Most chassis’s look the same and I’m almost certain they all preform very similar however, if you look at some results: RoktheRio Rok Sr more than 70% Of the field is OTK or Birel.
Is this because they are the best supported brands in the country or is there some advantage?
They are all a little different in bends, materials, and consistency. We’ve had two chassis from the same batch from Parolin, one is great and the other always a little bit off. OTK does annual updates. Some years their stuff is great, and others not as great as the great stuff. But they do set the bar.
Vortex and OTK are one of the same so it’ll be no surprise their single-brand class attracts a lot of OTKs.
There’s a lot of psychology things at play too. People will often make the safe less complicated choice rather than taking a (perceived) risk. The pain of making the wrong choice often weighs more than the joy of making the right one. Following the herd for security is a base human instinct, even in an arena where the goal is to find an advantage over your opposition.
That’s not to say the OTK isn’t a fast product, but it isn’t magic, I think it’s mostly psychological. No one is blind testing karts on a mass scale, so the hardcore performance data is pretty thin.
Did not know Vortex and OTK had any affiliation, that’s interesting.
Good to hear as I didn’t go with one of the big 3 (OTK, Birel, CRG) and debated all year to go with what’s safe at my local track.
The thing is that nowadays everyone is so hard wired into ‘spec’ racing thinking the concept of seeking a mechanical advantage seems to be an attitude that’s becoming every more alien to the paddock. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone buying an OTK because of course, I’d just like to encourage people to take a choice that isn’t on the same beaten path as everyone else.
It’s because they are the most well-supported and established brands. Also the Vortex/OTK tie-up as Alan mentioned.
When we moved up to Junior last year, I went with Birel since the track we raced at supports them. Not saying there isn’t support for OTK at them.
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Most chassis’s look the same and I’m almost certain they all preform very similar however, if you look at some results: RoktheRio Rok Sr more than 70% Of the field is OTK or Birel.
Is this because they are the best supported brands in the country or is there some advantage?
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Best-selling, that’s a criteria for handling?
There’s a best-selling brand of kart here in the United States that I know from personal experience is not the best handling US-made kart. There are differences between brands, maybe subtle, but differences none the less.