Gold Cup Bodywork Still Alive....

R

Racing Psychosis

Member
I recently went and raced a vintage Yamaha powered kart at Sugar River Raceway - historic Brodhead, WI (track started operation in 1959) and witnessed a sprint kart race where they ran there own Box Stock Honda class with Gold Cup style bodywork. It's still alive....
And was a pretty good race, link from my Youtube Channel.
 
The rules committee for the Badger Kart Club(BKC) in Dousman, WI, recently voted to make 2022 the last year for Gold Cup-style bodywork. Beginning with the 2023 season, all classes will be CIK only. The Road American Kart Club(RAKC) still has numerous karts equipped with Gold Cup style bodywork as of 2021. IMO...Rule changes only cost everyone money.
 
IRQVET said:
Thought the Gold Cup bodywork was banned in most circumstances in sprint?
Click to expand...
The Rock Island Grand Prix removed it this year. I believe 61 Kartway in Delmar, IA is still allowing Gold Cup as well. Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, WI will likely be the last in the region, and may not ever come out and ban it.
 
I always heard cheaters used them like battering rams, I have no idea if thats true, but heard they can do some damage.
 
IRQVET said:
I always heard cheaters used them like battering rams, I have no idea if thats true, but heard they can do some damage.
Click to expand...
If that was the case we would never have a clean finish of an oval track race. In the sprint races that I have ran, that is pretty rare. In reality the flagman controls the race, he has a black flag and he should use if it necessary. But most of them seem to stick it up their own backside for whatever reason. You will always have aggressive driving and possibly rough driving. Even in vintage, which is suppose to be no-contact at all, there are certain ones that drive rough and brake check. In that LO206 Race driving the #369 is Justin Wishard a past CKNA Grand National Champ, he's a really decent kid and will run you the way you run him from what I have seen of him.
 
When I ran them we were mixed with CIK bodies and we didn't have more rough driving than in the CIK classes at all, and they were cheaper. IMO the big mistake for the 4 stroke sprint classes has been moving into karts with more european components. From being the cheapest class they are nowadays like any other class. Even tire wise.
 
After kart racing with both Gold Cup and CIK body work, I feel Gold Cup body work is much safer as compared to racing with CIK type body work. There have been several occasions when I got my front CIK nose piece hooked on rear plastic bumpers on kart in front of me while racing and almost crashed as a result. Never had that issue with the Gold Cup style nose piece.
 
Safe wise both styles have advantages and disadvantages, but I don't think Gold Cup style is more safe. For example the harder plastic or fiber from most GC bodies don't flex much with prevents them from absorbing the energy of a high speed impact but at the same time flexing can work as a spring which is no good either.
 
Racing Psychosis said:
To me its not about the energy absorption, its about the coverage and stiffness, its pretty hard to hurt your feet when they are covered.
Click to expand...
You are not gonna get your feet hurt if you have the proper front bumper. The bulky bodies gives you a false sense of safety.
 
Since we are agreeing to disagree, I also agree with rainman and as I stated before my front nose piece got hung in rear bumper of kart in front of me at least twice this year and both times I was fortunate not to get sent in the tire barrier as a result. Also, as in any other forms of racing, rule changes just cost us all extra money that we didn't need to spend when we already had something that worked as is. JMO...
 
I do hate changes of rules that just looks to fill some pockets, like when they change from GC bodies to CIK, and 6" wheels to 5". That's what messes up affordable racing and in the long run everyone loses, even the kart shops and dealers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top