I remember reading SKUSA has the claim engine rule? Or did they remove it? Because one would think someone would have paid for Norberg engine when he was in RPG
This was the engine claiming language that SKUSA had in their rulebook. The language has been entirely removed for 2026, soâŚ..not sure what that means exactly. Perhaps no engine claiming allowed in any context. Curious if this comes from some sort of dispute that was an issue last year.
I think the idea sounds good. I think history has shown it is not affective. People I know that have ran dirts cars under those rules said no one ever claims an engine even though they expect some are cheating. A normal tech program assures an even playing field by assuring engines are compliant. Claiming is one competitor calling the other a cheater. Few want to to do that. Some may have had different experiences, but I think you will find few have.
On paper, this is actually not a preference but rather it is closer to equal treatment. 2Ts draw twice as much air through per rpm, so, all else equal, this would give comparable outputs. 2Ts naturally can rev higher because of the lack of a valvetrain, so this also massively increases output. Double the revs, double the airflow (again, all else equal). The loss of torque is moot because gearing must be taller for a higher revving engine - if the crank makes half the torque at twice the rpm, the gearing will be double, and the axle torque will be the same for the same hp. This would all point to a 1/2 displacement 2T as being the clear favorite (for simple numbers, 2x combustions per rev, 2x rpm, 1/2x displacement, net 2x advantage), but the big thing that brings it back to level is the narrow powerband. If you are able to keep a 2T on the pipe the whole time, it should be faster than a 4T of double the displacement.
It is not equal treatment. Itâs a Balance of Performance for a weaker/worse design. Itâs special treatment.
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Okay, but now you are getting into equality vs. equity. 4T tends to be more volumetrically efficient which is why pulse tuning is far less critical than with 2T. I would argue it is not a worse design but sometimes is in a worse application for the design. They both have their own fundamental merits. 2T also has the compromise of oilling being tied to fuelling. One reason for the high rebuilds on extreme motors is that you are not sufficiently oilling them when you lean it out for peak hp.
Point is that the two engines are impossible to directly compare, so, if youâll allow both in the series, 2x displacement is a very reasonable starting point for BoP
I agree although I am not of the mindset CC should be the equivalency criteria. I think it should volume of the package. A 7 liter pushrod engine that makes more horsepower in a smaller volume than 5 liter dual overhead cam might be the superior design. I do not really care what the CC is. I care volume of package and weight. That all said 4 stroke was given an advantage to meet the emissions agenda
And thatâs the rubâŚmost prefer the âeasierâ motor rather than admitting theyâre less of pilotâŚ
Weird they dropped it since it stated SKUSA themselves could claim your engine. Where the normal dirt track rules are that a fellow racer could claim your engine.
Our track (private owned, not club) does claim an LO206, I think each year. If the engine is legal they get a new crate motor. This is more of a an extended tech program than calling any one guy out. I suspect they are random from the winners, or highest average finish, or something.
I guess we can debate for the sake of debate. Regardless, rules were intentionally crafted in a manner to phase out 2T for 4T. They did it in a manner where it occurred over time, but it was still done via unbalanced rulesets to insure the outcome. Doesnât make it evil, just how they made the change to more environmentally friendly power happen.
Point being: 2 stroke would outperform a 4 stroke small engine on our karts. You end up compromising weight/size/price to get the performance in a 4 stroke. Thats why you donât see viable options for 4 stroke alternatives out there.
In Brazil Honda GX390 prep to 18hp got very popular, even with nationals championship. Works really well, nice and fun races.
But as soon it got popular, the âprofessionalâ and factories took over, engines and rebuilding costs went really high⌠boom! Everyone is getting back to 2 stroke.
More power, more fun, closest to the karting worldwide.
In my experience, the âfloorâ of costs somewhat depends on the class, but not all that much even. The âceilingâ is always unlimited.
Maybe the âfloorâ is higher for shifter than LO206, but that mainly comes from the upfront cost of the chassis difference and the engine price. If you put that aside, a set of tires is still $270 for either of the karts, entry fees are usually pretty darn close to the same for either, etc.. Honestly the biggest factor of how much you spend in a race weekend is whether you get into an incident or not. Spindles, tie rods, steering columns, and axles are all pricey and fairly simple to damage even in a small incident.
I think its been somewhat mentioned, but when I go to the track itâs because I want to have fun. Driving a fast 2-stroke engine and revving to 16k RPM is fun! Racing is expensive, period - might as well have a lot of fun when youre spending your hard earned money.
The floor is lower but also the competitive average is lower. For LO206 the average is lower in club racing because you donât need to buy new tires every race to have fun and keep up with people on fresh new tires. You also donât have to rebuild engines as often in 206 especially to be competitive at a club level. All this lowers the average. But as you said top spending is unlimited for literally any competitive sport.
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Depends on how competitive your club is 
I actually felt like tires were more important in LO206 compared to KA or faster since braking distances are shorter (going slower) and throttle application is easier (lower hp).
All I know is when I raced LO206 I spent more than I ever did racing KA at the club level.
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Agreed. I raced Tillyâs when I got back into karting 3-4 years ago. There were a few big races that came through orlando and the big team guys I raced had faster engines, no doubt. Same gearing and I could get a run off the corner and get walked on the straight. There were probably 20 engines on the rack in their trailer. Thatâs just the way it is.
I think all of the money spent on engine builders in 206 is a lot of FOMO. People see fast karters with a specific engine builderâs sticker on it, and they all want an engine from that âbuilderâ. I canât recall seeing a driver switch builders, or buy a new 206, and get noticeably faster.
The money factor increased in 206 within the last 5 years because itâs no longer a âstarterâ class. In my experience, the kids who get really good at racing add in the Swift or KA package, but continue to race in the Briggs class. The parent, accustomed to spending money, spends in both classes, hence raising the bar on what it costs to race 206.
What used to be a class of Facebook/swap meet chassis is now brand new VLR and Coyote chassis.
What used to be 1-2 sets of hard tires for the year has now become a new set every other weekend.
What used to be Mychron 3âs is now Mychron 5/6, along with a camera to go over data with your coach
Hundred percent agree with JOHN L206 class has got out of hand !!!
I think you guys are going a little far here. Itâs about 520 miles round trip to the track from my house. That is $260. The hotel right now is $150 / night. In the summer it will be over $250/night. That is just to be there to show up.
Entry is $95. A set of MG Reds is about $270 and Iâll mount them (or add $20). If I run tires two races, that is $135 / race. Itâs more expensive to show up that it is to run the race!
The MyChron 3 house been out of production for something like 16+ years. The MyChron 4 is over 12 years old. The M6 has already been out two years. The difference between the usability of an M3 and an M6 is a no brainer. And I would guess in real dollars the M6 is not any more expensive.
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Perception vs reality is important here. In reality, the biggest benefit of a bigger budget isnât in the equipment, itâs in the track time. Thatâs hard but not impossible to compete against. Most of the stuff mentioned is for âshowâ and helps extract money out of gullible parents (most parents canât help kids drive quicker, so, to feel useful, they spend more money). I like to think businesses arenât doing this on purpose and they genuinely do think theyâre providing a much needed service; or at least, theyâre simply providing what theyâve been asked to provide.
Perception is what ultimately matters though. Itâs hard to stay motivated when youâre not competing against like minded individuals. If youâre a âjust turn up and raceâ type (old school clubbie), youâll generally want to avoid the âmoney no objectâ crowd. For 99.99999999999% of us, this is and will only ever be a hobby. Try to keep a realistic perspective and where possible, race with people of the same mentality.
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