By the rules it's none, am i right? Now my other option for a fresh discussion was going to be titled:
"What's the shortest time a new sticker kit has lasted", partly because i've got a funny story where i saw the freshly applied side pod sticker wrapped around a competitors front tyre within 30 seconds of the green light coming on. True story. There's more to it, but that's not the topic of the string.
Back to the question. So if you have a look at the side pods and nose cones of many of the karts at a bigger "bitumen sprint kart" type meet, how much rubber on the nose cone and donut swirls down the pods on many of the karts. Lots, yes? Obviously there has been lots of "contact of karts" but not each case reprimanded or written up. (and i'm not suggesting it should be, don't panic).lol
How often do you hear, rubbin's racin' suggested at the kart track?
Having said that, we have mostly raced in an area where contact with midgets and rookies was not tolerated, but was then "initiated" into the Junior ranks with a serious touch up on the roll up laps, then pushed, bumped and generally battered by the regular competition whenever the opportunity arose. Apart from the tyre marks, a third of a side pod sticker was ripped off in the new karts first ever race, just a few laps in. lol
It was a good initiation as nothing much has changed. The Juniors probably do bump and grind out on the track and for the most part seem to do it within the spirit of the sport, if not the rules. Remember, no contact of karts?
It may well change as you move up through the performance categories where the speed and stickyness of the tyre will probably tend to "bite" the competitors kast, rather than "rub" like the reliable old SL tyre.
All this talk of cameras and watching the International video, with for example, 10 second penalties for a bump on the roll up lap or a tap into a corner, and i just wondered is that what we are aiming at, or is it just a case of rubbin' racin'?
What do you think?
"What's the shortest time a new sticker kit has lasted", partly because i've got a funny story where i saw the freshly applied side pod sticker wrapped around a competitors front tyre within 30 seconds of the green light coming on. True story. There's more to it, but that's not the topic of the string.
Back to the question. So if you have a look at the side pods and nose cones of many of the karts at a bigger "bitumen sprint kart" type meet, how much rubber on the nose cone and donut swirls down the pods on many of the karts. Lots, yes? Obviously there has been lots of "contact of karts" but not each case reprimanded or written up. (and i'm not suggesting it should be, don't panic).lol
How often do you hear, rubbin's racin' suggested at the kart track?
Having said that, we have mostly raced in an area where contact with midgets and rookies was not tolerated, but was then "initiated" into the Junior ranks with a serious touch up on the roll up laps, then pushed, bumped and generally battered by the regular competition whenever the opportunity arose. Apart from the tyre marks, a third of a side pod sticker was ripped off in the new karts first ever race, just a few laps in. lol
It was a good initiation as nothing much has changed. The Juniors probably do bump and grind out on the track and for the most part seem to do it within the spirit of the sport, if not the rules. Remember, no contact of karts?
It may well change as you move up through the performance categories where the speed and stickyness of the tyre will probably tend to "bite" the competitors kast, rather than "rub" like the reliable old SL tyre.
All this talk of cameras and watching the International video, with for example, 10 second penalties for a bump on the roll up lap or a tap into a corner, and i just wondered is that what we are aiming at, or is it just a case of rubbin' racin'?
What do you think?
Views: 105
Comments12
I noticed alot less rubbin when I moved to Leopard from Clubman. In saying that, I still have plenty of marks on my stickers, but they're just usually first corner-cold tyre gentle touch ups.
I remember a few years back I put a brand new set of stickers onto my Clubby Light kart for the Tas state championships. Went through the whole meeting without a scratch. Then a few months later I raced the Vic Open at Cobden. Still not a single mark! The first Clubday after that? Stickers were almost gone after the 1st Heat lol...
very subjective Tim eh the guy sitting n the side of the track wont like the "rubbin is racing" comment. when does rubbin stop and punt begin??
the rule fortunately or unfortunately uses the words "may be penalised" this allows the officials plenty of room to wriggle, if the rule was changed to "MUST be penalised" it would change the whole rule. It would though mean stewards would NEVER leave the stewards room as there would be a constant stream of offenders through the door. ;-)
There are so many variables it will be hard to agree whats acceptable or not.
Maybe take sidepods away and let them experience what Formula Ford do with genuine open wheeler racing where a touch is way mor eexpensive?? I have heard though "some" karters moving upto FF have a bad rep for bad habits learnt in karts eg pod rubbing etc, FF don't have pods!!
generally speaking if the contact is big enough to cause you to loose a position thats the line I would expect??
sayin kartin is non contact is like sayin baskettball or soccer is a non concact sport there will always be rubber on ur nose cone and dats the way it is u cant help it : )
it just happens.. even when u dnt mean it...
I always get bumped on the straights, and i do it somtimes, but never intentioanlly...its just that ur so close to the dude in front and u dont want to lose him!!
i dnt mind it, as long as i dnt pushed around the track, and it happens in a straight line!!
Paul Hewitt said:Maybe take sidepods away and let them experience what Formula Ford do with genuine open wheeler racing where a touch is way mor eexpensive?? I have heard though "some" karters moving upto FF have a bad rep for bad habits learnt in karts eg pod rubbing etc, FF don't have pods!!div>
When we didnt have Pods a front to rear wheel touch often required a helmet replacement and sometimes a colar bone or similar mending time
Look at the mint condition /appearance of top driver's karts then rank yourself in terms of wannabes
Some people just say it was ONLY tap but I have seen and been on the recieving end of many 'Taps'. I have seen kids in rookies 'tapped' off into the fence and it scares me what could happen to those kids with 'taps'. If they get away with it once they will do it again. I have also recieved many taps, I can deal with be pushed down the straight but not being tapped mid corner and your kart unloads and is sent flying into the run off or in another case of mine a fence at a good 74.6kmh in JNL according to my alfano.
But in karts there should be no contact. Because if you allow 'rubbing' it opens the debate into interprertation and that is not a good way to go. As said before in Formula Ford the karters go in with a bad reputation and that is not a good for the sport and outsiders looking in. But thats just my opnion :)
Contact is unavoidable in motorsport....the key is teaching kids at a young age about respect and about being humble in Victory and gracious in defeat! that job is up to each any everyone us..unfortunately,this trait is few and far between at most kart tracks...it can be taught but takes a minority years to learn if ever
Pete Chronis said:Zero !I have no tolerance for contact, ofcourse it happens, and sometimes its unavoidable, when your blind sighted and there a kart that cuts across or similar, but most the time its just sheer, lack of respect, and patience, we need to clamp down on it from midgets, having the "" its only midgets "" attitude, is whats wrong with the sport, you train them from young how be a good steerer, you should also train them how to drive around not into others, to get around others, the blame is with the parents, no ifs no buts for me, I have seen plenty a bad sportmanship, too much for a so called fun sport !!.you tell when two drivers are working togeathe, and when the one driver is just being a menace..hhhm,, a bit too opinionated, me thinks, but thats just a thought.cheersPete
I dont care if i get a bit of a tap every now and then. As long as it doesnt cost anyone a spot or any damage i think its ok. I have had a few circular marks down the side of my old kart and i dont know how they got there after a race (being passed and not feeling any touches). I think its just a part of racing sometimes and you have to deal with it.
I believe the art in racing was to go as fast as you can without any incidents, for sure things do happen but it is a skill to do it without the mistakes. If everyone relised that your not going to win it in the first corner and to give a little racing room this makes the win so much better, not to mention the public relations exercise. my 2 cents
Pushing in a straight line to get away or catch-up (also known as working together) and a bit of touchy/feely in the side-pods by accident is absolutely fine. I've done it myself a couple of times, come in a bit too deep and touch the person you're going under with your rear wheel, boohoo who cares half of the time they wont even lose a spot. And I'm forever working with people, get onto a straight tuck into their slipstream and push I mean c'mon who doesn't do that.
I think one way to distinguish a shunt in the side-pod and an accident is too see which wheel hit first, front or rear, if your rear wheel hits the person on the outside then well as I said you've probably just come in a little bit deep. However hit their side-pod with your front wheel and there's a fairly good chance you've come under and driven straight into the side of them on purpose.
And as it is now, hit someone square in the rear end and there's a fair chance that you'll get a good slap on the wrist lol.
what a funny topic this one is. i do agree that alot of the time, the officials are a bit slack in penalising competitors for deliberate running, but it can be hard for them when going in to some corners. the truth is, they cant tell if the person being overtaken on a corner is turning in on the guy on the inside, or visa versa. however, on other occasions there has been very close watch on karts when it comes to unnecessary rubbing, handing out penaltys left right and centre. of course it doesnt help when one person you are racing has his mother as an official!
PSC rd 1 this occurred. i had a brand new kart, and of course, like most, wanted to keep it new! by the end of the day, one side of my sticker kit was fully black and shreeded while the other side wasnt much better. some that were not there might assume that i wouldve been the one to cause this, but my nosecone remained clean! trying to overtake the officials son didnt result in a pretty sight. the guy turned into me when i was right next to him, and knocks himself out . i will leave it there, as many that were there understand
Andrew Roffey (21), Lachy, Me then Jakey Coleman, god that photo brings back some memories. I'll never forget our first JNR Development Camp we did together lol :-)
Anyways, i see what you mean though Tim it's ironic how cleanly we can race as 10 year olds (as the photo represents) but the older we get the more biff and barge there is ... Mind you JNL has always had the reputation to be the dirtiest class, I hated it by then end, (partially because I was 8kg over but still lol) but i can see why you started this you're probably sick and tired of the shoving in JNL yes?
I still find this in JNH sometimes (obviously not as much), you get the younger kids and they step out of a midget/rookie chassis into a JNR chassis (longer, wider) give them a couple of more horsepower and let them loose, they try and through a JNL chassis into a hole that's only just big enough for a rookie kart. I think that's where half the problems start.