Many of us here have experience at different levels of racing from club to national. In between is the regional series. The more than club but not quite national level racing.
I’m interested in hearing from people on what they feel would make the perfect regional series. I’m looking for:
Race Format
Classes
Number of rounds
Distance between tracks (ie it’s regional)
Anything additional you think would be perfect
I’m not looking for advertisements for the series you race.
John,
This is a great question. I was actually thinking about this no too long ago. For me, its very simple: cost. If you are running a regional series, it needs to be as affordable as possible. For me, that means:
Truly keep it regional - Here in the midwest, there are a ton of tracks within 2 hours. There is no need for a “regional” series to spread all the way from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. Travel time and costs alone will rule out a ton of people.
Tires - Keep it open tire so club guys can join with their own tires. Or, if you are going to spec a tire, it has to be one guys have or can get SUPER cheap. If I have to buy a $250 set of tires to run a 206 in your series, I am out already.
Schedule - Dont make me take a day off work on Friday… Keep it Saturday/Sunday only. Ideally, make Saturday a happy hour/practice only so folks could show up on Sunday only if they wanted to. Do 1 race a month MAX. I would keep it to 3-4 weekends total per year. If your pool of karters is local racers that want to take that next step, dont make them commit 6+ weekends a year to your series on top of their local schedule.
Derek-
thanks for responding! Where is your home track?
In my experience the open tire is tough, especially if you want sponsorship. I think limiting the number of tires per event can help cut costs. I also think utilizing a Hard Tire for 206 would be a benefit, especially if it’s something they can turn around and use at their club. I’m not sure who’s NOT on MG tires in the Midwest. I also wonder if Open tire would eventually INCREASE costs. People are competitive, and will eventually buy the most competitive tire. Look at CKNA. You don’t have to run new tires on Sunday, but I bet a majority due if they are looking to be competitive.
I’m on the opposite side of the fence on the Friday deal. IMO, the people I talk to want to race all day Saturday and Sunday. I feel the same. But, KP is such a wider audience, so I expect to get a wide range of ideas and opinions.
In my opinion, regional series should be run very similar to a club event, just traveling to more tracks with a bit more competition.
If I come from a club track that runs MG Oranges, but Hoosiers are way faster, I have to buy a set of $250 tires anyway. I say just spec a hard-ass tire for 206 and limit everyone to a set number of tires per weekend or per year to keep costs low.
John,
I am at Whiteland Raceway Park and am very spoiled with options. I like to travel to New Castle, MCC, and Camden. I would love to have a local regional series that runs those tracks or a portion of those tracks.
I definitely understand that my tire opinion is just that… an opinion. And that if there was an easy answer, we would have it. So, I no-way rule out the other options. Its just painful to have to buy a special tire for a regional series that I am only running once, but don’t run at home.
TJ had some great ideas above too. I think his input is spot on. A good travelling series to me is just a club-style race that happens to put on races at other tracks.
I know you aren’t looking for advertisements, but I will give you two examples that I like (and some reasons why):
Again, I am not endorsing either, but just give some examples of clubs/series doing it right (in my opinion).
Our regional series in the PNW is just that, a regional series. We travel through 3 states and occasionally just into B.C. Canada. I personally don’t feel a regional series should feel like club, granted club racing depending on where you are is at a very different level. I think regional should be somewhere between club and national. Club is more about fun and experience, where I see regional about a higher level of competition on a series of tracks and conditions (while still keeping it fun). What we have works fairly well, there’s certainly improvements to be had but that’s kinda always the case. We could really use to cut classes (for time sake) as we still have a large division of Tag at times, but also a fair contingent of 100cc. Add to that the full range of 206, plus two shifter classes and its an overcrowded daily schedule. Alas, I don’t see 100 or Tag taking charge anytime soon and suspect we’ll keep fighting the schedule issue.
My #1 would be manageable field sizes and overall prices.
Lots of club racers do not have the race craft to be thrown out there with 30-50 karts on track and those same club racers end up junking equipment at a higher rate when starting out. In general aim for 20ish karts on track and no more than 30 on track at a time.
I am also not a fan of traveling Thursday and Monday to practice Friday and race Saturday and Sunday. It eats 2-3 days of vacation every race weekend. Depending on field size and number of classes you can do 1 or 2 days of racing. Smaller field and class count regional series should be 1 day racing only. Larger series necessitates 2 days of racing to make it all fit in schedule.
Don’t do a full day of practice on Friday!!! Having people pound out 5-6 sessions of practice the day before the race weekend adds cost and vacation time.
Figure out how to fit 2, maybe 3, practice sessions into a race weekend on Friday evening or Saturday morning.
I think the classes is geography dependent. Most anywhere in the US you should run 206 and a 2-stroke category at regional events. You can’t do all the 2-stroke classes and make it work. The 2 stroke classes will vary based on where you are, but most likely be KA100 in most locales.
Maybe shifter or X30 if you happen to have a bunch of those guys in your area.
Also no kid-karts at regional racing. I know some kid kart parents that will be livid at that, but a proper sized regional track is too big for kid karts. The kids are awesome, just not on a 3/4 mile track. Let them have fun and learn some proper race craft at club races before hopping in a Cadet kart.
Distance between tracks will depend completely on location in the US or world. I am in NE TX. So tracks for me are all far apart. We have 2 tracks in Houston, 3 in Dallas, 1 in San Antonio, 1 in Waco, 1 in Midland, 1 in Amarillo, 1 in Oklahoma City, 1 in Tulsa, 1 in New Orleans. Not all of those tracks can support larger fields of racers though. The tracks range in distance from 9 hours to 2 hours away from me. Heck, I can travel to Garnett KS to race in the same amount of time it takes to go to Midland, Amarillo, or New Orleans…Texas is just big and spread out.
Run some hard Evinco Blues, or harder. Make the tires rules such that you are limited for the series such that you have to use tires for more than 1 race weekend. For example, allowed 2 sets for 4 race weekends.
Potential weekend, assuming KA SR and 206 SR are only LCQ classes.
10 classes - Cadet 1 / 2 / Jr / Sr / Masters - 206 / KA100
3 rounds practice - 6 minutes/session
Saturday Practice: Practice 8:00 am - 12:00. 3 Rds, 6 minute, 2 minute between
Saturday Race: Race 1:00 pm - 7 pm. Qual (6 min+2min). H1 & H2, 8 minute ea, 3 minute between, 24 sessions total
Sunday Race: 8:00 am - 2:30. H3, 2 LCQs at 12 minutes, Finals at 18 minutes
For large fields:
I’ve changed my opinion on a weekend for regional. Used to want a full 3 day event. Now I want everything done Saturday and Sunday. Run 2-3 sessions for practice Saturday morning along with Qualy and a heat. Throw a warm up on Sunday with heat or 2 and final.
Rather have laps in racing vs practice. If you can’t figure it out in 2 sessions, you likely shouldn’t be at a regional event.
I’ve also taken the approach that Friday practice turned into a cash grab for tire sales.
I ran a few F-Series races back in 2017 and they used the format of practice on Friday and race day on Saturday. This was nice because I could be back home on Sunday, even when traveling 8-10+ hours. Regardless of Fri/Sat vs Sat/Sun, I like the idea of fewer days (i.e. fewer tires). Fewer classes the better too.
There have been some great regional efforts in the Northeast/Great Lakes regions that went off the rails or different directions that all brought some good things to the table.
Geography - ideally a radius of a drive that can be done comfortably in an evening or early morning.
Schedule - 3 races
Weekend schedule - F or Sa practice 12-8, Sa or Su race done by 5. I like Sat/Sun personally - no days off school or work.
Cooperation - if a track is on the schedule that track has to agree to not schedule a club race over the other 2 regionals
Classes - whatever the base is in the region plus one step up for junior/senior. Not a fan of kid kart travel racing. In most regions I’d be for Sportsman, Junior, Senior & Masters 206 and 2 cycle Junior & Senior - maybe sportsman if there is a base in the region.
No money racing.
Spec tire for sure - everyone is buying the softest tire to run an open tire anyway so may as well make it a situation where the series can draw some funding that goes back to the racers ultimately anyway.
I find these responses very interesting. What surprises me is that those that responded want only 3 races all weekend. I’m wondering if the gap between regional racing and club racing is that much different between clubs.
For myself, we have a very strong club with solid numbers in most classes, and race regularly against regional and national drivers. Each race day we are on track 4 times (either practice, Q, Prefinal, final, or Practice, H1, H2, Final) We have 2-3 double headers each season which allows for 5-6 races in a weekend.
Due to this, my desire when traveling is to get alot of racing done in a weekend. I don’t mind taking a Friday off, as I don’t really take time off in the summer outside of racing. Also, If I am traveling 2-6 hours to a track, I want it to be worth the travel, and 3 races over 2 days just doesn’t do it for me.
And when I say I want to be on track, I mean RACING! 2-3 practice sessions on Friday and 1 on Saturday is enough. Then let’s get racing!
Yeah but does Badger still run 4 laps warm-up, 6 lap heats, and 8 lap main races basically? Maybe you’re on track more times but for less overall laps than you would at a regional where you get double that for each session.
I should have mentioned, longer race sessions would be an expectation. Going back to the F-Series example, it always felt like we got plenty of laps despite only racing one day.
TJ-
We put alot of effort last year into maximizing our race day. the bare minimum on heats is 7/7/8, and qualifying is 3/7/12. Last year we had multiple days of 15 lap finals. Each day also provides an 8-min practice session.
On average for a double with the extended finals, we would get 43 race laps over 2 days, not counting qualifying or practice. In our closest regional option last year, we had 50 laps of racing over 3 races.
My concern on less amount of race sessions is if you DNF the first heat, you have less chances to make that up. In the “Old days”, as you know, Saturday and Sunday were each their own event. So if you messed up Saturday, you got a fresh start Sunday.
You need to get out to Badger this year to beat up on all the teenagers!
I agree with most of what everyone else has said but I feel regionals need to continue to offer something over club racing. With so many strong clubs that have big fields and double header weekends you need regionals to not feel like just another club race.
Friday practice but not too much. I don’t need to be there Thursday.
I prefer two final races with more sessions, heats each day as opposed to one final with longer races.
Spec tire of course
In 206 I’ve never needed another new set for a second day. Even on the softest tires most don’t but don’t even make it an option.
Rain racing with drops so you can skip a race or a weekend.
Precise time schedule is important, lots of knowledgeable staff, thorough tech, clear penalties.
Broadcast is a nice luxury, active social media and communication.
The better regionals I’ve been to just feel more professional and more important with all respect to club racing. In my opinion that’s the most important part of regionals.