I’m looking at buying an okj to train on anyone know where I can find one in the southeast and also if anyone has any tips on maintenance or even basic setup on it.
i don’t know if I’m going to race it yet I’m working with a guy i know who’s trying to build a okj grid in Florida tho
Best shot at buying one would probably be one of the engine importers, since we don’t race them here it will be tough to find anything that isn’t brand new.
Could be fun to drive, but not sure why you would want one to train on? It can’t be raced anywhere and there are other engines like the Rok or X30 which could be raced here and would be easy to get parts and service for. And they would be faster if that’s what you’re looking for too.
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the okj is much faster than the x30, rok, Rotax
its because its direct drive which teaches you to be much smother on brakes and turning.
I wouldn’t go OKJ in the US tbf
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ya, i know what you mean I’m on the edge about it but i may race it internationally next year so i would need to test and practice on it.
The international scene in X30 is also highly capable. How old are you ?
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im 13 and il turn 14 in a few months
When I was a junior I ran the typical American junior classes and then also did JICA for a year (equivalent to today’s OKJ) and I can tell you I didn’t really gain anything skill-wise driving the JICA, but it was a lot of fun to go that fast as a 14 year old.
I think any skill you could learn from driving OKJ could easily be learned driving X30/Rok. You could run them in senior format if you wanted more speed. My main point was if you wanted to enter an X30/Rok race, where the best juniors are driving, then you could.
If you are going to race overseas and want to practice for that, that’s another story. Then it makes a little more sense. But I would probably do a couple junior Pro Tour or USPKS races or something to test your level before jumping to Europe.
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IMO, there are 2 good options :
- CIK FIA Academy Trophy (Spec series with OKJ engines, supported by the FIA, very cost efficient)
- X30J in the US and internationally
Then you move to KZ (if your body can handle it) or OK
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ya thats the plan im not for shure racing over seas but its just something we are thinking aout. befor i go race international im running a full national calendar in 2022.
another reson we want to get a okj is beacus we know a dealer who is trying to make a okj grid in fl which would mean i wont be racing alone
He probably wont achieve his goal. OKJ using the EU tyres is stupid expensive. Considering it is already hard to get a grid in the US in X30 or Rotax, I dont expect people to rush to OKJ
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i do expect that but the drivers he is talking about already race overseas so they already have the engines and everything . but i dont expect it to be the next big thing
Also there are 3 brands of OK engines, which one would you be getting ?
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its probably going to be the vortex varient because i know a few dealers
I know it’s not really an answer to your question, but I agree with the others saying that your might want to strongly interrogate the usefulness of OK for your goals. I’d say this to someone in Europe too.
I’d also interrogate wether racing in Europe CIK is a good way to go for you, considering the cost.
If your goal is to race cars, getting a seat is more about money than talent or experience.
Many drivers (and parents) make the mistake of going up and up on the karting “ladder”, hoping for a drive in cars… only to find they are out of money when they get there.
Running Rotax events in the US might be a good way of hacking your way to top level international competition via a Rotax world ticket.
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i understand what you mean the okj would be more of a practice engin im not planing on racing internationally nor do i think im reddy
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Are you looking to practice on something faster in general then? If that’s the case you could try an IAME 175 direct drive or something similar.
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