Late to the discussion. I have raced a lot of classes over the last 21 years. Yamaha Heavy, 125 Shifter, Tag, SCCA: Formulat FST, Spec Racer Ford, Spec Miata, and now returned to kart for LO206.
If I Tag or KA100 was well supported in my area and my friend that is just joining was comfortable with speed and cost of them, that would be my top choice. Since neither are true I am doing LO206 and having a lot of fun.
I would not have a concern of new racer in Tag. With the low engagement clutches the acceleration is very managable. If cost is at all a concern I would recommend LO206. Racing is always going to cost more than expected so starting close to budget limit is not ideal. If cost is not a concern I would decide entirely on best supported class near you. Both classes require smooth corner because either by low clutch engagement or low horsepower they can not overcome sloppy corners.
Definitely start with LO206. The cheapness and the durability of the motor as well as the competitiveness is second to non. Dont think of LO206 as a stepping stone to tag because it isnt. I race tag and wish we had a lo206 class local i would jump ship in a heart beat. Yes its faster but it also beats you up 3x as bad and the engines are 3x the cost and the maintenance is way more $ as well.
Yep. Look at me. I’m racing rentals now, wishing we had a lo206 field I could race low-key in. TAG is brutally expensive. I think it cost me around 20K a season to run me and Nick.
I consider myself very, very lucky to, briefly, have been able to race two-stroke.
I ended up going with the 206 and I love it so far. The racing season here was over by the time I got it so I’ve only been able to run it on the practice days. It’s been plenty fast for me, though. I think it’s perfect for the layout of our local track, too. I’m glad I took the recommendations here!
If I come across a good deal on a decent tag I may get one to play with, but I’m all in on the 206 class.