Did anyone get to see the full race in New Castle? Why did barely 2/3 of the KZ field finish?
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I thought I saw a KartChaser video of a rain shower part way through the race.
It looked like a KA Junior race most sesssions. Tons of carnage from on-track skirmishes.
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I enjoy watching the “pros” crash each other and drive like dorks and then bitch and complain about each other in their post-race interviews. It’s like literally every weekend.
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I thought the driving standards in the KZ class were abysmal this weekend across the board. SKUSA opened that can of worms by allowing the “bump and run” at the TX event earlier this year. Regardless, not my opinion of clean, fair racing from those supposed to be some of the best in the world. Didn’t sound like any of those in the post-race press conference enjoy it, either. Hopefully, they make a change ahead of the Supernats and moving into 2026.
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Did they ever interview Andrew after the final? Would love to see that one.
I thought a kid about died in the start of the KA jr prefinal Saturday! Just looked like one of the accidents in the snow on the highway where cars just keep coming and piling into the wreck.
Mixed conditions off an on all weekend, difficult to pass, and rough driving seemed to be the theme of the weekend for shifter. Single speeds could pass, but still had plenty of rough driving and mixed conditions.
Ope… wrong class. Rain got the Pro X30 Pre-final.
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Happened to a quite a few sessions throughout the weekend. Small pop-up storms. Absolute worst to try to predict while you are setting the kart up. 
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The entire weekend was a chit-show. From grid to scales.
New Castle is like the easiest track to overtake on so I don’t know why they were struggling to do so cleanly…
Every class looked pretty rough and tumble and honestly there were plenty of guys out there who had fully turned their brains off with some of the moves I saw.
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You take away the most prime passing zone when running the shark tooth layout and CCW direction.
I think drivers are just super impatient, and try to force the issue even if they don’t have a true passing opportunity available.
The Sharkfin in CCW definitely reduces one passing zone. But you can pass in literally every other corner on the track. Maybe it’s different for KZ. But in single-speed stuff you pass everywhere. And even with the Sharkfin, CW direction, you can pass into the Sharkfin AND Scoreboard.
I think it’s a lot of impatient driving without strict officiating. I mean, there were some guys throwing absolute no-chance bombs out there.
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No push back means you’re getting the chrome horns!
Not a real excuse, but they all agreed to ditch them so kinda comes with the territory. Sure feels like everyone is getting sick and tired of racing each other week in and week out. Tempers boiling over.
They did, it’s during the early stage of the KA JR race.
I don’t condone racing that way but thought his thoughts were acceptable. (Not sure how to phrase my feelings) basically said we don’t respect each other, and owned the fact that he had that punt coming his way. Also said morgatto never tried to earn his respect when he started showing up. I’m only back in the sport for a year now so not sure how accurate that part was. Find the interview, see what you think.
Interview starts at 4:42
The rules and how they are enforced are what determine how the races go.
I am a big fan of enforcing a no contact rule. I have raced a number of excellent racers through the years who raced me ultra close without contact. We had fun. I won some and I lost some.
Getting bumped out of the way, or rammed, or punted is not proper racing, and it is a can of worms that once opened, is tough to manage.
Anyone engaging in that type of behavior on the track is doing something objectively wrong. They are acting against the spirit of racing and against the purity of our sport. That might sound corny or idealistic, but proper and safe racecraft makes everyone better and is more fun.
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Caveat being i only saw the highlights of the KZ final. My thoughts are as follow:
- The US will never make it, unless a proper indipendent sanctioning body englobes all private promoters’ championships across the country, begins issuing licenses and federating the events.
- What was done by the Magic kart waranted an automatic 5 sec time penalty and a warning flag for the first offence. The second copy paste offence waranted an imediate black flag. If the blag flag is ignored for two laps, license is taken away, the season is over and the affair is sent to the relevant governing body for review and to determine if further sanctions are deserved.
- Even as an ex FIA official, I would have understood if the Birel had sent the Magic through a fence all the way to Alaska.
It is inconceivable that such blatant instances of scandalous behavior, within the context of a championship fight, take place at what is supposed to be the highest level of shifter racing stateside.
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As someone who has organised race meetings outside of a centralised governing body and within, and having witnessed what happened in the UK pre-drop down bumper, I don’t think the evidence is that sanctioning bodies mean better driving standards.
If you race in an event I organise you’re held to a way higher standard than the FIA and Motorsport UK. Governing bodies are great for some things, but licensing in terms of driving doesn’t really mean much.
When all breaks loose in a grid, it’s a group dynamic thing that is very difficult to get contorl of unless you literally red flag the whole race and tell everyone that if there’s “anymore funny business you’re ALL getting sent home”. The KZ European Championship the other weekend was a complete mess of drivers climbing all over each other. it wasn’t a bastion of amazing driving standards.
Race meetings, inside or outside sanctioning bodies, are dictated by whoever is running them on the day. I know there are drivers and team bosses banned from certain independent meetings in the UK, yet are fine to race within Motorsport UK competition. This is because independent championships can make a decision on the day. You don’t play by the rules you’re out. No appeals, no lengthy procedures. My way or the highway.
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