If it were in any other year, I’d agree with you. But this anti-RPG engine hype seems to have a lot of people amped to try something else. Now, without a doubt, RPG is smart enough and has the resources to be right at the front of the field in OK-N and dominate there also. The difference is that you now open a whole new world of resources to combat the advantage they have. If TM feels like they’re losing market share to Vortex due to RPG running Vortex, I’d bet good money TM would make sure the teams running their product would get good enough support to go head-to-head with the best.
That’s something that you won’t see happen in a spec-class. Spec class racing requires the specified manufacturer and host series to try and keep the playing field level. And no matter how good they do, the unrealistic expectation is a perfectly level playing field. Which of course, is impossible in motorsport. So even if they do a good job, which I’d say they have, perception is reality.
Long story short, I think if there was any time to do the jump, it’d be now. KZ as an open platform has proven to be more successful than ROK and the IAME 175 in a short time period, and the teams, shops, and drivers seem to have taken notice that the budget difference isn’t what they thought it was, and the parity isn’t as bad as that they thought it’d be.
Also, I don’t think the tickets do a ton. Half the time guys don’t even go here.
But with all that said, you probably won’t see SKUSA take the jump until the numbers dip enough that they’d be forced to. As you said, no room for it in the current format – X30 numbers would have to almost die off for it to make sense to be added. Question would just be first IF that would happen, and secondly, what is the breaking point that would force the switch.
Looks great! but my perfectionist side just screamed thinking about getting all the gunk and chain lube out of all those reinforcement ribs by the sprocket
The engines look so fit for purpose without the power valve of the regular OK and a clutch hanging off of it.
Speed and RPM trace for both the OK-N and OK-NJ over a random lap of a random run.
The relative jagged aspect shows that the track was indeed damp at the moment and lateral grip quite poor. Driver’s mistake here and there are also quite apparent.
Note the limiter being hit for a little it prior to braking into T1, from RPM trace, for both categories.
I think the OK-NJ was actually benefiting quite a lot from the poor traction conditions, due to their reduced weight. I believe the delta speed would be bigger in fully dry conditions.
I’ve read this thread and watched some of your YouTube videos, which I have very much enjoyed, so thank you for the karting content. You’re an interesting guy and I appreciate your point of view.
I think I understand your dislike of the way in which the FIA has made karting less accessible to the average person on a reasonable budget, and less of its own independent sport, by making it subservient to F1.
Maybe it’s because I’m a noob and I just don’t have the tribal knowledge of the culture that you advocate…I haven’t lived it, but I don’t understand your dislike of the TaG/X30/Rotax platform. From my perspective, a clutch and a starting motor deliver real value.
I’m a shits and giggles guy. I’m a 56 year old guy who loves driving fast. I have no F1 asperations; I don’t even have club racing asperations. But I love that my kart is convenient to operate and way faster than its driver. It gives me room to grow and fast is fun (I feel the same way about my guns–they’re way better than I am as a marksman). Here in the southeast, there’s plenty of people running TaG X30 and I can race with them at my local track. So what’s wrong with that? I don’t want to push start my kart–I’m usually on my own. I invested in a Stone Transformer stand so I could get the kart on and off by myself, and get it into the bed of my truck. I’m retired and I can go spin laps whenever I want–no buddies or teams required. I love it.
Racing with buddies is fun, and I do that (my neighbor just got a TaG X30 and a track membership to run with me), but I want to be able to go spin laps whenever I want.
The excitement and purity of direct-drive, high revving old school karting is a thing of beauty, but there are clear benefits to on-board starters, rev-limiters, and reliability.
