Well, I know that IAME is probably more well known, but I’ve heard that the build quality on PRD engines have been coming up, so I wonder why those engines haven’t really been in this forum for discussion, as far as cost per horsepower.
(Hides under his blanket for all of the expected PRD hate 
) lol
No PRD hate from me. The history of the PRD isn’t very flattering, so I think that may be the biggest roadblock to a club following, plus it was always marketed as a 'poor man’s Tag engine", so it has that stigma. And its hard to get club and regional stuff going when you don’t have a real national pipeline for used engines. As far as getting an engine line in at the top levels goes, there is so much financial investment by the engine importers and manufacturers, that its become expected that you’ll spend a lot if you want to play. So if PRD wanted to get into a top level national sprint series, there would be an expectation that they would provide so much sponsorship $$, tickets to their respective World Finals, free product for promotional purposes, etc. They also are expected to have an excellent parts distribution network with a pricing structure that makes sense for karters, shops, and builders. All of this stuff can be done, and is done, but its not easy. So far, only Rotax, IAME, and Briggs have been able to do it in the US. Rok is trying, but even with all their resources, they can’t touch the other mentioned above. I’m not criticizing any of these brands, just pointing out that simply having a good product, just isn’t enough. Its the whole “package”.
I thought I’d bring this back a little bit with the USPKS opener, and KA100 introduction, coming in exactly one month from today. I have the entry list for the class so far, and am wondering what we think the races are going to look like here.
When I look at this list, 3 names really stick out: Kevin Nelson, Mike McAndrews, and our very own TJ Koyen. All 3 have won previous series, and they’re all from Wisconsin, my home state as well. Looking at the list, I actually see at least 5 Wisconsin natives, so the state is pretty well represented, but that’s beside the point. If I had to find a top 3 here, these 3 would be it. They’re all plenty experienced and have the capabilities to get anything done when it needs to be.
Adam Crepin appears as well. He is a good driver, having won last year at the Route 66 event in South Bend, Indiana. I don’t, however, see him in anything from USPKS, although I may just be missing that. I could definitely see him being an underdog here, creating some interesting races and competition. A notable drive from him was a run from 24th to 8th in the Sunday final of Route 66 at Badger Kart Club this year. He definitely has the tools to compete here.
Couple other Wisconsin natives here are Josh Hotz and Danny Corcoran. Both are good drivers that I know to some extent, so I have a little bias, but I see them doing well in the series. Having raced against Corcoran, he is one of the cleanest but aggressive drivers I’ve seen, and his adaptability is quick. Winning Route 66 events before in the Yamaha class, he is definitely a skilled competitor. Hotz, on the other hand, has been a TaG racer for the past few years taking second in the 2016 Route 66 Sprint Series championship, and winning 3 of the 10 races. I’ll be keeping my eyes on both of these competitors through the season to see how they fare in battle.
Last couple names I’ll touch on (as they’re the only other ones I recognize enough to put into a decent paragraph) are two senior rookies of Alex Bertagnoli and Michael Paterno. Both have competed well at the junior categories in the past few years, so the move to both a new engine and a new set of competitiors will really put them to the test. Bertagnoli, with Merlin Nation, won the SKUSA X30 Junior championship last year, a feat on it’s own, and will be carrying that momentum into the new season. Paterno is a strong competitor as well. While possibly lacking some of the reputation Bertagnoli can carry, he is still looking at being a strong competitor in the new season.
Thoughts, opinions? Anything you disagree with or names you’d like to add in? This season is definitely shaping to be an interesting one!
I appreciate your confidence in me Aaron! 
It’s going to be a very interesting mix of drivers. You’ve got old school Yamaha drivers like Nelson, Crepin, and Tate and then you’ve got drivers like Bertagnoli, who has obviously been fantastic in the X30 classes recently. It’ll bring in a mix of driving styles and racecraft, and I’m super excited to see how it all plays out.
I’m guessing you’ll see some drivers like Nelson and Tate be more tactical and try working together and push and you’ll see some of the young-ins being aggressive and overtaking at every chance.
My top 3 picks are probably Bert, McAndrews, and Hotz. Hopefully I’m in there somewhere too.
Good info to have. 
I’ve talked to a couple engine builders who have done dyno runs on multiple engines and they have also said the parity is really close, like within tenths of a horsepower.
It’s definitely a good spread of drivers in there. Some of them I’m more familiar with than others, but that’s a pretty stacked competition roster. If we get a live stream of the race at GoPro I’ll be watching that for sure!
Where would you put yourself in on the driving spectrum you mentioned? Do you drive tactically and work with other drivers or aggressive passing at every opportunity?
I was never the most naturally talented driver, so I’ve always just tried to drive smarter and more tactical. I like to think of my style as “efficient”. Aggressive when necessary, but I prefer to think ahead and play the long game. Before I pass the kart in front, I’m thinking of how I’m going to pass the kart in front of him, planning out how many laps I have left, determining how aggressive I have to go on each overtake etc.
All I have to say is… thanks for a great discussion guys! 
Hearing lots of good things from drivers who are testing the KA100 at GoPro these past couple weekends. Smooth engine, fairly quick, fun to drive. About 5 mph slower than an X30 at the end of the straight at GoPro it looks like.
I’ll be testing this upcoming weekend and I’ll be sure to post some initial observations.
I’m excited to hear about this.
More news here now, Ashley Rogero, Colton Ramsey, and Brandon Jarsocrak have all entered as well.
Rogero took second at the race in Mooresville this past week, showing she has the pace to be a serious competitor in the stacked field of drivers.
Colton Ramsey has been a strong driver in years past, but I can’t find anything recent on him from within a couple years. I’m sure, however we’ll see a strong showcase from him.
Finally, Brandon Jarsocrak has decided to hop in the mix. Finishing 4th in the 2016 EKN TaG driver rankings, Jarsocrak is a strong competitor in the national fields of recent years. I see him fighting for a championship with the rest of them.
More entries will likely appear, creating a massive showing this year for USPKS. Best of luck to all competitors surviving the first turn here! Although, the new drop down bumper may alleviate some of that issue.
Anyone have any KA100 onboards?
Colton retired in '15 after a couple pretty nasty wrecks. One in particular where he got hurt pretty bad at New Castle after going into the fence by the grid.
He’s got the same addiction we all do though, I knew he’d be back eventually.
Rogero has a ton of laps at GoPro and she’s one of the best drivers in the past several years so she’ll be strong.
Brandon also has a ton of laps at GoPro and he’s obviously been one of the hottest drivers in the country the past few years.
Here’s an onboard from Connor Tebbe of the KA in action:
I’m so stoked, I already can hardly sleep and I still have over a week to go before the race…
I’m looking at going somewhere again next week to drive since I’m getting so antsy but it’s supposed to rain EVERYWHERE!!!
That’s a fun look tracking too. 
Seems like a pretty easy to drive engine, which is nice.
That’s a pretty fast motor! Sounds fun.
So here is my question, which might have been asked earlier in the thread.
Do you think that anyone will be responsible enough to ensure some class stability with this engine package?
From what I’m understanding, it’s designed to either phase out the Yamaha (or be a step between a Yamaha and a more powerful TAG like the X30), but I worry that without people staying on top of it, it’ll become an ‘engine of the month’, which would be lame.
Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Well it’s replacing Yamaha at USPKS, that’s already established. Assuming reliability is good, I don’t see why it wouldn’t maintain popularity. It’s easy to drive, so it isn’t very intimidating. It’s a good step up from something slower. I think it could be a replacement for Yamaha for sure.
Sorry I missed you. Are you going to be at CHMS often?