Responses to ‘RE: Blokart Bearings, salt water and sand’

Hi Grant,

I have some time on my hands so I thought I would contribute – apologies for personal references to your karting ability

On the issue of even playing fields – please don’t regulate out all the mystery!

I am not afraid to admit that I would love to have a secret technical advantage to make up for my inefficiencies as a sailor which would guarantee I would always beat you! Hence lately my being a blokart dealers dream customer – always first to purchase new design wheels and tyres,

extra carbons etc.

Swapping karts

with Russell on Sunday clearly demonstrated to me that this sport is as much about the tools as it is about the technique. Both require skill and exist in Blokarting Racing as a symbiotic relationship.

The challenge which I am enjoying immensely  is trying to maximise both.

This is not what your nemesis, Jenny, would say – she has very little input into her kart tuning except to tell me in no uncertain terms when it feels wrong. But – guess what – I got great pleasure when she and her really old black kart with modified battens and careful choice of carbons was able to beat you in your shiny new stainless rocket with standard battens. Was that her skill as a sailor or mine as the mechanic or you being a gentleman?

The really great and special thing about blokarting is we never really know – so we keep coming back trying to find out.

What does standardisation really mean?

If there is a strong voice for standardisation in championship racing then lets not have any doubt as what this can only mean – it means all racers in brand new karts and sails out of the box which have been carefully measured for accurate alignment. Then, like they do with the horses, riders are weighted to reach the top weight within their classes. This is entirely feasible if B/K International and BIA want this. Build 20 to 30  karts and lease out the karts for each race to the racers on a draw system. Say $10.00 a race – much cheaper than airfreight! The raced karts will be quite saleable after the series – or even could be reserved as a fleet for other events. Appoint a fleet manager and small team to check tyre pressure, batten tension and do sail changes if required and lock up the karts at night.  

Standardisation can not possibly, even remotely, mean new karts racing against old, stainless against powdercoat, white and black sails against commercially available coloured ones, different versions of axels, front wheels, bearings and tyres.

So to stir the pot (as you know I am want to do occasionally) I close with this comment

How does a bit of batten shaping or bearing tinkering even get into the conversation when you can not honestly consider the karts as truly “one design”?

Rgds

Bruce