2019. 206 Rules are out .

Cmac I agree on all points.

206 is definitely getting new people involved in the sport due to the relative simplicity and low maintenance that is now a requirement.
 
There are lots of NEW people at my local track (Road America) and i believe the LO 206 is a big reason why.
 
The 206 is is, without a doubt, helping to grow numbers.
Sure, there are the 2 cycle and TaG guys that came to the 206 from other classes, but i continue to see new (and returning) kart racers get into our sport via the LO206 class.
Now, what cmac and Steve Baker have said, I believe, is a big part of our current problem.
Pavement sprint racers have been turn-key (low maintenance) racers for a long time now. Purchasing a turn-key kart, having a personal tuner, or picking up your tires at the track has been the case as long as I can remember.

That's not been the case so much on the dirt side (and still isn't.)
Really, it hasn't been until the last 10 years or so that we have seen a tremendous reliance on "tire gurus" come into the dirt side of our sport. Chassis companies are offering "seat mounting" as a regular option that previously was thought of as someone being too lazy to do it themselves - now it's an integral part of "factory" chassis set-up and tuning. The same can be said for body mounting.

I believe the sport has changed considerably. It's certainly much more competitive (and expensive!) As mentioned, some chassis and engines have doubled in price. Tire life isn't what it used to be 20 years ago. I still get bewildered looks when I tell people about running the same set of Burris T2 tires every night for 5 years. We've lost that...and it's not coming back. Yes, we now cut and prep treaded tires. Why? Because they're faster.
We raise the cost to compete, then wonder why there's no one left to compete with!

A lot of comparisons have been made with football (and valid ones.)
But I suggest that English football (yes, soccer) is a much bigger draw away from karts than any other stick and ball sport.
20 years ago, soccer in the US was relegated to rich kids at prep schools.
Today, it seems that every 4 year old playing in a pee wee league is the next Pele. Soccer fields have sprung up all over town and are flooded with kids of all ages every day of the week. Sure, there are plenty of injuries involved in soccer, I am sure, but they don't get the headlines that racing, 4-wheeler crashes, and the likes seem to draw from the media. Plenty of single moms (and dads) have taken their kids to soccer practice as an excuse for baby-sitting, lesson-learning, disciplining, team-playing, etc training instead of taking on this task themselves. It's just the new "yuppie" way.
It's not the way many of us were raised or choose to raise our kids, but it is a way that many have chosen to raise their kids in today's society. There's another thread on here currently about participation trophies and why winning is so important. I think a LOT of that discussion is intertwined with this one.

The LO206 appeals to a lot of this younger generation and parents because of it's "plug and play" ability. For others, it fills a niche left behind by fully blueprinted, high dollar, race engine classes. Face it, not everyone can (or choose to) compete with their bank accounts. Yes, it's another class in an already too watered down number of classes. But it certainly IS retaining some racers who are getting squeezed out and bringing in some fresh new racers for the first time.
 
There are lots of NEW people at my local track (Road America) and i believe the LO 206 is a big reason why.

Exact opposite at my track, racers are dropping like flies in all classes. The Iame KA100 is also being introduced this year which I feel is the end of our senior 206 class and will just further thin the field. After 11 straight seasons (last 4 in the 206) we ourselves may be forced to hang up the towel due to the costs of running the KA100 vs the 206.
 
FX
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles at your local track. What do you think the reason is for your declining numbers?
Several years ago we had problems with our Animal class partly because of the tire bills. We had some people that would show up every week with new tires. Most of the others racers didn't have or want to spent that kind of money every week so they were dropping like flies also. With the 206 program we use a tire that lasts much longer and our numbers are great. I'm not saying tires are the whole answer but i believe it's a factor. What tires are you using?
iame-ka100-kit1-01.jpg



Complete IAME KA100 Kart Engine Kit

$2395.00
Must also add the battery.
 
I bought into KA-100 at the intro rate of $1600, esp. when the USPKS GAVE you an engine for doing their whole series. I ran the thing for 6 races without touching it. It's the expensive, 2-cycle version of LO206....or at least as close an analogue as there probably will be.

It would be interesting to see what happened if clubs / tracks offered a LO206 "Conversion" class, regularly showing LO206 "graduates" how to turn their tired LO206 into a fresh Animal 4 cycle class. Fostering mechanical tinkering, but guided into a controlled Animal so that parity was still a realistic sell.

Part of the problem with my local track is that if I show up with something outside their narrow band of classes, and they're IAME dealers, I don't have anyplace to run. IMO, every track should have at least one catch-all class. Turning an excited racer away from your gate may lose them forever. And while kart shop support at the track is nice, classes and technical teaching would be even better. Ditto a playground and staffed daycare. You laugh, but my wife has vowed not to bring our 6 and 4 year old to the track for a 10 hour raceday in 90 degree weather. Our local track is blessed with real bathrooms instead of portapotties, but her points are valid. I'm not able or willing to buy an RV to make club racing palatable to the family, and now I have to choose between family time and hobby time. And even when (if?) my kids choose the same hobby, shorter race days and family - sensitive facilities would make life easier.... Should tracks cater to that kind of thing? Why not -- we pay for them. Value-added is the key these days.... build it and they will come....make it easy and they'll come back.

I sold my KA at the end of the USPKS season in 2017.... I bought a LO206 for this season. I found out the block is first-gen seal and obsolete after this year, but it will become a practice engine. Keeping this back on track about LO206, I guess it falls on us racers same way as it does for church or any social org -- if the members don't invite their friends and family to join, there's little hope otherwise. If I go back to KA-100, I'll keep this LO206 as a karting evangelism tool.....it won't burn up clutches or require rebuild like a KT-100 or X30 or Open 4 cycle...
 
I think the cause of the decline here locally is due to the fact the future of our track (Utah Motorsports Campus "UMC") has been in limbo for the last few years. If you google "sale of miller motorsports park" you can find all the details. Its unfortunate because IMO we have one of the best racing facilities in the country. Aside from that the lack of promotion for the track isn't helping, most that live here don't even know the track exists.

To the point the KA100 is the 206 of 2 cycle I get that but I also ran Rotax for years. There will be guys on a fresh set of tires each race, Blue printed motors and carbs, new piston and rings every 4-5 hours, the list goes on. You can run a motor for 6 races all you want but was it running at peek performance for all races? I'm only getting 2 races out of a set of Evinco Blues running 206 so a fresh set each race would be mandatory. I do well for myself but I also have two other kids that don't race, wife, house, cars, medical bills. I will not be able to keep up with the deeper pockets in KA100 period. SKUSA Spring Nationals will run here this year which is the reason for the introduction of the KA100.
 
iame-ka100-kit1-01.jpg



Complete IAME KA100 Kart Engine Kit

$2395.00
Must also add the battery.[/QUOTE]

$2800 BluePrinted vs the 206 I bought from you for like 800$
 
I have a Do It Yourself 206 Superstock kit for $414.50
If you have an Animal Blue coil laying around you can save yourself about $90.00

Here's the link: http://www.fastermotors.net/206superstockenginekit.html

It makes as much as 40% more power than the stock 206 if you use methanol.
No machine work necessary or allowed. It follows all the same rules as the 206 with a few exceptions.
If you want me to build them for you i can even seal them.

We use Bridgestone YDS tires. They are quite hard but they last the entire season or more.
Some people come up with all kinds of BS about using the hard YDS tires but in my mind you have to be very good at setting up the chassis and you have to be a better driver if you use hard tires.
You won't scare people off with excessive tire bills.
 
I'm really considering getting a 206, to start a class at a local dirt track. I've read thru the rules and I understand and agree with them, except the clutch rule. I don't understand why the racer is restricted to a shoe style clutch. I have to run one with a different engine package and I personally not a fan of these.
I know it's to help keep cost down, but most racers on dirt use a disk clutch.
Could this be something that Briggs can look at or would it be to much for the track to make this change.
Just wondering.
 
No offense Thorton but I don't think Briggs will do anything to change the clutch rule!! It has proven to work as intended.
In my opinion there is no reason to. There is no reason to use anything other than a shoe clutch.
The 206 doesn't need anything any different and it also puts everyone on a level playing field. (Actual or perceived)
Spend the money you save on the clutch and buy some MORE tires. (which is out of control in the dirt world already)
 
I'm really considering getting a 206, to start a class at a local dirt track. I've read thru the rules and I understand and agree with them, except the clutch rule. I don't understand why the racer is restricted to a shoe style clutch. I have to run one with a different engine package and I personally not a fan of these.
I know it's to help keep cost down, but most racers on dirt use a disk clutch.
Could this be something that Briggs can look at or would it be to much for the track to make this change.
Just wondering.


There is nothing stopping your local track from opening the clutch rule up.
I don't think it's a wise decision just based on past experience with the clones and every track having it's own set of rules for a while. Now we're seeing history repeat itself with all the Predator engine classes. (Some must run drum clutches, others are allowed disc clutches.)
The current Briggs rules work very well, but I don't think anyone would mind if your track added an open clutch LO206 class...I know of several different applications for the LO206 engine in which the clutch is different than the prescribed drum clutch. Hey, at least they're running the 206 engine, right?

There are drum clutches that rival the price of a good disc clutch currently.
Keep in mind though, that there is still a clutch "claim" of $130 in the LO206 rules as written. ;)
 
What about when all the local tracks allow you to continue to run the 206 engines (with silver wire only on seal) without the latest orange seal or the seal with the black strand. I'm fully for the Briggs 206 rule package being run without exceptions but I have an issue with making an engine that has been legal for years being illegal all of the sudden with no explanation of why Briggs made this new rule. I have a perfectly good engine that will be illegal in 11 months and I would like a explanation of why other than "Briggs changed the rules".
 
What about when all the local tracks allow you to continue to run the 206 engines (with silver wire only on seal) without the latest orange seal or the seal with the black strand. I'm fully for the Briggs 206 rule package being run without exceptions but I have an issue with making an engine that has been legal for years being illegal all of the sudden with no explanation of why Briggs made this new rule. I have a perfectly good engine that will be illegal in 11 months and I would like a explanation of why other than "Briggs changed the rules".

Do you really need an explanation to figure out why.
 
What about when all the local tracks allow you to continue to run the 206 engines (with silver wire only on seal) without the latest orange seal or the seal with the black strand. I'm fully for the Briggs 206 rule package being run without exceptions but I have an issue with making an engine that has been legal for years being illegal all of the sudden with no explanation of why Briggs made this new rule. I have a perfectly good engine that will be illegal in 11 months and I would like a explanation of why other than "Briggs changed the rules".


o1ron,
Dave has changed (tightened) several of the rules, all with a purpose I am sure, none with explanation provided.
I think we all know why some/most were changed.
As per the original seal shortblocks being prohibited 1 year from the announcement...What did Dave tell you when you asked him?
 
What about when all the local tracks allow you to continue to run the 206 engines (with silver wire only on seal) without the latest orange seal or the seal with the black strand. I'm fully for the Briggs 206 rule package being run without exceptions but I have an issue with making an engine that has been legal for years being illegal all of the sudden with no explanation of why Briggs made this new rule. I have a perfectly good engine that will be illegal in 11 months and I would like a explanation of why other than "Briggs changed the rules".

An explanation from Briggs is unlikely.
Only two real possibilities.
Profit which is not a real good reason .
Seal has been replicated which would be a good reason.
Though not if you have a legal engine with unaltered seal.
 
Yes, I need an explanation. Since a couple of you guys think you know why then tell me. Dave does not seem to care about my concerns or I would have received a PM from him a long time ago. And if I did at least get the courtesy of an explanation from him via PM (even if I did not agree), I would probably not be posting this.

My soon to be illegal engine has been thru the highest tech possible and passed every time.

If the seal had been replicated, what would make anyone think they could not replicate the seal with the black wire also?
 
Yes, I need an explanation. Since a couple of you guys think you know why then tell me. Dave does not seem to care about my concerns or I would have received a PM from him a long time ago. And if I did at least get the courtesy of an explanation from him via PM (even if I did not agree), I would probably not be posting this.

My soon to be illegal engine has been thru the highest tech possible and passed every time.

If the seal had been replicated, what would make anyone think they could not replicate the seal with the black wire also?

Why is your engine soon to be illegal? There are very few that have the first gen seal, so is it because you decked the block? If so, the first page of rules says you can't remove material....even if the tech procedure says the surface is non tech.

AN explanation is the first seals have have been tampered. The new orange seals actual have a record that could be used in the future to determine if it has been tampered with.

In my region, builders have been manipulating engines that had only .002-.003 pop-up to mill them to .005 or angle cut them. Granted, both can be done with the new program as well, but it puts all those engines that had been manipulated in the illegal waste bin and not on the track and leveling the playing field for those who bought and raced the engine with the spirit and intent of the 206 rules. Seems like the $3-4 hundred it costs the racer who pushed the rules to level the field is worth it.

I have to replace my short block as a result of the deck being milled. I am not complaining.
 
It also removes the idea of older short blocks being coveted (for whatever reason) and thus becoming more valuable.


Maybe we will see an "official" statement regarding the "why" the rule change, maybe not.
In all seriousness, we're looking at engines with shortblocks that are 8-10 years old now, still in service (still winning in your case), and STILL good for nearly another year. What's so terrible about that? $300 and you can have a brand new one - that will hopefully be legal and competitive for the next 10 years. What a bargain in today's throw-away society of karting. :)
 
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