Chassis : standard metal vs "reparto corse"

Sorry guys didn’t mean to disparage anyone. As a topic of the discussion what I was referring to was bad geometry (and other weird tubing experiments). The Kali Epoch had oval tubing, never worked. The Energy Corse I referred to was brought to the World Championship in Salbris, Panigada (Energy Corse founder) and I were the drivers. It had, for lack of a better description, a fat butt. It had never been tested. And it was literally probably the worst frame ever. Super A European Champion Jon Tagett put on my helmet. He couldn’t make it go any faster than I could. It was so horrible we just parked it and watched the races from the hill. Unlike other similar circumstances when people try out new chassis in major races there was no older homologation to fall on as a backup. It was chassis #1. At least all it cost was travel. Later Energy went on to design some great chassis that won lots of races around the world. But I was talking about a specific experience. Generally speaking, if a kart chassis looks too experimental. It probably won’t be fast. Hasse, Birel and various other have tried and failed experimental designs. They always come back to the same old thing.

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Thanks Nik. I am sure I knew these guys, but I’ve forgotten a lot by now. I think Nodtune did work with BRM which was Gandolfi at the time, but they were running Rotax if I remember correctly. We had Brambilla tuning Comer rotaries and Bernini tuning reeds. There was a weird period after all Comers rotary race motors were stolen at a European championship race in Garda. The reeds were crazy fast though and they were winning all the international ICA races with Panigada and Scarcia, both whom I ended up driving with later. I had a reed that I brought to us tracks for fun before anyone had even seen a direct drive kart here and we got 20000 rpm out of it and people just couldn’t believe how rediculously loud and fast it was.

I used Comer for a whole season in 1996 in the us but we tuned them in my garage. They were fast but I couldn’t beat Alex Barron on his factory Tony Kart with Marechal Vortex. I don’t feel too bad since he went on to win the Indy 500. I was able to race shifter karts though since it was the only thing with comparable speed in the us. We used to think shifter karts were for losers that didn’t know how to drive a real kart. I remember one day we were breaking in ICA engines in Parma and Manetti was testing a Formula C (rotary valve shifter for those that don’t remember). I followed him for 4 laps and then passed him on the inside hairpin with some voodoo braking maneuver we used to be able to do. He came off the track right away and I followed him just to see the expression. He was world champion anyways and I was in an unmarked topkart. He was so pissed he was with Bola, if you remember that was CRG famous mechanic, swearing and yelling.

Great times. Yea I’d love to drive again but there is never enough time. Got two little kids. I ran the skusa supernats kf2 race in Vegas 2009 but that was my last race. Was a pretty strong field we had tinnini, tiene, Montoya (who I actually beat somehow), my old competitor buddy rice (who also won the Indy 500) and Menezes. I was just an old fart by then.

Bottom line. I don’t think karting was what it used to be… but it’s still an awesome action sport! I’m jealous to all you folks that still pull it off.

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I understand, I was thinking of the person just strolling by the site any not having the context that you guys do.

What was different about that frame and how did it behave. Super curious.

I was just talking with someone about this today, it’s crazy how much time it seems to take to get something for Karting together once you have a couple of kids :slight_smile:
Was 2009 the year schumi raced too?

On that note…I think it’s interesting how shifters are perceived to be super fast in the US when the 100cc stuff was rarely far away unless you got to a super open track… Shifter/KZ are fun, don’t get me wrong, but as karts are concerned they are terribly obese and who the hell wants to lift 60 times a lap anyway :smile:

Parma is definitely not a shifter track lol.

I think Nodtune might have only been with Comer in the very late 90’s, then with Maxter. Not sure I’d have to ask him.

I’m pretty sure Bola is still a mechanic for CRG, still smoking a cigarette when he’s putting fuel in.

Its hard to prioritise karting when you have kids, plus because we have raced at a certain level we are not willing to just jump back in because we are aware of how much preparation is needed and therefore time.

Sorry to bring back an old Topic but has anyone got any more or new updates regarding the chassis?

Hi Giancarlo (don’t forget to add your last name to your profile too)

What kind of updates are you looking for?