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This kart is still for sale and perfect for someone running the Rotax class for the Colorado regional series.
Just thought I would give you guys an update on kart owners using the ice track. We will allow owners to bring their own karts and tires. I recommend calling first (970)404-0633 we have been busy and getting track time could be difficult. The daily rate is $100 to bring out your kart. The price is significantly higher then a track day at asphalt tracks due to the excessive wear on the ice and work it takes to keep the track in useable condition.
Even if you do not bring your own kart out, you guys should come take some laps in our 206 karts. $40 for a 10 minute session or $75 for 2 10 minute sessions.
The local TV station Aspen 82 came out and put a short little video together to give you an idea of what we have going on here. click on the image below
It is so much fun. No races this year. Did not feel we had the time to put together a quality event. Next year for sure.
We are looking into opening the track up to owners at some point this year. I will let you guys know when those days are.
We are not keeping the karts under 10mph. When taking out a rental we space out the karters. You are driving against just yourself and the track not not racing each other.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=904340019653168&set=vb.847468942006943&type=2&theater
It has been interesting but we have karts and an ice track up and running. Stop by if you are in the Aspen/Carbondale area and give driving on ice a go. Give us a call if you have any questions 970-404-0633
The track is dialed in and fast and flowing with a few tight corners thrown in to keep it interesting. Lap times around the 7/10ths of a mile track with a 206 are 70-80 seconds. Top speed down the straight is 50mph, really gets your heart going throwing the kart sideways into the corner at those speeds.
Everyone at GJMS was a great help getting us a killer rental fleet of karts.
Looks like it is time to place another tire order. Pm me or email us at [email protected] to place your order. Any questions give me a call 970-618-1089
Set of 4 tires unstudded, $276
Set of 4 tires with 500 Kold Kutter ice screws uninstalled $320, you will have extra screws to replace any that might fall out.
Installing your own ice screws allows you to do custom patterns and other things to help get better grip. here is a video for tips and ideas on how to install the ice screws. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLh65d7QEbESet of 4 tires with Kold Kutter ice screws installed $360
Our first shipment of Heidenau Ice Racer tires arrived today. Took some pictures to help show the size of the tires and tread depth. For size comparison I placed a Mojo D2 tire in the pictures.
Here is the track layout we will be building. With the cold temps we are looking to start building out the track next week.
The track is going to be 30′ wide and close to .7 miles long for the long loop. Plenty of track to get shifter and Tag karts out and stretch their legs.The 900′ straight is just a small part of a .65 mile long road course on the ice. Everyone knows straight always are all about the corner coming onto them. Then you also need to slow for the corner at the end.
If we have a race the rules are still to be setup. Nothing has been written in stone.
We not going to run snow hog tires for several reasons. First they do not come in the standard 5″ rim size for karts, snow hogs are either a 4″ or 6″ rim. The costs saving go out the window when you have to buy all new rims. Second they were not designed for ice screws, they have a softer rubber making it easier to pull them out. The softer rubber also flexes more making it more difficult for the ice screw to properly bite the ice. The smaller 4″ and 6″ snow hogs also were not designed for higher speeds, when researching tires I found snow hogs with a speed rating under 10mph. Our track has a 900′ straight away I think would exceed that speed limit rating quickly. There is nothing about a snow hog that was designed for use with high performance karts. In my research I have found in Europe all the ice racers use this tire or ones similar to it.
The last two club races of this year GJMS had a Lo206 class. It is the perfect class for drivers moving up from our rental kart class. They ran Duro tires. Two of the drivers came down to Centennial for the last race there and all they had to worry about changing was adding weight if needed.
I agree the amount of races in CO almost seems to be the problem. It is the same as having to many classes. It spreads the karters out and gives everyone a mediocre turnout.
We should look at not adding anything to the calender but taking what races we have and making a state series out of those. Just because other places do not have a regional or state series does not mean we cannot have one. We have the tracks, we have the karters, now we just need the schedule. Between Centennial’s schedule, Grand Junctions’s schedule, Colorado Junior karting Club’s schedule, and the Pikes Peak Karting Club schedule we should be able to get a state series that visits every track without the addition of races to the calender. This will also give each track and club the chance of benefiting from hosting their rounds of the series. I would much rather see the clubs/tracks hosting the events and seeing some money go back to them, then have a national sanctioning body come in with staff and everything and receive the benefits. Give every club/track two rounds of the state series. This could help boost the clubs and give karters across the state better events and venues then we already have.
I cannot think of any reason a track/club would say no to having two of their current events count as a state series event and award points to a state championship.
There is no discussion of spreading it thin. Trying to get a series together that the racers from all the tracks can come together and race. There is nothing that says when a particular track holds state series race it cannot also double as a club race. It also is a great way for the clubs to get a little extra money and improve their club racing. Right now no drivers from Centennial and other front range tracks come over to Junction and none of the drivers from Junction come to Centennial or the other tracks. We are discussing ways to get all the drivers in the state to race at the same place a few times a year. Some will say just come to the club races. In the end they are still just club races and you are left wondering did everyone bring their true A game and the results show where you really stand or did people race hard but not give everything they had.
I am not trying to rehabilitate the olden days, I was not in karting to know about them. I am just trying to see if there is a way to get all the karters in CO to come together and race in the same place. Right now there is a division among Colorado karting. Everyone races at their local track and very few travel out of state to race. In all my experience being involved in several different sports I have never seen a group of people so happy to race the same place over and over. A huge part of the enjoyment I got from racing mountain bikes all over the US and Canada was the traveling and seeing new places. We have several great tracks in CO lets work together and get a traveling circus going where we all get together at different places throughout the summer and enjoy doing what we love…racing.
Do we need new rules no. The two strong clubs(TTaC and GJMS) in CO run identical rules for the most part. The only reason to bring up rules is to see if the karters not showing up to race is because of something with the rules. A good portion of the people that did not show up to the SKUSA events where Tag drivers with Rotax engines that were suddenly outlawed and saw no reason to invest in new engines. Say what you want about Rotax not being as popular in other parts of the country, but it is what karters use in CO. Out of the 8-10 Tag entries at the GJMS club races, only one was not a Rotax. (Edit for David’s post) The format of the RMPKC is also one that I notice hurt numbers. Going from a club race where it can easily be a race weekend for under $200 it is very difficult to suddenly jump to spending a minimum of $700. Make them one race weekends and that number drastically drops. For someone that has only ever done club racing making the step up to even just a state level race is intimidating. Along with that intimidation do we need to also make the financial side of the weekend intimidating?? Sure you can argue the value of a 2 race weekend, but value means nothing if you do not have the money in the first place. We are in a point where people have less money to spend on things like karting. So a $350 dollar weekend vs $700 can be the big factor in someone making the race or not. A more state level series is meant to be a stepping stone both for those wanting experience to race at a national level and for those wanting to spread there wings and explore outside of their local track.
As I briefly mentioned in another post The quick and dirty way to do a state series. Look at the Colorado karting clubs schedules next spring. Pick two dates from each club series and say it is part of the state series. The track and club do absolutely nothing different race weekend. Now hopefully the tracks get along and do not try and schedule things over top of each other. Then just take the results from these selected races and apply points to them. At the end of the season total the points and you have your state series results. Absolutely no involvement was needed from the tracks. No additional fees were charged. Just karters getting together and seeing how they stack up against all the drivers in the state driving on different tracks. As tracks see a increase in entries(more income$$) on these select races they will want to get involved and do more to be involved to see if numbers could increase even more. I know a simple thing like this would be enough to make the drive to other tracks more then worthwhile.
I am surrounded by highly competitive athletes in my daily life and most compete at high levels in their sports. They show lots of interest in karting but to them club racing is not enough but traveling out of state for nationals is to much. They would be more inclined to spend the money on karting if there was a middle ground. The middle ground is a organized state series that travels all over the state. They would be coming from a moto racing, mountain biking, and even ski racing and are used to well organized, professionally run events, that also offer a variety in venues.
How many others are in Anthony Giannone shoes, they have a interest in getting back in a kart but not for club racing, they want a series that makes use of the great tracks in this state.
SKUSA had this last year. This year they made rule changes that for Colorado killed the TAG class, especially TAG masters. The changes they made and how they made them pushed the TAG drivers away. Going to a single engine package in TAG for 2016 has also made TAG drivers less interested in SKUSA. Without this change SKUSA might have had a better chance this year.
Stacey makes some very good points. One of the key points being, if we the karters do not express what we want, the track owners and anyone willing to put on a state series have no idea what to do or offer.
