Is Our Sport Broken? - Road Racing - Part 1

David Cole · Last edited by David Cole on Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:09 pm, edited 2 times in total

Today's top story on eKartingNews.com is titled Is Our Sport is Broken? – Road Racing - Part 1. The commentary by the staff at EKN - Rob Howden and David Cole - examining if the IKF Road Race Grand Nationals are doomed. To read, click HERE

This thread has been started to continue the discussion on the column. We want to stress that discussion needs to be constructive and about the future. What has been in the past is not the issue as this event needs to move forward if it has any chance to grow in the future. If you have a comment, idea or suggestion as to what was discussed in the column, please publish it here. Thank you for your time.
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Steve Eady · Joined: 26 Jul 2001 Posts: 956

Rob / David

After being involved in karting for over 32 years now (dang im getting old) What I see is American karting lacks a true national champion. Back when we started the IKF Duffy was the real deal. Now there are way to many organizations, big races, clubs and most of all "CLASSES" to run. We do not need every new Euro engine and class that pops up over there in our karting series. Getting everyone togeather and building a true class and national championship program would be impossible in my opinion. Getting rid of alot of classes and the confusion to a new comer would be great. If karting could follow what the AMA has done it might get alot better.

Steve @ Extreme Motorsports
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Don Holmboe · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:41 am Post subject:

As a karter for just shy of 50 years I can tell you there is no one answer.
To speak to my own personal situation, " Its the economy, stupid""
If you took the 3 primary Regions of IKF and everyone attended the Grand National the headcount would not impress. Region 6 of IKF barely has 60 racers who will attend any one event and Region 11, at maybe 60% more than that, means a total of 150 racers. Compared to just 10 years ago, even with the WKA and KART competition, the numbers are dismal.

As the participants dwindle the costs per racer increase due to fixed costs of tracks that can still demand their price from those willing to pay.
We simply don't have enough racers to support the cost of Road Race tracks.

Even those other venues have suffered greatly with the reduction of participants. Example, in 2003 attendance in 125 open shifter at a WKA National would exceed 70 karts, now that number is 30% of that count and the Stock Honda class has not picked up the slack.

Road Racing has become the stepchild to other forms of kart racing. Is there a fix? I wish I had the answer.

Food for thought. The traditional stand alone Road Race, at least for IKF, could be replaced with Support event status. This past weekend in Portland the Road Racers ran with an SCCA venue. Excitement was elevated due to the synegism being part of a bigger show. This type of event hopefully would draw more karters into Road Racing.

As to the Grand Nationals, maybe its time to take a break and just work on venues that will reinvigorate interest in Road Racing.
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David Cole · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:50 am Post subject:

Thank you Don for your comments. This is the type of opinion and statement we want to see more of from those involved in the sport and those currently racing in the road racing category, especially in IKF. Many of the comments and opinions made here will help us as we produce Part 2 of this column over the course of the next week.

Regarding your comment about the Grand Nationals, you stated the two regions (6 and 11) have about 150 racers. Could you see each region holding their normal seasons and then come together for one BIG event (possibly a Grand National) each year? Or do you feel the event should go to the shelf for a couple years until we can inject more excitement at the regional level?
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Greg Wright · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:14 am Post subject:

OK, Here's my opinion, more than any other reason roadracing has suffered from neglect by the organizations.
The fact that the latest generation expects everything to be "plug and play" isn't helping either.
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Don Holmboe · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:17 am Post subject:

The simple answer, opinion, is no to your first question. Not everyone will attend a Grand National. One of the problems to getting attendance is the forgon conclusion that " I" have little chance of winning. Many Road Racers have perfected their skills over decades and are tough to compete against.

We need to atract more bodies to Road Racing at the Regional level first in order to draw that 10-20% to a Grand National. Hence the previous posted comment about combined events with other higher profile venues.

No organization can afford to lose money on a Grand National and our own Club is looking to take a respit from such endeavours. Unofficially speaking.

The idea of two or three Regions sharing the burden is intriguing but might be the kart before the horse. We still need to renew enthusiasm into our Road Race programs.
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Roger Miller · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:20 am Post subject:

I have more thoughts on this that I will put together and post later.

One thing - Region 11 has had a serious decline over the last two years, as the California economy has become more and more strained.

Our first two events in 2011 - which is the points season so far for NCK - had 67 and 69 entries - which was 39 and 44 individual drivers respectively.

So the discussion of Region 11 numbers, Norcal, needs to consider that, which is well below the estimate above.

NCK and Region 11 is on life support, and this started with the 2010 season.

Although we pulled off the Grands, it was a break even situation. Like SWRA we went with a plan for bringing in interesting things for the racers, tried to fit the right number of right classes into the schedule, and work it for dates that made sense.

Chris Hegar · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:02 am Post subject:

Howie Idelson · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:52 am Post subject:

Thanks Rob for getting this out and actually talking about it. I realize how much of it a potential risk it may be for you and your business to challenge the sport. One thing that I feel need addressing is the karting industry and the business practices that have permeated over many years and are the norm. I believe that the business of karting has some responsibility in all of this. The inside tire contracts with promotors/orgs, low to no product margins, back porch importers, Etc. all contribute to an overall low to no customer satisfaction and turn-over. No other hobby motorsport has this issue. Look at motocross, RC racing Etc. Yes I know many will argue that you can't compare them to us but poor business practices, short sightedness and greed aren't good anywhere. I believe some rethinking on the industry's business practices in our sport is long overdue.
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Sheldon Birmingham · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:15 am Post subject:

I have thought for awhile that SWRA would make a great division for KART. MARRS/SWRA events are always great to add #'s & reunite friends.

I can think of only 1 drawback for the racers in the midwest & that is heat racing. I've heard the arguments rom those who favor heat races. But they take up a great deal of time in a race weekend. Three day race weekends are then just about necessary. Three day race weekends complicate family commitments, add expense for track rental & support staff & it adds expense for racers in having to pay for Friday practice. In every other aspect of life, people are scrambling to cut expenses. It might make sense to evaluate what can be done to lessen the expense f a race weekend.

David Cole · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:17 am Post subject:

Rick Crist · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:43 am Post subject:

Greg and Howie are heading in the right direction.

The business model for “associated” (Grand Nationals type) kart racing needs to be rethought. If not, you’ll see more and more potential, as well as current karters (road racing and sprint) … going to other more bang for the buck options like, http://www.chumpcar.com/ and http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/ . Series like that have scoped-up a segment of participants that karting has just simply kicked to the curb for whatever reason.

IMHO, the sport itself in not broken persay. Grassroots “non-associated” kart racing is not hurting as badly as “associated” kart racing.

While the overall (directly related) business model in “associated” kart racing is indeed broken.

Take the following comment from another thread as food for thought.

Howie Idelson · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:07 pm Post subject:

The point that I failed to make was that the low turn-outs are a larger symtom of the broken industry. Road racing just happens to be the most venerable part of the sport.
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David Cole · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:16 pm Post subject:

Rick, again, your looking at a much wider scale to issues in karting rather than the focus topic we are discussing. This is a chance for those who compete in Road Racing events to express their comments and concerns moving forward. It appears that the Road Race Grand Nationals for IKF is broken and we need to address the issues to resolve it or put it on the shelf.

If anything, road racing is the more 'grassroots' genre of karting. Like Don, most of those still involved in road racing have been at if for decades, not just a few years as you see in sprint karting.

Your right Howie, some of the decline could due to a symptom of a broken industry. That is something we can address in the next column.

Again, we want to hear from those of you who are in road racing. Post your comments here so we continue this discussion and get a sense of what the feeling is outside of the opinions we heard in Texas last week.
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Debbie Kuntze · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject:

I was jotting a few notes as I read the commentary. I'm on a short lunch break so they are just what came to mind as I read for starters. As I think more on the subject later (and I am sure discuss with John and Scott) more comprehensive ideas/thoughts will come.

Anyway:

In regards to travel- clubs have to grab tracks when they can and when they can afford them. That said the IKF National Coordinator can't really say no to a club wanting a regional race when they can get a track date. So how soon after or how soon before was the IKF GN from a Gold Cup/Region 6 or Region 11 race?

Also, as most entries these days are made up of sprinters in IKF RR, when was or is next SKUSA or rotax event? Have to rely on sprinter numbers as mentioned before-no old school build your own and race it laydown.

Other part of the economy that hit IKF numbers is when IKF changed the number required by a certain date to enter to run for Duffy. Now people wait and watch entry lists and if it looks too close-they don't spend the dollars to go. Piston Port used to be the event and usually woudln't have entries in it until noon the last day when enveryone that didn't already have a Duffy or didn't break wanted one more race and it was usually a pretty darn good race (I know I ran a few)

The guys/gals who are still out there building and putting together karts are a lot of 250 pilots and the track was a turn off for roughness

2009 SWRA ticked quit alot of people off with the decision to do spec tires-you don't do that in RR-takes out the tinkering and tuning which is RR to make it to the end.

The rules for no punch requirement have been a joke and are hard to understand for most-so they don't bother

Mid Ohio, Road America, USGKP, Daytona these big events are always in the same time frame (even the past Fontana events except for one rain delay). IKF GN's never are-makes it hard to plan the year in advance.

I don't have much opinion of dedicated tracks, as racing new or different is always a kick in the pants, but the same from above paragraph seems to work Wink

(sorry for spelling-but in a huury!)
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