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Rodney,
Perfect! I had to create a new calendar since sharing issues prevented me from utilizing the existing one. I will add all the appropriate events tonight.
Thank you for your help with this!
–Eric
Rodney,
Ok! I believe I may have fixed the issue. I added an additional external link to the calendar page. For some reason on my developer portal it shows it, but on other browsers it doesn’t even after clearing the cache (so that the page is forced to ‘reset’ with new edits). Ugh. Hopefully it will appear soon!
Please advise if this fixes issue on your end….
–Eric
Rodney,
It is not just your computer! I will address this issue this evening. Thank you for bringing it to our attention! On my computer it is working, likely because I am logged into it…
–Eric
Hi Shawn,
First and foremost, welcome to karting!! The Colorado karting community is a pretty unique one, full of friendly and approachable racers. That said, many take it quite seriously.
While you may be new to the world of karting, having experience in motorsports, and some of your own tools to start is great! As an engineer, your mechanical aptitude will serve you well as you learn more about karts and the sport in general.
Within the region, the Briggs & Stratton LO206 engine is certainly the strongest option for those starting out in karting. Over the last decade, Briggs has worked extremely hard to create consistency and parity between the engines they produce, and have designed an engine that while not necessarily the fastest option out there, has longevity and accessibility that really is unrivaled by most 2-cycle karting engines (which are awesome in their own right!).
The question of budget can get tricky, as for most racers it is honestly pretty variable. With the harder Duro tire used by most Briggs 206 classes in the region, many used or ‘dated’ chassis are still quite competitive with strong and smooth driving fundamentals. The Briggs engine rewards a smooth and consistent driver. A reasonable 206-equipped kart ‘race ready’ can be had for $1500-$2000 used, and of course more depending on your budget or ambitions. Here is a link to some rough numbers for a variety of other additional areas that may be expenses for you, depending on your finances or competitive ambition.
Regionally, the 206 has gathered a significant following. Last year, average attendance at races for this class (if we combine the two categories, heavy and light) was between 25 and 30. This coming year, these numbers look to be up even more. For many new racers this means that they often will have someone close to them in experience that they can compete against. Rotax-powered classes are also reasonably strong with quality drivers, but the senior division is still rather smaller than the 206 fields the majority of the time.
Storing a kart on a vertical kart stand is a great idea! However, even with the oil and fuel drained, I wouldn’t recommend storing the Briggs engine specifically on a vertical stand. Most 2 cycle engines tend to be ok with this practice assuming draining of fluids, but it is rare to see this done with the Briggs. As an air cooled engine with few accessories to attach, removing the Briggs engine from the kart is a 2-minute job, so it would not be a major chore to remove the engine before storing vertically.
While ultimately an enclosed trailer is going to be nicer in many respects, the additional cost and size of an enclosed trailer is a challenge for some racers. As a result, an open trailer may be more up your ally. There are several brands and options available for these trailers around Colorado. Through Dustin Courter’s (a regional racer in the 206 category and shifter) sponsorship, I do know that Parker Trailers has a 10% discount for those that mention him to them at the front desk/service center.
Setting aside the ‘startup’ costs of a kart, tools, safety equipment, etc., etc.,
A weekend racing budget would likely look similar to this:
1) Entry fees(can vary from series to series. Colorado Karting Tour is $85 per entry for members, $115 per entry for non-members.
2) Transportation costs and lodging (dependent on your preference somewhat). For races further away from Boulder, say at SBR Motorsports Park or Grand Junction Motor Speedway, a hotel may be a prudent investment depending on how much time you wish to spend at the track/commuting back and forth.
3) Fuel, tires, parts: This varies heavily between teams and drivers. In the 206 class, a typical racer would likely cycle between 2-3 sets of Duro tires a season, although many go with far less. Duro’s last time I checked were ~$150 a set. Fuel for this category can vary, but likely would be ~5-10 gallons necessary for two full days at the track (practice and a race if you choose) and it is often pump gas, which is significantly cheaper than racing fuel ($2-3 / gallon compared to $7-10 for racing fuels). Common parts you may need would include: sprockets, chains, lubricants, brake pads, replacement tires, replacement chassis parts, etc.We are excited you are interested in the sport of karting in Colorado! I look forward to seeing your thoughts on your initial exploration of karting, and the community here will answer your questions pretty thoroughly over time.
–Eric Gunderson
Philip,
I will reach out to you with this via email as well:
A couple great chassis with your desired description are still (to my knowledge) available in CO!
First: Ryan Rudolph’s 2017 GP Kart. The GP is a clone of the CRG.
Second: Christian Bird’s recent CRG Inventory. He just texted me to let me know that it is all gone, but he may be a great resource to contact anyway!
Here’s a 2012 CRG (could be close?)
Here’s a 2013 CRG
Hope this helps!
–Eric
Travis,
Nice post! Do you have some photos to go with your posting? You can comment below with some photos, and upload them by clicking on the small ‘landscape picture’ icon in the editor bar.
Hey ferrariboy1967, welcome to The Karter!
A couple things: If you could, please do change your username to reflect your real name. This forum policy has been in place since Jan 01, 2018 for all new registered accounts. It helps everyone be accountable for their posted content.
Also, do you have some pictures and a price for your Arrow? I’m sure it’s a lovely kart, but until it can be seen, it can be harder to sell! To post pictures, add a comment below, and use the little ‘picture frame’ icon in the top bar of the text editor.
–Eric
Hi Gia!
Welcome back to The Karter! You’re right, the new look took a lot of effort to set up, but we are extremely proud of it overall.
One area that I’m not super stoked on is of course the avatar integration. This is a WordPress Site, which means that you have to upload your ‘avatar’ image to a 3rd party partner of WordPress, Gravatar. (I know, I know, silly name).
To do this, log into your account on The Karter, and then click on where it says “Howdy, Suicide Customs” (top right of your screen).
Once there, you are in your profile. Scroll down a little bit, and you will see a prompt for the profile picture, which is your avatar. You will have to register with Gravatar, which again is annoying. I assume WordPress does this to save server space on their main WP servers…
Anyway, 0nce you have uploaded your image, it should appear as your profile/avatar picture. Note that I said ‘should,’ as Gravatar can take some time at times. It is a little frustrating I admit, but if you are persistent, it will appear.
As you can see, most people haven’t bothered with that step yet, and that’s fine by me. However, hopefully in the future as they updgrade and update Gravatar it works more consistently and with less hassle.
If you have further questions, email me at: [email protected], and I will be happy to help!
–Eric Gunderson
Hey TrevMan18,
We are certainly sorry to see you go. There are other budgetary options if a TaG is too expensive for the moment. Motocross is cool too.
Regardless, do you have some pictures to go along with your posting? And perhaps a price? Complete ads tend to sell more quickly than one without this information.
–Eric
Adrian,
Do you have some photos to go along with your posting? How about pricing, more detailed specs, and some contact info?
Adding those things may help those that are interested in contacting you to see the karts, and in the selling process.
–Eric
Brian,
Thank you for your response and comment! We sincerely appreciate it. As you continue to navigate the site, let us know if you have further questions or thoughts on how to provide more information in an easy to understand and accessible manner.
–Eric
Doug, very interesting perspective!
Just to clarify–are you advocating for the omission of “cadet” classes at the national level, or throughout karting as well? (Local, regional, etc.)
I can certainly see your perspective on how certain racing teams with the means to invest in the extra special ‘suitcase’ motors have damaged or frustrated other teams at the national level, and at times in other areas of karting.
If a series were to switch to a model where they consistently provided an engine with race entry, how would you wish to see this handled? I ask this because in programs where this was more common, for example the Skip Barber Series (where it really is the whole car not just an engine), there were still those that would complain that ‘so and so had a special car/engine.’ Do you see the approach you’re suggesting working long-term in karting, or would you suspect that those same ‘race dads’ would start paying off employees of a series at the national level to set aside a certain engine for their kid?
Thanks for posting Doug! Curious to hear more of your thoughts.
-Eric
