No prep tires

[Ted Hamilton]

A well prepped SKUSA effort is probably around $14K.....per race.

Anyhow, the reason I'm for no-prep, and simpler chassis types, etc. is to get the variable of competition weighted more toward the driver / tuner than budget. And simple time expenditure. Most racers are addicted, and race AT THE EXPENSE OF THEIR FAMILIES. I have prepped and driven winning karts (4x NYS champ and 7x points champ), and know what it takes to win. I also know that if you push yourself to the lengths needed to win, your pocketbook, your family life, and the sport all suffer. How so? The pursuit of speed consumes ever more cubic dollars and time, and prices the newbs out (both in time and money.) So, I think the market has demonstrated that there's an ample supply of would-be racers who don't have the skill or desire to prep.....and unlike 20 yrs. ago, regional and touring sports compete for summer evenings (which would otherwise be good practice time), and so on. I think someone who bought a 40' trailer and did a rent-a-ride situation for 10 ppl. could be successful... Or tracks could do a parc ferme for ENGINES and TIRES.....like my first track did. We did a pill draw for engine number, bolted it on, and ran on 4" Carlisle Super Slicks... They lasted a season and a half, practically....on asphalt. On dirt, even longer. So, there's ways to accomplish this. It just takes the will and perseverance. Plus, it's not at the expense of the wallet racers -- fuller entry level or hobby classes boost the pool for the cutthroat racers too. "A rising tide raises all ships," as they say. That's my $0.03.

 

[JoshuaGuiher]

$14k is very accurate and they aren't running 6 classes like the dirt guys.

 

[Bob Evans]

Oh hell, if the rules simply stated that rim width could be no wider than tread width, prepping would be pretty much useless (unless your tires duroed more than a hundred or so).
Tire widths would decrease drastically and setups would change drastically. And we wouldn't be endangering ourselves getting tires to seat on the bead.
But good luck on any of this stuff. Too many toes in the way.

 

[e & b racing]

Yes it would be hard to enforce an 100% no prep program with 20 plus classes. I know for a fact Mountain Creek has 2 or 3 no prep classes. The tires are bought from the track and cleaned and keep in a certain area. Then they stay there until the next race. It seems to have went well last year.

To tell the truth the ones doing the most complaining are the tire guru's, because if it was to take affect then prep wouldn't be needed, tires wouldn't need to be cut and so forth. In the end it's all about the money. Especially with Maxxis tires. Yes they be fast, they don't last very long. I myself would like to see more tracks in North and South Carolina go to them. To they are just a better tire. I seen where Chester Hester is promoting a new tire called Cobra. They say that there's no need to cut them. I seen somewhere that 200 laps was put on one set, with very little fall off. Try that with maxxis. Then on top of that they're 139$ a set.
The tire game is hard enough to keep up . So I guess as long as karters are willing to shell out the money it will never change.
Just my honest opinion, if I offended anyone, sorry.

 

[e & b racing]

I agree with part of this and somewhat see your point, however I don't see where anything is out of hand on this thread, have we really gotten that soft , a lot of guy's make suggestions more based on there personal preference with out thinking it though 100% so expect debate, that's what I see here in this thread more debate VS argument, I know guy's have seen me post this before but reminder there are VERY FEW in generals ALWAYS across the board in karting that apply, take the thread spec a tire for all classes that duro's hard and race, tune the chassis according, i'm pretty good at tuning a chassis but i'd like to see someone do that on a Fri or Sat night race track always stays wet slick and requires 11's punching 25 prepped aggressive, in that same Post it's Pointed out how fun it would be, ya right it would be real fun racing our kids when they hit the turn plow like a dump truck run each other over every lap, ya busting up equipment would be cheaper than prepping tires a point everyone is trying to make, YA RIGHT !!
[/QUOTE

This is getting out of hand. I see how everyones argument here has meaning but this is exactly the reason it will never work. You would think we all enjoy karting and it would be easier to find a group of like minded individuals. Nope.

This is something I am asking people who have been in karting for over ten years. Ive seen it in my region, karting has become a niche sport. And the more we argue over controversial issues like this the smaller our community will become. At a national level event yes it is necassary because your around the best of the best. At a weekend race for zero money, only points i see no need to prep. It has its time and place and the fact that you need more tires now than ever to just be competetive is killing our sport.

Unless your into darwinism and only the strongest karters will survive lol

Maxxis has the market. But just for thought are the racers making the Maxxis tire better because of the prep, sure they are.
So if the tires need all that conditioning, why?

 

[racing promotor]

Has nothing to do with conditioning the quality of there tire, every track has a different condition, the prep is used to make the tire, any tire for that matter match the condition .

 

[Don K]

Regardless if you are pro or con doping, most will agree it is the number one hindrance to the growth of karting and may be the number one reason for decline. What do you do about that. Seems tracks, promoters, sanctioning organizations and tire companies all have a vested interest in finding a solution to keeping race teams in the sport.

DK

 

[XXX#40]

The key word in that sentence is "national".
For every successful national dirt karter, there are probably 250 or more successful local dirt racers. And they aren't using anywhere close to a national budget.

As far as XXX#40, you need to pretty much take him like he is. It's an acquired taste, more or less. But in fairness, you're the one who jumped in here saying you drove by something like four dirt tracks to get to an asphalt track, which is fine, but maybe it's something that didn't really need saying. You can understand how some folks might take offense.

Now, if you really want sticker shock, do some research on the equipment cost and operating expenses to be competitive at the SKUSA national level.

Im a cut and dry, no sugar coating type of person, I just hold up the mirror, not my fault they dont like what they see.

 

[racing promotor]

Everyone on the eliminating prep band wagon should be lobbying for a Burris 33s only tire rule, it's as close as you could get would police itself.

 

[e & b racing]

Has nothing to do with conditioning the quality of there tire, every track has a different condition, the prep is used to make the tire, any tire for that matter match the condition .

Let's not forget that the manufacturer makes different compounds hard, medium and soft and the competitors choose what they want to run for the track conditions.
Are the tires that the manufacturer make not good enough to be run without being prepped?

 

[payneracing714]

 

[1fasttiller]

View attachment 7559

LMBO!!! THey "Prohibit" the use of chemicals huh.... boy I'd love to see a Goldspeed rep at a big show anywhere in the southeastern US, they'd have a heart attack!

 

[FoldsKart15]

LMBO!!! THey "Prohibit" the use of chemicals huh.... boy I'd love to see a Goldspeed rep at a big show anywhere in the southeastern US, they'd have a heart attack!

They just have to put that for liability reasons so we can't sue when somebody has a thermal event or other injury due to prepping tires, they know what's going on lol

 

[racing promotor]

Let's not forget that the manufacturer makes different compounds hard, medium and soft and the competitors choose what they want to run for the track conditions.
Are the tires that the manufacturer make not good enough to be run without being prepped?

Track conditions are ALWAYS changing not just track to track, same track same day same race, so from a strictly Quality stance No manufacturer as any control over racers running a soft tire when it requires a hard tire.

 

[Slick27]

Burris Blue Grey Series - Burris 33a rule

If you hate maxxis and working on your equipment so much take the year and go burris racing.

We have this great thing in life called decisions......I chose this hobby and any expense that goes with it. I race within my means, have fun and I don't even look at the payouts.

Only thing I look at is how many 375 clone classes, the weather and get ready for the weekend.

This would be like trying to eliminate carbon arrows in archery......ship has sailed everyone.

 

[Bob Evans]

We have this great thing in life called decisions......I chose this hobby and any expense that goes with it. I race within my means, have fun and I don't even look at the payouts.
Only thing I look at is how many 375 clone classes, the weather and get ready for the weekend.

This.

 

[racing promotor]

Burris Blue Grey Series - Burris 33a rule

If you hate maxxis and working on your equipment so much take the year and go burris racing.

We have this great thing in life called decisions......I chose this hobby and any expense that goes with it. I race within my means, have fun and I don't even look at the payouts.

Only thing I look at is how many 375 clone classes, the weather and get ready for the weekend.

This would be like trying to eliminate carbon arrows in archery......ship has sailed everyone.

This post would apply to the Tire rant thread as well.

 

[SoCo Tire Treatments]

LMBO!!! THey "Prohibit" the use of chemicals huh.... boy I'd love to see a Goldspeed rep at a big show anywhere in the southeastern US, they'd have a heart attack!

Theres 3 major owners of Goldspeed, and yes they have been at quite a few major events over this past year.
Whats posted above may have been from a liability standpoint.

 

[Sharlan25]

Stick27

U got it right u don’t like something move on to something that works better for you and your race team

Why this country is great you have choices

 

[Bumpy]

LMBO!!! THey "Prohibit" the use of chemicals huh.... boy I'd love to see a Goldspeed rep at a big show anywhere in the southeastern US, they'd have a heart attack!

That phrasing is probably in there to hopefully keep someone from suing if/when the prepping goes badly.