its current form will never become what some people want out of a professional sport. We know that exposure is the key to getting sponsors. Exposure means newspaper coverage, magazine coverage, tv coverage. How do you get the exposure? Pee wee football games dont make the headlines. Why, because there isnt 70,000 fans to watch. Dont you think that if just 15,000 fans showed up to watch a pee wee football game, it would get coverage? You bet it would. So how do you get that type of fan turnout on a regular basis? Karting needs to attach itself to events where its target market can be found. Obviously, race fans are found at races. Car races, motorcycle races, Motocross. A lot of classes confuses the fans and makes for a long, too long, day. One maybe two classes. 20 minute races. Same format used in Superbike or whatever with 2 races per day. Classes should be seperated by motor size or modifications only. For example, a fully modified, pi,traction control, 125 class with a minimum weight of 400 lb. That eliminates the need for a heavy class and they are a lot of very quick heavy(200lb+) drivers. And then a "stock" 125 class with the same minimum weight. The stock class stipulates that the head, cylinder, bottom end, stator, oem ignition all come from the same year.
Or a program could consist of a full mod 125 class with the usual 385 weight min. and for us big boys, a 250 superkart class. However its broken down, one or two classes, large field of racers, and at least one fairly affordable class for fans to get excited about possibly trying. "Hey, I could do that" That sells a lot of karts and is good for us racers and dealers alike.
JMO, worth what you paid for it, zero.

Tim Blaney · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1127

quote:
Originally posted by Bill Stafford:
But remember whatever is done has to be done at a grass roots level or you will never get the average people, and once more only the Big $$$ will be there.

Are you talking about a grass roots group of local and regional racing or are you talking about a national pro series? If the latter, you've eliminated the average guys because of travel expenses alone.

Marc Miller · Advertiser Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1835

Terry had it.... point blank... one class is the Pro class...

Someone needs to set by example... but immediately after his post was a typical karting response (please take no offense)..

"I agree 100 percent. Three classes at the max. Shifter's (125 & 250) and something like 100cc or a Rotaxmax that's affordable for the average Joe Karter. "

Here we go again... let's have a junior class and a regular guy class and a fat guy class and an old guy class.. they all deserve to run a National PRO class. hmmm... I'll be sure to tell Richard Petty and Ned Jarrett that NASCAR is starting a class to rival Winston Cup (Denture Cup maybe?) so that past champions or older drivers can compete on a PRO level too.

There is a little truth in this sarcasm, but I just don't agree that if there is a PRO class structure, it should be more than one class. If you feel the need to run a sperate class, start a sanctionaing body for that series and run it.

MM

Matt Cleaver

quote:
Originally posted by Bill Stafford:

The bottom line here is Karting needs coverage and you need to show the audiance (potential karters) the top of the line and the bottom, a point where anyone can get into karting....

No, karting does not need to show where people can get into the sport. You get into the sport by racing a KT100 can class, and how exciting is that to watch? People will want to see speed. When they get interested , then tell them that they can get started by geting a used KT100 or whatever. The shifter's have that "WOW!" factor working for them. Do Champ Cars bring
formula fords or showroom stock cars or spec racer fords along because that's where "you can get started"? No.