Track Tac

Kart life

Brian is correct most of the drama is just shy of being considered "acting". Yes kids do yell and get mad after they get wrecked. And yes kids do often act like brats at the track when this happens but much of this behavior was encouraged by the film crew. They created drama by making suggestions and providing "lines" whenever they could. I know this first hand. So please don't make judgements about sprint racing based on any tv show. Is house hunters what it would be like if I went to buy a house tomorrow?
 
I've heard it said that; all press is good press. If we have to live with the dramatization that makes the show interesting to non-Karter's, so be it.
 
The problem shooting Kart Racing, is the fact the Karts are small on the home screen. They look mostly a like, the over all racing does not translate to viewer. You have look at on bike shots done with AMA Pro Bike Series . The on bike/rider shots are some of the best to see. Only seeing flashes of racing does not get viewer the feeling of being part of the race. Spilt screens front and back shots is going one of key ingredients . Driver shots on the grid roll off. Karts Bikes just look small on track. Infield coverage over head coverage. if show is just going be shot on the cheap it going come off bad. And having bad players >>little kids at that<< . They are not going accomplish what they are trying to convey family group events sporting life.
 
i finally caught a few episodes of this program yesterday.....i waited to the end of them to make any judgements.....53' long semis for tow vehicles? fully furnished fancy motor homes to hang out in between races? beverly hills-type homes lived in when not racing? REALLY? REALLY???? REALLY??????????

show should be called "FANTASY kart life".....cuz at least where i come from, many of us karters struggle to come up with enough money to put new tires on our karts more than once a season, let alone afford the "supposed" "kart life" these folks try to portray....

this show is nothing more than copycat of the show "dance moms" with the background changed from mouthy parents and their dancing sons and daughters to the kids instead racing karts......JMO

btw.....yesterday was the first and last time ill be watching......
 
Who ever made the decision for that programs subject matter probably has no clue as to the fact that Dirt oval kart racing is more popular here in the USA, maybe 2:1 over what they show. Also, many dirt ovals fly under the radar because they have no National level organization affiliation.
 
The biggest issue I have with it is even the few racing sequences being shown are footage from multiple classes/races being spliced together to try and manufacture drama. In one race sequence last week it switched numerous times from Comer 80's, to kt100 cans, to Junior TaG's while the whole time being played off that it was one race. There is some great racing going on in the junior ranks right now, with a lot of talented drivers coming up through the ranks. Show it how it really is, and let their talents shine. It doesn't need to be all manufactured drama all the time.
 
The best example of the manufacture drama is the engine change part. They made it seem like Malukas started last after the engine change and won the race. Well he did not. He changed engines in tag. He won the Yamaha race. That is probably the best example of how reality tv is not actually real or the truth. It's just entertainment.
 
If the producers wanted some real drama they didn't have to manufacter on their own, all they would have to do is make a trip to some of the local dirt tracks, not just the big series tracks but some of the real dowmhome backyard dirt tracks, thats where the real drama is at in racing. Competition is close, tempers are always popping off, a little beating and banging and a whole lot of rubbing
 
I'll be honest I like the show. I find it very realistic.

Unlike most of you, I have in fact lived "the kart life". I have lived every scene in this show. I have been with kids with NASCAR dreams. I can relate to every single family in this show. I lived it on dirt.

The truth is the family interactions are where the entertainment value for a show exists. The technical aspect of the sport and the pre-race preparation and the tuning that we as racers would expect in a show is quite boring and over the heads of most viewers. And quite honestly there's no audience appeal to a bunch of Saturday night racers or a show depicting adult kart racers.

The appeal to the show is that one day one of these kids makes the big time.

This is very much reality on the national junior karting scene, not just in sprints but dirt as well.

I've been in the airport with the handful of pro tuners flying into a National event. I've seen the bad behaving parents mad about other kids driving and defending their kid regardless. I've seen parents encourage bad outcomes. I've seen parents and kids fuss (I've refereed more than one). I've seen team infighting. I've been with budget racing parents trying to compete. I've been with the beginning parent just hoping to make the podium at Nationals. I've been with the parent who believes they should win every race. I've had conversations with parents about how poorly their kid was driving. I've taken kids around the track and coached them on lines, style, etc. I've been in the fancy restaurants, experienced the family vacations and watched the parents discuss confrontations.

I have lived 100% this life as depicted on this show
 
gary10 said:
The best example of the manufacture drama is the engine change part. They made it seem like Malukas started last after the engine change and won the race. Well he did not. He changed engines in tag. He won the Yamaha race. That is probably the best example of how reality tv is not actually real or the truth. It's just entertainment.
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I can't speak for all that you wrote, but on one point, you're right, "it's just entertainment", and I like it.
 
You know what i hate that show it is not real karting Though's parents push and push and push there kids just to get a trophy and there only doing it for them selfs to they can feel like winners thats not the real spirit of karting that is called being a sore winner .They push there kids so hard that when the kid loses he feels really really bad about it and that is not right to be doing that to a child its about fun not winning .
 
Mechanics/tuners get paid anywhere from 100-400 per day. Yes it's absurd to your average karter, but when you spend 5-10k for the weekend what another couple hundred or thousand. When I'm at one of these events I sit down for breakfast in the morning at the hotel at 630 and don't sit down again usually until dinner at 8 or 9.

Tire prep specialists are getting paid basically the same at the big money dirt events.
 
I too thought what was being displayed on this show is pretty much how it is. Yes some of the events strung together was from different classes and some results of the finishes was sort of mixed up to give the wrong impressions but drivers and pit crews and parents actions pretty well nailed just how it is. Can you imagine if this would have been a dirt track oval race when the kids air box came off and the dad was telling everyone it was his fault and was explaining it to his kid, what would have been said at a dirt track event? Everyone would have been blamed except the dad, almost every word from the parents and the kid driving would have been bleeped out.
Yes those racing asphalt sprint racing spend tons of money compared to oval dirt racers. I would bet most of them spend more money on motors and uniforms alone that the average dirt karter spends on the whole season for everything.
In all fairness you cannot compare sprint kart racing to dirt track oval racing especially if you wanted to show the family side of it because of what goes on.
 
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