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Ouuuuch! I guess my wife is right, my sense of humor dosn’t always come across the way I intend it to. My sincere apologies.
I,m glad to hear that you had a great race. A few questions however regarding what you said about gearing.
You said that the 78 gear it is not the right gear for GJ, I sincerely want to understand this; by what method are you coming to this conclusion? I fully accept your position and with more information, who knows… maybe I’ll be of the same opinion? So help us out here… by what method have you come to this conclusion?
Questions: 1. Were you on the big track or the small track? The reason this is important is that it has not been decided which track will be used for the CSC. Sinse the total “track time” for the Kids Karts will be adjusted this year to be more in line with other classes, I personally would rather see 16 laps on a shorter track withen an allotted, (just an example)12 min. time period than 5 laps in 12 min. I think the racing would be better for everybody, driver and spectator. And if we’re on the small track, how would this affect your feelings about the gear?
2. Do you have reliable mph data from your experience last weekend, if so what is it? We have already determined that our goal is to hold the top speed to 35mph. The mph is the “control” factor not the track, not the length of the track, not the lap times, not the total track time and not even the gear. The gear is one of the methods by which we reach our objective, maximum 35mph. So, what was the data?
3. You said it was a great race, that’s great! How was the event damaged by the use of the 78 gear, and/or how could the event be enhanced on behalf of the kids if we were to change the gear and what would be the method used to determine the correct gear. Also, how would our “Purpose of Class” as stated at the top of our CSC rules and guidelines be more fulfilled by the change?I think if we had more information about what happened we could better appreciate and contimplate your concerns. Thank you in advance for your additional information.
Scott Hannum
Zipnby,
I don’t honestly know who zipnby is but I want to add how much I appreciate what you said and how much I agree. I don’t know how many of you read my post before it was sensored, (not for bad language or false information, everything was factually true and known by many) but that it was too honest. I have been guilty of this before. Anyway you’re right on, my sons and I had a great first year together and I didn’t say a thing about anything for a year, I just listened and watched. I didn’t feel it was my place until I had an accurate picture of what was going on. From these observations and many conversations with Kid Kart people around the country I had two goals going into this coming season. #1 as the highest priority was to increase the safety for the kids by reducing the excessive speed. And I will state again as I have many times, I have not heard an argument aginst accomplishing this by having a mathematically calculated spec gear wear as the one, or very few can articulate any logic what so ever as to their position. This baffles me sinse what they are choosing to gamble with is their own childrens safety and well being. If anyone wonders why I am so passionate about this that is why, and believe it or not I don’t speak out normally but there is nothing more important! The other was secondary but still makes sense and that is to actually have enforceable, consistent rules. If we read the pupose of this class it is to train, etc. etc. having a IROC type formate is the best way to do this. I know there are some who simply cannot relate to this as a guiding objective and who are of the paradigm “the faster the better!”The challenges with this class are not having fun, we do. The challenge isn’t participation, we have it. The challenge has been lack of clarity of purpose, now we have that. This serves as the guide by which everything else is created, writen, structured and judged. To change the rules now after all the work that has been done to create them, including the correct decision to spec the gear, (calculated to limit the top speed regardless of track to approximately 35mph) would be to say that this class purpose means nothing. The very spirit of this class is written in that purpose. Read the WKA Kid Kart purpose, read SKUSA’s spirit statements. Trying to run this class, (let alone a whole series) without a defined purpose and and a system, (rules) to fulfill that purpose is like hiking with a compass that has no “North” on it. You may get some exercise, but you won’t get anywhere. These are principles, they are self evident.
For those who did see my post before it was sensored, (so much for living in America) and may have thought it too much, I apologize.
As long as it’s safe, we will will be out there with bells on and I encourage others new or old to do the same.
With respect,
Scott Hannum
(303) 888-8162Everyone, first thanks for the information and debate it’s very helpful for someone like myself who is fairly new to this sport. All of the descussion and the proposed rules sound good overall to me. It sounds like a few technical (measurements, etc.) items need to be varified and that should be easy enough to do. As a general comment I see it boiling down to two main fundimental items and I don’t always hear it being prioritized :
#1 Safety! We love our children and if we do not protect them no one else will. Some of you know my racing background and can imagine that I like going fast at least as much as anybody. However, even if the step from Kid Karts to Jr 1 is a little bit of a jump, the maturity and judgement level between a 5 year old and an 8 or 9 year old is massive. The single safest and cheapest thing we can do to the class is to limit the gear and yes a tire roll-out spec, (33 3/4″) is a must also, period. The safety and proper developement of the child should drive everything else. I heard of a Jr Dragster race last year that had high cross winds and some of the cars were getting out of shape at the top end. The parents were worried. The track management said keep going we need to finish. The parents said we’re not running. Bravo parents! The stock muffler will help too. Besides I can’t start and work on my kart anymore at home because it’s too loud. #2 It is important to be more in line with the rest of the country, for many reasons. Lets appreciate the learning curve that other groups have already been through. Two classes are fine but it must be driven by number of entries not by the desire and/or ego to go fast. I would love to have to split the class because we had 45 entries! But the dif. between the #22nd qualifier in the first group and the #1 qualifier in the second group is 1/2 second.For people who are actually in this class please be sure and submit your point by point comments regarding the proposed rules to Rob at [email protected] by this Fri. so that he can compile them and re-send them to all of us for review. I think we are all pretty close with maybe one or two exceptions. We want there to be enough time after we submit our comments that if we need to have a meeting together there will be enough time. Thanks for listening!
Scott Hannum
