@Bimodal_Rocket I know, I’ve seen drivers literally just look over at each other and smash pods all down the straight, and I’ve looked at the race director, mouth agape, and yelled “any call for that?!” with no result. I’ve never seen a penalty called for it, and I’ve seen it happen (and had it happen to me) more and more the past few years.
Fortunately, the stupid driving mostly occurs once you move up from club level, so most of the time the local guys are pretty gentlemanly… There are exceptions though!
This is the thing that I find most shocking/ disappointing. They want to promote that their racing is better at a higher level, but then play argy-bargey.
I’ve been lucky with my home track, and some of the other tracks in my area, with regards to the helpfulness of others. I’ve always had people more than willing to help me, even though I did have people with conflicting information. However, by receiving that help, I always make sure I help the new people when they are first starting. I had a racer help me out in one of my first races, I think it might have been Rod Clinard, and I remember me thanking him and telling him he didn’t need to put so much effort into helping me. His response to me was that if he didn’t help me, and get me on the track, that he wouldn’t have anyone to race. People that don’t want to help are afraid to be beat, those that help are willing to use the competition to get better.
With regards to @tjkoyen article, great article and I am glad that EKN has put this effort forward to have respected people write these articles. One thing that TJ said in his article made me think about another possible reason for the driving behaviors that we see nowadays. He talked about a lack of respect to your equipment because some racers have spare/back-up equipment, so there really is no consequence to damaging your equipment. What I also thought about from that was the prevalence today of video game simulators, like Forza and Grand Tourisimo. Could the lack of consequences when driving these games bleed over into real life? You think about it, your battling for the lead in the video game, and make the dive bomb move to “punt” the other driver off the track, and take the win. No damage to your car, or damage that costs to repair, no penalty. I know that all the other reasons lead into as well, but this is just something I think could be a factor.
Re driving games: I doubt it. That’s sort of like saying COD makes you more likely to shoot people. 48 year old lifetime gamer here and I have yet to shoot anyone or deliberately abuse my kart.
Not necessarily talking about adults. I might do it a game, but would never do it in real life. Just thinking more about the lack of consequences in both situations. However, I do think that by driving the video games properly, can make you a better driver.
Personally, I disagree with that. As a sim-league racer myself, we get just as pissed by crappy driving standards as any other racer. Racing is racing, man.
Yet another call for harder tyres at club and beginner levels.
It seems to me that a large percentage of Karters want this and not just in the US of A, will promoters, clubs and national bodies listen?
My initial learning experiences have been on Hard tires at jim Hall. I really like them in that they seem “right” when you are using them on 100cc or 4 stroke. As I am discovering this year in TAG, your stickier tires are only good for 80 laps or so and you end up spending a lot of money tires. Also, better tires are hard on the body and require a commitment to fitness. That’s fine and I welcome it, but for club level stuff, it’s a big ask for the regular joe or Jane.
I liked hard tires because of how long they last.
That was pretty much the extent of my thought process at the time. Sooner of later one wants to move up (or not) and go to stickier tires. In the beginning harder tires give a bit more consistency in terms of tire condition. It is nice to have less variables @ first. It is also nice to not be constantly putting out money!!
I thought this analysis was spot on, and really a great example of various approaches to making slow corners after long straights. Of course block defending is less of an issue due to the (somewhat annoying) no mirrors rule, but it otherwise still applies.