Official PRI All-Stars Karting Classic Discussion

Paul Malach · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 73

I'm sorry... I thought it was only a parking lot kart race, then thanks to some pictures and more explanation , I then thought it was a kart show and parking lot race.
Now, thanks to your feedback Mr. Ouimet the picture is much clearer.

This was mostly an auto perfomance show with karting attached.

I feel karting need more independence from cars.

Karting needs more video and better media coverage. (tv and online)

Don't we (karters) need our own show? Are we large enough as one without the cars attached to us?

It would be nice for the public to come only to karting.
Less distraction is better for sales and interest.

Brian G. Wilson · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:13 am Post subject:

Mr Malach,

Do you live under a frickin rock? Let me ask you a few questions and then maybe your answers will answer your own questions.

1) How many kart shops are within 30 minutes of your house? An hour? An hour and a half? How many auto parts stores are within that same distance?

2) How many of your friends own karts? How many of your friends own cars?

3) How many kart tracks are within an hour of your house? Two hours? Three hours? Now, how many car tracks (oval,dirt, drag strip) are within those same distances?

4) How many people do you know that have bought after market performance parts (air filter, intake, exhaust, rims, spark plugs, etc) for their everyday drivers? Again, how many of your friends own karts?

5) How many kart races have you been to that have had over 5,000 spectators?

There are kart specific shows, have you never been to one? If not, why not? If your the one asking for them and haven't supported them yourself, then who do you expect to support them?

I'm not trying to be rude, but the fact is that karting cannot stand on it's own as of this time. However, with the hard fought battles and sucessful efforts of ones put on like the PRI STARS event, hopefully oneday it can. PLEASE, PLEASE take the STARS event for what it was and appreciate and support those that are trying to support us, we will never get anywhere without them.
_________________
KEEP WORKING....millions of people on welfare depend on you !!

Roger Ruthhart · Joined: 24 Jul 2001 Posts: 1298

Rick Blood · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:21 am Post subject:

Settle down Brian Laughing

This was not a race as we know it.
It's purpose was not to determine who was the best or the fastest.
There were no entry fees.
It was an invitational and the racers were there to benefit karting.
It would not even exist if the PRI show wasn't there.
If it had been at the KMI show, I doubt you would have seen 5% as many spectators and they all would have been karters.
With the rebound affect, I'd wager there are now 25,000 people that now have a new or better image of karting and next year they better put up more bleachers.
The real winner was karting.
_________________
Rick Blood
www.flowdata.net

Greg Wright · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:27 am Post subject:

No question the PRI race can do nothing but help the sports visibility.

However, (Devil's advocate hat on)

Most of the spectators are already involved in motorsport at some level and I wonder if many or any will be swayed to get involved with karting.

A 14 second track in a parking lot may well appear to be more of a novelty than anything.

(Devil's advocate hat off)
_________________
Greg Wright
Rapid Racing Inc.
NKN Columnist & Host "Karting News Live"

I AM INDY!!

"When in doubt, gas it. It won't help but it ends the suspense."

Gary Osterholt · Site Admin Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 2769

Gary Osterholt · Site Admin Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 2769

Gary Osterholt · Site Admin Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 2769

Paul Malach · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 73

Roger Ruthhart wrote:
Karting has its own show - Kart Expo International, Feb. 23-24 in suburban Chicago. It's been going on for years.

Is there going to be another parking lot race at this show in Chicago or rental karts for the fans, free lap ticket at your local go-kart track?

If there is going to be a race, slower karts , less hp would be a better look, as far as less expensive entry level packages goes.

How much does it cost to buy a 2 stroke kart that was raced in Florida?

Also I personally have never been to this Kart Expo International show because it does not tour ALL of North America like some other car shows do.

I am Canadian...eh!

I personally can appreciate the AMOUNT of effort ALL people apply to karting but maybe not the KIND or TYPE of effort at times.

Mark Ouimet · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

Paul,

February in Chicago does not lend itself to an outdoor kart race. The KMI show has a little time set aside for people in the industry then the show is opened to the public. Most of the people attending are karters and their families, and the families are the closest thing to "fans" that are attracted to this show.
_________________
Mark Ouimet

Michael Valiante · Advertiser Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Posts: 110

Hello All,

In my opinion, this was one of the best things for karting. No show including EKMI (which I do think is a good thing) has ever attracted this type of interest. Joey hand and I were at the opening breakfast which had 4000 people from the show and we drove our karts to the stage in our full race gear. We then went on stage and were part of a magic show. At the end of it we promoted the race event and karting itself. Great press……

We have all tried to bring people to karting tracks etc.... You have to take karting to the people to educate them before they will start coming to the tracks. Let's be honest, no one is going to drive out to the middle of nowhere when they don't even know what they are going to see.

I have won many major auto racing events and I received the same amount of coverage if not more just from this single karting event. It is going to be televised, it was on Speed TV as a re-cap and on every major motorsports site. The pits were packed, great weather, huge full grand stands, insane media, freaking fireworks too! What more could you honestly ask for?

We need to have more events like this if you want to truly promote karting and draw people to tracks. Temporary tracks are the only way to do this. Yes it was small, tight and a little bumpy but it is the same for everyone and let’s not forgets the scope of what Stars is trying to do. PRI, X-Games etc.... is what will launch karting in to a sport of its own on a larger scale.

Stars of Karting exceeded my high expectations in every way. They could not have done a better job and anyone balancing their budget should add this to their schedule for next year.

It was a bonus winning too and I had a great, great time.

Michael Valiante
www.italianmotors.com[/url]

Gary Osterholt · Site Admin Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 2769

Tim Blaney · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 1127

Rick Crist · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject:

PRI notes, karting related, now that I’ve had a day to re-charge. Here goes ……

WOW !!! Either you get it, or you don’t.

Driving straight through, down and back, set-up and sound check on Wednesday, then running non-stop all three days of the show, then returning late Sunday evening to a wonderful ice storm, lets just say exhausted might be the right word. Some of you reading this right now know exactly what I’m saying.

Karting is a small part of my involvement in the motorsports industry, yet personally I’m a karting super-freak and will do anything in my power to support and promote the sport of karting. I think after the last few days, a few more of my “non-fans” are starting to get this and further understand that I’m really not the satin of EKN.

The karting involvement as a whole at last weeks PRI show was something I’ve been petitioning for going back almost 3 years now. A sincere thanks to everyone that participated, and I think you now know what I was saying and it’s importance.

The positive “industry” exposure karting received as a whole, was off the hook. The rewards to ALL will come in time. Entry level newbe karter, to F200, to TaG, to a shifter, the rewards will come.

Robin Miller was geeked when he pre-race and post-race interviewed the kart drivers. Honestly, I’m not sure when the last time was when I saw him smile with so much sincerity while doing interviews.

If you had to pick the one worst kart race from the PRI event, it was still 10x better than the sprints and midgets the very next night at Orlando Speed World. The midget winner passed one car for the win. And it was former karter Justin Melton that he passed. Damn it !!!

When we were talking with Steve Lewis I think his comment went something like, “in a few more years this could be the Chili Bowl of karting”, or something to that effect.

When watching the racing, I thought I was at a ¼ mile dirt bullring watching dirt late models - or at Anderson watching a USAC non-wing sprint 50 lapper.

Gary Carlton. I haven’t seen a guy come from that deep back in a stud filled field in a long damn time. Very impressive !!!

Even if some teams or drivers didn’t prefer the size of the track, it was perfect to achieve the desired goal IMO.

While setting with your “non-crowd”, oval and non-oval alike, watching some of the racing, it was very enlightening and inspiring listening to the positive comments they made about what they were seeing. I wished everyone of you “non-Rick” fans could have been setting with me as it might have helped you understand a few 100 of my past postings.

While the all access tent might have been a total cluster &^%$ at times during the racing, and a pain in your butt if you were a racer or a part of a tuning crew … the all access tent and the spectator involvement surrounding it did more for YOUR sport than most of you will ever know, or ever appreciate.

My oval racing fraternity brothers and sister respect our/your form of the sport. Please, for the last time …… learn to respect theirs. If not, YOU are only making it more difficult on guys like myself when I give YOU props publicly, knowing that YOU have disrespected what THEY do. Your only making it harder on yourself to get the respect you are asking for.

Ron Capps on a kart. Not bad for a guy that goes in a straight line.

Before doing his RaceFanRadio.com interview, Kevin Swindell’s comment to me was he would have really liked to raced in the karting event. We need to remember this for next years event. Later in his interview he commented how much he would like to race in F1. We all need to remember this too. A dirt oval guy that wants to turn right and left at the F1 level. Yep !!

Hats off to Rob Howden and David Cole for doing the RaceFanRadio.com interviews with all of the guys. Great job !!

Did the karting vendors displaying and the kart race itself garner more positive attention to the sport ? You bet !!!!

I could go on forever, but all in all ……… the PRI show was great for karting.

Jeff Grist · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Posts: 74

Michael:
Well said. Amen. You did an amazing job on the track and like always, you and your family did a great job at the show with a world class booth and great products.
I personally spoke to several people who where life long gear heads and had not considered karting until they saw the SHOW. Now they can see their kids and themsleves in karts doing exactly what you or AJ or Jamie or Bryan or Buddy or Christian or Nelson or Ron or Scott or any of the pros do for fun and conditioning.
Sorry Memo couldn't make it. Things just didn't come together. He would have loved racing in the event. Hopefully we can get him there next year.

Jeff Grist
Secrets of Speed Publications