Track Tac

tire preps

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kartboy63

Member
so I have been in kart racing over 20 years and still doing it now, but it seems to be getting a little out of hand at least for the simple man. there are late model drivers getting busted for their tires a lot right now but we can soak ours with prep, just a money making thing to me I wish they would do away with, there are big car races that pay 10,000 but karts that pay 50,000 and karts will cost nearly what big cars cost before long and its not just the cost of the kart but the cost to compete now days with the tires you have to have and the days of building your own motor and being competitive is about none I just see kart racing like everything else going to the big money grip people and we are left with the little back yard tracks just for fun and have to have a SA motor to run stock classes because they cheat so much-----ok I feel better now
 
I agree, with all the spec's in kart racing to even the field it's like open class on tires. It would be less complicated for people just getting into the sport (something the sport is lacking), less time required thru the week and less odor in the shop. the chemical exposure can't be enhancing your health either.
 
Prep isn't going away. Done in about every form of racing.
Actually if you have a good program, and someone to share their knowledge, prepping of tires isn't really that hard. Most seem to overcomplicate tires.
 
I agree with you on that, people will try to help you sometimes because they want to but most times its because they want to sell you something and that's where im going with this, its the cost of kart racing today, I know some people will be like just shut up, but I love the sport and have been in it a long time but it is just getting too expensive to run competitive, I mean its kart racing its meant to be fun not a living
SoCo Tire Treatments said:
Prep isn't going away. Done in about every form of racing.
Actually if you have a good program, and someone to share their knowledge, prepping of tires isn't really that hard. Most seem to overcomplicate tires.
Click to expand...
 
It doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive to be competitive. We went to the Maxxis National Championships with a 3 year-old flat kart and a 5 year-old champ, and no more tires than a money race. One set of tires that we ran in a feature were actually bought used as take-offs. Granted, we didn't win any features, but got one second place and one fourth place finish, and were competitively quick all weekend. This was out of a 16 ft. trailer being pulled by a 1/2 ton pickup. Don't buy into the hype that you need Renegade toter homes or duallys with 35 thousand dollar trailers to run competitively.
 
I hear what you saying but that truck and trailer don't win races, im on two 2015 kinetics and I have tires like you they been used up, but I did get the karts used at a good deal, its not just what you have but what it cost to maintain what you have, I mean if you really want to compete at a big money race level, that's new tires every race and all the prep, fresh motors and the cost just to get there, I know im *****ing a lot but I just see the sport tuning into a money sport, if you don't have it might as well stay home
 
Name me another hobby or sport that doesn't cost anything nowadays. You can be fast with used equipment, you just have to spend your money wisely.
 
Just for a little comparison... I race RC cars in the winter. I can loosely estimate 5,000 dollars in 5 cars, and the equipment to run them. Even though if i really went and added it up, its well north of that... I have a dirt oval LM that I just built a few months ago. To the tune of 900 bucks! And that is 1/10 scale!!! So anything that is fun, competitive, and has wheels, is expensive in some way. Compared to many other forms of racing, Go Karts are quite cheap to operate. Ive spent years around many other forms of racing. No matter what form, there are people with unlimited budgets. That will never change. You dont have to run every weekend. I usually run once a month. That way my preparation is done well, my tires and kart are ready, and I know that will give me the best shot for the $$$ I can spend. Its using your budget correctly. Not how big your budget is... Just my .02
 
These big tire and prep companies are making bank*
Now. But eventually kart racing will die out. *If something isn't done soon. *They our killing*
A very fun sport *I love racing*
But it is outrageously expensive if you want to run competative. *
 
Yeah, you're right. Earl, Randy, and all the other prep guys are all over the Fortune 500 list. If you let racing or any other hobby break you, it's on you. What's the old saying, "Know when to say when"?
 
Makes me wonder...
How many "professional" tire prep guys are out there making their living blending tire preps? Randy & a few employees at TT?
I'm guessing that there are more "professional" kart racers making their living than actual tire prep guys.

I know we certainly don't. We've got a full line kart shop, tire cutting, engine building, clutch rebuilding, etc. Tire preps are a very small percentage of our sales, and an even smaller percentage of our income. LOL


Making bank...yep...start a kart shop -- you'll be living high on the hog. That's why we do it. ;)



-----
Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
27 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
CarlsonMotorsports said:
Makes me wonder...
How many "professional" tire prep guys are out there making their living blending tire preps? Randy & a few employees at TT?
I'm guessing that there are more "professional" kart racers making their living than actual tire prep guys.

I know we certainly don't. We've got a full line kart shop, tire cutting, engine building, clutch rebuilding, etc. Tire preps are a very small percentage of our sales, and an even smaller percentage of our income. LOL


Making bank...yep...start a kart shop -- you'll be living high on the hog. That's why we do it. ;)



-----
Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
27 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
Click to expand...

LOL! Something something something about the quickest way to become a millionaire is to be a billionaire that owns a race team (in this case a kart shop). You guys that do this day in and day out are the real soldiers of the sport. Every day getting a call from some Dad who's kid is the next Jeff Gordon and you should give him everything for free as a sponsorship program. It truly is a labor of love for people like you Brian. Lets take some bets on how many more posts like this we will see in the offseason. Prep will stay until the day a kart with out using it is faster than a kart who is.

Not trying to be disrespectful to the Original Poster, but organizations have nearly collapsed trying to police it. The problem is with the racers, not the shops or companies making it. If we didn't want to use it they wouldn't make it!
 
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