Velocity stacks

John Matthews

Open class attracts the kind of folks that will stay up all night trying to figure out the best combination of components and modifications to stay competitive. I'll venture to say this is a more committed racer that will stay with the sport longer and be more involved with their club or organization.

Stock class engines are anything but stock and building a good one is far more expensive that modifying something to produce the same or better power (I have a little experience here).

Easykart was a great class but it suffered from the same issues of any "stock" class because you could get your motor re-sealed. Figuring out the chassis was fun though and once we got it nailed we could beat an Indy 500 winner, in TaG class, on his own track in fully legal Easykart trim.

It's great to give beginners a place to learn where they don't have to worry about getting the last .001 hp from their engine because it really doesn't matter at that point. However, when we had open class you really had something to shoot for if you were running stock or super stock. The guys and gals running opens not only had tons of power, they knew how to use it.

Karting is one of the only sports where a beginner can start off at the top as long as they have enough money. We need our clubs to bring back some rationality by requiring drivers to start with low HP and hard tires so they actually learn how to drive. Also if people have to work through progressively higher formulas to get to the upper levels it will give them a reason to come back next season instead of just selling their barley used shifter at a big loss.

BRING BACK OPEN CLASS IN SPRINT RACING

JMHO,
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John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC.

Tim Pappas · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 791 Location: Burkina Faso,

Jimmy McNeil · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject:

We had an open class up till last year and it died out, G1. You could pretty much do whatever you wanted to a cr125. I think the biggest turn out at a pkc event was 2.

John Matthews · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:42 pm Post subject:

Jimmy McNeil · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:12 pm Post subject:

Steve O'Hara · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:42 am Post subject:

On the subject of fuel, I strongly favor methanol for kart engines.
Again, the contemporary karter has no knowledge of the benefits and effects of running methanol but the arguments against it have largly been nullified by the event organizers requiring the racers to run expensive spec racing gas.
It makes more power, extends engine life and is a pure substance so it is easy to tech.
I'm not in favor of "anything goes" when it comes to fuel as many of the popular additives are dangerous but specifying 100% methanol and a spec oil is an easy switch from gas.
I first started running methanol in my karts in 1968 when I was 13 years old and I still use it in my vintage McCullochs to this day. I have no idea why so many people are so intimidated by something that was the standard 40 years ago and even a Jr. high school kid could deal with it.
Of course I should not discount my previous experience with it at a younger age... it's all we used in our Cox .049 powered tether cars when I was 10 and 11 years old LOL
Still nothing as sweet as the smell of alky/castor burning two cycle engines!

Steve O'Hara

Paul Makarucha · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:19 am Post subject:

^Only issue with methanol is it burns clear... That's a rather large issue.

Also water spigots would/should be setup around the tracks so fires can be extinguished.
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Greg Wright · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:22 am Post subject:

John Matthews · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:07 am Post subject:

People....

Go to a dirt oval kart race, you'll see most of the field running methanol without any issue. Tire prep, now that's another story Embarassed

If I was structuring an open class it would allow gas or methanol, no illegal or dangerous substances. Once again it only takes a quick look across the field to the dirt oval world to see how this works....

Once you start requiring anything to be "spec" you've lost the spirit and intent of open class. We did it for years without any major issues. The only thing you really need to do is make sure it's an "expert" class so novices don't sign up thinking they'll win by out powering everybody.

Cheers,
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John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC.

JIM SILVERHEELS · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:29 am Post subject: READ THIS

Interesting reading.. I think they might be F.O.S as far as saying one of the byproducts of combusting alcohol is o2 though.

http://www.circletrack.com/enginetech/ctrp_1201_alcohol_fuel_basics/viewall.html
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