That’s why I asked what the T4 package offers that fills a gap that 206 isn’t offering. If they are improving the formula and providing a better product, by all means, go for it.
But to copy the same formula and bring nothing new to that table just to capitalize on the success of the Briggs is an obvious money-grab and nothing more. Of course, they are welcome to do that, it’s not illegal. But my gripe comes from the perspective of the racer. If Briggs has worked hard to build up a national following for their package and all of a sudden the fields are split and shrunk because the T4 starts stealing entries, it hurts both parties.
One kart, one engine (under Briggs rules) what’s wrong with that. Briggs is not selling karts, they’re selling engines. Maybe they’ll sell more engines? Everybody’s happy. Instead of just a packeged Engine, we have a packeged System. One stop shopping. Equal out the competition. Kind of like rental karts.
From what I understand from a conversation I had with them a few years ago, it was originally intended for the dirt market where 206 never really took off.
You could argue it’s looking to fill a hole where some grievances exist with the Briggs platform. Here’s the differences I see in the overall program.
International approach including a presence in Europe.
Tires regulated as part of the package. (Granted it’s outside the scope of Briggs, but the market doesn’t care)
(A little) More power.
Rotax-type series with world finals.
Spec oil with dye testing.
Engine passport system
All that said, so far Tillotson don’t seem to have the output volume to come close to Briggs. Maybe they have something on the horizon for that…
I really hope that both LO206 and Tillotson fields aren’t hurt if both are introduced in the same area. In the local scene, I don’t really see the Tillotson breaking through, just like the VLR with the KA100. Once one is already established, it’s really hard to replicate. I can see the Tillotson having some local presence, but not nationwide like LO206.
I can see however the tillotson perhaps being able to create a T4 series in the USA, since LO206 does not have its own nationwide competition. It does have CKNA, but maybe if Tillotson are able to create a T4 series similar to the Rotax Stars and Stripes competition they may be able to take off there.
Oddly enough, Briggs has the power plant in production that equals the Tillotson in power in the World Formula. It’s simply not marketed.
The 206 fields have gotten big enough and been around long enough that many racers are looking for that “next step”. Within that same group are many that do not wish for that step to be to a 2 cycle KA. In some way due to the thought that it’s more work.
Briggs should be and I hope that they are working that next step with a sealed WF. It’s essentially a plug and play from the 206.
The market is ready for it. The question is, who’s going to make it happen. Briggs or someone else?
I don’t know if that’d be a wise move. Look at Rotax. They tried the RM1 and that failed, then they did the DD2 and that has pretty much failed bar a few little places in the world. Essentially the business model is still planted in 1997 with the MAX FR125.
As soon as you go into the the power game and introducing new products you can undermine your current customer base, especially if it involves introducing a more powerful product. I say that because IAME has achieved some success with the KA100. But if we look at all the Super X30s and so on, none of that has really gained any traction for IAME. They’ve stuck with the X30 product for a decade or so now.
I know Briggs already have the product there ready to go, but it’s one thing having it on the shelf, and there’s another trying to actively promote it.
Tillotson T4 is barely a step up from LO206, but it is a step up.
I think the area in which Tillotson can make an impact is not in the club/local scene, but in the more competitive series with regional/national competitions for the more serious drivers looking for a different challenge, but don’t want to go 2 stroke. LO206 has a national series in Canada, but yet to have one in the USA, so Tillotson may be the one to do it
206 has CKNA which is more of a big club or regional race in terms of organization and competition level, but it gets a ton of entries and people seem to like it.
Is 206’s purpose to be a national-level class though? I think it’s bread and butter is as a good entry-level class.
Yeah I don’t think LO206 is really for National style racing. CKNA is the closest to it, but it’s more a big friendly regional competition. The main goal of LO206 was to create a cost-effective way to enter into karting. They have accomplished that goal really well. LO206 has big competitions, just not national series.
I think the idea was to have something that ubiquitous that you could take anywhere in the US, but not sure about the level of competition. Natural consequence that it would attract top level drivers though.
I don’t know, I feel like some people would do it. But I don’t know how many serious drivers would be there, going to each event, like in SKUSA or USPKS. In Canada it seems to have worked, but not sure if it would in the U.S.
There is a void in national 4 stroke racing though, not sure if it’ll be as successful as USPKS or SKUSA, but it’s up for grabs
Without sounding a little mean to Canada (and I live here). Their national championships are basically regional. They are out east in Ontario and Quebec. Its not like SKUSA going from California to Indiana.
For me the only thing LO206 is missing to be perfect, is a spec tire. Having to use different tires at different tracks/regions is big put off for me (not that I’m doing any LO206 racing).
Oh that’s interesting! I thought in Canada it was actually a national competition since it was the Canada Karting Championship (name was misleading I guess lol).
A spec tire would be nice, tires for me are kind of the killer in this sport, cost so much and need to be replaced often, and it’s worse when you have to buy different tires for different series.
Its just that most karting, and the close tracks are in the higher populated regions of Ontario and Quebec. Out west (where I am) they have a Rotax Western Canadian Karting Championship but I think most western Canadians head south for ICP, IKF, SKUSA ProKart if they want to do championships.
LO206 though was made to be a cost-effective solution, so I’m wondering if LO206 were to do National Series, would it be cost-effective anymore? Probably not
There’s A LOT of us guys that don’t run 206 for the cost effective selling point.
There’s countless 206 racers that run it specifically for the engine parity and field size.
Just note the attendance of the CKNA Grands, RIGP, Quincy, Brickyard, etc. We come to the bigger more expensive races to run with the best of the best with a package that ultimately pits driver and chassis setup vs driver and chassis setup.
These engines are so close in performance that you have to try to screw up the power on it to be out motored. Or someone has to be cheating and it’s normally obvious.
EDIT to add:
Just because guys are making the program not cost effective for themselves, doesn’t mean the bare bones low cost cost racer can’t show up and beat them. Happens all the time. That’s the real benefit of the program. Joe Bob can show up on his 6 year old chassis with his self tuned 5 year old 206 and go stomp on the big team arrive and drive unlimited money track divas.
That is the only reason I run it. I stepped back from cars. It is all cheap by comparison. The person I race with is more attracted to the price. For me if the local KA class was large I would probably run it instead. I have raced 5 classes over the years. Four have been 2 stroke. I like 2 strokes more than 4 strokes. I like large classes more than anything. The equal part is just one of the factors that helps it be large
I am running lo206 next year specifically because it’s cheap.
I may be in a period of self-delusion (based on what I can’t have), but I anticipate racing that will be “better” than my rental shenanigans without the financial oblivion of 2-stroke.
End of day, it’s racing without a cage, on equally weighted karts. It is my hope that the fields will be a bit more experienced than in rentals.I am also looking forwards to not buying new tires every time I go karting.
