“Game Over” – Drivers react to latest (unofficial) proposed changes to KF
By Karting1 ~ July 16th, 2012. Filed under: Kart Racing News.
“Game over”, “Unlikely to tempt me back”, “Just sounds even more complicated to me” and “I don’t think it makes any difference” said the ex-KF karters when presented with the latest unofficial KF proposals as published by Vroom magazine. At odds to what has been said about the CIK’s standpoint, they reported last week that the major manufacturers had met to discuss what they would propose to change to KF for 2014. These changes included:
- Standard powervalve
- Rotax Style Carburettor
- 16,000rpm limit
- Rotax-style clutch
KF’s demise has been a somewhat painful, tiresome and drawn-out affair. KF and CIK karting is no longer a discussion point for many karters as they’ve migrated away from the class. And yes, while some KF grids survive on karting’s past glories with the pursuit of the ‘F1 dream’, those who do karting for karting’s sake simply do other classes or more tragically, leave for cars.
Works for Rotax, but not for KF. Most want to see the powervalve gone!
And thus it is no wonder why these latest unofficial proposals have been met with nothing more than a sigh and a shake of the head from the few that are concerned. There simply isn’t the energy to get passionate any more, and if these proposals are taken up it will come as no surprise if they have little to zero effect on the popularity of KF. They are not far reaching or radical enough to change people’s perceptions of KF or more importantly multi-make racing.
“They just need to get rid of it all really and go back to the old 100s”
Jonathan Walker competed for British Championships in FA and KF1 but has now left the sport. When asked whether he thought these proposed changes could work he said “I wouldn’t have said so, no. Just sounds even more complicated to me. They just need to get rid of it all really and go back to the old 100s. That’s what I’d have thought. Ever since they changed it all it’s been constant problems and constant allegations of people cheating with the clutches, the powervalves, things like that.”
Jonathan’s comments are all too common as drivers yearn for something less complicated. Denis Gorman, who also raced ICA/FA/KF but now races KGP, echoed his desire for a simpler engine “If true, it’s a little surprising. Many were expecting, and it’s reasonable to say hoping, for the powervalve to be dropped. I’ve heard very few complaints about the Carbs in KF, so I’d be interested to know why these are being changed.”
“As far as I’m concerned I retired because of KF. It’s pretty safe to say it’s broken.”
“As far as I’m concerned I retired because of KF. It’s pretty safe to say it’s broken.”
He continued “Ultimately, the reported proposals (I’m waiting for an official announcement) don’t appear to address the concerns I personally have with KF, and are unlikely to tempt me back to it. It’d be good to see the decision process laid out clearly, for example a definition from the CIK of what they believe the problems actually are, to allow a solution to be drawn”
Jason Edgar who now races KGP and whose family have been prominent karting supporters, also continued the same line of thinking “As far as I’m concerned I retired because of KF. It’s pretty safe to say it’s broken. I don’t think it makes any difference, just doing that small amount”
However, Mark Rose feels there is a solution to the inherent design problems with the KF “I will tell you how to fix KF2. Throw the powervalve in the bin. They are £550. Make the engine a bigger capacity. Keep the bottom end, they will run 5 seasons. Make it 135cc or until the speed is correct between the KF3s and the KF2s. Make the wiring loom as simple as possible. A short wire to the ECU and change it every heat and a wire to the starter. The only reason they want a power valve is because they want their engine to look quicker than a Rotax MAX, but it’s an easy solution. Just increase the cubic capacity until it’s as quick as a Rotax.”
“Even more baffling is that while Rotax sought the opinion of current and non-Rotax racers about future development, not once have we or fellow KF karters been approached to give our opinion on the future of the class.”
Having raced KF2 we can say that it is possibly the worst kart class we’ve ever had the fortune to race. From the power delivery to the complexity there is very little to like about the concept. It’s far too expensive and it hard to justify any spend on the class when you can go just as quick in other formulas for a fraction of the cost. It’s just not fun. These proposed changes as reported by Vroom do not change our perception of the class one slightest bit, if anything they make it worse. It’s hard to find anyone that thinks any differently. Even more baffling is that while Rotax sought the opinion of current and non-Rotax racers about future development, not once have we or fellow KF karters been approached to give our opinion on the future of the class.
However, it’s becoming harder to quantify what is being lost or what can be saved with regard to KF. As fans of the sport watching your favourite drivers race at the limit is something glorious to behold. In the days of 100cc it was not uncommon for the paddock to rush to the fences to watch the 20,000rpm crazy machines fly by. Is this something that inherently justifies a large investment to make any changes to KF? Not really, KF needs people racing it in.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that a simplified KF formula will yield any more success than the current one. Single-spec racing has become the most desirable form of racing for most karters, and persuading them to join multi-spec racing is a challenge that could be beyond any technical regulator. But with the CIK and manufacturers staying so silent it’s hard for anyone to get engaged and enthusiastic about any changes. As one driver put it, for KF at least it really could be “game over”.
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