IC/E Input

[Gary Kozuma1]

Hello all you 250 drivers!

I'm really thinking about moving to 250's from 125's. I'm really liking the road racing action, and the stuff JR is doing is out of this world. How cool is it that next he has the 250's on the same track as superbikes on the same weekend! (JR, don't tell me that that was my idea either!). I would be looking at racing with SCK, NCK and with JR's events. About 6 races a year. My expectation would be to finish at the rear in year 1, the middle in year 2.

But to be honest, the program looks really different to me. So what's important, what do I need to know, what's good, what do I want to stay away from, etc. I have an IKF rule book so I can get started with the specs. Are there any hidden costs? And how do most people start those things. Looks like a variety of methods.

Thanks for the input.

Gary K. (ok Glenn, it's Gary Kozuma!).

[Paul Tartaglia]

Be sure to get a late model chassis with an adjustable front end. Older chassis or chassis with a fixed front end (like a sprint kart) will give you grief with the front tires. After a quality chassis the next important item is the driver. A properly set up 250cc kart must be driven around a track not tossed. With the mechanical & aerodynamic grip afforded by these karts they don't need to tossed or manhandled like a typically "loose" 125 on a roadrace track. These karts will really test your ability as a driver as the cornerering forces and terminal velocity are quite a bit higher than a 125. If you are stricly a roadracer, you will be amazed at the difference in ride, handling, & powercompared to a 125.

Finally, a good stock Rotax 257 will be your best choice for a powerplant. Don't worry about engine mods until you can drive the stock one to the limit (it might take a year or two).

For more info, check out our website; www.nemesis-superkarts.com.

[Stephen Buckley]

Gary,

Although I disagree with one thing Paul said, he was right on. Also, there are several nice race packages for sale that have been sorted out already, that is if you aren't buying all new. The one thing that I disagree with is the front end adjustability, although I have to admit, things might have changed in the last couple of years. Generally, we don't adjust the front end... that is toe is always zero. In the 250 IC/E class, the speeds are comparable to a good 150 Open FKE II (F/C motor). Now, F/E or the unlimited class are a whole different story. IMHO, a good updated Swift Cup chassis is very competitive, however, the PVP, Andersons and ZipKarts all have the fancy doodads, ie rack/pinion steering, adjustable front end, etc. Paul was also right about a Rotax 257. It's a very good motor if you don't over-rev it. Keep it below 9500 rpm and it just goes and goes. Again, my info may be a bit dated. I do wish I had my 250 IC/E back though. It was a great ride. Also, in addition to Paul, Tim Doll, Chaz Lemmon, or Terry Ives would probably have a comment on this issue.
S

[Stephen Buckley]

Paul,
Your probably right. Like I stated, I've been out of the loop awhile. Also, as I remember, the only guys who had tire wear problems were the unlimiteds because they raced for 45 minutes. 250 IC/E has always run two 20 minutes heats so we never had any tire wear problems (I ran Maxxis HG-3's). But we're up here in the semi-frigid Pacific NW. It may be different where it gets hot!
S

[Paul Tartaglia]

Stephen, the adjustable front end is not for toe adjustments. You can do that on any kart. The adjustable front-end allows you to completely tune the front of kart (castor/KPI, camber). This necessary because without it you can not set the kart properly to adjust for static weight (driver variations), weight transfer under brakeing & cornering and chassis flex. Without these adjustments the kart will not handle correctly and you will have excessive tire wear. With an adjustable front end, you can use tire temp. to fine tune the kart for proper handling and eliminate excessive tire wear. The lack of adjustable front end/poor chassis tuning was a major contributing factor to the premature tire failure seen in the 45 min roadraces prior to 98' and is a primary reason why the IKF changed the format to two 20 min heats as a safety precaution.

Because of the higher speeds, higher weight, greater braking capability, higher corner G forces through mechanical & aerodynamic grip and high track temperatures,a 250 kart without proper front end adjustments will destroy tires. I wouldn't race a 250 that I couldn't set-up properly. They go too fast to make unexpected off track excursions!!