Hello, I have a question regarding if I should switch to a higher grip chassis like OTK or KR. I currently race a Praga Tacho 2019 in X30 senior and it has gotten me good results, but the chassis is not always on top (like OTK and KR) and generally harder to find grip and setup. What do you think of the chassis? Is OTK or KR the way to go or is Praga a solid choice. I’ve seen OTK and KR the most consistent at the top and posting the fastest lap times/
No knowing as to where you race, your expertise, your physical size, here is my 2 cents for what it’s worth. Don’t get caught up thinking that you must run what the leaders are running. The best drivers have worked on their driving and tuning skills. They usually will be fast in whatever chassis they’re in.
How are you fixed for tuning bits and do you use them, such as axles with different stiffnesses, castor/camber adjustments and front torsion bars? In some areas, it’s going to be easier to find people that are familiar with OTK but don’t think that should warrant changing chassis. My suggestion is to work with the chassis you have, keep notes and to be afraid to experiment.
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I think it’s important to not get too distracted by the brand of chassis that’s up front, even if it is consistent. There’s so many factors that contribute to performance that what appears up front may not be the best match for you. So it’s important to do some digging IMO.
Where do you race and what dealer networks exist around you?
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As a long time OTK guy now and a fan of their product, I would echo the other sentiments in this thread and say that the OTK karts are great chassis, but simply looking at the leaders karts and trying to buy what they are on isn’t always going to benefit you. As Tony said, some karts work better for different driver sizes or different tires or different engine packages, and there are plenty of kart brands that can win big races. Praga was winning a ton of races just a couple years ago when they had a dedicated team/shop support at a national level here. So that kart is more than capable.
Look at the karts at the back of the pack as well. Plenty of OTK karts, KR karts, Praga karts… All brands at the back too. It isn’t the kart usually, it’s the driver and the ability to tune the kart. If you have dedicated support from a shop/team that knows the product, you can be successful on many brands.
KR is a good kart, OTK is a good kart, Praga is a good kart. I like the OTK product because the build quality is nice, they are fairly easy to tune, and the support is widespread. That being said, lots of karts now have large tuning windows and can be easy to setup if you have someone who knows how to do so.
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I’d make sure that the chassis model is designed to be compatible with the category and tire you’ll be racing. Aside from that, nearly any brand is capable of winning, when in the right hands.
It sounds like the chassis you have is working well for you, so I would try experimenting with setup and/or driving if you feel like there’s time to be had in certain conditions (i.e. hot day, lots of rubber down, etc.).
In central america where I race, the two main dealer networks we have are IPK and OTK, thanks for the advice! I will continue to work hard with the Praga chassis and try to set it at its best.
Thanks for the advice! I always tune the kart with torsion bars, caster/camber and widths, so we try every setting. I will continue to work hard with the chassis I have and set it up at its best.
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If you have setup questions, I’m sure someone on this forum can help you out.
Also there are a few brands that use or get their chassis manufactured by some of the leading brands. Such as my Compkart covert 3.0 which is made by Birel Art.
Almost all karts found on the market today are very similar to each other like EXTREMELY similar. The change to the wider frame in the late 2000’s found parity on many different brands when it came to kart design.I personally, don’t think it makes any difference what chassis you are running if you know how to tune and build the kart properly.
-Your Pal
Ronald Swift
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