In response to Dennis,
The Rotax is a good race package, and the collective record does speak for itself. However, things are going to be a bit different come the ’04 season ;-).
One thing Dennis ommited is the relative “Cool Factor” or “Kewlness” of the engines. Leopards are cool and Rotax isn’t. Dennis is a great guy, and a great racer, but the sad, sad truth is that his motor just isn’t very cool – at least not compared to the incomparable Parilla Leopard. It doesn’t sound like a racing engine – hell it doesn’t sound much at all. A good shop vac is actually a lot louder and racier-sounding. They puke out their silencer on the the track sometimes – kinds like a whimpy cannon. It makes them sound a lot tougher for the remainder of the race, but you’re left with a stigma like you crapped your own pants AND you have to walk out on the track, alone to retrieve it afterwards because the corner workers won’t touch it – definitely not cool. They have probably the most un-cool airbox ever concieved. And that exhaust valve hanging off the back, looking like some malignant zit – yucko – VERY square. The exhast pipe looks like something out of an H.R. Geiger nightmare on acid.
I mean if somebody want’s to buy a Rotax, I’m totally down with that, but….
If you wanna be too cool for school, if you wanna drip with hip, if you wanna be the envy all grown men, and totally attractive to slim-wasted, large breasted single women, as I am…………….
The choice is clear. Leopard!
@Dennis Garwood wrote:
Now that we have heard from the 2 leopared drivers, here is my take on the situation.
1) You can’t go wrong with either the Leopard or the Rotax – these are the 2 most prevelant motors for Tag in Colorado. I don’t like the Biland due to initial cost, but to the Biland’s defense it definetly has more bottom end torque than either of the other two packages listed above, but not good mid range or top end.
2) The rotax won the Tag senior championship this year. The rotax finished 1,2,4,5,6 in the state series as well. I think that speaks for itself.
3) In regards to Tag at CRE for the leopard – don’t count on it. It is a rotax track primarily and George doesn’t want to be part of the team in supporting the colorado series. IMI runs a tag class every race weekend and all motors are welcome – same at Bandimere and Grand Junction.
4) As far as replacing your own cylinder, etc. You can change it and work on the top end on the rotax, but it makes the motor illegal for RMAX races only – not state or club level races. You are allowed to run in the tag series without the seal.
5) The jets – it is very easy to change the jet and needle setting – it takes about 2 minutes to get it all changed. It does suck though that you can’t change them on the track, but there is a part that you can buy that allows for this to happen.
6) Being a 200 pound guy doesn’t hurt you. It just doesn’t help you in adding weight where you want on the chassis for the rotax or any of the packages. Eric Vaughn weighs about 225 and he came to the scales between 395 and 400 each race. No weight and barely any fuel left, so you do the math.
7) I agree with Chaz in regards to local support. Run what the other drivers run, if you don’t you are going to be sorry on race weekends. For example – at the final state series race in Steamboat there wasn’t a shop within 2 hours to buy extra parts. I went there without an 11 tooth clutch for my rotax and fortunatley there were plenty of rotax motors there with spare parts to buy, swap or borrow. With a 12 tooth I was 2 seconds off pole, with the 11 tooth I was .2 of pole qualifying 3rd. It is a big deal on race weekends to have the support from local shops, but more importantly from other racers.
Finally – as I stated earlier you can’t go wrong with either the Leopard or the Rotax – they both are very competitive motors and they both will win races. Oh by the way, I’ve got 2 rotax packages for sale with mid range hours. They are both very strong – 3 Poles in the colorado state series and 2 wins in 7 races.