Track Tac

Price gouging and shortages have taken the fun away

Curiosity is getting the best of me with the comments on "big teams hoarding tires". For those that believe in this theory, I'm interested to hear how you think the process works? Are distributors receiving in tires and notifying the big teams when they receive tires. The big team buys them all and therefore nobody else had a chance? Or is it the individual racer buys what they need at that time and the big team buys it when they see it; When individual racer goes to buy again, say a month later, the supply has dried up at the distributor?

I'm sure most know that front runners in series racing plan to hold tires for a couple of years. There are occasions when the team believes that a fresh cut 2 year old tire is the preferred tire. They have to plan for this and hold onto tires for sometime to race the way they choose to. Another scenario for big teams is marketing their chassis, tire cutting service, prep program, or having capacity to add teammates. They want everyone on their tire so they can learn / share information. They buy a lot of tires to operate this way. I wouldn't consider it hoarding, but could see how on the surface it looks that way, as they are using them within the team. Burris tracks like Clay City, J&M, Ashway, Dawgwood, and Beaver Creek (yes, I know they run Maxxis too) have a chance of requiring an older but fresh tire when series racing is there.

I thought we were past the point of considering open tire rules and no prepping as a cost savings measure. The complaints would shift to having to have too many tire brands and always having to buy new tires to be competitive.
 
Dang I mean if i have too buy 4 sets of prepped and cut tires per event to run up front .
It looks like ill be tail end Charlie .
 
nobozos said:
Racing weather it's NASCAR, GOKARTS, or BELT SANDERS, has never been a participant trophy sport so get over it and go race and have Fun.I done I'm going racing later Chuck as soon as I finish pulling weeds.
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In belt sander racing do you have to have every sandpaper grit to do well? Sounds a bit like kart racing.
 
When I think of "big teams" my mind goes to a lot of the top shops on google that pop up when you type in "racing go kart parts". And when I think of "hoarding" I think of said shop, giving parts, and deals, to their friends and, respectfully, their best customers first. I would imagine the part supplier and supplyEE/big teams would share the same type of relationship. BUT with that, I'm sure big teams feel just as crazy showing up with 20 sets and no one to race, as we do, not being able to buy 1 set to show up. It will fix itself if this is the case. Live and learn. Keep after it or go fishing. Ride the coaster and try to stay positive. Hope to race you soon.
 
I, will too say, that We need to do our homework buying our parts and stuff. And will admit I have about 12 sets of rims for my little team. We have 5 dirt karts so not much of an offset there. But the only way I have those 12 sets is I bought them from at least 4 or 5 different places. One Place has only 10" right side, so I ordered some. Another place had my 8 3/4 I need for my bullring, bought them too. And at the Ohio swap meet a guy was selling 6.5 lf fronts for $30 a piece, had like 10 of them. A customer B4 me bought 5 for advertised price and I heard the transaction. I bought the other 5 for $25 a piece :) ....
 
We all need to admit a lot of this tire wheel deal is a bit like covid toilet paper. Palmetto is doing everything in their power to keep people from buying wheels in excess yet they sell out in less than hour because people are panic buying. I need three more black 10s and im done for the year. Big teams, especially on Maxxis, don't need wheels. seriously do you think Nall or Armstrong don t have hundreds of sets of wheels. Even if they purchased new every year that means there are thousands of used wheels out there. I can see the Douglas Q stickers inside the fifty-5 cartels wheels, those things haven't been made in. years. big tire guys (BRB, Roll Speed, Diamond Cuts) Are telling me they are short on wheels and tires too. But they wil put me on a list. I have had to give tires and wheels to two of my local big time tire guys. I've had to hunt them down my self, no big deal.

And why shouldn't people give their loyal customers first dibs? You should support your local people. I would rather have my tire guy give me priority selling me two three sets of wheels over selling somebody who calls in for 50 sets and us locals get none.

BTW Burris has and will be sending out tires this and next week.
 
jaymancds said:
Ladies and Gentlemen, my best solution, open tire rules, no prep, wet race tracks. Run whatever tire you think is best, or can afford. No prep means a savings of $3-400 per year, which is an extra set of tires or other parts. Take samples, and send them in. No slack.

End the predator classes. Period. Full stop. Replace them with the Lo206 and tech hard.
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jaymancds said:
There are alot of good points in this thread. I wish people outside of this forum could see this.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my best solution, open tire rules, no prep, wet race tracks. Run whatever tire you think is best, or can afford. No prep means a savings of $3-400 per year, which is an extra set of tires or other parts. Take samples, and send them in. No slack.

End the predator classes. Period. Full stop. Replace them with the Lo206 and tech hard.




Those are my best solutions. My personal crusade would be to end prepping. No chemicals, no smell forever in the walls of your shop, no wives pissed that all of your clothes smell like a chemical plant, reducing the already life long dangers of our sport, no more wondering or complaining about which prep works best where. Yes I realize that I am talking about getting rid of a somewhat major part of our sport, and many local shops would be hurting for a while, but the long term benefit to the sport would make up for it in my opinion.
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Open tire rule will cost the average racer more money. Tires are more expensive than prep, and prep enhances tire life.
Folks in the biggest racing series in the country, late models and sprint cars, have been getting through the lab without issues. And at this point in time theres questionable practices with one of the prominent labs being used.
The biggest days of karting 99% of the time had 1 motor, with several variations of that 1 motor, why add LO206 when most people race clones?
The flathead days of karting, with a single tire, use to get over 2000 entries at Daytona. Thanksgiving Thunder the last few yrs that Troy had it was getting incredible amounts of entries. Back when Firestones were available, local race tracks there would be 30 in a class most every Friday or Saturday night in the Carolinas. You had to buy a new right sides every every week you raced and nobody cared.

Price gouging from what ive seen hasnt been from reputable kart shops or suppliers, but from individuals selling used products. And shortages have been across the board with everything, not just karting related or racing related products.
This is America, things will get better!!
 
flattop1 said:
How about race within your means .
Trust me i have bought new tires for the kart , while needing tires for the truck .
If your racing against the big teams with gobs of tires , don't : go somewhere else .
series racing or money racing is a no profit thing . its all about enjoyment and the love of the competition .
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you are right, i have seen that multiple times, since my 1st seasons in Europe with huge budgets while I was racing with 4 tires and 4 wheels because that's what I could afford. I didn't win but I remember another guy who didn't win either and in 2 seasons he lost his company and his family trying to spend all that money. I saw him blow 5 engines in a weekend, and I am talking about expensive ICA 2 stroke engines.
 
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