Official Mazda RoboPong 200 Discussion Thread

Craig Lintner · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:25 am Post subject:

This weekend was our first experience arond a Rotax being with a Leopard team the three years previous.

Our teammate thought it may be more reliable then the Leopard which I was open to exploring. My concerns on Friday morning were speed, fuel mileage and jetting. On Friday, we did a 58 lap run on one tank and on Saturday we showed the speed and tuning.

With the jetting possibilities, I think it would be difficult to say that the tuning was 100% optimum throughout the 4 hour race.

In the end, what killed us was an glitch in the fuel mileage. Our first stint went 56 laps. We were planning on coming in again 55 laps later. For some reason, it ran out on lap 52 back by the pond at the end of the first straight. CJ had to push it back by hand and wait at a couple of spots for the stewards to let him go. The "stop" ended up being 9 minutes where our regular ones were 2 and a half so 6 and half longer than normal. We end up 5 laps down which is about 5 and a half minutes. If you do the math, we should have been right there but of course there are many teams that could say the same thing as it is an endurance race and so many things happen.

My only concern about running a Rotax again against basically a full field of Leopards is that the areas that it is fastest and slowest are so mis-matched around the track.

As far as reliability, it was very good.

If anyone has any other questions specific to the Rotax and the race, I would be happy to try to answer them.

Craig

Jason Lee · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:55 am Post subject:

Alan consistancy and relaibility will get you in 8th position at best.

To be in the top 5 you need consistancy, relaibility and speed.

This isnt the first time the rotax has been at NCMP.
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Alan Dove · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:07 am Post subject:

For me the field should be full of Leopards, TTs, PRDs (and 100ccs, KFs Smile

just go crazy).... BUT.. and I am repeating myself here ..... the Rotax HAD the speed. They got pole by .2 of a second.

I am sure if you took Chris Lock with RL Racing over to the RoboPong 200 (this is no slur on the pole guys but Chris Lock is the Rotax Euro CHallenge Champion) they would have extended that advantage further.

More TTs and Leopards the better.... but I will admit, I am just a tad confused Smile

CJ Lintner · Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 80

Greg, you said earlier that although the rotax had the fast lap it couldnt repeat the performance in the race. I think that it did, and had it not been for the mistake I made with the fuel mileage we would have been right there for the win. In fact towards the last 75 laps or so we were actually running faster and more consistent laps times than several of the karts in front of us, even with our jetting error. I definitely have a new view of the rotax package after this weekend. It was extrememly reliable and can be setup to run on a track that isnt necesarilly the best for it's powerband. Hopefully next year we will be able to keep gas in the tank and give a better display of the motors longevity and consistency throughout the race.

Mark Ouimet · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

I think that there are acouple of things that come into play as to why there were not as many Rotaxes there.

1. Rotax Grand Nationals were two weeks prior, that is why we were not there (Arie is still complaining over that one and will not stop complaining).

2. TYPICALLY a track like New Castle has not been condusive to the Rotax powerband. Although in Road racing Rotaxes do very well. It was nice to see Zach and CJ do well and disprove the myth.

3. I am probably going to get flamed on this one, but knowing CJ and watching Zach run at the GN's I think (my opinion) their driving style helped. Both are very smoooooth. I know that they can carry speed.

4. I was not there so please correct me if I am wrong, wasn't qualifying broken up in to heats. If so they had more time with less traffic to build momentum. Did CJ/Zach get the pole towards the end of the qualifing session? Where as during the race with 80+ drivers they were alway running into someone and not able to build momentum. Sounds like towards the end the boys were going very well, what kind of fall out through the race was there? How many teams finished the race?
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Greg Wright · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:35 am Post subject:

Craig, I intended no disrespect to the engine package and definitely was not taking anything away from C.J. and Zach's performance.
My observation was from the RaceFanRadio booth and probably was not the best viewpoint to judge performance.
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Rick Crist · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:30 am Post subject:

I knew on Saturday morning, this one was bound to come up ……… sooner or later. And like Greg, the following IS NOT intended to disrespect the engine package and it’s definitely not taking anything away from C.J. and Zach's performance.

Johnny Russo · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:31 am Post subject:

So does this mean that Rotax's can run with the rest of the TAG's and not need a class of their own? I'm sure it would be a step in the right direction to cut down on the fragemntation but I doubt the people who would be opposed to this would like the loss of control over certain rules that benefit them economically. Embarassed

Craig Lintner · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

Greg - No problem, I didn't take any offense to your post. I was just trying to get out there what happened in terms of the overall race. You were correct that coming out of the two slow corners (especially the first one), we would get pulled a lot of times. We had to give up a little there to make it up on other parts of the track.

Mark - I think you are right in points 3 and especially 4 which ties into what I was saying about it being fast and slow in different areas of the track compared to the Leopard. To answer your question, Zach set almost identical times on laps 3 & 4. He was trying to get under 1'05" on the last run but made a slight mistake and decided to pull in before taking the checkered. I do agree that there may be more of a momentum aspect with the motor which definitely lends itself to CJ's driving style which came from many years in purple and blue plate Briggs where the kid that turned turned the wheel the least won the race.

Rick - I'm sure the 10 lbs had to have helped out - especially since CJ was 30lbs heavier than Zach! A couple of interesting points though, we had put a new set of tires on at the end of practice under the new weight and only went 1'05.5" which put us 8th fastest. We then made another jetting adjustment as well as a slight tire adjustment with Zach driving very smoothly on a completely open track (again ties into what Mark eluded to) to get the pole. Also intersting is that the Rotax is at 350 in WKA vs the Leopard at 365 which is 5 lbs more difference then at the RoboPong?

Mark and others would know more about the Rotax's ability vs. the Leopard at other tracks since this was my only experience. As I pointed out above, since the weight difference in WKA is 15 lbs, maybe we will see one at a WKA race next year.

gregg boyce · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject:

Craig,

Why bother going for extra laps (except the 1st stop for a clearer pitlane? You can't make it on 2 stops (you have to make lap 67). We made it to 63 in '06. But we were pretty slow too. If you can't make it much past 50 then why risk running out of fuel? You don't get a big enough advantage IMO. I guess I preaching to the choir NOW... Wink

BTW, awesome qually lap Shocked

.

GB
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David Cole · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:09 pm Post subject:

Photos from David Lee Photo are now being uploaded to the PHOTOS section:

http://www.ekartingnews.com/photos.php?sshow=0&gal=194&sshow=0

All his photos should be online within the next hour.
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Rick Crist · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject:

Chris Livengood · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject:

It's too bad that the majority of people have a hard time finding a good carb. setup on the rotax. Even super tuners couldn't get their RMAX right for the race.

I also can not stand how RMAX people refuse to share carb. information with one another. It just proves how difficult the package is.

I guess I am still bitter.

Over and out,
One Happy Leopard Owner
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Tom Sekey · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:06 pm Post subject:

Did everyone see what I saw? The rotax went from pole to 10th rather quickly in the first 20 laps or so. It got wooped exiting the right hand hairpin and smoked at the end of the streights. Kyle started 84th and passed it before his first 50 laps were up. I know jetting is huge in Rotax but that was the worse it ran ALL weekend. Bad timing. The kart was really hooked up too.