[David Cole]

Alan, please see you Private Message. Thank you.

[David Cole]

EKN Twitter Contest Returns for Rotax Challenge of the Americas ‘Trackside Live’ Weekend

It’s always cool to see our eKartingNews.com reader rocking EKN hats and t-shirts around the paddock. We appreciate the support and we’re also happy that we can help make you look good while representing your sport, whether it’s at the track or out for dinner with the family.

eKartingNews.com is once again hosting a Twitter contest to award one lucky person the new ‘Pure’ T-Shirt. This weekend, EKN will be at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association facility in Glendale, Arizona for rounds three and four of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas, producing the second EKN Live broadcast of the 2015 season. All you have to do get the chance to win is get on Twitter and post a picture of you, either at the track or listening at home to the EKN Live coverage. You must use the #EKNatCOTA hashtag and include @ekartingnews in your tweet with your photo.

The best photo submitted from Thursday, February 12 to midnight, February 16 will have a chance to win the newest apparel from EKN.
The winner from Tucson was Pete Wendler with the following Tweet:

Sunday Funday. Love the smell of Rotax in the morning.. #EKNatCOTA #ekartingnews pic.twitter.com/kYKVaKx427

— Pete W. (@turbokitkat) January 11, 2015

Honorable Mention:

@DIlavia_Offical is ready for quali here at #EKNatCOTA @eKartingNews pic.twitter.com/GsaAmSTjpx

— J3 Competition (@J3Competition) January 11, 2015

@eKartingNews @ericchurch @RobHowden #EKNatCOTA has my heart but Nashville is where Church is. pic.twitter.com/CttJafcHpI

— Christopher Wheeler (@thechriswheeler) January 11, 2015

[David Cole]

Received notification that Dart Kart Club will host an event at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky on August 15-16.

[David Cole]

Thank you Derek. Do you feel just one ‘WTB’ catch all section, including chassis, engines, parts, misc.?

Interested what others think. Thanks.

[David Cole]

Kart Racing Pro and rFactor have karting. I did rFactor back before my kid was born (2007) with Nick Johnston and a bunch of others. It was fun and it was just good to do when there was nothing else going on. Too busy now, and I haven’t tried the new rFactor2.

[David Cole]

Dropbox seems to be a good way to share files. You can make it a public folder, and increase your space just be inviting more people to use Dropbox. I have nearly 10GB in space all free. I sometimes have to clean it out with large videos I am no longer sharing, but it’s an option.

You can also you Facebook. Basically, upload the photo and right-click on the photo. It will give you the option for the ‘Copy image URL’. Then you just paste it here when you post.

Example, direct from my Facebook profile pic: 

[David Cole]

Yes, with limited oils approved.

[David Cole]

Here is a great recap, which I could not have written any better, by Jim Conlin

I’ve been reading some of the comments about the Kart Life premier last night. Holy cow. For 15 years I have listened to people whine and complain about how the great sport of karting never gets the TV exposure it deserves. It finally does and all these people do is whine and complain about editing and that its not how they would have done it. Frankly I was expecting much worse.

But what this morning’s comments reveal most is that karting has it’s own version of the 99% vs 1% economic tension. 99% of kart racers are revolted that 1% are spending exorbitant amounts of money on karting.

News Flash: The network executives know their audience and the people commenting on karting pages and forums aren’t them.

News Flash: At the very top level several kids are being fast tracked to professional careers. If you race several classes almost every weekend almost year round all over the country, it is going to be expensive. Easily over $100k if you want to hire the best services to give the kid their best chance.

News Flash: There’s just as much parent drama in soccer, baseball, gymnastics, you name it. That’s the American culture in the 21st century. It’s just that those sports last an hour or two as opposed to three 14 hour days.

News Flash: Entry level club racing where people are racing economically isn’t compelling enough for a TV show. Sorry. But if you think it is or if you think nothing could be more intense than your local club races you’ve never been to a national level kart race.

News Flash: There is no such thing as bad publicity. Go out and educate your local potential kart racers. Kart Life has given you an amazing opportunity to bring new people into the sport. Go make the most of it.

[David Cole]

So, what were your thoughts after viewing the show last night, if you did not see it online previously?

[David Cole]

A kart???? I’d like to race every race group if I could. :)

I’d like to do either Stock Leopard or the Stock Honda classes.

[David Cole]

Thanks Robby. The EKN duo has this marked on our travel plans for 2015, looking to enjoy a debut event at such a great facility.

[David Cole]

Nose piece, depends on how narrow you want to run the front width. If you can get your tires to be under 38″ from outside to outside, then look into getting a new nose piece. If not, stick with the 40″.

Not sure on the pipe, but it depends on the engine and gearing you are utilizing. Something that is for top end is better, depends on what you have.

Tires are open, and depends on what you prefer. Some use the 5″ wheels, some use 6″. Hoosier seems to be among the popular brands now.

[David Cole]

Thanks Brian. Forgot to add in the Michigan Kart Club dates. I haven’t been to MIS since the early 90s. I will miss it again this year, as the RoboPong 200 at New Castle is scheduled the same weekend. See you when you come up for Grattan in May.

[David Cole]

Carl,

You are never too old to be karting. The United States has drivers older than 60 and even 70 years old still racing. Karting, as a sport, is a hobby for about 95% of the people involved. The other do it as a profession, or as a building block toward professional motorsports.

Success in karting will not happen overnight. It takes hard work and determination, just like anything else. If you don’t have the funding, I would stick with ‘Arrive & Drive’ until you can afford to purchase your own kart to race competitively.

[David Cole]

Hi Josh,

WKA is going through a transition period right now, with the President and other personal stepping down. We are hoping to have an interview with new President John Ferris in the near future.

[David Cole]

Hello Carl,

I am not sure what tracks in the UK have it, but there are ‘arrive and drive’ options available, or what we call ‘rental’ karts. I would contact the guys at http://www.karting1.co.uk/ to see what is available in your area.

[David Cole]

Bump

[David Cole]

How the heck are you able to watch the show?  I’ve tried truTV.com but when I open the video it acts like it’s loading but after 5-10 minutes still loading.  I tried the iPad but don’t see where you can download it?  I even tried the truTV app but I don’t see the show being listed?  Help?

I’m having the same issue with ATT Uverse. It won’t load. Trying to get a DirecTV login.

[David Cole]

I’ll assume those facilities make their money on the big events, so they can afford to not ‘gouge’ the club racers at AMA tracks. And once again, to build a dirt track costs much less than a pavement track, thus the initial cost is not comparable. Hell, Grattan built one with a couple of earth movers, that’s its. Spend some money on water and the equipment upkeep, and you have yourself an AMA course.

Everything they brought in was profit. No overhead costs, nothing. You look at the 2-mile road course, they spent thousands of dollars to pave the road course, so prices go up, and up and up to rent the track, especially operating only from April to October.

[David Cole]

Sorry, I forgot to include the most important difference between AMA, Dirt Late Models and other forms of motorsports to karting – Spectators.

Tracks can make their money on charging $10-20 per person to come and watch an event. AMA, they get thousandths of spectators, so plenty of revenue there. Oval tracks, most local programs can get anywhere from 100 t0 500 depending on the size of facility, weather, location, etc. 500 people at $20 a ticket is an easy $10,000. There is your purse for racing.

Karting, pit pass money goes toward paying the insurance, anywhere from $3-5 per pass, about the same goes to the track for their insurance program, and then the rest goes to the series/promoter to help pay costs, or to fund the trophy fund.

Is national karting expensive, yes, it can be when you include all the travel costs and equipment to be at the best it can be. Are promoters making million$ on hosting events. No, they are making decent living while taking the risk of promoting events.

[David Cole]

Those programs you listed all have more support from within the industry to host events. AMA has Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha all behind the sport. Late Models have a huge list of engine builders, parts manufacturers, etc all supporting the sport.

Looking at dirt oval karting compared to sprint oval is like apples and oranges. The track rental is much less, as you can build a dirt oval in your own backyard. To do a sprint track, you are looking at a much larger piece of land, a lot of money dropped into pavement. So rental fees for clubs/series to go into a dirt track is much, much less than a sprint track.

Example: WKA Daytona KartWeek – entry was $240 for a trophy class. That includes practice, qualifying, two heat races, a Prefinal and Final. Say you get 5 sessions of practice, that’s around $24 a session, not counting the two warm-up sessions. That’s pretty good considering indoor karting is around $15 a session.

Example: Rotax Challenge of the Americas for Senior Max is $1095. That includes the following:
Friday Practice
Saturday Race Entry
Sunday Race Entry
1 pail of race fuel* ($75)
1L XPS oil* ($20)
Race tires** ($276×2)
Driver Pit Pass ($25)
1 Pit spot for trailer – you’ll need an extra pit spot if you want a motorhome on the paddock. ($100)

If you look just at Friday-Sunday Entry, that’s $323. Break that down by the session, 5 on Friday, 4 Saturday, 4 Sunday, that’s $24 a session.

[David Cole]

Depends on the series and/or promoter.

The first major cost is the track. Each facility has different rental fees, and then you have to understand what comes with it, and what doesn’t. Certain facilities may need you to bring in security, or a front gate person to sell the pit passes. You may need to source out your own Ambulance or medical personal.

Pit pass, parking, entry fee and practice fee all go towards that initial cost. The money left over goes to paying the staff hired to put on the event. That money left over is to pay for prizes and other items.

There is a long list of costs that the normal racer does not see when someone or a group is putting on an event. It takes a lot of work and time, and is not something you can just pick up and do at any moment.

From experience in Road Racing here in Michigan, I believe our break-even point was around 250 entries, depending on the year. If we had less, the club lost money. If we had more, we made money to be able to buy year-end trophies and save for a rainy day.

[David Cole]

Complete coverage can be found at the EKN Event Page.

Listen to all the race calls of the main events in the daily reports, or on the EKN Youtube Page

[David Cole]

Masters Max Sunday Final

1. Paul Bonilla +0.419
2. John Crow
3. Joey McGuire
4. Scott Falcone
5. Ken Maxfield
6. Perry Needham
7. David Pergande
8. Christopher Patterson
9. John Breidinger
10. Chad Wallace

[David Cole]

DD2 Sunday Final

1. Michael Ilavia +0.119
2. Sabre Cook
3. Matt Jaskol
4. Bailey Murphy
5. Christian Bird
6. Ben Schermerhorn

[Author]

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