American Electric Karting League - BSR / WKA

[Artis_Daugins]

The World Karting Association (WKA), in collaboration with Blue Shock Race, is thrilled to announce the launch of the American Electric Karting Championship this year. The excitement kicks off with two introductory events:

Whiteland, IN: October 25-26
Jacksonville, FL: November 22-24

At these events, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience electric karts for adults and electric go-karts in action and learn about the upcoming championship. The 2025 season will officially begin at the legendary Daytona, FL, from December 27-30, 2024.

For more information on locations, events, and details, visit: Blue Shock Race - American E-Kart Championship

Registration and Participation

Public registration opens on June 3rd. Interested participants can register on the BSR website and the WKA website. We welcome everyone interested in joining this electrifying event.

Kart Rental and Participation Options

For those who haven’t yet acquired their own electric karting equipment, BSR has introduced two convenient options:

1. Rent a Fully-Equipped Race-Ready Electric Kart: Available for one or multiple events.
2. Rent a Complete Plug and Play BSR-X4 Power Unit: This unit can be installed on any chassis within 20-30 minutes, allowing any team or club member to participate in the championship.

Power and Performance

After discussions with WKA, BSR decided to start with the BSR-X4 class, which boasts significant power:

33 horsepower
100Nm torque
Top speed of 80+ mph

These specifications ensure that the karts are powerful enough for competitive racing. For those looking for an even greater challenge next year, the X5 class will feature:

44 horsepower
120Nm torque
Top speed of 85+ mph

Get Your Questions Answered

We understand that this new venture might bring up many questions. That’s why we’ve created this blog post, inviting all enthusiasts to ask questions and get the information they need to prepare for the championship.

Early Registration Encouraged

With early registration starting on June 3rd and limited spots available, we encourage all interested participants to sign up promptly. This applies to those renting karts or power units as well as those bringing their own.

Join the Electric Karting Revolution

We are excited to bring the American Electric Karting Championship to the US and look forward to your participation. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and engage with our community. Let’s make this championship a groundbreaking success together!

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

This is of great interest. I am intrigued by the arrive and drive aspect and will look at this more carefully.

Ok so:

2800 for the arrive and drive ekart rental…

MANDATORY COSTS

WKA Racing Driver License: $90
Insurance: from $50
Timing transponder: $50
Racing tires 1 set: $200

OPTIONAL COSTS

Mechanic per day: $200
Tent space per day: $100
Tool and equipment: $90
Cleaning supplies : $20

EXTRA COSTS

Extra tires 1 set: $200
Kart storage for the next event: $350
Kart transport to the next event: $350+
Damaged kart parts: $50+

So about 4k for a race it would seem. Doable.

Figure another 1k travel hotel.

The real issue would be getting my butt back in something with 30+ HP to get kart fit for the better rubber and powah.

[Artis_Daugins]

Update on the American Championship:

1. In the past week, 19 drivers have registered for the championship, and discussions are ongoing with many more. Three drivers have already confirmed their participation.
2. Early registration is open until June 25th. After this date, up to 16 drivers from all applicants will be selected for early registration benefits.

Participant Questions and Answers:

1. Can I rent only the BSR-X4 Power Unit for the championship?
   Yes, you can rent just the Power Unit. It’s easy to install on any brand’s chassis in 15-20 minutes. The BSR team will assist those who wish to use their own chassis. We actually recommend using your own chassis to represent your team or manufacturer.
2. Are there weight limits for participants?
   No, as long as you can fit in the kart seat. Additional weight doesn’t improve performance on the track, but the extra torque of electric karts compensates well for it, allowing heavier drivers to compete fairly with lighter ones, within reason. We encourage you to try if you feel ready to prove yourself.
3. Is this only for PRO drivers?
   No, hobby drivers and beginners can also participate, provided they obtain the necessary permits as per WKA championship regulations. BSR emphasizes that this event is for those who want to try new technology and prove their skills on the track. It’s called the Zero2Hero project because it allows non-professionals to become champions.

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

@Artis_Daugins

, but the extra torque of electric karts compensates well for it, allowing heavier drivers to compete fairly with lighter ones,

This is something that we noticed in the Supercharged league. The heavier guys really benefit from electric bottom end torque. While being overweight is the kiss of death to laptimes, it’s substantially less of an issue in electric. Guys 250+ were competetive.

[1pieceatatime (Richard V)]

I don’t get it. Why would being a heavy-weight driver not be a meaningful disadvantage?

With a spec power unit, everyone still has the same power available to them, so carrying extra weight is necessarily a disadvantage, especially if fighting at the pointy end where the margins are very fine.

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

Think low end rentals… they struggle from standstill, basically. The heavier guys take longer to get up to speed. With the e-karts, there’s so much bottom end torque, the 200+ lbs guys, get going faster, sooner.

Yes weight still matters. But less. It’s still gonna be the lightest will be faster, but IIRC a very solid fellow won D2.

@nikspeeds weighs considerably more than me… I’m 180 he’s 230?.. we are basically even unless kart difference.

This assumes unweighted karts btw

We carry lead now and min 220

[Artis_Daugins]

As @Bimodal_Rocket explained.

Electric Karts:

• Electric motors deliver instant torque from zero RPM. This means that acceleration is more immediate and powerful across a wide range of speeds.
• The consistent torque delivery helps in overcoming the additional weight of a heavier driver more effectively during acceleration and deceleration.

Petrol Karts:

• Petrol engines have a torque curve that usually peaks at higher RPMs. This means that the engine needs to rev up to a certain speed before delivering maximum torque.
• The acceleration is more dependent on reaching this peak torque, which can be significantly affected by additional weight, resulting in slower acceleration for heavier drivers.

Torque advantage compensates for heavier drivers. Based on the data, we have observed that heavier drivers have higher battery consumption because they require maximum torque for longer periods compared to lighter drivers, who transition from torque to horsepower more quickly.

This results in drivers of different weights competing on more equal terms on the track, but heavier drivers simply have higher energy consumption. If the race were longer, the heavier driver would proportionally drain their battery faster.

[fatboy1dh (Derek Hastings)]

I love the idea. I’m a huge fan of electric karts (many of you remember Ghost Racing pursuing electric karts when we owned the company). I hope you get some interest and get enough people there. WKA is not exactly at the peak of its popularity. I think Daytona may draw a few entries but the other races will be tough.

I will be at the Whiteland race to watch as the price point excludes me.

[1pieceatatime (Richard V)]

@Artis_Daugins

This results in drivers of different weights competing on more equal terms on the track, but heavier drivers simply have higher energy consumption. If the race were longer, the heavier driver would proportionally drain their battery faster.

OK let me pick at that a bit, because starting to get a little more intriguing (to me).

Are you implying that there is power unit control that accelerates the kart at a specific target value or curve irrespective of how much energy it takes to get there? Battery discharge rates are not uniform? Akin to performance-leveling?

I’m trying to figure out how a heavy driver would have more energy available to use than a light driver such that their kart will accelerate the same, achieve the same top speed, but utilize more battery power to do so.

I’m not a physics whiz, but am loosely aware that there is no free lunch - so interested in understanding your statement about draining the battery faster.

[tjkoyen]

@1pieceatatime I think you’re overthinking it. I believe he’s saying (correct me if I’m wrong) just that there is peak torque available immediately with electric motors, so the weight disadvantage is less noticeable than traditional ICE vehicles because you have gobs of power right off the line. Same reason an EV can accelerate faster than any ICE hypercar but weigh 40% more.

Battery drains quicker as it is hauling more weight around. Why a Cybertruck or Lightning loses 50% of its range when it’s towing.

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

@1pieceatatime

Are you implying that there is power unit control that accelerates the kart at a specific target value or curve irrespective of how much energy it takes to get there?

What I was saying and what Artis also, more eloquently said, is what TJ said.

Instant zoom off corner. Engine don’t care if you weigh 120 or 250. It moves em both at the same speed basically, because so much overhead.

Now it’s not perfect because the effect seems to drop off as the curve goes upwards and the heavier guys are feeling it getting to the tippy top maybe.

@nikspeeds being a man of solid build who is also a man of speed and deeply experienced in e-karts but also races gas… what’s your take as a semi big-boi?

I have maddening footage of Nik and I going exactly the same speed racing each other. I also have maddeningly similar footage where I keep pulling on a lighter driver but can never convert it to gain.

One thing that is actually interesting is that, in my experience, the power curve of electric and the very rapid arrival to the top end really changes racing.

You can’t pull on a guy by getting a few extra revs out of the corner and watching that grow as you ride up the rev range. So, you get the little bit you got and that’s it.

Now this should be different in Artis series case because his karts are geared normal and have a much greater latitude than the rental jobbies. I bet they will pull normally-ish up to a top end.

[1pieceatatime (Richard V)]

Thank you, fellas. Not first time I’ve been accused of over-thinking it!

[nikspeeds (Nik)]

Yeah ekart is much more “fair” from that perspective. Me weighing in like 240, and chasing someone who weighs 130 into a sharp hairpin, we can still stay bumper to bumper coming out of it. Compared to gas rentals where I have to be near perfect to keep up in that situation

With electric, the only place you notice your own weight is the steep uphill sections popular in these newer indoor tracks like Supercharged. On all the flat sections you really don’t notice at all. It’s nice

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

Such relevance, much wow

Nik drafting my butt. E karts. But without tippy-taps. He’s not giving me momentum. Im not giving him meaningful draft (too slow).

Nice lap 5, @nikspeeds, I see you are also a man of culture

[Artis_Daugins]

Yes, @tjkoyen Basically explained it in simple terms with a towing weight example.

According to test bench data, all kart power curves are identical. However, a lighter driver reaches these maximum outputs faster and uses less energy to achieve the same results. A heavier driver requires peak power for a longer duration to reach the same performance levels, but both deliveries occur within the same physical time frame. In ICE karts, this difference is notably visible in acceleration with additional weight. In electric karts, it is seen in battery consumption rather than on the track.

The trailer towing example is perfect. An electric car can accelerate similarly with or without a trailer, but one will consume twice as much energy. The power curves of the car remain unchanged; it just demands more power for a longer period. It’s not that there’s no difference, but it’s significantly smaller compared to ICE.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that a more precise, lighter, and experienced driver loses all advantages. Effective driving will still yield better results, with fractions of a second adding up. However, it’s worth noting that the competition will be closer.

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

Hey @Artis_Daugins

Drag race: e-kart vs KZ shifter… who wins?

Assuming we talk about non-rental type electrics here… or maybe even your racing power plants.

[Artis_Daugins]

It greatly depends on the model of the electric go-kart being compared. With the BSR-X5 model, if the KZ driver shifts gears perfectly and makes a flawless start without any mistakes, it could be quite comparable up to 60-70 miles per hour. The BSR-X5 offers 120Nm from the motor and approximately 350Nm on the rear axle with very controlled slipping, making it easier to achieve a perfect result with an electric kart. Currently, we are testing the BSR-X5+ version with 55hp, and I think it would be challenging for a KZ kart to outperform it up to 60mph in a drag race.

The biggest advantage of KZ2 karts is on very long and fast tracks where maintaining high RPMs with minimal gear changes is beneficial, giving KZ2 an edge over electric karts in such conditions.

Here is video BSR vs KZ2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygErZqVktis&ab_channel=BlueShockRace

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

Thank you! Most interesting.

One other question… how do these fare in UAE and similar very very hot racing environments?

[Artis_Daugins]

In hot environments, no equipment performs well; it puts additional stress on the system that must be managed with cooling. Effective cooling is crucial in these cases. Each electric component has its own temperature limits at which it begins to lose efficiency. Motors have one temperature limit, control systems have another, and batteries have yet another. The most critical is the battery because exceeding certain limits can irreversibly damage it or, worse, cause it to catch fire in extreme cases. There are, of course, numerous safety measures in place to prevent this, but they inherently limit the performance capabilities.

In the case of BSR, all systems are air-cooled, so we have a lot of experience and knowledge in achieving high performance even in hot environments. We have projects in the Middle East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other hot regions, and this data allows us to continuously improve our product and make it much more capable.

[Bimodal_Rocket (Dom Callan)]

I noticed the fans in the video cooling the batteries in the pits. While heat is an issue, will ekarts be viable for outdoors tracks in UAE with cooling help? Or is this going to be a variable that we will always have to deal with with electric?