"J'-remy
Member
????? holy cow!?!?! sounds like an even longer night especially with the amount of classes.
If i could change one thing about karting...
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- Start date
flattop1
Dawg 89
Stock cars and novice around here in the mid 60's .
steve baker
Moderator
I would love to see a all American made engine. Probably would be expensive.
"J'-remy
Member
it would be electric.
mike97760
Site Supporter
Yeah that would be true except there was usually 2 or 3 classes on a given race night
Someone ...
Member
Back in the 1970s karting had a slew of different engines, so instead of classifying like we do now they made classes based upon time trials. You ended up racing people with whom you could be competitive... but it did make the program take longer.
We fought sandbagging two ways: first, the faster classes had bigger payouts so you won less money by dominating a slower class. Second, we ran the classes from slowest to fastest and timed the frontrunners. You could "break out" of your class if you ran laps that were significantly faster than your qualifying time (we did allow for the track getting faster) - if you broke out you were black flagged and placed to start at the tail of the fastest class. Wasn't perfect, but it did help.
You're right about how most racers had too much pride to get "demoted" to a slower class. Sometimes a racer would turn a bad qualifying lap and asked to be added to a faster class anyway (usually his wish was granted).
And you would probably need to make it yourself. On another subject. Are diesels still made from mostly American parts. Cummins, Cat, Detroit, Mack?
"J'-remy
Member
nearly every European car manufacturer usually has 3-4 diesel options for cars. a super efficient a regular and a sporty option. diesels are way more popular than gas engines because of the cost of fuel. Audi has a diesel hybrid race car in Le Mans
Phantomforever
Member
I’ve tried to find something I would change or dislike in karting and can’t come up with anything .. it is what it is
Diamond Cuts
Member
“Mostly” might be a stretch
steve baker
Moderator
I don’t know about diesels, I would image a lot of those parts are also coming from China. But I hope not !
Ted Hamilton
Helmet Painter / Racer
Regarding inverted starts, the track I grew up racing at used previous race meetings' points total to invert start the 8 lap heats. 12 laps Elims were inverted results of Heats. 25 lap Features were inverted results of Elims. There were 2 classes TOTAL, a 3.5hp Tecumseh and a 6hp Tecumseh. My greatest source of pride was a "perfect season," winning EVERY feature and 90% of the Heats and Elims PASSING EVERYONE, including 1 Feature where I lapped everyone but the 2nd place car... I focused on every aspect of the race program -- tuning, driving, visualizing, weekly prep, you name it. And this was on asphalt 1/10 mi. so tires were no advantage. I EARNED those wins and that season, as well as the 4x I was NY State champion, and some of my most memorable finishes were hard-fought 2nds. Cheap wins mean less.
If I could change anything in karting, I'd unify the rules structure so you could go anywhere and know you could race. And I'd eliminate the monopolies that tire companies have introduced to the sport. Let them offer RACERS contingencies to run their product, not the track owner. I'd also preferentially treat the American companies with karting history (read: Burris) instead of foreign companies (Maxxis, et al.).
Lastly, we used to let kids race with real power (30hp +) on karts that were only 2/3 of today's weight....as a consequence, they really learned to drive. And open wheels meant they learned respect really quickly. Now we have 15hp bash-em-up lead sleds and drivers with no sense of personal responsibility or propriety.... It was enlightening when I was walking through the Daytona Road Race pits and heard two people talking about the WKA dirt race.... The comments were not flattering for dirt racers or dirt racing, and they were based on the appearance and behavior of dirt racers. People rise to the standard they're held to. Maybe it's time tracks started demanding more.
*/end rant...
If I could change anything in karting, I'd unify the rules structure so you could go anywhere and know you could race. And I'd eliminate the monopolies that tire companies have introduced to the sport. Let them offer RACERS contingencies to run their product, not the track owner. I'd also preferentially treat the American companies with karting history (read: Burris) instead of foreign companies (Maxxis, et al.).
Lastly, we used to let kids race with real power (30hp +) on karts that were only 2/3 of today's weight....as a consequence, they really learned to drive. And open wheels meant they learned respect really quickly. Now we have 15hp bash-em-up lead sleds and drivers with no sense of personal responsibility or propriety.... It was enlightening when I was walking through the Daytona Road Race pits and heard two people talking about the WKA dirt race.... The comments were not flattering for dirt racers or dirt racing, and they were based on the appearance and behavior of dirt racers. People rise to the standard they're held to. Maybe it's time tracks started demanding more.
*/end rant...
Karting4kids
Member
I would change the “everything is top secret info” mentality. A seasoned racer has a lot more skill than a brand new racer so why are things like tire prep, air pressure and gearing such a secret? This mentality makes it super tough for people just getting into the sport of karting.
rainman
Member
Agree. Lower entry fees, run for a trophy, have fun and kick off the tracks the trouble makers.
rainman
Member
Not only Audi raced Le Mans, Daytona, etc on Diesel, but they won too. That was a few years ago though. Even if most cars on European roads run small Turbo Diesel engines )I have one myself that i drive when I spend summer overseas= they are currently being banned from many areas of the cities and in a few years they won´t allow them on any road at all. They are super efficient and mine which is not actually new at all can go well over 50 mpg and is faster than most gasoline engines there. But as I said above they are being banned and most manufacturers have stopped making them. They are just selling what they have left and nobody wants them with the current regulations that restrict their use.
"J'-remy
Member
in favor of what? all electric? i think a diesel hybrid would be hard to beat on fuel efficiency
rainman
Member
Even hybrids are gonna be banned there. Electric. Can´t wait for the mess. Power bills have increased a 300% in the last few years even before EVs are dominant, and there is no way they are ready for such an increase in supply. Price for power there changes monthly depending on demand.
Burris Racer
Member
The skill most successful racers have is knowing what the kart needs to be the fastest around the track. That knowledge is acquired though various means but mostly through experience. Some of that knowledge can be passed along rather easily but it may come at a cost. Some of that knowledge is more difficult to pass along and requires being familiar with the other persons program. All in all your best chance at shortening the learning curve is finding a mentor. That mentor may require certain things in order for them to provide advice. Most people that put hundreds or thousands of hours into learning something aren't going to pass it out like charity.
You're right; it is difficult for most new people coming into karting. That's what makes victory so much sweeter.
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I think that's fine for adults. But I hate to tell a kid, especially one who's proved they could drive, "hey sorry you had to ride around in the back, daddy put the wrong chemical on the tires" I almost lost mine to exclusivly BMX or back to MX, because it's all about the rider there and not what chemical goes on the tires. I do think it can be fixed though. Some of the best Flatkart JR races I've seen this year where impound tire races. Overall I think the best racing I've seen is in the outlaw style karts on the loose dirt. And some of the guys I talk to about that say they're only allowed to clean their tires. Seems like loose dirt would also be a lot easier on the track operators than trying to keep that perfect tacky race surface every week. It also adds multiple lines to run instead of the choo choo train racing that goes on at most tracks.
Burris Racer
Member
I hear what you're saying. I don't want a kid to walk away feeling defeated. It really comes down to how you measure success. The sole measurement doesn't need to be based on where you place at in the feature. You can measure consistency of lap times, how did the driver navigate traffic, was the driver ready at the start, etc. I know the ultimate goal is to win but there are other smaller wins that can build up to the checkered flag.
If a person that never raced shows up to the next BMX or MX race would you expect them to be competitive? Probably not. The experienced guys are going to be up front.
We used to race at a kart track with similar conditions to what you described. The surface allowed for more actioned packed racing. That's vastly different than the tracks we race regularly.