Episode 2 relating to the last post!!
Our gripes on exit and if it were different might have kept us in karting are not many but are as follows.
Cost - the key cost are tyres, I understand Rotax make more from tyres than they do from engines. At most if not all tracks (Wombwell being an exception) you need new tyres for race day to be on the pace. We have all seen big teams testing on new tyres and more than one set on a test day to get perfect set up for each race on one race old, two race old etc tyres. We can't control that. But how about controlling use of new tyres for race day? When placing race entry you quote the tyre bar codes, these are checked when signing on / scruts check. You race on the new set. The bar codes are registered on the club but also national database - simple to do on line. The next time you place a race entry you have to quote the same bar codes and use the same tyres for race day. This forces everyone to use tyres twice for race day. With Mojos I don't see why this couldn't be extended to 3 races. I hear you say some will be on new and some will be on used - so what - makes for more interesting racing and gives the have not's more chance of a race against the haves! BUT there is absolutely no incentive for Rotax to implement this, also the teams would not want this either because the current plan keeps the have not's down more so, the teams or people running in teams have the budget to run new tyres all the time. Who has more influence over the MSA - Rotax and the teams or the individual privateers struggling to finance racing? either way the privateers will vote with their feet and the sport will be left full of teams, maybe that is what the MSA want anyway? That's one gripe over.
The second relating to cost is the usual - other costs - lack of parity on engines and ancillaries. We did actually land on a good top end (but needed a bottom end engine for our track!!!) engine but we had to raid the piggy bank for it, and it wasn't particularly suited to our track and we couldn't afford to race where it was suited! We needed more than one good engine to suit different tracks. The ancillaries carbs, exhaust, air box, coil all vary. Again we had one or two good ones but by pure luck than money. I have heard of teams spending a day or day's on the dyno / track testing, coils, carbs, air boxes, exhausts. One example is air boxes - testing 50 air boxes - finding one or two with a noticeable difference. same with coils , exhausts, carbs. How many privateers can afford to purchase and test to this volume? If every component was the same this would not be a problem. I don't quite know what the answer is. Maybe a handicap system similar to stock cars - you win a lot you get handicapped either on grid position or actual race time penalty?? I don't know, but one way or another the MSA need to figure out a way of getting your average privateer into karting and keeping them there. The Rotax academy thing is going the right way but is still a joke ref. cost. £800 for round, how many privateers can stomach this cost??
Third - cost of advice - at club level, wouldn't it be great if there was some form of impartial 'technical advisor' a club official - someone whom can offer impartial advice to privateers whom can't afford team advice. Not constant advice, but for those weekends where nothing seems to go
right and you don't know what to do, karting as a privateer can be a very lonely place if you have this type of weekend?
Forth - the old chestnut - consistency of officials - marshals and scruits. A COC job is very hard and I admire them and generally have no gripe with them either - as a ref in football they can only go on what they see and what is reported to them, but they need more support from marshals, many marshals are in reality semi qualified - but all we ask is for them to watch carefully what is going on - most tracks have pinch points - areas where something is likely to happen at the start, during and certainly at the end of a race. If the last corner is one of the best overtaking points, WATCH that corner intently - ESPECIALLY
on the last lap. How many have been involved with the COC over an incident and the answer was 'as COC I didn't see it' they can't be expected to see it - they are a single person the track is BIG! Or more commonly - my marshals didn't see anything - or 'the incident', They are actually accepting something happened - a kart was off the track or similar but no one saw anything!!!! This is just not acceptable on the last lap when incidents are expected - same as a football team attacking and scoring - ball bounces back out of the goal - sorry didn't see it in the goal - wasn't watching the attack!!
Can't think of much else which must mean Karting is an awesome sport, pastime, hobby, life changing activity - not being sarcy - it is all of those.
We have had a great time karting and don't want to leave it, but life must move on!
A good friend has offered us a drive in TKM, we might dabble with that we'll see.
Or maybe for me some adhoc mechanicing. We have sold up everything apart from the general karting tools, you never know what the future holds!!
I am catching up on that HUGE list of jobs at home that never get done due to karting!
|
|
Son Retires by 'Anse' (14 Dec 2013 @ 15:31)
