Tech: What is reasonable?

[WINNERSCIRCLE]

There is a lot regarding tech, oil, fuel, engine specs. To do a proper COMPLETE tech you are looking at about 1 hour per engine. Given that most tracks run many classes what is reasonable. IMO UNLESS it is a major event I am not going to do complete tear down in each class. Something in each class and not necessarily the same thing, and or different things each week. Enough to let them know anything could and may be checked and does not mean it could not be a complete tear down. I take into account a number of things. 1) Is the same person running up front each week 2) What times is the kart turning compared to known track times ( a lot can be said for a stop watch). 3) Is someone blowing the field away. 4) Engine sound and performance. Given that said you would be more likely to be to be teched deeper if any of these things were out of the norm. That's not to say you do not just have a better chassis set up. In which case I may check your chassis to lol. Given all this to those complain. The alternative is go home in a box and spend 6 hours at a track doing tech and unless you build your own engines, pay the engine builder to put it back together. Most tracks if you are that concerned have an engine claim rule.

 

[Bergh223]

For a class winner, no go gauge for all the head ports and the carb. Inspect for any porting or polishing. If the track has one, sniff the oil, fuel, and use a volt meter to check the coil. If someone is really dead set on a full tare down, have a $50 protest. Someone can formally request a full tare down for $50.

Beyond that, do some small checks during the race day randomly one or two people in the top 5. Sniff fuel, oil, maybe check the coil. Just keeps people honest. Maybe after they come off the track for the heat or the feature. Keeps the whole field in check.

For a weekly show, I think that is more than enough. I would think that combining the power of observation in items 2 through 4 you would know what to check. Just my two cents.

 

[jrc9r]

hey Brian! think you make some very good points. I think that there should be a rule set that if you get caught cheating that the motor will be destroyed!! also will say that with that there needs to be something that says there will be no bias persons involved.. the problem with our society in general is that nobody is held responsible for there actions!! and therefore people just do what they want with no consequences. recently saw a post with a very vague question from a person that totally new what the answer was, just to stir the pot. fact is that from what ive seen in kart racing in my limited years is that every track techs different and every track techs the stuff they usually know people aren't cheating with. its just to say the teched.. that being said I believe your teching has been very fair.. cheating will always be a part of racing and there will always be bias people... you know what they say"its not cheating till you get caught" the real question is do certain people want to catch the ones that are cheating.

 

[Wynn Racing]

I like the idea of checking at random, so you never know what to expect. If you only check springs, people will have the proper springs, but use other ways of cheating. Also first place does not always need to be teched the most, second or third might be a lot faster than normal, but not pull off the win.

 

[NEKC]

Personally IMO If the tech guy is paying attention to the racing he has a pretty good idea what is going on. Some things are impossible to tech at the track. I think doing something every week keeps most honest. The biggest problem at tracks are finding people that actually know how to tech. You need someone knowledgable about building engines to know what they are looking at. I know I personally would love to hand tech to an impartial person. It would make my life a lot less stressful. There just isnt enough people racing anymore here in NH. ( any volunteers?) 25 years ago when I built my own engines and took them to Tech it didn't matter to me what they teched because I built my own. I brought my engine home in a basket almost every week. No problem I built my own so I also put them back together. What has changed considerably is people that race today dont work on thier own engines. If someone owns an engine they bought from far away how can you expect them to send it back every week. I think Brian does an excellent job. He's seen plenty of mine in tech and I have never felt like I even needed to look over his shoulder. In a money race I think there is defineately a place for more things being teched. I have always offered to put engines back together for our customers free of charge. I guess its a debate that will go on forever as long as there is racing there will be people cheating and people accusing people of cheating. How much tech is enough, How much is too much etc etc......

 

[Fab54]

hey Brian! think you make some very good points. I think that there should be a rule set that if you get caught cheating that the motor will be destroyed!! also will say that with that there needs to be something that says there will be no bias persons involved.. the problem with our society in general is that nobody is held responsible for there actions!! and therefore people just do what they want with no consequences. recently saw a post with a very vague question from a person that totally new what the answer was, just to stir the pot. fact is that from what ive seen in kart racing in my limited years is that every track techs different and every track techs the stuff they usually know people aren't cheating with. its just to say the teched.. that being said I believe your teching has been very fair.. cheating will always be a part of racing and there will always be bias people... you know what they say"its not cheating till you get caught" the real question is do certain people want to catch the ones that are cheating.

So how do you handle the case where someone buys a motor from a builder because they aren't qualified to build their own, and they aren't interested in cheating, and for some reason the engine fails tech?

It would be so much easier if people were honest and didn't cheat, not just in racing, but everywhere. <sigh>

 

[rt.58racer]

So how do you handle the case where someone buys a motor from a builder because they aren't qualified to build their own, and they aren't interested in cheating, and for some reason the engine fails tech?

It would be so much easier if people were honest and didn't cheat, not just in racing, but everywhere. <sigh>

In the event an engine fails tech, it would not matter who built it....Its not your circus, it is not your monkeys.
That being said, I buy my engines, know nothing about building one, and accept the fact that they could fail tech. If they do, they would get sent back to my engine builder and we would have to work through it. Since I rely on a builder, it is my problem if they fail tech....I hope it never happens, but accept that it could.
As far as how much is too much tech, if I were promoting a track, I would do a complete tear down of winners the first week, and like others have said, pay attention to what you are watching on the track. After knowing who is legal the first week, and who is not legal, simply watching the races every week will give you a good idea of who needs to come apart....if anyone....if you show from the beginning that you are not going to tolerate cheating, most racers will voluntarily comply. I believe most racers do not want to cheat, but they will if they feel the track is not doing all they can to make sure all racers are on the same playing field. Just my opinion.

 

[4c racing]

IMO they should draw an item to be teched from a hat for each kart so each kart could have something different teched. that way nobody knows what is going to be teched from week to week. that way you would think people would be more apt to be legal week in and week out.

 

[BIREL FAMILY KARTERS]

IMO they should draw an item to be teched from a hat for each kart so each kart could have something different teched. that way nobody knows what is going to be teched from week to week. that way you would think people would be more apt to be legal week in and week out.

4c I like the idea of each karter reaching into a hat to see what gets tech with a complete engine teardown slip in the hat that would keep people honest what a way to get dq then by your own pick sounds fair to me. I am going to think about that at my own tech

 

[Wynn Racing]

IMO they should draw an item to be teched from a hat for each kart so each kart could have something different teched. that way nobody knows what is going to be teched from week to week. that way you would think people would be more apt to be legal week in and week out.

Great idea!

 

[Jimbo925]

We had a local track that implemented a pretty cool tech. It was quite simple. If you are teched, you are subject to any procedure the tech man feels to be valid. Meaning, he watches and listens to the race and should he feel there is something not quite right, he will ask for your motor in tech. You refuse, you are fined $50 and not allowed to race until said fine is paid. If you refuse a second offense, $100 fine. 3rd refusal and you are done for the year. Now if you go through tech and pass, all is well and have a great day. If you are found to be illegal, then the parts that are not legal are confiscated and the track sells them through online auction and that money goes towards awards or banquet party at the end of the season. You get back the rest of the motor. It may be as simple as a valve spring or carburetor, Or it might be a block and piston that is confiscated. Its totally random and as the officials see fit. MOST of the time, everyone is legal. Once in a while someone gets nabbed and they lose a part. BUT if they still have the rest of the motor, its pretty quick and relatively in expensive to replace one part rather than a complete motor. Seen a guy get tossed for ONE valve spring. Totally not his fault. They were brand new and had one feature on them. That happens. He walked to the parts trailer and bought a new pair for $4 and went back and put the motor back together. Let the beer drinking begin. LOL

 

[PrimeTime]

IMO they should draw an item to be teched from a hat for each kart so each kart could have something different teched. that way nobody knows what is going to be teched from week to week. that way you would think people would be more apt to be legal week in and week out.

A local track used ping pong balls with a different tech item written on each, one option was NO TECH, you drew out of a hat.

At 1:00am I was glad we pulled the NO TECH ball...

 

[WINNERSCIRCLE]

IMO they should draw an item to be teched from a hat for each kart so each kart could have something different teched. that way nobody knows what is going to be teched from week to week. that way you would think people would be more apt to be legal week in and week out.

One problem with that is, in the event you feel someone IS illegal and they draw lets say carburetor. Are you now limited to only checking the carb when it may be the head ? Even though you are almost certain they are illegal.

 

[ffmcrew]

We had a local track that implemented a pretty cool tech. It was quite simple. If you are teched, you are subject to any procedure the tech man feels to be valid. Meaning, he watches and listens to the race and should he feel there is something not quite right, he will ask for your motor in tech. You refuse, you are fined $50 and not allowed to race until said fine is paid. If you refuse a second offense, $100 fine. 3rd refusal and you are done for the year. Now if you go through tech and pass, all is well and have a great day. If you are found to be illegal, then the parts that are not legal are confiscated and the track sells them through online auction and that money goes towards awards or banquet party at the end of the season. You get back the rest of the motor. It may be as simple as a valve spring or carburetor, Or it might be a block and piston that is confiscated. Its totally random and as the officials see fit. MOST of the time, everyone is legal. Once in a while someone gets nabbed and they lose a part. BUT if they still have the rest of the motor, its pretty quick and relatively in expensive to replace one part rather than a complete motor. Seen a guy get tossed for ONE valve spring. Totally not his fault. They were brand new and had one feature on them. That happens. He walked to the parts trailer and bought a new pair for $4 and went back and put the motor back together. Let the beer drinking begin. LOL

This one is funny. So you sell the parts and put them back in to circulation for another tech guy to find.

 

[Jimbo925]

This one is funny. So you sell the parts and put them back in to circulation for another tech guy to find.

Its on whomever decides to buy the parts and who decides to tech who ever. Most times these parts end up going to a SA project or a yard kart or sometimes even in the scrap pile. Pretty easy way for track to make a couple bucks or for someone to slap together a little hot rod to play with. It doesn't always have to be negative. Sheesh.

 

[4c racing]

the only thing with listening to a engine while its racing is that a great handling kart will sound different than a ill handling kart. also if official is friends with someone getting teched they may tech one of their legal items(it does happen). IMO drawing out of a hat eliminates any favoritism and no one knows whats getting teched until its drawn. it brings out an element of surprise.

 

[WINNERSCIRCLE]

the only thing with listening to a engine while its racing is that a great handling kart will sound different than a ill handling kart. also if official is friends with someone getting teched they may tech one of their legal items(it does happen). IMO drawing out of a hat eliminates any favoritism and no one knows whats getting teched until its drawn. it brings out an element of surprise.

One problem with that is, in the event you feel someone IS illegal and they draw lets say carburetor. Are you now limited to only checking the carb when it may be the head ? Even though you are almost certain they are illegal.

 

[JMoll 66]

One problem with that is, in the event you feel someone IS illegal and they draw lets say carburetor. Are you now limited to only checking the carb when it may be the head ? Even though you are almost certain they are illegal.

The first week yes.

If you do it this way the competition is less likely to cheat, not knowing what will be tech-ed next.

 

[WINNERSCIRCLE]

The first week yes.

If you do it this way the competition is less likely to cheat, not knowing what will be tech-ed next.

I don't know how anyone else does it but I don't tell anyone ahead of time what will be tech, nor do I want to be limited to what I tech. So I don't see how that makes it LESS likely.ie: if I'm pretty certain someone is cheating I don't want to be limited by a draw, I'll dig till I find it.

 

[premier8]

if I'm pretty certain someone is cheating I don't want to be limited by a draw, I'll dig till I find it.

now that may be a good idea but tech is to prove someone legal and if you completely year a guy down to prove him illegal then the next guys motor should go through the same process to be fair. I like the idea of switching it weekly but if I'm going to come home with my motor in a crate for 25 bucks and a sticker I'd rather just go home than stay at the track til 130 in tech. Idea of the story is keep the amount of tech proportional to the payout.