EKN Editorial: The Bottom Line w/Rob Howden - 10.22.08

Chris Livengood · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:52 am Post subject:

Why not a spec chassis design from several US manufacturers produced and sold at a spec'd price/ price range? Thus the market is based on support from individual manufacturers/dealer but not necesarily the total R&D budget of a particular manufacturer. Just thinking aloud.

I am glad to hear that EKN is looking into club further. It is a logical move from a business standpoint and may also offer a fresh prospective on what state the majority of the karting scene is in.
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Charles Kaneb · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

alan speyrer · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 1329

how about Formula Y. Direct drive Yamaha. the engine with blueprint is only 1k, no clutch, spec pipe. I raced it at the manufacturers cup series, it was fast and fun and cheap.

Brian O'Hara · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:10 am Post subject:

Ten years ago, there was Formula Y....I am sure that some remember that. Simple engines, no clutch, spec pipe, hard tires and great racing. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. It's a concept that works in Asia and Austrailia, and maybe it is something we need to revisit here.

Billy Smith · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:11 am Post subject:

I am fairly sure that there are cheaper chassis out there that when paired with a PRD Fireball would only cost about 3500 to 4000 dollars.

I think for a little extra money, the buyer is rewarded with so much additional performance and fun.

Ken Gregory · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 54

Sounds like the chicken or the egg discussion. The point being, in one minute the competiton committes say that we are running out of tracks to run on. The home tracks and premier facilities are renting to wealthier organizations and that is why we must support the same tracks year after year otherwise we will lose our events. Understanding that this is not necessarily accurate when Sprint tracks are concerned; However,the issue does exist.

The root of the problem exists with the competition committes who have an inherit conflict of interest when it comes to the membership racers. These committte members are influenced by the Kart shops that import the equipment and then tell you what you need to buy and run at there selected tracks. Now the sprint tracks and road racers are lead around like a bunch of sheepeople.

It is time for the members to regain control of there Organization and make the demands to the officers.

Keith Bridgeman · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:21 am Post subject:

All the talk about engines and chassis means nothing until karting gets a good hold on what should be run at a club, regional and national level. If you look across the country at Mylaps you can see that no club has the same classes, not even close. These means that every club is doing their own thing. Clubs need to work together so series race weekends don't overlap. Regional series need to work together and national series need to look at this and decide which is best. It needs to be a good progression from a turn key $1500 kart to a $3000 kart and up. The chassis and engine costs are a key to help but I feel its an organizational issue with karting.

Ken, I wrote this while you sent your response. Same thought.
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Ken Gregory · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 54

Couldn't agree with you Keith anymore if I could.

Rob Howden · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:27 am Post subject:

Rob Howden · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:29 am Post subject:

Patrick Moreau · Joined: 14 May 2004 Posts: 14 Location: Canada, Québec,

To bring karting at a low cost level the only solution is to remove any human being from the equation! lol

Ten years ago, people came to race with their small trailer (or even some with their kart on the top of their car!) and had fun. Now, they come with a 40 ft motor home, haul a 30 ft trailer, employees etc... This is not only a karting problem; it is the same in any sport. When I was young, we were playing hockey from September to April and baseball from May to August. Now if you are a hockey player, you play from August to May AND have specialized hockey school during summer. Some are playing 12 months a year. Kids use $350 skates, $150 hockey stick (which not last more than the wood stick) and so on...

When I went to the first chess tournament of my son (he was 5 y.o. at that time), it was an inter schools tournament and some kids where there with their personal coach!!!

For the karting itself, right that TAG power plants cost more than a free air engine. But most of the local competitors just have one and over the year, if you take all the maintenance costs, they are cheaper to use and you don't need 2 or 3 engines. Tires are not more expensive then they were 10 years ago (excluding inflation) and with the new generations of hard compounds, they last longer to practice and in some class, you can use them for more and 1 event. Tag engines run on premium at $3/gallon instead of racing fuel at $20/gallon

Now kids are racing with $1200 helmet on their head plus $500 for the paint, and this helmet will probably be too small after one year of two. Is karting now too expensive? I don't think so if you concentrate on the basic of the sport. Pride, or should I say hubris, is not related to the sport but to human beings. But as I told before, this problem is not only related to karting …

Rob Howden · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:33 am Post subject:

Kris Zimmerman · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:45 am Post subject:

For cost effectiveness on a weekend to weekend basis, I think running a four stroke makes sense for a starter class or even for karters that are tired of spending every spare penny on their "fast" ride.

Giving a two stroke to a beginner tuner is a fast way to make people frustrated with the sport. Too many new karters have shown up at the track with their new two stroke to blow a whole in the piston because they didn't understand "Joe Bob" racer's two cent carburetor tuning lesson that morning. Even KT100 parts add up fast when you are on the learning curve.

Spec a four stroke class with a stock dry clutch (non-adjustable), really hard tires, 40mm axle or smaller, non-adjustable caster/camber, each track has a spec gear based on length of straightaway and I might just park my shifter and join the fun. Maybe we could get the American chassis back in the game, all they need to do is start building chassis from the past.

Pro Twin Spec Four Stroke on super hard tires anyone?

Hard tires would have more advantage than just lasting longer, they teach people to drive. Bring back the Goodyear Blue Streak and Carlisle tires Razz

Robert Castro · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:01 am Post subject:

Rob, great article!

Karting needs to stay away from the "PRO" mentality.
All the "Tuners", "Team Tents", "latest chassis from Europe" it is just damaging the average club racer.
Let the new people in karting develop and grow with the sport. Lets get back to what karting is all about.... A FAMILY HOBBY.

I remember in a seminar by Mike Wilson 2 years ago at the E-KMI, how he mentioned about the days when he traveled with his Dad to and from a kart race in the back of the family van.

Our own karting American drivers; did Brian Jacobsen learn all he knows about karting and his driving abilities in a "Pro Tent" or a "Team" that cost couple thousand of dollars a weekend?

We need to get back to the roots of karting.

Roberto Castro