I highly recommend the Leopard. Great engine, low maintenance, good support from the dealer, easy to tune.
You can race the kart anywhere on the front range. IMI allows the Leopard in their TaG Classes just like Bandimere and GJ.
I don’t think you have to worry all that much about weight. I come in about 20# over minimum for TaG Sr leopard, but still run in the 41’s at Bandimere – a good, cometetive lap time. Getting closer to minimum wouldn’t hurt though and there’s always the gym and/or the atkins diet;-).
I’d steer clear of any engine that doesn’t have local support. The Italsistem engine has a lot of appeal because of the higher hp and corresponding higher minimum weight, but unless your a really dope wrench and have a garage full of spares, you may find yourself in some trouble.
Glad to hear you’ll be coming on board with a TaG for ’04 and if you think you’ll be the one holding up traffic, you’re wrong. In order to hold up traffic you’ll have to pass me first.
And with your next post, sign it with your real name so we know who you are, and who’s beer cooler we should raid while you’re out on the track.
PS: I’ll most likely be up at the Bandimere track just hanging out on Sunday around noon (weather permitting, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise), come on up, and hang out and we’ll talk. I’ll tell you all sorts of rotten things about Welch.