I would approach the club about having the 206 kid karts be scored and classified separately.
Our club originally allowed 206 kid karts to compete with Comers by running a heavier weight to try to balance performance, but it took a REALLY good Comer driver to be able to compete with the 206s. One loss of momentum and the Comer was toast whereas the 206 could easily make mistakes and the torque of the motor would cover it up.
When my son was in kid karts it seemed everyone was heading toward the 206 because it was faster and easier to maintain. Funny enough after they split the class into separately scored 206/Comer, everyone new is now running Comers and thereās one lonely 206 on his own each week.
After dealing with Comers and running 206s, I donāt know how anyone could ever go back. The only challenge with the 206 is the size of the engine relative to the size of the kart. Once I got my 206 mounted, I will never go Comer racing again.
That being said, I have a relatively unpopular opinion that the Honda engine is the Goldilocks of kid karts. Its easy to maintain, sealed, and bulletproof like a 206, but tiny like a Comer. It is the best of both worlds. Never seems to really catch on completely anywhere though.
You donāt have an issue with the 206 having quadruple the torque and HP than a comer in a class that usually is comer specific?
Is there anything from WKA concerning LO206s in kid kart classes? Like what slide/restrictor to use to at least slow it down to somewhat the same speed. Iām just not a fan of a 206 unrestricted running with kid karts, cause thatās what weāre dealing with.
Not sure if you intended this for me. If not, ignore my response. I have no problem with mixed engine KK classes. As I stated above, they are racing āfor funā. I put 0 merit on a kid winning or losing in kid karts. Its about learning racing procedures, ettiquite, flags, racecraft, etc, etc. Hell, they all get participation trophies at our track and my kid loves those as much as the first place ones.
It sounds very much like you are more frustrated with your club/track/promoter on how they have handled this situation more so than the racing itself. If the series had a set of rules (Comer Only) and changed that mid-season, than I understand your frustration. But if we are just talking generically about should KK classes be mixed engine, then I stick with my statements.
I am not aware of WKA running 206 KK classes. However, I would be the last person to know as I donāt run any WKA stuff. You make it sound like kids are running adult 206s in your Comer class. Is that what you are implying? Briggs 206 KK rules are very clearly defined in their rulebook. There are two different slide openings that you can use to tailor speed.
As much as I want it to just be fun for them, every kid out there is competitive and wants to do well. I just donāt think it helps the kids build confidence when they have no chance in catching or keeping up with another kid. I know it discourages my daughter when there is nothing she can do to catch the 206. It has a higher top end, has a ton more torque so it pulls out of corners faster. Even if the 206 scrubs speed and looses momentum all they have to do is push the gas and suddenly the mistake is covered up. My issue is if the track is saying it will follow all WKA rules for classes and restrictions then why are they allowing 206 and cadet frames in KK when WKA specifically says Comer Only.
They do start the 206s first and with in 2 laps they are lapping kids. Like I said I donāt think they have any restrictors/slides that slow them down. These things cover a 3-4 kart gap in a matter of seconds and thatās either coming out of a turn or just on a straight. Itās like watching a F1 car race a stock car on a road track.
Not sure what you mean by kid karts that side but here itās bambinos - up to 7 yrs. I canāt imagine strapping a 206 to one of those, it would be a rocket ship! Here theyāre restricted to little Honda motors, very low power and only time trials not racing as such. Like someone said the kid who gets his or her line rights usually goes fastest.
Interesting back and forth on this one. Our club will allow either Comer, Honda, or 206. However, each engine has its own set of rules. The Honda/Comer run an 8.90 gear ratio with the stock config. The 206 requires the long black slide, 4100 RPM Coil, and a 3.35 gear ratio. Both are required to be on the small/baby kart. We donāt score the Kid Karts at all and make sure it is understood by the parents that this is learning. When they get to Cadets they can ārace!!!ā
Wait, theyāre running an unrestricted LO206 against Comer kid karts?
Go borrow a Leopard and install it. Youāll have to re-drill the engine mount.
Thatās about as fair as running a senior-specification LO206, built to pull 220 lb men around in Four-Cycle Heavy, against an engine with a piston barely larger than a half-dollar.
I donāt really have any suggestions for you, but I am surprised an organized club doesnāt have a specific engine rule for each class. Even if kid karts arent true āracingā it seems bordering on irresponsible to have 2 different rule sets that are widely different in pace, being driven by 6 year olds.
For me itās just downright dangerous putting a 5 or 6 yr old kid in a 206 powered kart, kids that age just donāt have the cognitive ability to react the safest way when it all goes Pete Tong. Just my thoughts.
Definitely sounds like lack of communication by race director. Realistically, I find it very hard to believe that there are purple or red or green slide engines out there running with Comersā¦ let alone unrestricted 206s. I think they probably are legal KK206 (black slide either 0.310 opening or 0.285).
Do you have tech at this track? This could be very easily hashed out.
We have covered a lot of ground here. Taking a step backā¦
What is your end goal here?
Get the 206s removed from the Comer class? Make them their own class scored separately? Make sure the 206ās are legal to Briggs 206 KK specs? All of these should be addressed with your race director and/or owner/promoter.
What are your safety concerns? Weight of cadet chasses? Speed difference causing issues? These should also be addressed with the same people, but approached in a different manner.
I donāt have a dog in your fight, so I donāt care. Just trying to help you gets your thoughts straightened out and provide some suggestions on how to approach.
