Track Tac

Question on allowing karts not available to the public

M

Mikegt98

Member
This is a unique question I haven't seen asked before but I've been thinking about for some time. Has anyone thought about why big money races allow kart manufacturers to use prototype karts not available to the general public. I know all available karts are fast but this seems to put many at a disadvantage when they do find that next best thing. Just my thoughts.
 
I'd also say that the advantage lies with the "known" vs. the "unknown" about 90% of the time. People don't realize how often the prototypes fail. The only way you can determine if a prototype is going to work is to actually put it in competition.

Many many times the 'hot shoe' who "just had a bad day" just had a chassis that would not work.
 
As I see it as long as the chassi meets all the specs of the AKRA and WKA they are legal. Such as wheel base , width and length with all safety requirements such as tube size and thickness.
 
How you gonna sell that new chassis if you don't show it can win big races. When that new chassis hits the market you can use those wins as part of the sales pitch. One of our engine customers built his own kart and pulled a big win. He had no plans to sell karts just wanted to see what he could do, should he have been excluded because he only built the one kart?
 
Making such a rule would also prohibit homebuilt one-off chassis too... They're rarer these days, but they're still out there...
 
Marvpower said:
Why then does a tire have to be available to the public then
Click to expand...

Tires don't have tech. The series mandates the spec tire and therefore the series mandates the availability. If the series mandated Phantom chassies then Phantom would have to make the chassis available in time for potential competitors to purchase said chassis.

Chassies are like engines. They have rules and tech. You can build your own however you like as long as you meet the specs.
 
Chances are, if I get my butt handed to me by a BIG name racer on a factory prototype, he would have outran me on a kart identical to mine as well. Preparation, talent, and knowledge are all universal.
 
All I seem to hear on here is tires, tires, tires.

The chassis is just a piece of steel.

If you can't make any of them work, especially something from a manufacture that should be at least close, it's tires, setup, something stupid someone did, engine or driver(for some on here it's even having the wrong driver, with the right ratio).

It's never the chassis unless it's bent.

When's the last time you read on here, about a brand of chassis keeping someone from winning?

Answer: never.


IMHO, if your not doing so good and you buy a new chassis and do better, it's not about the new chassis being better, it's about you buying something you ain't messed with yet, maybe even followed manufactures instructions with, and ain't messed up yet.
 
There is no way to police a rule like this. The tech man would have to have on hand every blueprint to every "available" chassis. What if someone added a bar or cut a bar (been done a lot), then the tech man has to look at every weld, every bend, and every tube. No way that will ever happen.
 
There are so many fast people out there who take an existing fast chassis, and re do parts with a welder or what not, make it more to their liking. There is nothing stopping anyone from making their own. Its damn hard so I'll stick with a brand that gives me good support. If those prototypes were so fast and proven I'm sure they would release them when they are ready.
 
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