[Gary Lawson]

The tire looks like it was used prior and flipped on the rim so a lot of camber has been cut into what is now the outside of the tire. It also appears to be a Bridgestone YLC and they have a naturally round profile. All this coupled with running a clone that are not very fast may lead to some funky looking build-up. Air pressure could also be a factor. What pressure you running and also what track?

[Gary Lawson]

Can take another pic zoomed out a little to see the kart a little? What are alignment settings? Toe and camber. Why does the rim look really wide and what kart and engine package

[Gary Lawson]

I will take it. Paypal ready

[Gary Lawson]

It’s hard to appreciate the value of a uspks event without attending. Laps/$ are very good and you have a lot of additional things going on. Cookouts, games etc

[Gary Lawson]

David how do you feel about the 206 class being a class at the Canadian nationals? If I understand it correctly anyway. I like that some of the veteran/talented racers chose to run it last year. Classes like that are awesome to watch. So much action even though the speed isn’t overwhelming

[Gary Lawson]

How do the lappers feel when they take out the leader in a big event? If I ever did that I would feel beyond awful and that I should not be on the same race track as those drivers until I improve significantly. These aren’t 1/4 mile circuits. I also don’t respect them more for roughing it out when things are obviously not going their way to the point of being lapped. Show respect for the leaders and pull off. This isn’t NASCAR where you are accumulating valuable points riding around in the back multiple laps down. This is not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings or single anyone out. It is simply my opinion.

[Gary Lawson]

I despise the end on the Prisma guage. I would not trade my intercomp digital for anything. Get the 45* chuck. I got mine in 07. Still going strong and battery has only been replaced once!have checked it against at least 4 other identical guages and they were either exact or .1 different. Its the one tool I cannot live without or substitute at the track.

[Gary Lawson]

I would give kartsport a call and either talk to Brandon or Eric Jones. I would recommend you first just get the margay you have with the methanol engine and run that for a few practice days if your son is able to fit in the kart. Try to get with someone that can at least go over the kart and have it assembled properly with the correct size seat etc. If the margay kart is not the sportsman/cadet model then he will have difficulty reaching the pedals without major modification. You will also want to be CERTAIN their is a very small restrictor in the motor if their is not one already installed. I would also not give the kart more than half throttle even with the plate for his first session and make sure he is on track by himself the first time. Safety should be the main concern to start with. Also need to make sure the throttle returns easily and the brakes work well. At 7 years old it actually would be more appropriate to try a “kid kart” which is a 50cc comer engine scaled down significantly for young/small drivers.

Don’t be scared by what some spend on budgets at national events. That is not exactly the norm and at the local level many spend less than a few thousand for the entire year once they have their equipment. Post any questions or message me and I will be happy to help. The LO206 engine is the way to go for both beginning drivers and someone on a budget. Basically a brand new race ready engine package for 750 that you can run all season with little to no maintenance. Just change oil once a day and keep pump gas filled up. It’s the fastest growing class at Mooresville from what I understand.

[Gary Lawson]

The world formula is a great package that never took off. My opinion is many drivers dont want engines to be even. Some like to try to outspend competitors to get an advantage while others like to have an excuse for why they dont win. I went two years of nationals on my world formula without a rebuild. I could buy another every season just with the money saved on rebuilds. Hopefully many continue to come to their senses and don’t treat the 206 the same way. Initial numbers at tracks look promising! My engine builder has done 6 already this yr and hadn’t done one prior.

[Gary Lawson]

Bearing companies will tell you to use grease for a reason…races are not won on the kart stand. That said, they should not be “packed.” Light coat is all you need.

[Gary Lawson]

Both magnetic receivers gone.

[Gary Lawson]

Trackside beacon SOLD

one magnetic receiver still available

[Gary Lawson]

The flathead had great success and it wasn’t fast. The 206 is faster than the flathead was and it is a better engine for a beginning/inexperienced karter than anything else on the market. Granted, I too like going faster with the blueprinted alky animal. Unfortunately, it is all but dead in the sprint world. I would go back to the flathead in a second if it meant racing against 50 karts. I would be interested in going to Canada to run the big 206 national event they had last year if it continues to grow.

Clubs leaders need to ask if the class structure they currently offer is good for longterm/future growth. They need to be proactive and not reactive.

Bob V. I see the problems that you are facing. My hope is that briggs racing starts booming at surrounding track and your club sees the value it could offer.  A $1500 yamaha does not sound very appealing as a starter package compared to a 206 at half the price. I guess the mission needs to be one club at a time…

[Gary Lawson]

Sprint racers never got in a deep as the oval world in regards to clones. The biggest sprint clone race I know of was king of the castle with around 30. Otherwise gold cup had around 20 when it was at its peak. Barnesville and Jacksonville both had strong clone programs at the time. New castle and mid state also had good clone programs as recently as last year. This is no longer the case at many of these tracks with most converting to the 206 and some to the Pro Gas Animal. Pro gas had 30 entries at Jacksonville, the largest class size gold cup has had in years.

Couple other discussion points: 206 for sr makes sense at the local level obviously. Is there room for the pro gas package also? Would clubs have the racers to support both? Pro gas makes sense as an alternative to yamaha can when wanting to go faster than a 206.

I will admit most of my thoughts are usually directed towards the sr classes because that is what I race. However, the greatest focus needs placed on developing solid structure for the younger classes.
The 206 kid kart engine is an obvious starting point.

Now, should the next class be 8-10 or 8-12? Continuing to utilize the 206 from the kid kart with only a carburetor slide change makes sense. Would this be the time to introduce the sportsman pro gas class or leave it just 206s? I know this is when many kids leave to go run a 2cycle because they are typically faster.

Moving to the 12-15 year olds the same decision needs to be made as in sportsman. So you run a 206 and pro gas class?

My next thought is on bodywork. Although not as crucial a decision as engine rules I believe it has a great effect on participation in some instances, albeit unwarranted in my opinion. I hear from many that run cik bodywork that the advantage of full bodies deters them from attending some events with open bodywork because of the aerodynamic advantage. Even in the most extreme circumstances the difference is negligible in sprint racing. Even so, would we be better off just going to cik bodywork on everything? Many enjoy using cik bodywork because they are so easy to put on and it makes the kart more accessible to work on. Not to mention that that all karts imported from other countries come with cik bodywork along with some made in the USA. The cost of most of these imported karts is not appealing to me however and should factor in to the decision on bodywork rules if one style was to be mandated.

Sit up style seat vs. Laydown seats is also a similar issue.

[Gary Lawson]

Paul, at the last national in jacksonville I practiced on my used tires on Friday. Put my new tires on for the Friday night money race. Raced the same set Saturday. Then raced the same set in two classes on Sunday. Two wins, 2nd,3rd and won$1400 and only one set of tires that was ~200$. Kart is 7 years old. Engine was fresh. Rain tires are readily available from multiple vendors. No need to buy ahead.

The way you stated it, running nationals wouldn’t much fun and very expensive. My actual experience sounds pretty good…

[Gary Lawson]

This is a great topic with a lot of valid points made by both all that have commented. Steve is a major supporter of 4cycle and briggs racing in general and I can sense his urgency for someone to take advantage of the opportunity that is available for someone to take control and guide 4cycle sprint racing back to where it once was just 10-12 years ago when >40 entries was the norm in the majority of classes (mainly utilizing the flathead engine).

The main issue at hand is that the current formula for 4 cycle racing is not ideal. There is effectively no ladder system for a 4cycle sprint racer to make the proper  progression from the club level to the regional and national level. This has partly been do to rules instability or undesirable packages at the national level. As a result clubs have come up with their own rules and engines and no longer follow WKA as has been stated. All of the local tracks in my area are guilty of this. They are mostly 4cycle based clubs and they follow their own rules. As a result, these tracks rarely see advancement of racers from the local level. In the past, countless racers came from these tracks and were very supportive and successful in the Gold Cup series.  I am shocked to see how few racers now participate from Ohio.

Fortunately, I think with the addition of the  LO 206 at many of the local tracks in Ohio, IN, and PA will help to get local tracks back in alignment as far as rules. However, I still know a track that encourages customers to not by a 206 and get a regular stock animal instead so they are unable to go to a surrounding track. This type of thought process is the ultimate problem. Too many rules that limit participation!

Go back to when the gold cup, or karting in general, was at it’s peak…..You could take your kart with a Yamaha or Briggs flathead on it and go race at any track or race you could imagine. You didn’t have to worry about if your package would be legal because of what tires, body, seat, wheels, or whatever else that organizations have found ways to mandate to their liking.

Back to the specific topic…David and Steve both make great points on the need to build 4cycle sprint karting outside the national level. The current structure at the national level looks very encouraging with the strong increase in entries the last year and a half with the Pro Gas classses. The next step is deciding on the best way to implement these classes below the national level. Again, the 206 is a start, but where do we go next? Do we wait for the 206 to reach its full potential and then push the pro gas?

 

Anyway, I have plenty more to say on the topic….to be continued.

[Gary Lawson]

Adding about 4 teeth from new castle should be close enough to get started.

[Gary Lawson]

Harder frees up the rear on otk

[Gary Lawson]

The arrow without a doubt. It will be the fastest and easiest to set up

[Gary Lawson]

This is definitely a question that cannot be given a definitive answer because it is yes and no. It is very dependent on the specific make and model of the kart.  Some karts could be said to have a “shelf life” in that they will flex out depending on the tubing that is used. Other karts (usually on the stiffer side) seem to almost never wear out as long as you keep the components in good shape.  My kart is an 08. The axle in it is a few years old, having been replaced when it was bent. The spindles were both original until last year at rock island when I wrecked in qualifying after hitting a piece of lead at the apex of the right hander. The seat is original and in the same position from 08. Rear bearing were run multiple years from original and since replaced with SKF ceramic bearings. This model arrow did not have the gusset on the rear cross member from the factory and did crack in 09. I found the crack before it broke completely. Rewelded and also put in gusset. No problem since. The left seat strut cracked 2 years ago and had to be rewelded. Around that time the steering upright cracked at the top where the shaft bolts in. The upright is removable and I replaced it. Lastly, the frame cracked at the right front a few weeks ago at the jacksonville race. The kart wasn’t handling as well as usual so I started looking and found it. Welded it up and picked up the time I needed instantly. So anyway, through all this I still feel this kart is just as good as a new arrow. 2 years ago I was curious myself and went to test it against a brand new kart that was the exact same year and model that I had sitting around. Same engine, tires, and exact same setup. Everything was exactly the same and the karts ran within a tenth of a second on a track over 1 minute long with the older kart being faster.

Back in 96 I had a top kart that was 28mm tubing that I raced in jr. The kart was very fast for about 1 year. After that it only ran well for a short time if it had new tires. The kart was so soft the RF would gradually bend up from the counter clockwise track we raced at.

I have had similar experience with margays but they last much longer. Many have run margays for 5 years or more and they are as fast as they were new. Eventually they start to break like the arrow at the rear cross member and then other places. The frames become very soft and corner weights will change significantly from session to session.

Tony Karts and the rest of the OTK karts I would have a difficult time buying used because they are so soft that if you bend a front end component the frame will also need straightened. I can’t really attest to them being flexed out because I don’t know if I’ve seen one straight long enough to get to that point. You will hear many talk about the big teams replacing the OTK karts after every race or two. On the other hand I know some that have taken good care of their karts and have won big events on Tony Karts a few years old. Granted these karts weren’t raced 20 events a year for 3 years, but they had significant time on them.  I would however, be very skeptical to think that an OTK kart could handle the amount of races my arrow has and still be as fast.

In general, many of the Euro karts have a tendency to be very soft. You can’t argue the overall success of the OTK line and many manufacturers appear to be following suit in frame design and construction. Simply look at the frame layout of the OTK kart and then compare to a Top kart, Birel, Praga, etc. Paint them all the same color and you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart.

Overall frame design of many manufacturers does not vary much from year to year. I would guess if you found a 4 year old tony kart brand new in a box the only differences from a new one today would be basically cosmetic.

I apologize my post wanders and is pretty unorganized, but I hope you find it helpful.

[Gary Lawson]

I have one I may part with for the right price with brand new speed sensor. Box in great shape. Message me an offer.

[Gary Lawson]

Good call going to the smaller clutch.  The stinger or Hilliard flame are good choices. Engagement should be around 3800

[Gary Lawson]

How many patch cables and speed sensors you need?

[Gary Lawson]

As mentioned contact patch is unaltered and circumference differences are cancelled out by gear changes. The difference is the change in sidewall stiffness. Wider wheels stiffen the sidewall and decrease grip. On a spec tire like ylc you want the 210 or 212. No bigger.

[Gary Lawson]

Just saw this post. I can contact some people if you are still interested.  Most gold cup people don’t frequent this site. Email me. Garylawson25@yahoo.com

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