Is Our Sport Broken? - Road Racing - Part 2

Ken Schilling · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 1351

As a current SKUSA S4 sprint racer my main reason for not road racing is time & cost. I don't have the budget or time to do both.

That being said, road racing will be in my future when I can no longer physically be competitive in sprint racing. I've done it twice at Buttonwillow and it's a blast!!!
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The opinions I express are mine alone and do not reflect those of any organization of which I am a member.

Jeff Salak · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:07 pm Post subject:

Any Sprint racer thinking of trying road racing in the Mid-West.
Should try CES event at Blackhawk August 11th and 12th.
A very large sprint track is all it is. Can learn the track very easily in the 3 or 4 practice session on Saturday morning.

michael schorn · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:24 pm Post subject:

One of the things we were able to do in the NW was add World Formula. We have a fairly good number of sprinters already mostly over 30years old who like to race and not get beat up. When taking them to Road Race for the first time all is required the Road race endorsement licence. We get them on the proper gear which requires a drive sprocket $25.00. An oiler if they think they need it. I personally don't run an oiler. While the class top speed is 85 in the draft, slow to the rest of the classes, it has become some of the best fun for all. It is truly Daytona restrictor plate racing without the crashes. The finishes end up being 4-6 wide at the line only inches between each place.
For the IKF RR Grands in 2013 there will be a WF class offered each day.
We have also started a spec 125 class this year and follow the basic SKUSA rules with MG tires and a spec gear combo. We have had 3-6 specs show up at our first 2 races. Spec guys change a gear and they can run in at least 3-4 groups out of 5 for one entry fee.
We will also intend to offer a Tag class of some kind each day, 2 shifter classes each day as well as laydown classes each day.
Unfortunately our costs for track time are higher on the west coast but we have great racers and while they complain about the cost, most understand the monetary needs to break even so we can continue in the sport they love. We attempt to offer at least 2 or more places a racer can enter for one price. which makes it easier for the racer and registration people too.
We look forward to hosting the 2013 IKF Grands again. For those who are WKA or other Org. road racers. All that is required is to join IKF, show proof of road racing experience and you can come Race the Grands.
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OK everyone It's my opinion only, no one elses, and does not reflect any organization or office that I belong to or hold. Thank you for your support.
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Morgan Schuler · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

Tim Koyen · Advertiser Joined: 26 Nov 2002 Posts: 1570

If anyone cares for the opinion of someone who is a sprint racer that isn't interested in road racing, I'll offer one up.

My son TJ and I have been sprint racing for 10 years, since he was 11. Our home track would be Badger Kart Club, who has a pretty good connection with road racing. We currently race in WKA Man Cup and SKUSA, mostly in the Tag classes. We have been to Road America for the big kart races in the past, but just as spectators. I have plenty of friends from my business side of karting that are road racers and I have the utmost respect for their racing.

All that being said, when I talk to my sprint racing friends about road racing, there are two common answers as to why they aren't interested. Firstly, they say it's boring. They ask if the karts have cup holders to hold the coffee of the old guys. Secondly, from what they see, there are a zillion classes, each with 3 entries. They see people winning a WKA Triple Crown in road racing, for racing against 2 other people 3 times in a weekend, and think its a joke.

I'm not defending my friends here (some of them are jerks anyway Wink

), nor do I need to be schooled on how those opinions are wrong and shortsighted. I'm only saying this stuff so people know what the perception from some of the outside world is. If you ever hope to recruit those people, changing those perceptions and opinions is going to be the first step.
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Benn Herr · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1584

Tim,

That's funny, I have nearly the same opinion of Sprinting as your friends do of Road Racing. They have a million classes and instead of boring it's a crash fest/wresting match! Mad

But you are right. We do have an image issue in Road Racing. SKUSA went a long way in fixing it for Sprinting by concentrating on basicly one class - Shifters. They seem to be getting away from that some now, I hope they will be thoughtful about the direction they're headed.

Maybe the problem with Road Race is that we try to be all things to everybody - and do a lousy job because of it.
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David Cole · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:37 am Post subject:

Tim,

Have you and TJ tried road racing? Road America may look boring, it's not, but understand the viewpoint. I'm the same way with food, as Rob and my family will attest to.

If you don't try it, you don't know if you like it or not.

Classes, I certainly agree, thus why we need to re-examine the class names and the rule structures to make it more understandable.

I really want to hear from more sprint racers why they haven't tried road racing.
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Patrick Roth · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:08 am Post subject:

From my perspective, spring racing appears to be much more accessible than road racing in the area that I live (Houston). I'm not even sure where I would road race at? I did participate in a SKUSA event at Grandsport and had a ball, but for me the thrill isn't that much different that would justify the travel costs and dedication required to compete in a series.

I also am not a big fan of using the draft to pass towards the end of straights. The karts are at their highest speeds and a little mistake could get ugly. Sure sprint racing is tight and results in bumps and bruises but for me I like knowing that a little bump isn't likely going to do much to me or the kart.

Just my two cents... Smile

David Cole · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:34 am Post subject:

Patrick Roth · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:58 am Post subject:

I moved to Houston approximately one year ago from Chicago and am relatively new to racing (2 years of karting and 1 year of it being sprint racing). I had actually planned to do road racing in the Chicago area (had a friend at work that did road racing and the kart shop I worked with was a big supporter) but we moved before I got started in it with the kart.

I was not aware of the SWRA but in looking at their website it is hard to tell if it even exists? Dallas is still a hike from Houston but if an organization exists than I might drop in for a few events. Still, I can get my thrills from local sprint racing so I would be hard pressed to sacrifice sprint racing for road racing on a regular basis.

David Cole · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:02 am Post subject:

Tim Koyen · Advertiser Joined: 26 Nov 2002 Posts: 1570

Matt Clark · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:46 am Post subject:

Take this FWIW as I'm EXTREMELY new (haven't run a race yet) to sprinting. I would love to race on a big track (my previous experience is in HPDE's) and was planning on doing Daytona in the winter, but if I have to have front brakes (rotax senior) then I'm almost certainly going to be ruled out due to the reasons stated ad nauseum above. Other than that, travel costs would be the other factor as I don't know of another road race in FL besides Daytona, but this could just be plain ignorance.

Matt

Ray Chiappe · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:50 am Post subject:

The boring talk about road racing always get my dander up. I just got back from Thunderhill running with NCK. 3 miles a lap, and I was sore the next day! Two heats 20 min. long. The whole time I am drafting with a couple of others. The whole time trying to figure out how to break the draft, when and where to pass, making the sling shot work. It was not boring!

joseph hollinger · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:03 am Post subject:

I've heard the boring comment from sprinters. A lot of them also claim that they are basically afraid of road racing (speed, walls, whatever). But I've never actually heard either of those things from sprinters who have actually tried road racing.
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