Clone vs predator class beginner questions

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Cl45music

New member
Hi guys,

I have raced INEX legends cars for the past 5 years but recently sold it all and am looking to get into oval dirt track karting. Something me and my 7 year old son can enjoy together with lower cost and much closer to home. ( dirt karting track 30 minutes from me)

Have a few beginner questions....

  1. What is the biggest difference in racing clone vs OTB predator? just Cost? Feeling while racing on the track?
  2. Can a 7 year old race predator classes or do I need/ have to start him off in a red plate clone?
  3. I’m 38, 6ft, 260 lbs. What class should I look into racing? Predator 425? Clone 450? Sr stock?

I’m trying to keep the cost as low and reasonable as possible, which is what makes the predator classes appealing to me. 100 otb bolt on engine vs 700 to 1000 built clones. Big difference there. But.... are racing the predators that anemic compared to a clone? Aka are they that much slower feeling to race?
How many races on a built clone before refresh needed? How many races average on a otb predator?

Any info appreciated...thnx!
 
Rules can be track specific , so classes can vary , best to check track specifics .
The predator will be cheaper;) .
You raced legends so it no surprise then there are budget racers and big budget racers .
For you any of the three , likely the 425-450 .
Easier to concentrate on the childs class .
 
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Around here we only have predator class in flat karts. My boys started in caged and ran clone red plate, I gear bound it until they could control it then started working back down. We are in green plates now and they are both well under control. I think its important to slowly ramp up the power/mph so they aren't out of control or possibly scared and not want to use it all or race anymore. As far as budget obviously the cheaper of the two is the predator but i'm sure guys are spending money on them to get more hp.

They are similar in power and most people wouldn't know the difference if they just got in and drove them.
 
Its all based on how competitive you want to be. My tire bill alone was triple my buddies who was racing a legend the same year, for a Jr & Sr kart.
 
Cl45music said:
  1. What is the biggest difference in racing clone vs OTB predator? just Cost? Feeling while racing on the track?
  2. Can a 7 year old race predator classes or do I need/ have to start him off in a red plate clone?
  3. I’m 38, 6ft, 260 lbs. What class should I look into racing? Predator 425? Clone 450? Sr stock?

I’m trying to keep the cost as low and reasonable as possible, which is what makes the predator classes appealing to me. 100 otb bolt on engine vs 700 to 1000 built clones. Big difference there. But.... are racing the predators that anemic compared to a clone? Aka are they that much slower feeling to race?
How many races on a built clone before refresh needed? How many races average on a otb predator?
Click to expand...
You've already answered your cost comparison question on the engines. If the track truly runs OTB Predators then yes they are much cheaper - both in initial cost as well as maintenance. Exactly how much cheaper to maintain depends on how tough your competition is, like it was in Legends. When I was last racing Predators I was fortunate that the track was pretty good at enforcing OTB rules, and I could run the whole season on an engine without a rebuild (just external adjustments). As cheap as a Predator is, unless I really liked a particular one I just buy a new one when the old one falls off.

The clones have more power so they'll feel faster. They will also make you fine tune your chassis adjustments and tire program more. At some tracks the difference will affect your line as well as driving style.

Have to ask your track about a 7 year old in Predator. Our track only had adult Predator classes, but that could expand.

Since a dressed-out kart weighs around 160 pounds, your total weight would be about 420 pounds so you could bolt on weight to make several different classes. With your previous racing experience you might prefer the faster clone classes. The good news is that it is fairly easy to swap motors and usually the chassis are the same in all of these classes so you can switch classes if you start out in one but find you'd prefer another.

For weekly club-type racing we were getting clones rebuilt after about ten to twelve races - but if you're going to run money races then you'll want fresh rebuilds more often. If you purchase from a local builder they can tell you their preferred intervals.
 
Thanks for info guys, very much appreciated! you answered exactly the general info that I needed.
Next step is to talk to my local track guys and find out the specifics!
 
Get ready to open your wallet for the tire and prep bill if you want to be even remotely competitive... the chassis and engine are the least of your worries!
 
There is the 79cc Predator engine for the younger kids , as well as the comer . For their age 7 , and if the track allow's it , they could run Jr1 red plate , but the Jr1 class is usually 8 to 10 . As for classes for you , you can run the 400# and up classes , depending on how many above the 400# there is . I drop down and race mediums and heavy classes sometimes . Im 5ft 9 ish and 250# . Several tracks in my area are adopting an across the board set of rules for the Predators . Several Oh,Ky,WV tracks are getting on board , it's called the Predator Racing Organization ( PRO ) . Easy set of rules for OTB engines .
Main thing is is to have fun with your kid , where they and yes even mamma are more involved as a family . Have fun and Good Luck !
 
What is your OTB Predator rules is something you need to find out. That 100.00 motor wont run with so so many "OTB" motors in the Carolinas.
Secondly, your initial cost of getting into karting is your biggest, once you have everything its just maintaining.
MOST important thing......having fun!!!!!
 
Kj26 said:
Its all based on how competitive you want to be. My tire bill alone was triple my buddies who was racing a legend the same year, for a Jr & Sr kart.
Click to expand...
You got that right. However, the Legends series specifies one particular tire with a minimum thread depth... so where we were racing the fast guys were cutting their tires down to minimum thread depth - meaning that their tires were only legal for one night of racing before they were too worn for the rules... if the track was inspecting tires then they were buying new tires almost every week plus paying to have them cut. And there was also the expense of tire prep chemicals involved at the tracks that did not check for them. The rules say "no prep", but if the tech man ain't checking...

Legend cars are fragile, and if their measurements aren't spot on then they lose speed quickly. Even minor skirmishes could force you to replace a front or rear clip (or at least half a clip) because the rules were tight on measurements. Couldn't even legally shim your rack-and-pinion steering box to get it pointed straight after a bump bent its flimsy mounting bracket - and couldn't legally beef up that bracket or replace it with a stronger version. We were replacing bent spindles suspension arms all the time. The rules also required you to keep your bodywork looking good - worked on and replaced a lot of fiberglass fenders and reworked a lot of bumpers.
 
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