So my local track when I first started was a heavily motified 4 stroke track. I was the first 206 and for more than a year I ran with those guys on my 206. Gradually I got them covert over into 206, but soon after, one guy ( who admittedly “tinkers” and finds ways to cheat) started to pull away from the rest of the field. Tech at my local is pretty non-esistant being a 2 stroke track. But the rest of the 206 was clean 4 months ago when I was running with them. But as things transpired, I upgraded the motor in my chassis to an X-30, with the intentions of getting a second chassis so I could run both classes.
Well as it turns out all the work I did to establish a 206 field at my local, I learned today went all to $hit. I guess during my 4 month absence everyone got tired to chasing the cheater, and decided to start altering their motors so they could complete with him. Fastforward to the local today, and I learned all of them are now running advanced timing, ported/ polished heads, 7,100 coils, and oxygenated fuel. Its like they don’t get the point of the 206 class and why it was established.
Kinda felt like a gut punch as I’m someone who believes in the rulebook, and worked so hard to get the modified group into 206; as their old modified group was a dying group as people were always chasing the same guys with the biggest pocket book.
Frustrated . . .
One of the arguments I had today with a admitted cheater. "We when we ran at XYZ track they were so much faster, so they must be cheating- so if their cheating, why shouldn’t we!?” My reaction being a longtime 206 racer. They are not cheating, they are just that quick and have alot of seat time. I have run with those guys at CKNA, watched their motors torn down in tech and they found nothing! They are just that fast!
It pains me to grow a class at a track that didn’t have 206, just to watch the field I help to grow go into this direction . . .
That sucks that people do this. Have an open class where you can do whatever you want but leave 206 a class that is meant to be unmodified, all this does is turn people off and the cheaters keep wondering why no one new sticks with it.
The problem is that these strict formulas is they tend to garner popularity, unfortunately. With that popularity comes credibility. With credibility comes individuals who want to win at all costs.
Cheating and dodginess is absolutely rife and it never shocks me the length people will go to to gain an advantage. I dislike spec classes and controlled classes because it allows the biggest scope for it. I hate them for racing purposes. Always prefer the more open tuning catagories. People still find ways to break the rules, but they generally are very limited in scope.
Yeah tech is non existent at my local being a 2 stroke track. It just pains me, taking a group that for years was all about HEAVY modification to their 4 strokes, and there field was dying cause people got tired of chasing the dude with the most money to spend. It wasn’t until they saw the kart counts when CKNA hosted an event at the time, I think the light bulb went off in their heads and they were intrigued. So I was hopeful. But old habits die hard I guess as they’ve reverting back to what they know.
Now I’m in a pickel, cause I have zero interest in modifying my 206 and I choose to stay legal. Which means if I want to run a legit 206 race, I can’t do it locally and I’d have to travel 3.5 hours away.
Good tech (Post race scrutiny) negates this though.
The root problem here is the lack of tech. It’s not a spec vs non spec thing. Rules are overtly being violated (oh that sounds nasty).
If someone turned up in F100 with a 113cc big bore they’d get booted if they were checked.
Unfortunately it’s a tale that’s as old as racing. I think until they get some sort of tech program going you might have to just race a different class and/or race elsewhere.
Maybe it’s worth bringing to the attention of Dan Roche at Briggs? (If he’s not already aware)
That thought has crossed my mind. It just sucks cause I just built a second chassis so I could run both classes. Now I’m sitting back thinking I just wasted a ton of money cause I wasn’t aware the entire 206 field decided to start cheating.
The level of tech required to check bore and stroke doesn’t compare to the levels required in spec classes where stuff like duplication of parts etc… is far greater. In particular sealed engined classes where you have an added layer of bureaucracy. People always find someway to skirt the rules of course, but in spec classes what I’ve seen over the years is mind blowing. The levels people go to amazes me. We’re talking cloned engines etc… the lot.
I think…you should let it go. Market has spoken, if everybody is happy with breaking the rules and you are the only one left…stick to the X30 and don’t look back. Sucks but what else can you do at this point?
Sucks that they moved on from the rule set but it happens. They club will ultimately miss out on entries. The question becomes, do you go the route of what they’ve done in the name of speed or bring up the option of the super stock package.
I have to disagree with the “move on” guys. You are trying to do whats best for your club and for the sport. Maybe a conversation with the race director? Maybe another conversation with the class as a whole? Maybe you volunteer to do tech for a couple of races and throw all these guys out (maybe too extreme)?
I dont think you give up. I think you keep fighting for what you think is best for the sport and for your track.
I 100% support this statement. Fuel doping in 206 is the biggest issue I have come across during my time in the class. Unfortunately only a handful of tech guys will do a water test @Carb which I have never seen beaten.
That being said, doing basic tech as a class is a good way to ensure stability to your field. There are tech classes at OVKA swap meet every year, sign up or find a memeber willing to do 4 cycle tech and you will be way better off as an organization.
An X-30 on that track, not to sure about that one. I know a handful of people do it, but in my mind that track is a great 4 stroke track, but for a 2 stroke I’m not 100% convinced, especially given the 2 stroke kart counts being 2-3 entries in most cases. Oppose to your rediculiously high 206 counts which I envy a great deal. But hell, never say never.
Jacksonville is an absolute blast in any class of kart. I raced a TAG there years ago and it was awesome. Would love to get a shifter down there sometime.
Zero issues with JAX overall, NFKC is run like a well oiled machine. They seriously took a page from CKNA and the results are noticeable under the Kenner family regime. I’ll always be a fan of them and what they have done over there. Its a great place to do some racing, I just wish it was closer.
