Let's Discuss: Clean Racing

Racing is a great sport and hobby. Unlike other sports where penalties can be assessed almost instantly and where rough play can be more easily dealt with, in racing drivers must trust each other in order for the sport to reach its competitive height, and while penalties are assessed they often do not fully make up for the wrong a racer has suffered. This inability to fully rectify the wrong, through no fault of the officials, can lead to grudges and escalation, which is an uncalled for but unfortunate reality that racers and officials must be aware of. Penalties are a necessary part of the sport but they are a last resort. 

Ultimately, what is best for each racer and the sport as a whole is for there to be great respect and trust between racers. When this respect and trust is present, racing is an incredible competitive art form! For real racers this is what makes racing such a great sport! 

F100 has this type of racing at every event but F100 is not content with just having this type of racing happen, F100 wants to continue to push for this type of racing to become the norm in this great sport so that everyone can see how fair, accessible and competitive kart racing truly is! 

In order to continue to foster the development of this fair and ultra competitive style of racing, F100 has put together the following video which contains a brief overview of the rules that will be enforced at F100 events as well as the driving style that F100 expects.

Let's Discuss: Kart Transportation

Kart racing is an excellent sport and hobby, and a great alternative for those who wish to test their limits on a race-track but do not have the time, money, desire or space to store and modify a car. However, karts do have one big drawback - they cannot drive to the track under their own power. Karts are meant for racing, not for street driving. And while the no compromises attitude, low expense and simplicity of a racing kart make them perfect for any real racer, the hassle of hauling a kart to the track can scare racers away from this great sport.

There is good news though. Hauling a kart to the track is not that big of a deal. Lightweight and simple F100 racing karts, most of which are air cooled, can easily be transported by almost any car or truck. There are many cars and trucks that are rated to tow enough to accommodate a kart and a trailer, including cars built by manufacturers such as Toyota and Hyundai. A quick google search of the towing capacity of a certain year, make and model of car should give you the info you need. Karts also easily fit in the bed of most pickups, short bed, long bed, full-size, mid-size, etc. And of course vans and trailers, enclosed and open, make for great kart haulers.  Below are some examples of how F100 racers transport their karts to the racetrack:

DISCLAIMER: Neither F100 nor the Fast 100 Karting Blog makes or implies any comment as to the suitability, safety or legality of any of the listed transportation methods. User assumes all risks and bears all responsibilities for their kart transport choices and decisions.

Inside your car:

Volvo Wagon

Ford Fiesta

On a small trailer:

4x4 Harbor Freight style trailer (first two pictures are of trailer attached to the back of a Honda Fit)

4x8 Harbor Freight style foldable trailer (attached to the back of various small cars)

4x8 Harbor Freight style foldable trailer folded for storage

4x8 Harbor Freight style foldable trailer built into a stacker trailer

Inside a van:

On a trailer hitch carrier:

In the bed of a mid-size pickup:

Chevy Colorado

Nissan Frontier

In the bed of a full-size pickup:

Short bed (Honda Ridgeline)

Short bed

Short bed (Quad cab truck)

Short bed with a ramp system to enable storage underneath the kart

Long Bed (Toyota Tundra)

2 karts in a long bed pickup

Kart stand in the hitch

In a box van:

Ford E450

Inside an enclosed trailer:

Small trailer

Larger trailer

These are just a few examples of how F100 racers transport their karts to the track, but there are likely many other possibilities as well. Kart racing is an excellent sport and hobby and there are many ways to get your racing kart to the track without having to break the bank. Small trailers fit easily into garages or storage units, and karts can easily be stored in tight spaces without compromising the usability of the space. Karts allow you to enjoy your racing passion without compromise. No longer do you need to modify an expensive car, which may be your daily driver, for track duty. With a racing kart you get a purpose built machine with performance far greater than any reasonably priced car all at a price you can afford!

Let's Discuss: Racing Flags

With the first race of the F100, F206 and SKC season approaching, we thought it would be a good idea to have a quick refresher on the meaning of the most commonly used racing flags at kart racing events. Please see below for flag meanings:

Meaning of Each Flag*

A. GREEN FLAG (Solid Green)
A race is under way the instant the green flag is displayed. This flag shall normally be in possession of the Starter only, and shall not ordinarily be displayed at the flag stations around the course. When displayed, the green flag indicates that the course is clear.

B. YELLOW FLAG (Solid Yellow)
WAVED — Take care, Danger, Slow Down, NO PASSING FROM THE FLAG until past emergency area.
WAVED OR STANDING AT ALL STATIONS — Great Danger, Slow Down, be prepared to stop — NO PASSING. Re-grid single file in current order for restart.
NOTE: A driver may encounter several flags before reaching the emergency area. The requirements are still the same “SLOW DOWN, NO PASSING.”

C. BLUE FLAG (Blue with Diagonal Yellow Stripe)
Another competitor is following you very closely or is trying to overtake you. This flag may be displayed standing or waving, depending upon the speed with which you are being overtaken.

D. WHITE FLAG (Solid White)
Caution – you are approaching a slow moving race car (e.g., with mechanical trouble), ambulance, or other emergency vehicle on the racing surface. Take care. This flag shall be shown standing for two (2) flag stations prior to the vehicle. A standing white flag shall also be displayed during the first lap of a practice or qualifying session to indicate the location of the flagging stations.

E. BLACK FLAG (Solid Black)
CLOSED BLACK FLAG (Furled) Pointed or shaken at an individual car from the Starter’s stand (optionally, accompanied by a number board indicating the car number): WARNING! You have been observed driving in an unsafe and/or improper manner. If the action continues, you shall be given an OPEN BLACK FLAG.
OPEN BLACK FLAG – Displayed from the Starter’s stand: Proceed directly to the pits and the location designated by the Chief Steward or event Supplementary Regulations for consultation with Officials. DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER LAP.
NOTE: THE BLACK FLAG CAN ONLY BE DISPLAYED BY ORDER OF THE CHIEF STEWARD AS RELAYED THROUGH RACE CONTROL.

F. CHECKERED FLAG (Black and White Checks)
You have finished the race (or practice/qualifying session). Continue cautiously to the pits.

G. RED (Solid Red)
Displayed at each station and on the Starter’s stand – EXTREME DANGER – THE SESSION HAS BEEN STOPPED. Come to an immediate, controlled stop at the side of the race track (indicated by an official at that location or as specified in the event Supplementary Regulations). When released by an Official, proceed cautiously to the pits.

* Almost everything listed here is taken directly from the SCCA Rulebook, specifically SCCA Rule 6.11.2. The SCCA Rulebook, while not utilized for kart racing, provides excellent definitions for these flags applicable to all forms of motorsports.

Let's Discuss: Onboard Cameras

With F100 implementing video review for the 2016 F100 SoCal season, Level 1 racers are encouraged to utilize onboard cameras during all heats and main events. For some, the wide range of action sports cameras by Go Pro will be used to capture on board footage, but for those looking to save some money or who just want something different there are alternatives.

DISCLAIMER: F100 does not profit in any way from the cameras listed. F100 does not sell the cameras listed. F100 does not mandate or even encourage the use of the cameras listed. The cameras listed are examples of cameras on the market that may be useful for F100 racers. There are many other cameras as well that are not listed in this discussion and racers should take care to thoroughly research their options before making a purchase. The cameras listed are used by an F100 racer on his personal kart.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way we can discuss two cameras that may be useful for F100 racers. For the front of the kart the SJCam SJ4000 is a great Go Pro like camera. It will attach to front of the kart, either on the fairing or otherwise, using mounts similar to a Go Pro. On board video quality is good, but maybe not as crisp as a top-of-the-line Go Pro. Still, at only around $80 on Amazon for the camera and a ton of mounts, the SJCam SJ4000 is a good option. At only around $80 if you happen to lose your SJ4000 at the track it won't hurt as much as if you lost your Go Pro. Check out the on-board video below shot with the SJCam SJ4000:

Let's Discuss: Leopard, PRD and Rotax Gearing for FK2 and Clubman Classes

With the addition of restricted 125cc Leopard, PRD, and Rotax engines to the certain F100 classes, F100 has opened the door for many racers who are new to the sport to enjoy F100 competition without the need to buy new equipment. Many racers have purchased restrictors for their Leopard, PRD and Rotax engines in order to race in one of these classes and F100 is excited to welcome these racers to F100 competition in 2017. 

Some of these racers have wondered about the gearing they should run with this restrictor. There is no maximum gear size in the FK2 and Clubman classes for the Restricted 125cc engines.

FOR FK2 - A good rule of thumb for the FK2 and Clubman classes is to add 4 or 5 teeth to the maximum gear sizes that were used in the former FK125 Masters class, listed below:

§  Adams – 82

§  Apex – 80

§  Bluemax Kart Track - 82

§  Buttonwillow – 82

§  Calspeed – 82

§  Grange CW – 80

§  Grange CCW – 82

§  Willow Springs – 84

Adding 4 or 5 teeth to these maximum gear sizes should get you in the ballpark. This means that for Grange CW you should start with an 11/84 or 11/85 gearing; for Adams you should start with an 11/86 or 11/87; etc.

Please note, this gearing rule of thumb may not apply for the Restricted Spec PRD engine package.

A quick note about carburetors - you may need to run the carburetor a little leaner with the restrictor. You're best bet is to check your spark plug to see how the engine is running and/or to speak with an engine builder to ensure that your carb and engine are running right and are properly tuned. For FK2 class racing running your engine rich is not the worst thing but you may be able to achieve a bit more performance with some attention to your carburetor tuning.

Need Help Deciding Which F100 Class Is For You? Classing Is As Easy As 1-2-3! A Thorough Explanation of F100 Class Names

Classing is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3

1.     F100 offers several types of classes. Some class names are self-explanatory, such as LO206 Senior, while others, such as the Formula, or “F” designated classes, are not as self-explanatory. The “F” designated classes represent the traditional F100 classes.  These classes combine different engine packages into one equal and competitive racing class. Due to their use of many different engine packages in one equal and competitive class, the standard spec class naming strategy of utilizing the engine name to designate the class was not appropriate and the “F” designation was created as way to label and designate these classes. The engine packages utilized in these classes depends on the age group, but as an example FK1 Masters combines KPV3, KPV4, Formula Y and KT100 pipe into one class. Please see the class structure for specific information about individual classes.

2.     In the “F” designated classes, the second letter is the age indicator. C is for Cadet, ages 8 to 12. J is for Junior, ages 11 to 15. K is for Senior, reminiscent of the old Formula K 135cc class. Senior classes are for ages 15+. Within the K classes there are also Masters classes, which are for ages 30+ or drivers 15+ who weigh over 200 lbs with their racing gear on race day, and Grand Masters classes, which are for ages 50+. Other classes, such as the LO206 classes, have age designated by the group name attached, e.g. LO206 Senior.

3.     The first number represents the license level, Level 1 or Level 2. Level 2 classes are for less experienced racers or racers who just want to have fun without ascending to a Level 1 class. Level 2 licenses are automatically awarded. Level 2 classes are designed to be as inclusive as possible, while still providing equal competition for all racers. Level 1 classes are for more experienced racers who wish to race with top-level competition. Level 1 classes provide some of the best competition anywhere!