ABkC News September 06 ABkC News: September 2006 At this time of year the 2007 edition of the Gold Book (the MSA Kart Race Year Book) has to be in final draft ready to go to the printers so many final decisions are taken by the steering group. This made for the usual full agenda. We were lucky in having two guests from Warden Law Kart Club, as well as the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow co-ordinator present. The meeting heard a report on the WTP Cadet B5 engine class, and that WTP karts were breaking Comer lap records. The question of how to slow down the class was referred back to John Mills Racing for an urgent solution. The ABkC will take a booth at both the London Motorsport Show and the Autosport Show. Both organisations are offering special deals for ABkC clubs. The BKIA have kindly offered a £120 voucher to raffle at each of the shows. Information on the London Kart Show has already been distributed. The Karting Area at Autosport International, 11-14 January 2007 at the NEC, will be a one-stop shop for karting. For the first time, a special Karting Information Point will be a new feature of the Karts to Cars display whilst Motorsport News has some exciting new initiatives planned, and their team will be on hand to meet visitors and answer questions. Industry experts will be giving up their time across the show on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th January to float around the Karting Information Point and give advice to visitors. Shows For visitors looking to get started in karting the ABkC will be a good point of contact, whilst for national level karting BRDC Stars of Tomorrow and Super One will have stands. In addition to this, there will be an inaugural BKIA Karting Pavilion to further promote the sport and ensure it is top of the agenda of the show as a whole. For further information please go to www.autosport-international.com or contact Kate Woodley on 020 8267 8301. Volunteering and Have Your Say Volunteers in Motorsport were thanked for donating three marshals overalls to each ABkC club. They are provided free to be made available to new marshals, pending newcomers buying their own. Clubs that haven’t received their three overalls yet should contact the ABkC secretary. Please note all the resources available for publicity events on the www.volunteersinmotorsport.co.uk website. Club and Marshall of the Year nominations were discussed and a recommendation made to the MSA. The steering group wants to provide an open forum for clubs, teams and drivers after the annual general meeting. The date is provisionally set to be Saturday 16th December in a central location, hopefully this is a suitable date for most people after the majority of race meetings are over. O Plates 2007 Next the applications for the 2007 ‘O’ Plate meetings were discussed and a vote taken. The successful clubs were (with provisional dates where known): Rotax – Whilton Mill – 29/30 September TKM – Shenington – 18/19 August MSA – Three Sisters – 24/25 February Cadet – PF International - 5/6 May Gearbox – Rissington 6/7 October Thank you to all clubs who applied, commiserations to those not successful this time. The ABkC is continuing to work on a criteria to build back up these prestigious championships. All significant dates known are listed on the 2007 Calendar page on this website. Publicity and Child Protection As the bank balance is healthy, it was decided to purchase a further 5,000 ‘Come Karting’ DVD’s to give out at shows and sell to clubs at a subsidised rate of £50 per 100 copies. Please send orders to the secretary. Allan Dean-Lewis of the MSA joined the meeting to give more information about the MSA’s Child Protection guidelines for clubs. All officials that have ticked the box on their renewal form indicating they have contact with minors will be CRB checked and the licence issued provisionally pending the check. Note that CRB checks are not portable, one done for an employment cannot be used for MSA activities, but the MSA check counts at all clubs. Although appointing a Child Protection Officer is optional for clubs, questions will be asked if a club has members under 18 years of age and no CPO is appointed. The CPO will have to attend a course, usually run by Sports Coach UK or the District Council. Small clubs could share a CPO, they don’t have to be present at every meeting and they are appointed as much to protect officials as children. The guidelines have suggested some very strict recommendations regarding photographers and videographers but it was noted already some clubs have built a regulation into Supplementary Regulations or entry forms along the lines of: “By countersigning as parents/guardians/guarantors of minors they agree that they have no objection to still or moving images being taken of the driver / volunteer official undertaking their sporting activities.” Something like this should ease the recommendation to take the names and addresses of anyone taking telephoto pictures. Bruce Goddard of the MSA reported he was in discussion to obtain funding to widen participation in karting. He also reported a 3% drop in kart licences. Many present reported much lower entry levels at race meetings this year and the ABkC will do all it can to publicise karting as a sport, helped by other organisations such as the BKIA. Permits and Licences The Kart Championship Control Panel had met the previous day, and Russell Anderson wished to remind clubs that if they apply for a permit for a series – and the same applies for a single weekend event – it is assumed that there will be strict adherence to the regulations in the Gold Book unless specifically brought to the MSA’s attention and specifically authorised. Some clubs have slipped through changes to tyres or weights in the past. John Ryan for the MSA said he had asked the ABkC to circulate a letter to that effect only last month, stating N.1.3 specific approval is needed for any changes and any requests for permits where changes have not been approved earlier will be rejected. Russell also said in the extreme clubs could be brought before a tribunal. Rod Taylor, who is Chairman of the Kart Sporting Committee, ran through all the changes recently approved by Council (see summary later). It was noted that all new entrants to the ABkC national championships will require five extra signatures after no longer being a novice before being eligible to enter the ABkC series in Super One or Stars next year. In practice this means five signatures on a National A licence, or a total of eleven on the back of a National B licence, one of which may be the ARKS test, so ten in effect for the majority coming straight off a novice. The MSA has suggested that the championships take measures to publicise this requirement on websites, registration forms etc. It appears they might accept proof of competition via results sheets as an alternative to the licence signatures, but this would be a last resort. It also transpired that for their MSA British Championships they require five signatures or proof of competition via results sheets for all entrants, not just first time Stars or Super One which is what the ABkC asks for. This requirement will be dropped in 2008, assuming Council ratify the new requirements for obtaining a National A licence, which will be six extra signatures after gaining a non-novice National B licence. Then the only requirement will be a valid National A or above licence. The ABkC championship for Junior Gearbox will allow novices next year, to try and boost numbers. Ages and Weights The increase in permissible upper age limit to the year of the 13th birthday for Cadet drivers was confirmed, but there will be no other changes in ages for junior classes for 2007 even although the way has been opened by Council for the future. This Cadet age increase is coupled to the maximum chassis weights coming in for all junior classes. Technical It was decided to recommend to the MSA and Super One to stay with the 100cc engines for the 2007 British Kart Championship for Formula A, as will be the case for the majority of countries. Formula 250E and Formula Libre regulations will be removed from the Gold Book, as 100 National and F. Libre will be practically identical and 250E is no longer raced at short circuit. 250E will have a reference at the beginning, but Ecomoto and Yamaha will be removed completely. Tal-Ko supplied their draft 2007 regulations which show optional new air boxes and exhausts for the 2-stroke classes. Many of the chassis rules are simplified and the junior and Intermediate classes will be unchanged. 100 National engines are to be restricted in some way as to their maximum revs, possibly via an inlet or exhaust restrictor. The sub-group is still working on the exact measure to be adopted for 2007. In World Formula the Briggs and Stratton engine has been re-homologated for another three years, the engine price is rising slightly and competitors are reminded only the official exhaust as sold by Zoom is permitted. The weight will go up to 162kg and the slick tyres have changed to Bridgestone YJL. In 250 National an application to include the Gas Gas engine was turned down, as it is not homologated in 5-speed format. It was noted there will be new homologations for the ICC engines in 2007. The regulations were more closely aligned with the CIK version, but a decision on whether to have compulsory exhausts or gear ratios was put off for another year. Kart Tyro / Seats The Kart Sporting Committee is producing guidelines to clubs who wish to run the new Kart Tyro class, for newcomers with a simplified non-ARKS licence, obtainable on the day of a race. This was approved for seniors only, with a 15bhp engine power limit. Clubs can consider which classes and engines fit the bill, for instance Whilton Mill are working on the basis of TKM karts fitted with a junior restrictor. The MSA technical department’s John Ryan reported on the FIA Safety Institute’s work on reviewing the need for a standard for high backed seats, for the junior classes. There is no current intention by the CIK or MSA to make these compulsory. However he asked club officials to feed back reports on kart inversions, with or without injury. Champs News The InterNations Challenge moves to an English track in 2007, and despite clashes it is still determined to be held on the first weekend of September. Congratulations were passed to all new ABkC and MSA kart champions, noting Mark Litchfield’s unique third time in a row, and Sam Jenkins second title in Cadet. The success of the British Kart Grand Prix held at Cadwell Park was noted, and Ian Rushforth was congratulated on all his association’s hard work. A request to consider the use of bio-ethanol fuel was discussed but it was pointed out that since the consumption is doubled, so would fuel tank capacity. It is to be further considered. Most of the 2007 dates are now available on the www.abkc.org.uk website. Summary of changes to the regulations (refer to the MSA regulations for the exact wording): Licences and ages:
Race rules:
Technical – All karts:
Class rule changes:
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