I wonder if the videos the Stahls do, for example, have any effect on folks getting inspired to start. They make it seem pretty low key and accessible. (Ben’s quest for global domination being possibly an exception as he’s running at the pointy end).
@StahlRacing any anecdotal evidence that folks have taken up racin cos of your vids?
They also did a how to get started fashionably in lo206
Also, while we are at it… now that the dust has settled on the big national event… was it worth it?
My impression from Ben and Cacey’s faces and words was that the driving standard was loooooooow. Lotta unnecessary roughness leading to 3 bent axles and more in the first day alone.
Thoughts on wether doing the national event was a valuable experience or an expensive mess? (haven’t seen part 2 yet).
I feel like its hard to use the term karting to get new people in, as no one really understands what it is. At first glance they think “mario kart, bumper karts, those weird electric karts for kids”. I try to introduce it as racing, than add in the karting part. I dont know if this makes sense to anyone, I read it over and I hardly understand what im saying but thats the best I can explain it
SQUIRELL!!! To quote Alan, "this is what adult ADHD looks like. Sorry we got sidetracked. Back to business…
Well I think knowing exactly who we are targeting would help on this. Most people already interested in Motorsport have an idea or at least acknowledge karting exists. Better question is who are we trying to get our message out to? Is it the Racing Crowd or is it the Clueless Masses that have no idea you can Race Something for a year for less than a few months rent?
To those already interested, I would suggest a list of maybe where to go for Arrive and Drive places that also Sell Karts (new & used). That way they can try out karting and see if its something they might want to pursue further. Nobody wants to drop several $K on equipment, just to “take it on the chin” when it doesn’t work out.
Alas, I have a face for Radio, so I will continue to promote those Producers of Film that I feel will peak the interest’s of newcomers into the sport.
I have a very small YouTube channel that focuses on myself being a new karter and also sharing any tips and tricks I pick up on the way. I mostly focus on Rental karting, as that is what is readily available to me, but have done a few videos that might transcend rental karting (cost comparison of rental vs kart racing etc)
I don’t know the answer to the question of who we should be focusing on, but here is a break down of who is watching my videos from a pool of about 13k views: 100% of my views are from Males, most of these views come from the UK, and the US is the next biggest viewership. 70% of the views are from people between 25-34, and 29% from 18-24 year olds. Hope this helps.
Ben fields the majority of the YouTube comments and Facebook DM’s we get, so I asked him about this. He said more than a handful of noobies have reached out after watching the ‘how to start’ video.
The Grand Nationals were intense and ended up being expensive with repairs lol. The bent part boneyard was: 3 axles (2 couldn’t be fixed there), 2 cracked mag wheels, 1 spindle, 1 steering column, and 1 frame
As for the driving, it was only the starts I took issue with. They were too fast and the drivers threw all caution to the wind at the green flag. That was a recipe for carnage. If we could get through the first 4 corners, the racing was incredible! Very aggressive, but not too rough or dirty (with one exception you’ll see in part 2 )
Overall, I still had a great time. I really enjoyed racing against some of the best in our class! I’m not sure if I’ll do it again, mostly because of how much the race ended up costing me, but I am not ruling it out.
Kacy,
Thanks and I am happy to hear you guys are seeing success getting noobs into the sport! Keep up the great work.
Sorry about your many broken and bent parts but I am glad it was ultimately a worthwhile experience. Thanks for the response. I/we appreciate your efforts.
I suspect the views will be many, given the pile-ups and intensity. Time will tell.
Here’s a get started video that is from Aus that appears to have a number of views and is quite comprehensive. One of the kids I know who is looking to buy a kart pointed me to it, found it very helpful. @Bobby for inspiration.
Put simply? The Stahls do the best job showcasing karting in a YouTube/entertainment sense. They are an average family with average skills and an average budget. Don’t take that the wrong way, let me explain.
They aren’t Lewis Hamilton wannabes with haulers and fully funded rides, kacy has a wife and child, Ben is my age, Tad/Dad is Dads age, mom goes to support, Kacy’s son is involved. It leaves me with a sense of, “I can do that”maybe national stuff isn’t up my alley, maybe two stroke isn’t for me either. But they make it accessible. Yeah, they bought new karts this season, they’ve also been competitive with 10 year old stuff. They didn’t have the latest greatest for what? 4 years? They struggled for awhile, they didn’t win every race, now that they are competitive, They upgraded. They started with a kart and a SUV like thing., I have a truck, I’m probably more mechanically inclined than.Ben is, I got this!
Do they inspire? You tell me? I’ve even messaged Ben on Facebook about some stuff. And probably will continue to. His response was “I’ll do what I can to help” …you will??? I’m in Ontario Canada… you wanna help? Awesome man! I just need to learn.
They are club racers that dabble in some big events. They are average weekend racers. They are 90% of the typical people involved for fun. My “new karting buddies” are just like them, I wouldn’t have taken it bead on if they didn’t give me a taste.
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