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Sorry for the typo… the package cost is $4,975, not 4675… couldn’t figure out how to edit the listing.
Dave
Matt,
Drop me a line at david.fedler AT Gmail com
We could arrange to meet and of course the guys at Centennial always have the keys onsite so you’re welcome to look through it any time on your own.
Dave
Hi Stacey,
We’re doing our best to support both series as we did last year. Everest got a bit banged up at the last race and isn’t allowed in his kart for six weeks (doctor’s orders) – we were planning on being there and running LO206 until that point. I agree with you on getting people out. 12 combined weekends between the two series is pretty tough, but the boys want to support Colorado racing and also race their friends.
We’ll try to make the last two CSC rounds and as many CKT races as the schedule allows.
See you at Road America next weekend??
100% agree Mike. Well said. For what it’s worth, I would speculate that the tubes are taken out of the package out of spec. How many 120 main jets from Rotax pin out at 120? 2 of 10…
Everest Fedler has an illegal Mohawk shaved into his head with a weed wacker by his cheater father. It creates a wind vortex in his helmet that is channeled out the back as thrust in clear violations of the rules. They blatantly use this illegal hairdo to be a couple of tenths faster than everyone else and for the $12 trophy. They are bad. We should build a wall around them. I called some East Coast and West Coast people who said they’re probably Al Qaeda.
See, I can state outrageous crap and claim is as “fact” too.
I don’t know who you are “ColoKart” and I actually hope you remain anonymous because I do not wish to know you. However, you are accusing children and their parents of willfully cheating and our community is small enough that we all know who you are accusing. You are accusing families of cheating and other families of facilitating the cheating through their businesses and volunteering. You’ll claim you aren’t, but you are and we all know it. So I’ll address it for you.
First, the facts, I’ve no idea whether Marc and Derek woke up Saturday, looked at each other, and said “Let’s run the cheater emulsion tube today!”. I do know this. Derek out qualified the rest of the field by 0.3+ seconds. There isn’t an emulsion tube in the world worth 0.3 seconds. Maybe, just maybe, we can look at the fact that Derek has been an outstanding driver for many years and he was simply better than his competitors last weekend. That’s my conclusion. Good job Derek. Bummer about your DQ. It happens.
As far as the CKT goes, I can only assume that you are referring to my children Max and Everest who, if not the fastest Junior and Senior racers in Colorado, certainly are among the fastest. So again, let’s go with the facts.
• At the CSC at IMI last year, Everest’s emulsion tube failed qualifying tech. The pin that was used for testing did pass through but “hung up” in the tube. However, he was not DQ’d. I guess the reason was the pin was measured out of spec.
• Regardless, we replaced the emulsion tube with another one “straight out of the bag” from Rotax and Everest went out and won the Heats and Main races. We then went to the CSC race in September with the same carb and Everest won everything. Qualifying, Heat, Main. Passed tech each time. That’s not cheating, that’s winning.
• In all our years of racing, neither Max nor Everest has ever been DQ’d from any event, session, etc. EVER.
Maybe, just maybe, kids like Derek, Max, and Everest (and Cody, Liam, Hannah, Alexis, etc, etc.) just work their butts off to get where they get. Maybe they put in the time. Maybe they’ve earned the respect they deserve. Maybe, just maybe, the “times they’re laying down” are a result of their effort. I’ve got lots of faults. I know I’m overly emotional at the races and I’m working on that. I’m wrong a lot and I have to apologize a lot. But to be accused of cheating after the years of effort my boys have put in to move from the back of the grid to the front? That creates an emotion I won’t apologize for. Some say being accused of cheating is the greatest compliment in racing. I say it’s the greatest jealousy in racing. You want our $12 trophies? Fine, they’re in a box in the basement ready for shipping.
All that aside, I know a lot of you don’t buy into these BS claims. I know most of you respect the work these kids put in. But since these days some people just choose to believe what they want and only the “facts” that support their view – I WILL PUT MYSELF TO THE TEST. I invite anyone in Colorado to inspect Everest’s engine and carb. It is in Greg’s trailer at Centennial and untouched since IMI. We are out of town until June 26 so we won’t be involved. Here’s how it will work:
1. You arrange a time with Greg to have him tear down the motor and/or carb in front of you and anyone you wish to have there.
2. You collectively inspect all or as many parts as you want.
3. At the end, the engine must be rebuilt and ready for Everest to race the weekend of July 9.
4. If there are any illegal parts, I will pay for everyone’s time, post all of the illegal parts here, and write to the boards of the CKT and CSC with the findings and accept their judgement as to whether we should be allowed to compete going forward.
5. If there are no illegal parts, you will pay for everyone’s time including the engine/carb rebuild. And then you will contact Marc, Derek, Max, and Everest and apologize to them for accusing them of cheating. You will also apologize to Greg whom you are implying is facilitating the cheating (yes, you are implying this…).Fair enough?
Another option that is even easier – slap yourself on the forehead and say “I wish I hadn’t done that. Maybe I’m wrong.”. I do that all the time. Not this time though…
I’m confused on the tire question. Can we buy our race tires from either the shops or the tracks or do we have to buy them from the tracks exclusively? I asked this question very specifically at the meeting and the answer was that we could buy them from either. I thought it was a good answer because it allows the racers to support both the shops and tracks – a good thing. Reading this, it appears that something has changed. Regardless, I don’t want to end up buying four sets of tires for the first round of the CSC… Maybe I misread it though… wouldn’t be the first time.
Craig, can you clarify this?
We’ll be there again running Rotax Junior. Great racing series. For drivers in Colorado looking for their first National level competition, this is the best series.
We’ll likely have some extra room in our trailer for Tucson. If anyone needs to ship things (karts, gear, etc.) down there, let me know.
Dave
I like the reference to the East India Trading Company Ben…
Again, to me the “state series” everyone is talking about is the SKUSA Rocky Mountain Pro Kart Challenge. They run all the SKUSA classes, Rotax, and LO206. In 2013 they really got it right by going to Miller, Grand Junction, IMI, and TTAC. If they did the same thing in 2015 (plus add SBR, I like that place…), it would be the series anyone asking for a “state” series could want. We just have to commit to support it and hope the track owners are willing to participate.
TTAC already has a great Rotax series going plus you can run shifters and LO206 there. This could also be the “state” series, though I don’t think they want to be. Would I personally like to see some form of a link to Utah (they have a fair number of very talented Rotax and other racers) and Grand Junction? Sure. But even if they don’t do anything different in 2015, it’s still a great place to race, well run, and worth the travel. We could have an “unofficial” state series just by attending Racing the Rockies and Grand Junctions club races that run Rotax. Add in the Utah Karting Championship and you’ve got an unofficial regional series…
I’ll step up and say that we’ll try to hit every track next year if there is a SKUSA or Rotax series going to them. I agree you have to support those that support you.
Again, the bottom line for me is that everything we want is already there. What won’t likely work is creating another competing series, running 15 classes in a day to accommodate every possible combination of kart/engine, and hoping people magically appear. We just need to promote what is already available, get more people involved (LO206, maybe a rental kart race group, etc.), and support it.
Do this and I’ll be we could have 100 existing racers plus maybe 20 more “new” racers per weekend with a breakdown similar to:
Cadets (Micro, Mini, JR1) – 20
Juniors (TAG JR, Rotax JR) – 10
Senior/Masters (TAG & Rotax) – 20
LO206 – 30
Shifter Experts – 10
Shifter Novice/Masters – 10
Open (Rentals, etc.) – 20Annual discussion reboot…
Since you are asking for opinions, I’ll give you mine. It hasn’t changed. In 2015, we will support the SKUSA RMPKC and Racing the Rockies series as much as we can. These two series with the addition of the grass roots classes and cross over between the two is all we need. Some may ask why we didn’t run SKUSA this year. Simple, Memorial Day and Labor Day. It didn’t work for our family. 2013 was fantastic when we ran Miller, IMI, TTAC, and GJ. Multiple tracks… good stuff. On the western side of the US, if you have any interest in national level racing, these are the two organizations to follow at a regional level.
I think SKUSA and TTAC got it “right” this year by offering their standard series and then adding the additional groups:
Racing the Rockies – Rotax Regional Series with LO206, Shifters, JR1 206
SKUSA RMPKC – SKUSA Regional Series with LO206, Rotax, JR1 206Well run series, great people, almost everyone could come and play. In my opinion we don’t need any more rules, sanctioning bodies, engines, etc. other than these. Honda, Rotax, Leopard/X30, Briggs. Most people probably have one of these and thus could race anywhere. Track owners could probably add one more “open” class to each weekend for those who want to race but have a different engine or run an unsealed Rotax, etc.
I think we all saw what a great weekend could look like when the CJKC/LO206 racers raced the same day with the Rotax racers. Lots of people, lots of action. If we had those weekends more frequently and at all of the tracks in Colorado with either SKUSA or Rotax, I think just about everyone would be happy.
Cost is always an issue – always will be. BUT, we ran most of our regional races with Max with a four year old kart with a bent axle nicknamed “old and busted” and a four year old Rotax engine that will require a clutch and top end at year end for total maintenance. Not a problem.
Everyone wants more people and we all know that it takes awareness to get it started. It would take a concerted effort to work with the rental kart places, maybe local tracks, etc. to advertise and get the word out. Not sure who would lead the charge… In my mind, that is the biggest unknown out there. Who will take the lead on promotion?
Once you become aware, Brett, you nailed it. It’s hard to get started kart racing in Colorado. There’s no shortage of great, helpful people but the trick is being able to find them. However, if awareness created a greater volume of people who were like Brett and wanted to get started, I don’t think this would be a problem for very long…
Dave
PS: Brett, pick up a “Ratio-Rite” from Greg Welch… it will solve all your fuel oil questions.
Great post on your experience Richard. I think it echoes most people’s experience. You gottta really want to race…
One of the challenges new people have to over come is the “where/what” to race. And we as a community do not have a simple, common story to tell. If we could collectively agree on a common strategy, at least we could all communicate the same message and at the same time have bigger fields. Would this not work?
1. Rentals
2. Arrive and race (racing at the various tracks using their equipment)
3. Club Races
– CJKC for kids
– 5 classes (Cadets, Juniors, Seniors, Masters, and Shifters) for all the track/club series
4. Regional/National
– Racing the Rockies: Rotax
– RMPKC: SKUSAIt seems inclusive. It offers a ladder for those that want to race more/at a higher level, etc. It gets people involved from the first time they set foot in a facility even if they are renting. Imagine 20 Masters drivers with a “TAG” winner and a “Clone/LO206” winner on the track at the same time. Feels like it should work at the club level.
Hi Les,
Just going off my own experience. Others may be different.
More importantly though, please don’t misinterpret anything I’ve said as being “pro-this engine” or “anti-that engine”. I was just explaining that cost is an issue regardless of what you run. Sometimes it’s upfront, sometimes it is in maintenance/etc. on the backend. I’ve been a member of the SCCA for nearly 30 years and cost is an issue there too. What they do well is provide an inclusive environment that allows you to compete on the same day with many different levels of budget through different class structures.
One of the problems with karting is the confusion caused by the “pro-this”/”anti-that” mentality. Yes, I’ve heard the “lawnmower” jokes when we ran the LO206 and I’ve heard the “wine and cheese” jokes regarding Rotax. Traditionally, we make it really hard for newcomers when we promote this “us vs.them” thinking because it adds all kinds of uncertainty and that keeps people from getting involved. I get enough of that from watching our government…
My perception is different than Roger’s in that I believe we’ve already changed this thinking in Colorado and we’re ready to take this thing to the next level. I think most of us believe the LO206/Clone engines are great for grassroots, club racing, and just plain getting started – I don’t think anyone wants to see them “go away”. Gone are the days of spending $1500 on 50cc Comer motors when we are just trying to see if the kids even like karting. We all get that dropping $3500 on a Rotax motor is a tall order if you just want to try it out and develop your skills. At the same time, if you want to race nationally, the Rotax and SKUSA classes are great – can’t say enough good things, these are clearly the way to go. Given their reliability, Rotax motors are an exceptional value on this level. My point is why can’t we have both? Why can’t a Masters group running clones share the same race track as a Masters group running TAG – maybe competing for separate class wins during a single race? The ALMS runs all their races this way. So do the SCCA/NASA groups. So do the PPKRC and GJMS club series.
If we truly believe this, then we need to make it easier for people to get started and guys like Les to continue racing at whatever level they are comfortable with. And we have to support each other (i.e. let’s be happy for guys like Scott who are out there racing and beating the Max Papis’ of the world AND the guy who wins the Wednesday night series at Unser). What we clearly need is a ladder system that promotes karting at any level and increases participation across the board. Something like:
– Rentals (There is clearly a large audience here…)
– Rental racing (Indoor/Outdoor, Weeknights, Sharing the same race day as a Club/Regional series, good for the track owners too…)
– Club racing (Cadets, Juniors, Seniors, Masters, Shifters… any chassis/engine with some form of rules/safety regs
– Regional/National racing (with appropriate sanctioning bodies, etc.)In some respects, we’re at a low point regarding kart racing if we compare participation levels. However, the number of people in Colorado actually driving karts in a given year is probably at an all time high if you include Unser and all the rentals at the tracks. There are people who are interested and even more that don’t even know they’re interested… yet.
Make people Aware of the ladder, Promote/Market the ladder, Educate & Support people as they move up and down the ladder. Support the tracks and local businesses that support us.
Passion… (that’s Tony’s job)
Safety… (that’s everybody’s job)
Leave it better than you found it… (our government could learn from this one…)Tony… you point out an additional great element needed here. Passion. Good for you.
Cost is not the reason we don’t have bigger fields. It’s an important consideration yes. But not the fundamental problem. And what “cost” are you going to go after? Motors? I’ve run most of them. A Rotax costs the most but is the least expensive to run over a season. A LO206 costs the least but is actually rather expensive to run competitively over a season. Tires with entry fees? With low entry numbers, track owners and series promoters need to make money somehow – or there isn’t going to be a race to enter. You address cost most effectively through economies of scale. Which means more people (both new and existing racers)…
Too many clubs, series, etc. is not the reason we don’t have bigger fields. The CJKC does a great job opening up families to karting. SKUSA and Racing the Rockies are the two best regional level series we could ask for – especially for those of us who aspire to national level racing. Craig’s series is superb for all the obvious reasons. PPKRC and GJMS are great because you know you can go race there and simply have fun – totally inclusive. However, if any of these series had it all figured out, then they would have full fields and the others would die off. But no one series/club does have this totally figured out.
In my opinion, we need a CJKC, SKUSA, RtR, Racing for Heroes, AND healthy club/track series. What we really need is more opportunities to race together. For example, I keep wondering how many renters would sign up for a rental series that races the same day as a CJKC/SKUSA/RtR, etc event. Craig’s model may be perfect for this. Or how about every weekend that hosts a Sunday “series” race (i.e. CJKC/Rotax/SKUSA, etc.) we run a Saturday “show up and run for fun” race. Imagine on a Saturday before a Rotax race, there is a cadet race for example in which LO206’s, MiniROK’s, Micro Max, Mini Max, Comer 80, etc all ran in the same group. I’ll bet the potential is there right now for the fields to be so large that you would have to divide them up. You could do the same thing with Junior/Senior/Masters and Shifters. No series, no point standings, but maybe individual “class” winners. We’ve done this at various locations over the past couple of years and the results have been great. Add this idea and a “renter race series” and you might be on to something.
Awareness, Marketing/Promotion, Education/Support, and Passion. This is the formula for getting more people entering races. More people entering will drive costs lower. More entrants and lower costs will raise retention rates among existing racers. Ideas have to be formed into proposals that the stakeholders (clubs, series, track owners, shop owners) can get behind and support because they are good for their respective businesses.
