The kart count in senior classes has been decreasing over the last couple years. It's gotten so bad I have given up karting and have begun racing stock cars. Nothing against stock cars but with no karts showing up I have been forced to invest in building a car and have a LOT of karting equipment sitting there not being used. Can anyone tell me why such a great form of racing is on the decline. With the economy being what it is I would think the kart count would be on the rise. Any thoughts?
Low kart count in senior classes
- Thread starter skidmark
- Start date
BrendanFitz #73
New member
Because people wanting to race for fun are on their way out. Money shows are taking over.
metalmagic
New member
Cause us old guys in the senior class are dieing bahahaahahha
Brown Racing 15
One Eye Dawg
It sounds like the best tracks to go back to is the back yard tracks now..jmo…just race for fun.
I think part of the problem is that the whole sport is thinking how do we get kids in it and not playing video games. I feel we should be pushing how do we get the adults to come to the kart track. I raced sprints track closed and needed something affordable for a father of 4 girls. Guess what I found it in karting, I know I will never be a national champion but I feel so great wheeling into turkey Trott every week competing against everybody. I say don't stop with the next generation of kids, look at the next 20 and older crowd that wants to race without breaking the bank
fun vs. funds is getting out of hand. I try to point that out but I don't know anything. We get trophy tracks with $20-30 entry totals get a dozen karts in every class ,money race'n tracks cost 50-65 to enter and they get 5-6 but for some reason they cant figure out why.
What kind of kart count do you get at Turkey Trott, also where is it located?
nuclearturtle
Member
Our senior classes keep growing in CT...
mikelavite#72
Premium User
.......................................Bad Track Management . They print rules but dont follow them. They change the rules the next week after you paid to get in gate. After awhile people get tired of it and quit coming. I have seen it time & time again. Don't get me wrong, preparing a dirt track is a lot of work. Post rules at track, follow them and people will come. If they don't like the rules they won't. I have seen this happen over the past 31 years.
senior classes are getting overrun by youngsters. look at it from the track point of view....instead of setting an age for racing in the class, they look at it as "you've raced for 9 years, your 15 and a senior in racing, so you can race int he senior class".....
very few tracks will say that the senior class is for 45 years (insert any age) or older.....
try to get a class like this and maybe you'll get more out to the track....but once you let the young guns into a senior class, you might as well go back to the rocker on the porch...tracks are getting to where they don't care about the mid to back pack karts or setting up classes where everyone can race and have fun. they are too concerned about wka/akra classes and are afraid to step out and do anything different...at 57, i'd love to race against a bunch of 50 plus drivers that aren't concerned with national points, what payout they will have, having the newest/latest and greatest....all i want to do is race and have fun!!!
just my thoughts!
very few tracks will say that the senior class is for 45 years (insert any age) or older.....
try to get a class like this and maybe you'll get more out to the track....but once you let the young guns into a senior class, you might as well go back to the rocker on the porch...tracks are getting to where they don't care about the mid to back pack karts or setting up classes where everyone can race and have fun. they are too concerned about wka/akra classes and are afraid to step out and do anything different...at 57, i'd love to race against a bunch of 50 plus drivers that aren't concerned with national points, what payout they will have, having the newest/latest and greatest....all i want to do is race and have fun!!!
just my thoughts!
GeorgeHenry
New member
You need to see the all the grandfathers race in FL in the 70 ish. Now that is a show
sCREamnClones
New member
I totally agree! The situation, unfortunitely....is 'Reality' and is by the economy. Karting is still the 'best-bang-for-the-buck' in family-fun value, but....thanks to our 'elected-officials', we have far less funds too have 'fun' with. One more thing (I think) is that many track operators have pushed the 'kid-thing' too far and have alienated much of the senior-level racing in (not all) many area's. I've been around karting since it's beginning and it's goona take an act from God too 'right-the-ship' this time cuz there is no lite shinning at the end of the tunnel. Unless....it starts from the 'TOP'!
tfitz25
Premium User
i agree with you 100%
XXX#40
2A supporter
Most dirt oval tracks have an Over-the-hill class 40 or 45 yrs+
I think the money races are ruining the sport, at least for us "Saturday Night" racers. I just don't get the attraction to the money races. It sounds great to win $5,000.00, but what most of the people who race in these money races must not realize is that if you're not one of about 5 or 6 guys out there, you're not going to win and are pretty much just donating your money. I race for fun and I do race in a few of these money races here and there. That's only because sometimes you have to if you want to race... It's certainly not because I like them. For most of us, they just cost more, take way too long, and you pretty much know you don't have a shot at winning. Give me Saturday night racing any day.
Don't get me wrong, I can see it from the track owners side, because these big races can make more money. But if they start losing the Saturday night racers, the money races won't be much fun watching those 5 or 6 guys who always win race each other. If I was a track owner, I would concentrate on trying to make my weekly shows more profitable rather than having more money races, but I realize it's not that easy. I wish I had the answer to that one.
Maybe really low entry fees and racing for trophies would work. I know I'd like it better and I can't be that much different than most karters. At 52, I just got back into karting after being out of it for 10 years and I love it. I'm fairly competitive, but I'm not winning yet. When I do, I'll be excited because I won the race... not because I won $150 or $200. When it gets to the point where I need that $150 or $200 to race, I'm done.
Don't get me wrong, I can see it from the track owners side, because these big races can make more money. But if they start losing the Saturday night racers, the money races won't be much fun watching those 5 or 6 guys who always win race each other. If I was a track owner, I would concentrate on trying to make my weekly shows more profitable rather than having more money races, but I realize it's not that easy. I wish I had the answer to that one.
Maybe really low entry fees and racing for trophies would work. I know I'd like it better and I can't be that much different than most karters. At 52, I just got back into karting after being out of it for 10 years and I love it. I'm fairly competitive, but I'm not winning yet. When I do, I'll be excited because I won the race... not because I won $150 or $200. When it gets to the point where I need that $150 or $200 to race, I'm done.
Around here FWD cars class has become the best bang for the buck I could run 3-4 nites a week less then an hour from my house in a $1500 car and pay 20 to enter and get 25 back just for showing up 100-150 to win. But I just can't bring myself to try one they just seem boring to me.
jack burroughs
member
I have no idea where you been hiding, but even here in Fl. we have the same thing, even our Stock Car racing is suffering too, too many tracks that all want to race the same night makes 6-7 classes with almost every night less than a dozen in each class, now maybe I am really spoiled but back up norf in the N.Y., N.J., Pa. area, there was a time every night had 50 big block Modifieds and close to 90 small block sportsman. I know that those days are long gone, and sadly it don't look good for any racing anymore.
Greg Wright
New member
+1 on this, the entire sport has become way too focused on the Juniors and has turned it's back on the traditional backbone of karting the 25-50 year old age group.