[Greg Wright]

Beyond EKN, Kartpulse, Facebook where do we start this media blitz. Can sites (and magazines) like Racer.com be arm twisted into giving it a shot. The lack of true mainstream media outlets for all forms of motorsport seem to be getting increasingly limited.

We need a central clearing house to distribute results, race reports, publicity and more.

Thoughts?

[Greg Wright]

All ideas are appreciated, Love the Pro-Am idea but really wonder about the logistics and cost particularly on the celeb side.

The youtube video idea is also good and can be good for spreading the word. While there’s tons of kart racing of all kinds on youtube a properly put together vid with titles and an announcer (I’ll do it!!) is a great thought. I do know a guy that has all the assets but he is currently working on a feature length video about real kart racing. I’m doing some work with him at this time. It’s not strictly roadracing however it does feature some.

Check it out on facebook; We are karters.

[Greg Wright]

Eric see the above post about New Concept (Ed Shampine) bodywork is available from Wilshire Walkup via CKI.

[Greg Wright]

Robert,

 

An easier turn key roadracing kart is something that roadracing has needed for decades. Surely there could be some sort of more or less spec bodywork that could be used. Nobody know better than I do what a job it is to put a laydown together with proper bodywork. I don’t mind doing it but I have the facilities and chops to do it myself. New guys? Not so much.

I definitely agree on the time thing, That is probably the main factor (besides being old and broke) that caused me to semi-retire from roadracing. One difference from sprint racing is that you likely won’t run as many events so in some ways it evens out other than the traveling involved.

Commercial?? Yeah, where would it be run, other than a small number of websites like this one there is a dearth of karting media available and much of what there is ignores roadracing. It was easier when there were several monthly publications available. There’s a way somehow, we just have to find out what it is.

Owed? Bet your butt!

[Greg Wright]

Robert,

I’ve got to give it to you, at least you guys try. I’m playing with some ideas or at least looking for some ideas. I can’t sit idly while my favorite segment of our sport is allowed to waste away.

IRP isn’t just in ill repair, it’s an unusable, pothole ridden ghost of what it once was. I’ve never understood why Putnam always had trouble pulling in big enough fields to make the event financially viable. In my opinion it’s a hell of a race track.

Dismore owes me? OK, I’ll buy that. I will say that for what ever reason the CKS guys turned their backs on the roadracers even though that is where they gained much of their reputation.

Never give up, never surrender.

[Greg Wright]

OK, now that we agree with David’s column (again +100) what are we as a racing community going to do about it?

The major organizations (other than KART) either have nothing to do with roadracing or treat it as an unwanted step child. This certainly results in the roadracing fraternity to more or less fend for itself.

How do we change that? This is also the reason that roadracing is for the most part given minimal to no coverage at all. No wonder so many are actually unaware even of it’s existence.

Besides the lack of much in the way of help from the National orgs there are other barriers to overcome.

Many sprint karters are no longer the speed freaks that many of are and they are scared of the speed.

Many sprint karters seem to feel that roadracing is insanely dangerous. While admittedly there have been incidents there have also been incidents in sprint racing, oval racing, street racing etc.

Many sprint karters seem to think that roadracing is terribly hard on equipment in spite of the fact that roadracing chassis stay competitive for season after season.  When confronted with that statement I have to only look back a handful of years when I decided to take advantage of the local sprint track being NCMP and sprint raced for four years. In four years time I tore up more equipment and hurt more engines than I did in 30+ years of roadracing.

I would love to see this conversation blossom, I will do anything that I can to help build some momentum in the roadracing ranks.

[Greg Wright]

Hey David, +100 on your column.

[Greg Wright]

Rob, I for one appreciate those 16+ hour days. Been there, done that. It’s a tough gig for sure.

[Greg Wright]

Who got offended? My point was that there was lots of racing other than Man Cup at Daytona. I did a bit of casual number crunching and it appears that the RoadRace series had in the vicinity of 500 entries.

Yo Rob, I know that you couldn’t be in more than one place at a time (been there, done that) but without at least researching the final results of the other series running over Kartweek makes things seem lopsided.

[Greg Wright]

Xander, I assume you realize that Scott Sigafoos and I are referring to the Road Race series on the big track. Sportsman is a totally different deal in roadracing being an adult class.

Do most of the members of this forum realize that the Daytona Man Cup event was the smallest of the three events going on in Daytona?

Didn’t think so.

[Greg Wright]

Scott, I understand that Pete Michel’s son Matt took a hard ride at Daytona on the main track (The big one) and broke a number of ribs and took a bad pounding.

I also understand that he was released from the hospital the same day.

[Greg Wright]

Rob, Will you be posting results from the RoadRace series??

[Greg Wright]

My comments are not about SKUSA’s claiming rule per se but about engine claiming rules in general.

Claiming rules have come and gone several times in the history of kart racing and others. None have actually worked by my observation. Usually there seems to be some sort of “gentlemen’s agreement” that no engines will be claimed.

One other result that I have personally witnessed nearly becomes a conspiracy theory type of thing. It usually goes like this;

Race #1. Winner’s engine is claimed, winner refuses to let engine go and is disqualified and suspended.

Race #2. Winner’s engine is claimed, winner refused to let engine go and is disqualified and suspended.

By the 4th or 5th race of the season a quarter of the field is suspended and the rule fades into obscurity.

 

Take my comments for what they’re worth.

[Greg Wright]

Thanks Brian.

[Greg Wright]

Maybe it’s an optical illusion but aren’t those front tires a little bigger than the normal 450-5?

[Greg Wright]

greg@rapidracing.com

[Greg Wright]

Would have to see the crankcase, but you can replace just the driver side crank half.

 

I’ll gladly rebuild it for you if you want. Wasn’t trying to promote a job necessarily.

[Greg Wright]

You should be able to repair the one you have for somewhere in the middle of those figures and you will have a freshly rebuilt engine rather than an unknown used engine.

[Greg Wright]

What engine are you running, a TAG or Rotax almost has to use o-ring chain, other classes it’s mostly just an extra expense.

[Greg Wright]

I really don’t believe that a 125cc shifter kart is where you need to be right now.  Do E-Town and/or OVRP have shifter classes?

[Greg Wright]

I just don’t get the overall distaste for the pipe. Just doesn’t make sense to me.

[Greg Wright]

MCP brakes are among the best around and they are affordable and long lasting.

[Greg Wright]

I must be thick, I don’t understand your question.

[Greg Wright]

It doesn’t take a lot of twist in the crank assy for it to rub the cases.

[Greg Wright]

The OP never mentioned dirt tracks, he said dirt roads. I can’t possibly say that’s OK, it’s not.

[Author]

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