[Greg Dingess]

The Brava 4.15 uses the billet system and the Ignite K3 uses the Cast system.  The 4.15 has a little more stopping power, but both systems are more than enough for LO206 racing.

I’d recommend the Ignite K3 from Fastech.  The baseline set-up window is very wide, which eliminates the need to make adjustments right out of the gate.  This will allow you to focus on driving, your hands, feet, etc.  The important stuff! :)

[Greg Dingess]

I imagine the new format will renew some interest in the program.  Combine that with the prestige of the Kartweek event and I think the classes should be good sized.  WKA is making positive strides.

I can’t speak for TaG/Yamaha group, but we are bringing 8 LO206 Senior drivers.

[Greg Dingess]

I hardly think EKN is to blame?  Maxspeed has their own internal media outlet, so the coverage is available.

[quote quote=56046]There is a big race happening right now, in the US, where factory drivers from Europe are competing against some of America’s best. This, is kind of a big story for karting I would guess. [/quote]

To be fair to EKN, there are TWO European factory drivers in a shifter class with 4 total entries.  Not really much to cover…

I share your enthusiasm for karting, but I think EKN is doing the right thing but letting Maxspeed broadcast as they see fit.  JMO.

Coverage is available here – http://maxspeedentertainment.com/mse-live/

[Greg Dingess]

This was the way karts were built for many years, laydown enduro’s  in particular.

I wonder how many broken feet we would see if this was the way karts were produced now days ?

That kart wouldn’t be as fast today. There is no magnesium heel stop or adjustable billet pedals….. ;)

[Greg Dingess]

Canada is in the ideal situation.  They have one sanctioning body, two distinct engine programs, and one national championship.

Unfortunately we don’t have that singularity in North America.  We have 5 major sanctioning bodies that are all pushing different packages and all have different plans for the future.  None of them are going anywhere, anytime soon and they are all fighting for the attention of the same 400 or so national racers.  Thus our strategy has to be modified accordingly.

I disagree with Rick’s “<span style=”color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;”>Part of the reason we have the mess we do is because we’ve allowed each group at the bottom to push things up…” statement.  All 5 of the mentioned sanctioning bodies in North America make their decisions independent from the bottom of the pyramid.  I also find it frustrating that we keep looking to Europe to show us the way.  We have a different economy than Europe, a different culture than Europe, and a different karting scene than Europe.  Our answers to finding success and numbers in karting lies within our own borders.</span>

We have 316 million people in this country.  USPKS or any other series can brag about how they have a whole 170 entries, but the reality of it is that every karter, kart shop, club and sanctioning body should be scratching their heads trying to figure out why there are only 170 and not 1,700… I’ve already voiced my opinion on that solution in my earlier posts, so I won’t bore anyone ;).

Keep in mind too that the FIA, AMA, etc. are all big organizations with big annual revenues.  Karting bodies in the US are a couple of paid staff members and a lot of devoted volunteers.

[Greg Dingess]

I think everyone can agree on the general problem: we need more people racing go karts.  Where people will start to disagree, is how do we make that happen?

I think licensing, scholarships, etc all have merit but I think you are putting the kart before the horse.  I don’t think those are the issues currently keeping people out.

When a suburb family is at the dinner table deciding if they want to try kart racing, they aren’t doing so with the mindset that they want to dominate at the nationals by next season, or drive for a factory team in two years.  They just want to have fun! So the easy solutions should be – set up an affordable base level program that allows them to have fun.

Our Ignite series at the Gateway Kartplex is a spec series, targeted at new racers.  Everyone runs the same chassis (same adjustability as any modern kart), a sealed LO206 and Bridgestone YDS (hard) tires.  The average cost per weekend is roughly $60 which includes entry, you’ll only need two new sets of tires per year and the package itself is incredibly low maintenance.  That is what I think of when I think of “Grass Roots”.  People just want to have close, fair racing and this package gives the opportunity to do that.  The low horsepower/hard tire combination creates a wider skill gap (not a wallet gap) that will help drivers hone their skills and be better prepared, should they decide to move on to a higher end of karting in the future.

Take that program, transplant it into other clubs and I think you will start to see the numbers grow.

/shameless plug :)

[Greg Dingess]

I use Estes Express (estes-express.com) on almost all of my shipments.  I’ve used UPS LTL and other companies, but they almost always try to add charges after the freight was delivered.

[Greg Dingess]

There are a lot of points being made.  Here is what I’ve seen here in the midwest:

The majority of this thread has had an emphasis on the top level of the pyramid, which I think is slightly misguided.  The answer for “the state of karting” should be a reflection on the base of the pyramid, not the top.  After all, it’s the base level that feeds into the top level.  Karting at the moment isn’t replenishing at the base level, which will eventually kill the sport at the top level.  I’ll agree that the top level is pretty fragmented at the moment.  Instead of posting a 12 page essay on the obvious problems at the top, it might do us some good to look at AMA.  I can race a dirt bike anywhere in this country, have a consistent set of rules and a wonderfully designed ladder system.  As for WKA, USPKS, SKUSA, etc…. who cares?  All major series are pulling from the same pool of national level drivers, fighting for their attention and entry.  How does that increase the numbers at your local club?

So the real question should be, how do you bring people into the sport and get them involved at their local track?  No new karter cares, or even knows, about the national level.  They just want to go out and have fun with their kid/wife/buddies.

I’m sure there are many answers.  The solution we use is the LO206.  When someone with no experience comes in and wants to go racing – they get an LO206.  We don’t bombard them with: 2-cycle or 4-cycle? Yamaha, TaG or Shifter? Do you want to race nationally?  Give them an easy, fun, affordable package that they can grow with.  After all, isn’t that what club level racing should be?  That formula has brought 30 new people into the sport at just our local track over the winter.  If every track implemented a similar philosophy, you’d start to see growth in the sport at the base, then the middle and eventually the top.  It is much easier to market a completely new LO206 kart for $3,995 than the $9,500 TaG counterpart.

[Greg Dingess]

[quote quote=17737]$3995 ? That engine sells for around $550 then figure in another 400ish for clutch and mount etc , which chassis are they getting ?[/quote]

Complete LO206 packages are $980 (http://www.margay.com/shopmargay/L0206/).  We have put 1000 laps on two pallets of engines and they are a bullet proof piece.

The chassis will be a “Ignite K1, K2 or K3” depending on age and will be manufactured by Margay Racing right here in the States ;).

[Greg Dingess]

[quote quote=17743]I’m guessing the Brava 4.2c Also, Victory Kart is providing $500 Arrive-and-Drive programs at the Florida Winter Tour this season. For a beginner or someone who doesn’t have the funds to buy a TaG or Shifter – a LO206 or Yamaha package is the best solution. [/quote]

Margay Racing has 4 karts at the PRI Show this year – in the HPD Honda booth, Schaeffer Oil booth, Gateway Motorsports Park booth and Briggs Racing booth.

The $3,995 package mentioned is in reference to the Ignite Series kart in the Briggs Racing booth.  This package is a spec package designed to run in a series starting at the new Kartplex inside the Gateway Motorsports Park in 2014.  It features a spec chassis (manufactured by Margay Racing), sealed engine (currently the Briggs LO206) and a spec tire compound (most likely a harder compound such as the Bridgestone YDS).  The series is designed to maintain a level playing field, keep costs down and provide a solid platform for new people to get into the sport.  I’ve raced for years, and this package is plenty fast and fun.

More information to be released after the first of the year.

[Greg Dingess]

All of the 4-cycle karts we produce at Margay are specific to the North American 4-cycle market.  Our karts are manufactured with far less caster than the European counterpart, which is ideal for a bigger/taller guy with a higher center of gravity.

We have dealers in Texas that would be more than happy to help you out!  Give me a call and we can hook you up — 1.800.562.7429.

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