What are your ideas to improve the Rotax Class?

[Glenn Holland]

I'm so pleased to make a post that isn't lambasting someone for using a bad word...

No heavy class - I WANT to race against Pete Van Ginkel and the other guys that may tip the scale a little more than me! The last thing in the world I spent my $nK for is to run in a class with six other guys and then there are four other guys starting at the rear of our pack who are running the same thing except they're 50lbs. heavier. Make it 370 lbs. and if people come in way over that, well, forgive my insensitivity, but lose some weight. This is racing for God's sake, let's all make SOME effort to be in shape! I have 30lbs. bolted to my kart and I weighed in at 370lbs. after the Streets of Willow race. I weigh 160. That means someone 205lbs can run my kart and nail the weight. At 29hp, you could (and I think Pete may have made this point) come in at, say 370 and still be competitive. So now we're up to 220. So, we're going to start a class for the guys over 220? Am I alone in thinking that's ridiculous? Do they have this in Europe?

Lap times. Give me my My-Chron back. This is a rule I just don't get. Almost everyone has something that at least gives them tach/temp. Usually it also gives them lap times. This series is aimed toward the older people that have diposable income. If they can afford $5K for a kart, they can buy a My-Chron. Plus, if we're getting a good number of novice racers in, they need to see what works and what doesn't while they're out on the track - I know I do.

Juniors. I don't want someone next to me at 70mph who didn't pay for his kart with his own money and doesn't have to worry if insurance will cover him when he doesn't show up to work on Monday because he's in the hospital. To add to that, there is an implied understanding with adult racers that if you do something really, really dastardly to the other guy on the track, he just might come over and knock your teeth out. If that happens to a 16 year old, we're in jail. So, 16 year-old Johnny karter knows he doesn't pay for it, his broken arm will be cool to the chicks at high school, and his dad will beat you up if you yell at him. Junior class, up to 18.

Classes, classes, classes. Light/heavy/senior/junior/masters/pipe/can/box/super/stock/spec. History repeats. History repeats.

Okay, I gotta post a photo gallery from Canby...

G.

[bird]

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Do they have this in Europe?

I think that was a rhetorical question, but yes, in the UK at least if clubs have an unmanageably large Rotax entry they run a 180kg division. Entries in the Challenge however are lousy so it wouldn't work there.

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Juniors. I don't want someone next to me at 70mph who didn't pay for his kart with his own money and doesn't have to worry if insurance will cover him when he doesn't show up to work on Monday because he's in the hospital.

I would rather a 15 year old whose daddy will have a go at him for wasting money he doesn't have than a 25 year old who will waste his own money any way he sees fit.

Does anyone know if these proposed RMC junior rules are world wide or just for you 'orrible lot? If worldwide they've lost our entry straight away. We don't want to move up to seniors for 2002 anyway (boring UK politics) but we have to because of weight.

If we were to run the Challenge we have to keep changing the head over and resealing the engine because we wouldn't be allowed to run juniors at club meetings, and on top of that we have to run the same weight that we were busting out of when he was 14 until he is 18!

Something will fall by the wayside for us and it won't be the national championship for seniors which allows us to run 50mm axles and a weight limit that is based somewhere near reality. That junior weight limit is based on the European JICA class anyway which is only supposed to go up to 15! (and doesn't take into account anyone west of Paris!)

I would also let former superlicense holders in, perhaps after a 5 year gap from competing in World and Class 1 continental championships.

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: Mary-Ann Horley ]

[Jon Andrews]

Bill,

I think that you have by far the best supported Rotax class in the US so far. Congrats on that, I put it down to agressive/effective promotion on your part.

What kind of comment/suggestions/complaints are most frequently heard from the Max guys down there?

Jon.

[Stephen Buckley]

Just a note and NOT a complaint:

I decided to drop out of the RMC after two races. I did this because there were some exceptional and very experienced drivers entering the class, and I decided that paying $200 plus travelling expenses to be a back marker was "illogical". Entering this equation is the fact that I am a rookie sprint driver, as in no sprint experience. Having said that, I still am a big supporter of the RMC, and I will run it when I become competitive. I'd like to qualify for the US Championship. However, IMHO, the RMC is no place for a new or relatively inexperienced driver. In other words, I can pay $40 plus expenses for a weekend of competition and/or being a back marker at a club race. That's a savings of $160 +.

And other than the various classes that IKF, WKA, SKUSA, et al will enact for the RotaxMax, as of yesterday, there will be a heavy class run as part of the RMC. I won't go into that... I think I've categorically stated my opinion of that matter before.

It would really be sad to have RM fields of 20 break up into small groups.

Glenn, I hope what you stated about history repeating itself doesn't happen... however, sadly, it will probably happen.

S

[Bill Wright]

>>I think that you have by far the best supported Rotax class in the US so far. Congrats on that, I put it down to agressive/effective promotion on your part.<<

I'd put it down to a GREAT engine package, good dealer support and promotion, a very attractive and well thought through racing program, and the most important part of our success, a group of racers who have really taken hold of the concept that "WE" are racing, TOGETHER!

At the final Regional Challenge event, the guys all boosted the Challenge winner, William Peetz, on their shoulders, drowned him in coolers full of water, and soaked him in Champagne. They were all as excited for William as if they had won themselves!! I've never seen anything like it.

ALL of the guys who are eligible for the Challenge have registered for it, and are VERY serious about going to the Nats. They understand that this may be their only chance at a National or International title. Peetz is a 37 yr old paraplegic. The average age of the competitor in our Regional Challenge is 36.6 yrs. This concept worked EXACTLY like it was advertised!! IT'S FOR REAL, FOLKS!

It's a great shame that some short sighted and self serving people want to turn it into just another fractured kart class. I will work long and hard to keep it pure. Based on the comments from our current participants, they want it kept that way as much as I do! I have every confidence we'll maintain the integrity of the program.

Rotax International has made it clear that distributors who attempt to circumvent the spirit of the program will be removed from it. They are very aggressive about policing the official distribution channels. They know thier success is directly related to how well they work with thier distribution partners, for the LONG TERM benefit of everyone.

>>What kind of comment/suggestions/complaints are most frequently heard from the Max guys down there?<<

William Peetz is too fast?

Seriously, the biggest complaint we've had is some confusion about rules and regulations. As this is the first year, and we are the first Region to start and finish, we've learned together what issues are important, and myself and SSC are working hard to get the information compiled and distributed. I'm sure the program will continue to evolve over the next couple of years, but for the most part everyone is pretty much spending their time worrying how to get faster. Fortunately that doesn't include worrying about which pipe/clutch/ignition to buy next!

Overall, I don't think things could have gone any better. I can't wait for the Nats in Vegas, November 2 & 3. Besides, I get to hang around there for two weeks, as the SKUSA SuperNats are the following weekend. It's gonna be a great two weeks!! I'm putting my money on Peetz to win it all!! He's THAT good!! Look for a feature article on William to appear on ekartingnews.com in the near future.

Bill Wright www.formulakart.com
"Get on Course!" with FK

[Chad Stapleton]

Sorry for the delay guys, i have been pretending to work !!
Australian costs:-
Rotax max Au$2950 = US$ 1500
Junior Max Au$2795 = US$ 1400
This is a full "package", motor, radiator, battery etc.
These prices have recently increased by about Au$300 due to our lousy currency...
Incidentaly, the Sonic equivalent to the Max, (125, water cooled, clutch, electric start etc, is also available for Au$2200 !
Arguably a better package, and faster, (decent carb)for anyone just out for fun/club racing
Useful source for Ozzie costs is www.gokart.com.au

[Dave Stevens]

quote:

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Originally posted by Andy Seesemann:
And tariffs and duties and taxes and .....

And marketing and rental fleets and importer support....

Equals $500.

-A

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How would one explain the spec spark plug with a list price of US$31.50?

It seems that consistently, the US Rotax packages are US$500-600 more, than the exact package in other parts of the world.

It's tough for me to rationalize it as an added cost for the RMC, seeing how the other areas also have RMC races. The shipping is an added cost, as is customs, but not quite that expensive.

For example from Europe to the US, FedEx freight is about US$6 a kg. To Austraila, it's about US$9 a kg. These are just approximent costs, taken from our FedEx rate info.

The guys down under can get the engines, even with the extra shipping (and I bet they aren't using FedEx), and still sell the package, presumably at a profit, at about the same price the rest of the world (except for the US) is able to purchase the package.

The US distributor is selling them for that, because they can.

Dave

[Stephen Buckley]

Dave,
That plug thing... I couldn't race if I had to pay that much. I buy Autolite 2592's for less than $4 each. They work just fine!

[Gary Kozuma1]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chad Stapleton:
Just to add a little "spice" to the discussion;- down here in Australia, YGK's are Au$200 a set- thats about US$100 !!

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Thanks Chad, that's just want I needed, another reason to !@#$$%^^&*(_)(*&^%$# Bridgestone.

Gary Kozuma