Mike, you want the truth, you can?t handle the truth.
The whole point of the Spec Kid Kart class is learning to drive and have fun, not about going to national races. It does not matter what engine it is as long as the performance is similar and they are as close to the same between engines as possible. To get parity with the Comer 2-stroke you cannot run them out of the box, they are not like a sealed Rotax, and you must basically blueprint each engine. This means complete disassembly and checking each and every part, matching port heights and compression, alignment of the crank, etc. Even then there is not much you can do about different port timing and compression between cylinders and alignment of the block. The Honda engine does not have ports, all of the parts are quality die cast, and it is built with more precision. They are very consistent out of the box. It is also a four-stroke that does not require oil in the fuel, another variable that makes fuel tech more difficult. What you have with the Comer class now requires anyone wanting to be competitive to have their engine blueprinted at an extra expense. There still will be the difference between parts that engine builders will cherry pick to build the best one which makes it even more expensive and more disparity. Having the spec class was a way to eliminate the engine out of the equation. Now a few people want to make the engine an issue again. This has turned into a political situation with parents as the lobbyist and the track owners the politicians. All I have tried to do in selecting the Honda was to make it as fair as possible, reduce the cost of racing for everyone involved and help grow the sport by eliminating the fighting and cheating accusations which have dominated the class for the last few years. I have been doing my research on which engine to use on my own because I knew it would become a pissing match if I told anyone. I guess the track owners voted on it today with what I consider 2 votes for the Comer and 1 for the Honda. JB with all of the outside pressure could not commit one-way or the other so the Honda lost. If you want the same old brain damage we have had in the past with this class just keep everything the same as it has been. Tech will not mean anything anyway as a good blueprinted engine will pass and the beginner with the engine out of the box will also. Which one do you think would have an advantage? What is it going to take to get at least one beginner class where parents, personalities, money and politics are not involved?